Review: Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles

As Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin, Christmas Eve 1974, four girls disappear into the heart of the outback. No tracks. No bodies. No answers.

Decades later, one returns. 

Inspired by true events Jane R. Miles' debut novel Stay Buried is a hauntingly powerful read.

2004 - The parents of four missing girls gather together in front of the Police Commissioner awaiting the latest development in the case of the girls disappearance on the night cyclone Tracey hit Darwin in December 1975.

1975 - One of the missing girls, eight-year-old Lisa-Marie narrates events as they happen.

The 2004 timeline is narrated by Von (Evelyn) who is positive her mother Sally's disappearance, only weeks before the girls, is linked. However, no-one is interested in down-and-out Sally or the daughter she left behind.

Lisa-Marie is one peculiar little girl and reading her narration of the story is spine-tingling. She's outspoken and a manipulator. Her character retains believability as she often reverts back to how you would expect an 8 year old to act.

While the reader knows what happened to the girls, the final outcome remains a mystery until the end of the book.

Miles delivers the story with a tense, creepy atmosphere and a continual foreboding feeling hangs in the air. There are plenty of chapter ending cliff-hangers that keep those pages turning and jaw-dropping reveals making Stay Buried a book you'll find hard to put down.

I was pulled into the mystery and amazed at the girls' sheer will to survive that overcame social and ethical norms. Stay Buried is a chilling and thought provoking read.

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th July 2026

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 322

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#stayburied #crimethriller #lockeddoorthriller #hqinsiders #ausbookbloggers

Review: Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake

 In Softly Calls the Devil Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Blake writes what he knows and it comes across as authentic, gripping and menacing.

Softly Calls the Devil is set in a small town on New Zealand's wild West Coast. Matt Buchanan is back in uniform and enjoying the small town atmosphere. When retired policeman Gus asks Matt to look into a case from the 70's he wasn't prepared for what he would find.

When a murder and a suicide rock the whole town Matt is suddenly thrust back into CIB mode.

Softly Calls the Devil is a brilliant piece of noir crime; dark and intense with a side of New Zealand humour thrown in. I wasn't prepared for how dark this story became nor how realistic the plot is. Once you start reading there is no turning back. Softly Calls the Devil is compelling and fast paced with a few twists to keep your attention.

Blake keeps the prose spare which enables the story to progress at a fast pace.

Softly Calls the Devil is gritty and dark; not for the squeamish.

My only small problem with this novel was the occasional colloquial New Zealand language caused me to sometimes have no idea what was  going on.

It made me realise how Americans must feel reading Australian books. 😄

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Content: Torture

               ritualistic killing

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 352 

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Stillwater by Tanya Scott

As soon as I read the prologue of Stillwater I was completely hooked into the mystery. 

Tania Scott asks the question in Stillwater; "Can you ever outrun your past?"

Luke Harris is working for a disability support company and gets a call for home help with the Wylie family. Here he meets Emma, sister of Phil who Luke is working with. 

Luke has a self-imposed solitude but he clicks with Emma and they start seeing each other.

Luke and Emma both have stuff  going on behind the scenes and Tanya Scott shows through their interactions that non-one really knows what's going on for you or how your past defines you.

The story goes back in time to different parts of Luke's childhood living with his gambling, lying, cheating father and how he was neglected and abused. Luke learnt from an early age to rely on no one but himself. The mob picked him up and looked after him, for a price. There was no escape.

Stillwater is a harrowing story of being brought up by the mob and trying to build a better life, but trouble always seemed to find Luke. Scott builds empathy for her main character. We get to see his upbringing and want him to succeed.

Stillwater is a gritty story of criminal bosses, paranoia , manipulation and coercion.

Fast-paced and addictive, Stillwater is a powerful debut that I couldn't put down until I'd finished the last page. I'm excited for the next Luke Harris novel coming out in April 2027.

Content: child abuse

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 12th August 2025

Series: Luke Harris Thriller #1

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 375

Source: Own copy

Review: Gunpowder Creek by Alex Dook

Alex Dook's debut novel Gunpowder Creek is a fabulously entertaining read.

