Bright Air is the latest from well known writer Barry Maitland It's a standalone - not part of the Brock and Kolla series.
The synopsis:
On a cliff-face in New Zealand, two men fall to their deaths. Four years before, another member of the same close-knit group of university climbing friends, the bright and beautiful Luce, also died, supposedly in a climbing accident. As the circle of friends dwindles, two of the surviving members, Luce's ex-lover Josh and best friend Anna, see a new significance in her death. In an attempt to uncover the truth, Josh and Anna follow the trail to Lord Howe Island, where they begin to suspect an island-wide conspiracy to hide what really happened. Had Luce uncovered a dangerous secret - one that was still worth killing for?
The opening line:
"Love casts a strange light over everything. I recall the moment precisely, as if watching a loop of dazzling film played at half speed."
She stood panting on the narrow ledge, pressing herself back against the hard surface of the rock . . . heard a voice, far below, calling her name. She tried to answer, but her throat was parched and no sound came. They had heard the stone, clattering down the cliff to the sea, and now they knew where she was ...
Secrets, lies and a deathbed confession lead to a deadly, dangerous trail.
On a cliff-face in New Zealand, two men fall to their deaths. Four years before, another member of the same close group of university climbing friends, the bright and beautiful Luce, disappeared - supposedly in a climbing accident. As the circle of friends dwindles, two of the surviving members of the group, Luce's ex-lover Josh and best friend Anna, see a new significance in her death. In an attempt to uncover the truth, Josh and Anna follow the trail to Lord Howe Island, where they begin to suspect an island-wide conspiracy to hide what really happened. Had Luce uncovered a dangerous secret - one that was still worth killing for?