AustLit

'Francine, and her brother Tony, about to be 5, see their uncle shoot and kill an unknown woman but Fran, unsure if Uncle Hilton has seen them, decides to guard Tony against disclosures, keeps her secret from her widow mother, and is almost destroyed by tormenting fears. Her mother's desperate efforts to get a successful crop from the orchard, the advent of a new neighbor, Hugh Ryland, whom Fran trusts, the easing of her watchfulness when Uncle Hilton displays no wariness, and the final crisis ten months later when Tony shatters her little complacency by a chance remark to their uncle, bring about a dangerous climax. It is Ryland and the detective Collings who are responsible for the children's safety, for Hilton's apprehension – and for the complete dissipation of Fran's nightmares. The orchard country bush life of Australia, the impact on young Fran of watchful waiting, and the incidents that make up the ten months period combine to make this more than a routine suspense novel and give it a special interest.'

Source: Kirkus Reviews.