NEW YORK, Jan 31 — An intriguing exploration of loss, in life as much as in death, “Black Dog Summer” is the debut novel for novelist Miranda Sherry. Compulsively gripping, the novel centres on a murdered mother who watches from the heavens as her teenage daughter recovers amidst the startling dysfunction of her extended family.

The tale begins with a murder at an idyllic South African farmstead where 38-year-old Sally is one of the victims. Her life brutally cut short, Sally lingers unseen in her daughter Gigi’s shadows. When Gigi has to move in with her aunt’s family, Sally comes along too. And when Gigi's trauma stirs up long-buried secrets, Sally watches helplessly as the family secrets begins to unravel.

Things take a darker turn when Gigi’s young cousin develops an obsession with African black magic.  Now Sally must find a way to stop her daughter from making a mistake that will destroy the lives of everyone around her.

‘Black Dog Summer’ is a gripping and emotional story of a murdered mother who watches from the heavens as her daughter moves in with her aunt’s secretive family. — file pic