Kate Horan
Publisher: HQ Fiction
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Crime Woman’s Fiction, Rural, Mystery.
Year of release: 2025
Release date: 30/12/25
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
TW Domestic Violence Physical Abuse, Coercive Control, Teenage pregnancy, miscarriage and Death of a child.
Synopsis
Small town secrets, a cold case, and desperate people collide.
Desperate people do desperate things…
Sixteen years ago, teenage Maddie Marshall’s body was found on a desolate beach near her hometown, Carrinya. Vibrant, feisty Maddie was the only daughter of a high-profile politician. The case was the talk of the town but was ultimately never solved.
Nel Foley, daughter of the town doctor and Maddie’s best friend, was the last known person to see her alive, and the Carrinya rumour mill was vicious. Nel fled the town and has never been back. Until now.
Now a 32-year-old city GP, Nel returns after her father’s sudden death, determined to get in and out as quickly as possible. Begrudgingly, she agrees to run his clinic for a few weeks, but during that time she meets local mum Sophie Warner and that changes everything.
Sophie’s husband Ryan, a prominent local real estate agent, was Maddie’s boyfriend and Nel is certain he played a role in her death. When Nel discovers that Ryan is not the loving husband and father that he seems, she decides she must prove what he did all those years ago. But as she starts to unravel the past, she discovers the truth is far more complex than she could have imagined.
Review
Carrinya is a small town in New South Wales — a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone, and everyone’s business. On the surface, it feels like the perfect place to escape the city over the Christmas holidays. That illusion shatters when the body of teenager Maddie Marshall washes up on a secluded beach not far from her home.
Maddie was vibrant, feisty, and well known — the daughter of a high-profile politician. Her disappearance and death left a permanent scar on Carrinya, especially for Nel Foley, Maddie’s best friend and the last person to see her alive. When rumours, blame and suspicion become unbearable, Nel leaves town and vows never to return.
Sixteen years later, now a GP herself, Nel is forced back to Carrinya after her father’s sudden death. She plans a quiet farewell — in and out, no questions asked. But the past is impossible to outrun, and as old secrets begin to surface, Nel realises the truth about Maddie’s death — and the town she fled — is far more complex than she ever imagined.
When past and present collide, will Nel survive being under suspicion once again, or will Carrinya finally push her over the edge?
Small-town secrets. A teenage cold case. Everyone watching your back.
On the Edge had me hooked from the very first chapters — that tight-knit community, the unresolved disappearance, and the constant undercurrent of foul play. There’s an inescapable sense that no one is truly safe, and that feeling never lets up. I was all in — hook, line and sinker.
Kate Horan delivers a mystery thriller that’s difficult to put down, but she doesn’t stop there. Family, friendship, grief and loss are woven deeply into the story, giving it real emotional weight. Domestic and mystery thrillers are no longer just about heart-pounding twists — they’re about connection too — and On the Edge gets that balance exactly right. A genuine triumph for fans of the genre.
Kate Horan has written characters many readers will find relatable.
Nel is a career-driven protagonist who appears to have everything under control, but beneath the surface is a woman deeply traumatised by her past. In the opening chapters, self-doubt and a lack of confidence are her constant companions. As the story unfolds, we see Nel’s confidence and self-belief slowly begin to bloom. This gradual transformation feels authentic — any faster would have been jarring and unbelievable. I also loved reading about a career-driven character who isn’t chasing constant promotions or community praise for simply doing her job.
Nel’s sister, Lauren, felt more stereotypical to me and remained a fairly static character. That said, the author provides her with a backstory well suited to both the genre and the novel.
Sophie Warner was a standout surprise. I was drawn to her from the moment she entered the story. Kate Horan does an exceptional job of presenting Sophie’s life as perfect on the outside, while slowly revealing the exhausting upkeep of that perfection — maintained out of fear of triggering Ryan. The toll this takes on Sophie and her children is heartbreakingly clear. Her storyline is expertly woven throughout the novel and is a major reason behind my five-star rating.
Lauren’s repeated sniping at Nel for leaving town felt somewhat repetitive and, at times, confusing. We never really see what life was like within the Foley family before the accident, nor what it was like after Nel left. I think this was a missed opportunity, particularly in developing Lauren’s role further. Including more of her perspective may have added even greater depth to the ending.
The first half of the book moves at a slower pace, but in my opinion, this suits both the recent events and the past Nel has been trying to outrun. That sense of sluggishness works well to distinguish between past and present. The second half, however, shifts dramatically — it feels urgent, propelling the reader towards the truth. I found myself desperate to know what would happen next, especially for Sophie and her children.
The romance element was somewhat predictable — but not in a bad way. It wasn’t unwanted or unnecessary, just gently obvious. I was relieved that the author avoided making it cringeworthy, instead keeping it natural and understated, which suited the tone of the story perfectly.
I won’t say I enjoyed this book in the traditional sense, as anything involving the death of a child, the loss of a parent, or domestic violence is always heavy going. That said, On the Edge is absolutely a worthy and exceptionally well-written read. Difficult themes such as grief, loss, domestic violence and trauma are handled with sensitivity and care.
Subplots and Tropes Included
- Abuse (coercive control, physical abuse)
- Coming of age
- Death of a child
- Death of a parent
- Domestic violence
- Escaping an abusive family member
- Family
- Father/daughter relationship
- Female friendship
- First love
- Grief
- Historical crime
- Infidelity
- Lies
- Loss
- Miscarriage
- Mother/daughter relationship
- Police corruption
- Secrets
- Self-doubt
- Small town
- Teenage pregnancy
- The big reveal
I was surprised by how much I didn’t want On the Edge to end. Usually, I’m already thinking about my next read by the final chapters, but I could have happily stayed with the Foley family and the Carrinya community much longer. There is one unresolved element that bothered me — enough that I created my own ending for it. That’s not something I enjoy doing, but fellow pet lovers will understand how curiosity can turn into frustration.
On the Edge left me feeling a wide range of emotions — sadness, anger, and deep empathy. The idea that anyone has to escape a place or a person just to feel safe is confronting, and something no one should ever have to plan for or live through.
Fans of Jennifer Trevelyan, Darcy Tindale, Shelley Burr and Sally Hepworth should absolutely consider adding Kate Horan to their bookshelves.
I highly recommend On the Edge to a mature audience. Readers of domestic thrillers and contemporary fiction will no doubt devour this book — and you won’t regret it.
With continued thanks to HQ Insider and author Kate Horan for sending a physical copy of this book to read and review in exchange for my opinion.