It’s 1963. The setting is Darwin. It’s a bit rough, full of character and hot. The humidity so thick in the air you could almost cut it with a knife. To the east of Darwin a man is on his knees. ‘Stand him up!’ Someone reefs him up by the armpits. ‘You were in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ Two punches strick and he sways, his knees buckle and he falls onto his back. ‘Your troubles are over, mate’. A gunshot rings out.

Senior Constable Ned Potter is driving slowly on the unsealed road to Tabletop Swamp. His old Land Rover was 20 years old and the terrain is harsh. He was almost at his destination when he sees two men standing by the side of the track. He pulls over and they look up at him as he approaches. ‘Dead,’ One of the men says before Ned could utter a word. Ned knows the dead man. But this is not the only corpse that Ned discovers in the next weeks.

Charlotte is 23 and is married to Bobby. She has fallen pregnant twice but miscarried both times. Somewhere in the tragedy she loses her connection with her husband. She now feels trapped and no longer in love. When Bobby heads to the pub she stands on the veranda, smoking and perspiring from the humidity. One night while out driving she stops the car, getting out to clear her head. Suddenly a hand goes over her mouth. She is frightened but it becomes clear he is injured. He needs her help.

Matt Nable’s writing is very descriptive. To begin with I was almost distracted as every line packs a punch. But I soon found myself engrossed in the storyline as Ned Potter tries to run a murder investigation while being stymied at every turn. What he and Charlotte might discover is that there are secrets in the town that no-one wants discovered and that they might do anything to keep it that way.

Nable’s vivid depictions of ’60s Darwin, the bars, the town’s atmosphere, the rugged and challenging landscape and the sticky sultry weather leap off the page. This is tightly blended with a solid plot that keeps you engaged until the end. It’s compelling. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Jane Stephens