The Forest

1st Place award in mystery book category and Finalist in thriller book category of the 2024 Chanticleer International Competition book awards ('an eye-opener for mystery readers and the business world alike' *****)

Money laundering, drugs, international crime, smuggling, fraud and murder ... all hidden behind the bucolic backdrop of a rich country estate, an established timber mill, a cozy rural village and a magnificent forest. Saskia van Essen has to dig deep to unearth the rot infecting this home of family and friends.

(Prairies Book Reviews) An exhilarating and thrilling read ... The warmth and complexities of family connections, buried mysteries, and a persistent protagonist all combine to create an enthralling tale ... atmospheric and thoroughly engaging.

(OnLineBookClub review - ****)The central characters in this book are so easy to love and connect to ... The author has a remarkable ability to capture the reader's attention. Her ability to describe scenes engagingly and arouse curiosity contributes to the factors that make this book difficult to put down.