You think you know someone. You accept that because you are siblings, raised in the same house in the same town by the same parents, you share a common view of the world, live by an identical set of values. But what if you are wrong?

In Sydney, 2017, in the laid-back suburb of Glebe, Lexi Madison is living her ideal life with her husband Conor. When her older sister Chrissy comes to stay, Lexi’s world starts to unravel as dark family secrets are revealed, and she learns how insidiously truth can be perverted, and that exposing those secrets can drive a person to the brink of murder.

The Madison Gap is a mesmerising and ultimately explosive story of a woman’s awakening. In crisp, stirring prose, Patricia Donovan evokes the angst of family discordance and, as we follow Lexi’s search for understanding, captures exquisitely the disquiet and uncertainty that comes when dreams are challenged by reality. 

PATRICIA DONOVAN grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand and graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Master’s Degree (with honours) in English Literature.

After graduation she worked in corporate communications in Australia and New Zealand and is the author of a best practice guide to the profession. She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors and the New Zealand Writers Guild, and The Madison Gap is her second novel.