"Tina Shaw's ear for dialogue is so acute that every character leaps from the page whenever they speak. With swift and subtle strokes she evokes the inside of a prison as easily as the beauty of the landscape, and all that lies beneath the secrets of the human heart. I found this taut, knowing novel absolutely compelling. The Children's Pond is a brilliant psychological thriller."

Tina Shaw is the author of several novels including The Black Madonna (Penguin NZ), and About Griffen's Heart (Longacre) which was a Storylines Notable Book in 2010. She has held the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship, the 2001/2 Creative NZ Berlin Writers' Residency, and the 2005 Writer in Residence at the University of Waikato. Her latest publication is the Bateman New Zealand Writer's Handbook. She is an editor and creative writing tutor: www.tinashaw.co.nz