Gritty and action packed there is never a dull moment in this high octane crime thriller. 

Emily receives a garbled voicemail from her son Zach about someone coming after him. She races to his flat to find it trashed but empty.

Zach has been mixed up with the wrong people but when his latest job goes terribly wrong he finds himself held captive and his mother must complete the job or Zach will die.

Emily can't believe what she is doing, driving a stolen car to make a delivery to the remote town of Gunpowder Creek. She has three days to deliver or Zach will be killed. She will do anything for her only son.

What ensues is a race across the Australian desert where Emily's every move, every word is being monitored, but there is someone else who wants that package and they will stop at nothing to find Emily.

Alex Dook takes an everyday person and puts them in dire life or death situations showing how a mother's love transcends fear and pain. Emily is like a mother bear fighting off anyone who endangers her child.

I was stunned at how far Emily was pushed however, glimpses of her backstory shows she had a harsh upbringing. She was no quitter. Even though you will need to suspend your disbelief a little I found the descriptions of the punishing outback and Emily's desperation all felt real.

I liked how Dook had Emily fighting against the worst of humankind however when it came down to it she never lost her empathy.

Lots of dark humour had me laughing at times and were a welcome relief from the blood and gore.

Gunpowder Creek is an impressive debut. I raced through it. I'm now very excited to see what Alex Dook comes up with next.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd September 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#gunpowdercreek #alexdook #debut #crime #thriller #ausbookbloggers 

Review: Twisted River by James Dunbar

 I really enjoyed Mole Creek by James Dunbar and Twisted River is even more compelling!

With Twisted River James Dunbar had me riveted to my seat until I'd finished the book.

I love a book that can grab me from the prologue and hold my attention all the way through.

When charity worker Cate and website designer Rory, a married couple in their thirties, return from their European holiday, they make a nightmare discovery. Their credit cards have been cancelled, their bank account has been emptied, and their phones and internet have been cut off. They finally arrive home to find their house-sitter has disappeared along with their dog. But this is only the beginning, their lives are about to get much messier and they have no idea why someone is targeting them.

James Dunbar does a superb job of getting the reader to like his main characters before dropping some revealing information about them.

There are twists galore in this edge of your seat thriller.

While I found myself holding my breath at times there are also some laugh-out-loud moments rich in dark humour. I also loved getting the dog Iris's point of view. Such fun!

The setting of Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales has its own starring role with Dunbar's evocative descriptions of the town and its surrounds.

I love a good revenge story and Twisted River is plotted to perfection. I couldn't put the book down as I was pulled deeper and deeper into this gut wrenching mystery.

Twisted River is a tense, edge of your seat thriller that will have you second guessing having a stranger house-sit for you.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th September 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 310

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Nemesis by Patricia Wolf

 Nemesis is another tension-filled DS Walker thriller from Aussie expat Patricia Wolf. I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books and Nemesis did not disappoint.

Right from the opening pages Nemesis delivers a foreboding atmosphere.

The story moves from Canberra, Australia to Berlin and the fictional town of Mildersee , Germany. I loved all the visually descriptive scenes of Germany told through DS Walker's eyes.

Det Barbara Guerra features heavily in this book and it's good to be back with her and see how she and her sister Rita are coping after their ordeal in book 1, Outback.

The DS Walker series is much more immersive if read in order. Each book has a separate crime that is investigated and solved; however they also have a common plot concerning an outlaw bikie gang running through the four books.

I enjoy Wolf's style of writing with short, sharp sentences. It makes for a fast read.

Barbara is working on a case where a dead body is found adrift in a rowboat in an exclusive lakeside holiday area. The murder plot kept me intrigued and the more Barbara investigated the death the suspect list kept getting longer. A few well-placed red herrings made sure I was kept guessing all the way through.

