Waterfall Village
About this eBook
On Pentecost Island, American volunteer Clare Roberts is found dead at the base of a land-diving tower, a tragic discovery that threatens to spark a diplomatic crisis. Sergeant George Long and Constable Jayline Oli are called from Port Vila to lead the investigation amid mounting political pressure and cultural complexities.
As George and Jayline dig deeper, a confession from the son of a senior politician complicates the case, but doubts linger. Clare’s recent pregnancy, fractured relationships among her housemates, and tensions between tradition and modern aid work reveal a growing list of suspects and motives.
Navigating the island’s kastoms, language barriers, and political interference, George’s role becomes more than just an investigation — it’s a delicate balancing act between justice and diplomacy.
With the eyes of the Pacific watching closely, can George and Jayline uncover the truth before Waterfall Village becomes the epicentre of an international scandal?
Praise for the series ... a tour de force both in its vivid descriptions of warts-and-all Vanuatu and its ability to suck the reader into the frustrating investigation of its likeable detective. A thoroughly enjoyable read. - Colin Cotterill, best-selling crime fiction author
I was really intrigued because the place setting is an integral “character” of the book. - Emily Webb, best-selling author.
About the author
Matt Francis is an Australian based academic with a love of Vanuatu and the Pacific. He has spent the last two decades researching and writing about this part of the world. Matt Francis began his career working for an international aid agency and has undertaken development-based work across Asia and the Pacific. In this award-winning crime novel series set in Vanuatu, Matt Francis introduces Sergeant George Wong and Constable Jayline Oli of the Vanuatu Police Force. George and Jayline travel across the six provinces of Vanuatu solving murders that involve international geopolitics, local kastoms, colonial legacies and natural hazards. Solving crimes in resource-poor Vanuatu relies on basic policing and building trust and relationships with local communities. While George is masterful at the first, it is up to Jayline to provide the later.
