Senior Constable Jesse Redpath is a local copper in the tiny central Australian town of Kulara. Jesse’s days are spent chasing drink drivers and drug runners along the back roads and sorting out brawls at one of the two local pubs. When she hears that Adam, a young local Aboriginal man she had got to know and like, has died in an accident a long way from home, she can’t reconcile the circumstances of his death with the Adam she knew. She decides to head south to investigate for herself. After skipping town while serving a suspended sentence, Adam had ended up in Canticle Creek, a small town in the foothills of the ranges on the outskirts of Melbourne.
Travelling with her father, a landscape artist who had also known Adam, Jess arrives in Canticle Creek and begins to poke around, stirring up long-held secrets. This adds fuel to the already simmering tensions within a community sweltering through a record hot summer in the tinder-dry bush.
This is a fabulous fictional outing by the author of the acclaimed non-fiction Kinglake-350. The vivid depictions of the contrasting landscapes speak to a deep understanding of the Australian environment. The cast of characters is rich, varied and ring true. Initially, I was slightly irritated by Jesse’s ockerisms, but I came to admire her grit and tenacity.
The book has a nice twisty plot and I was pleased to have not picked the villain till very close to the end. Great writing and a terrific story. I am looking forward to the next chapter for Senior Constable Redpath.
Reviewed by Maryanne Vagg
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrian Hyland is the award-winning author of Diamond Dove, Gunshot Road and Kinglake-350, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for non-fiction in 2012. He lives in St Andrews, north-east of Melbourne, and teaches at La Trobe University.
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