DS Walker is in Berlin on an investigation of his own which also gives him time to meet up with Barbara and give them both the chance to work out their feelings for each other.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 29th July 2025

Series: DS Walker Thriller #4

Genre: crime / Thriller

Pages: 406

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Reviews of other books in the series:

OUTBACK

PARADISE

OPAL

Review: On the Edge by Kate Horan

Who Killed Maddie Marshall? 

On the Edge by Kate Horan is a compelling mystery read that had me guessing and double guessing all the way to the end.

Nel Foley left the small coastal town of Carrinya as soon as she could, following the death of her best friend Maddie when they were teenagers. Nel was recorded as being the last person to see Maddie alive and her death has haunted her for the last 16 years. Now back in Carrinya, following her father's death from a sudden heart attack, Nel is after answers.

As she digs into Maddie's last few months she stirs up trouble in the community and puts her own life in danger.

Horan cleverly includes a domestic violence plot around Nel's investigations and shows how coercive control can escalate to violence when the perpetrator is under pressure.

Kate Horan's characterisation in On the Edge is brilliant. I could picture each character clearly and they all came to life on the page, flaws and all.

The mystery drew me in which kept the pages turning. I like my books fast paced and On the Edge fit the bill perfectly.

On the Edge is a powerful tale of friendship and loss, long held secrets and having the courage to move on with your life.

I'm eager to read Kate's debut novel The Inheritance now!

My rating 4.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 30th December 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 288

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via HQ Insiders

#hqinsiders #ontheedge #katehoran #ausbookbloggers #australianauthor #bookreview #crimeread #mysteryread #domesticviolence

Review: One of the Family by Jess Ryder

I quite enjoyed One of the Family. It was an entertaining mystery read. However, for me, it lacked that shock value that I like in a thriller.

Rachel is a helicopter mum continually texting and calling her two daughters, Liv and Meg. Rachel thinks she is being a good mum connecting with her girls but she was even annoying me as she was checking in with them every 5 minutes.

Liv and her new boyfriend have recently graduated university and Rachel invites them to live with her and Liv's father. She is so happy to have Liv back in her old bedroom and to also have a new person to spoil.

One day Liv disappears and the boyfriend continues to live with the family. This causes a lot of arguments between Rachel and her husband and daughter Meg.

There is a separate plot of Meg being bullied and the story concentrates on this until the bullying is resolved before heading to Liv's disappearance and non-communication. This is where I had to suspend my disbelief as 'helicopter mum', who doesn't let her kids have a minute to themselves, doesn't demand the police check her daughter's phone instead giving her time (weeks) to return home.

Putting these little annoyances aside I was completely pulled into both mysteries which kept me invested in the story eager to see if the bully would be uncovered and also if Liv would be found..... alive.

One of the Family is a light entertaining read with a few unexpected twists that will have readers eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next.

My rating 3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 30th October 2025

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 366

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

Review: Blood and Gold by Michael Trant

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.

When Gabe hears his good friend Terry has disappeared, after bragging about a big gold discovery at a local hotel, he returns to his old hometown to help with the search.

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

#bloodandgold #michaeltrant #penguinrandomhouseau #crimethriller #outbackaustralia #australianauthor #ausbookbloggers #2025release 
 

Review: Best Left Buried by Neil A White

Best Left Buried is the second book in the Matt Latham series by Australian author Neil A White. 

 

Matt Latham is an Australian journalist living in London. He is also a part-time spy for Australia's Secret Intelligence Service.

When strapped for cash Matt takes on the task of writing the biography for an old acquaintance, Bryant Callahan. Bryant is on track to become Texas' next US Senator.

 

Best Left Buried starts at a slow, steady pace however quickly ramps up in tension and danger as Matt, once again trying to help someone out, lands himself in all sorts of trouble when Bryant's Cuban born wife asks him if he could help her find her biological parents. 

 

Neil A White has written a cleverly plotted and intriguing political thriller. The prologue, set in 1986, features a freedom fighters attack on a small village in Nicaragua and I was interested to how this attack would have relevance to a Texan running for Senate in 2022.

