Derwena de Caro
As one reviewer accurately said, Derwena de Caro is a ‘drinking and drugging pop star, a ripped from the headlines twenty-something diva’. In Sam’s Song, Derwena, through her manager, hires Sam to investigate a potential stalker. Although she isn’t the brightest pin in the box, Derwena does have a great talent – the ability to sing. Unfortunately, she also has an addictive personality and is seduced by the excesses of the pop music industry.
At first, Derwena is reluctant to enlist Sam’s help and there is some friction between them. However, at one point in the story Derwena offers Sam a wan smile and Sam reflects, “stripped of the false name, the alcohol, the drugs, the trappings of the music industry, I’d like the person behind that wan smile”. As Sam resolves the issue of the stalker the plot thickens and Derwena hires her to track down a murderer…
Hannah Howe 