Blood and Gold is book #3 in the Gabe Ahern series by Michael Trant. I felt it read well as a stand-alone as I hadn't read the first two books and there was enough backstory included that I didn't feel totally clueless whilst reading.
He soon learns that other prospectors have also gone missing in the area. Seeing a pattern in the disappearances Gabe believes a killer is on the loose and is determined, for his old friends sake, to bring them to justice. As he hunts down a killer he must also face the ghosts of his past.
Outback Australia is the perfect setting for a thriller and Trant has used this setting to perfection. His descriptions of the countryside, the cold of an outback night and the local townsfolk bring out the essence of the Australian outback and the rugged people who spend their life chasing gold.
Whilst I found the start of the book a bit slow the pace soon ramped up and I flew through the last 100 pages eager to see if Gabe would solve the mystery without getting himself killed.
Trant leaves a few well placed red-herrings and lots of suspicious characters and goings on to keep the mystery compelling and kept me guessing right up to the nail-biting ending.
Blood and Gold was a rollercoaster ride of a read. Trant captures the feel of the outback, its remoteness and vastness, in this compelling outback thriller.
My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Publication date: 21st January 2025
Genre: Crime / Thriller
Pages: 323
Source: Own copy
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