 

This plot driven mystery all seemed cut and dried to me until the pace ramped up and the twists started coming which had me racing through the last half of the book. 

Best Left Buried reads well as a standalone. There are a few mentions of events in Shadow Lives but nothing that will make you feel like you missed something crucial but enough to make you want to read it. 

 

In Shadow Lives Matt Latham was a broken man, taking drugs, drinking too much and I enjoyed the character development as the book progressed. However in Best Left Buried I felt he was too in control.

 

Best Left Buried is a riveting tale of revenge, greed and corruption.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd June 2025

Series: Matt Latham #2

Genre: Political Thriller

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Shadow Lives: 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/10/book-review-shadow-lives-by-neil-white.html 
 

Review: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith

I loved The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith. It was addictive and fast paced full of red herrings and jaw dropping twists. The Wrong Daughter is every bit as addictive. I read it in one cold, wet, rainy day.

 

Smith pulls her readers straight into the mystery with a prologue showing how 13 year old Olivia is taken from her bedroom.

 

One plot line follows Caitlin sixteen years after Olivia's kidnapping. Caitlin is now twenty-six and she still isn't coping with the loss.

 

A second plot-line follows Elinor and Heath living on a secluded country estate. This plot has an overriding foreboding feeling that something isn't quite right. I was intrigued to see how these two very different plots would connect.

 

When Olivia suddenly shows up at their parents door Caitlin is ecstatic but as the weeks pass she is more and more convinced this woman is not Olivia.    

 

The Wrong Daughter is an addictive story of manipulation. Filled with adrenaline inducing suspense, a compelling mystery, and a few red-herrings to sift through. I thought I had it all worked out but, of course, I was wrong, and I love that!

 

The Wrong Daughter is definitely a roller coaster ride. It had me gripped right until the thrilling ending.

 

my rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd June 2025

Genre: Crime / Psychological Thriller 

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$22.99 ( B format paperback) 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Wedding Vow: 

 https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2025/05/book-review-wedding-vow-by-dandy-smith.html

 

 

Book Review: The Reunion by Simone Van der Vlugt

The Reunion is a compelling mystery with an unreliable narrator at its centre.

 

I couldn't find my edition of this book, borrowed from a friend, anywhere on the internet. However, if you are interested enough to want to read it there are many options to buy other editions on eBay. 

 

The story is narrated by Sabine whose best friend Isabel went missing when they were 15 years old. Sabine has memory loss and can't remember anything about the day Isabel disappeared.
 

Nine years later the announcement of a high school reunion and a visit back to her old hometown triggers flashes of memory but Sabine can't make sense of them.

 

The Reunion is the classic unreliable narrator, think The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. She has psychotic episodes, alcohol dependence, PTSD and repressed memory.

 

The story goes back and forward between the present, where Sabine is trying to unravel her memory flashes, and nine years ago, when Sabine was relentlessly bullied at school.

 

The Reunion is a compelling mystery. I could feel the tension mounting as the story unfolded. I kept jumping back and forward with who I thought was involved in Isabel's disappearance. Plenty of red herrings kept me guessing right until the end. 

 

You may have to suspend your disbelief, around the police investigation, however this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the novel.

 

Exquisitely translated from Dutch by Michele Hutchison.

 

Content: underage drinking, alcohol dependence, bullying

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

 

Publisher: Text Publishing

Publication date: this edition 2008

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 295

Source: Borrowed copy 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith

The Wedding Vow is a twisty tale of marriage, infidelity and murder.

 

Verity and Linden have the perfect marriage with a picture-perfect home but when Linden is brutally murdered Verity's world is shattered. She is determined to find out what went wrong in her ideal life to cause her husband's murder. 

 

The Wedding Vow is narrated through alternating chapters of 'The Wife' and 'The Other Woman'. The wife is narrated by Verity, a year on from Linden's murder and the other woman is a mystery mistress of Linden's told while Linden is still alive.

As Verity digs further into Linden's life she starts to suspect everyone around her; the neighbour, the accountant, an employee, even her cousin Addison becomes a suspect of Linden's infidelity.

 

The Wedding Vow had me hooked and I couldn't put it down. Dandy Smith builds empathy for her characters as the reader gets the point of view of the wife and also the mistress.

 

Along with Verity I suspected everyone as having an affair with Linden. I kept chopping and changing my mind about who the unnamed mistress was and who the murderer was.

Dandy Smith leaves little clues, and a few red herrings, sprinkled throughout the story and many times I thought I had worked it out.

 

Short chapters with cliffhanger endings kept me eagerly turning those pages.

 

The Wedding Vow is addictive, suspenseful reading at its best. Once I'd finished my mind was reeling and I was compelled to read the whole book again. 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th March 2025

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 336

RRP: AU$22.99 (B format paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

 

Book Review: Little Red Death by A. K. Benedict

ONCE UPON A TIME LIKE YOU'VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE ..... 

 

Little Red Death by A.K. Benedict pulled me in right from the sinister sounding prologue.

 

There is not much I can say about the plot without giving spoilers and this is one story you need to go into without any spoilers. 

 

DI Lyla Rondell is investigating a series of murders that appear to be based on Grimms fairy tales. As the murders mount up the clues all lead back to the unsolved disappearance of Lyla's best friend 25 years ago.

I really don't like horror stories but I was so hooked on the mystery that when the gruesome murders started I couldn't stop reading.

 

I read The Complete Grimms Fairy Tales as a buddy read in 2023 and I remember how dark and gruesome they were. A. K. Benedict has used these pre-disneyfied fairy tales as the basis for the murders.

 

Little Red Death is a genre mash-up of fairy tale retellings, mystery, crime, horror, supernatural and locked-room thriller with twist upon twist upon twist.

 

Did I say I couldn't put this book down!!

 

I did have an inkling where the story was heading but I was totally unprepared for the jaw-dropping final few chapters.

 

Fans of twisty crime mysteries will love this dark, addictive crime thriller.

 

My rating 4.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Publication date: 5th March 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 384

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

Book Review: One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

 One Dark Night was my first read by English/Australian author Hannah Richell and I'm pleased that she has a great backlist that I can catch up on.

 

It's the night of Halloween and a group of teenagers meet in the woods near an area that is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a girl in a white dress. The next day one of the teens is found dead.

 

As the investigation gets underway we can see a lot of the teens are lying, and seem to be hiding something.

DS Ben Chase is leading the case and the story includes some of his tumultuous personal life.

 

Richell incorporates plenty of red herrings steering the reader this way and that. There was an ever growing list of suspects and I was sure I had picked the murderer many times. I love a thriller where I can't make up my mind whodunit, and it has me jumping to conclusions.

 

One Dark Night is a fabulously creepy and atmospheric thriller with the perfect setting that creates chills up your spine, a superb cast of characters and a final reveal that took me totally by surprise.

 

One Dark Night is a must-read for thriller fans, one that will keep you up late into the night.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Publication date: 1st January 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 432

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

 

Book Review: The Nanny Share by Emily Shiner

 The Nanny Share is a psychological thriller, with a deep seated mystery, that had me guessing all the way through.  

 

When two young girls go missing on the same night Detective Kate Martin is called in to investigate.

It appears the children had much in common, their mother's were once best friends and they share the same young nanny.

Emily Shiner has produced a compelling mystery full of simmering menace. With a cast of conniving, unlikable characters, who all had something to hide, and no-one could be trusted to tell the truth it made for some interesting reading. Even Det. Kate Martin was inadvertently connected to the case.

 

I never did unravel the mystery and the final conclusion came as a shock. 

The Nanny Share was an enjoyable read with an easy plot-line and a couple of great twists that kept me entertained throughout.

 

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 21st February 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 373

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

 

Book Review: Opal by Patricia Wolf

A DS WALKER THRILLER

 

Opal delves into the high-stakes dog eat dog world of opal mining. 

 

Mark is rumoured to have found a million dollar opal, soon after he is found dead, in bed with his ex business partner's wife. Both have been  brutally murdered.

Is this the work of a jealous husband or someone looking for the rumoured opal?

 When DS Walker arrives in the small outback town to pick up his cousin, Blair, he is immediately pulled into the investigation. Overnight the town becomes isolated by rising flood waters and there is no way out.

 

A town isolated by flood waters, relentless heat and a killer in their midst makes for compelling reading.

 

As DS Walker assists local police the suspect list rises and it appears many in the small town had a grudge against the murdered man. Throw in the mix disgruntled opal miners and a fugitive who doesn't want to be found and Wolf has created a tense and atmospheric read.

 

Each book in the series reads well as a standalone with the major murder investigation wrapped up by the end of the book. However there is also an ongoing story, throughout the three books, with an outlaw motorcycle gang involved in drug manufacture.

 

Even though Opal got a little bogged down at times this dark and gritty police procedural kept me invested until the final breath holding conclusion.

 

I highly recommend all three books to crime readers looking for a new series to delve into. 

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher:  Echo Publishing

Publication date: 1st October 2024

Series: DS Walker #3

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Other books in the series

OUTBACK 

PARADISE

Book Review: Endgame by Sarah Barrie

A CHAIN OF MURDERS, A PSYCHOTIC KILLER, A GAME SHE CANNOT WIN.

 

Endgame is the fourth and final book in Sarah Barrie's Lexi Winter series. 

 

I think anyone who has read the first three books in this series can't help but feel empathy and admiration for Lexi. She had an abusive childhood and problematic youth however turned her life around and became a vigilante chasing child abusers and dishing out her own justice until she was employed by the police to use her skills to uncover abusers with the law on her side.

Endgame is another action packed story and the pace is non-stop. Lexi must stop her nemesis, Damon Vaughn, a serial child predator, before more people are killed. Vaughn's mind games are relentless and Lexi starts to second-guess who she can really trust. 

 

Endgame has dual plot-lines of teen rape culture and drug use, and Lexi's chase to stop Vaughn. I was intrigued to see how the two storylines would connect.

There is also a myth about a ghost that haunts the beach causing paranoia to run rife amongst the teens of the town. 

 

Endgame is dark and gritty, a compelling read. I found Lexi wasn't as self-assured and hard hitting as in previous books but it was a fitting ending to the series with all loose ends nicely tied up.

 

The Lexi Winter series is a series that I would recommend be read in order to attain the full benefit of the stories.

 

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 13th November 2024

Series: Lexi Winter #4

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 416

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Other books in the Lexi Winter Series

UNFORGIVEN

RETRIBUTION 

VENDETTA

 

 

Book Review: Paradise by Patricia Wolf

Paradise is the second instalment in Patricia Wolf's DS Walker Thriller series. Paradise is another riveting crime novel that includes brutal murders and outlaw bikie drug gangs.

 

AFP officer Lucas Walker is in Surfers Paradise on the Queensland coast, on leave to recover from injuries sustained in Outback. He is also under review for putting a huge undercover operation at risk.

 

Lucas once again gets involved in a murder investigation, helping out the overburdened Queensland police force.

 

There is never a dull moment in Paradise! I was pulled into the story right from the prologue and was intrigued to see how Wolf would pull the different plot-lines together.

Characters from the previous book do feature in Paradise however with a bit of backstory included it reads well as a standalone.

 

Wolf combines a compelling mystery with non-stop action and a perfect sense of place with vivid descriptions of the Gold Coast making Paradise a book I found hard to put down. 

The use of colloquial language and Aussie slang plus Walker's longing for his hometown and connection to country give the book a unique Aussie flavour.

I loved Paradise even more than Outback. It is a wonderful follow on for this new series. I'm looking forward to the next book!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 17th May 2023

Series: DS Walker #2

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 357

Source: Own copy

OUTBACK