Alice and Teddy both work for the same boss. Both protagonists, while not being morally corrupt, are tough and gritty, prepared to bend and break rules and laws to get the job done. Their work entails various dubious jobs. The jobs are not your normal nine to five and are at times nefarious. However, the money they are paid assuages any guilty moral questions that may arise. Alice hides this work from her husband and daughter while Teddy is single. There is a bond between the two women, stronger than friendship, closer to love.
The first part of the novel is told from their perspective, alternating between characters with each chapter. Both of their latest jobs seem quite normal and legitimate: Alice needs to transport a dead body, who was one of the richest men in Australia, to its resting place and Teddy needs to find a missing young man who may just be a dead body. The two jobs seem unrelated and nothing out of the ordinary for the two women. However, nothing in this novel is as it first appears. This first part is a little bit of a slow burner, but a climactic conclusion turns everything on its head, connecting the two jobs and leaving one of their friends dead.
The second part of Unbury the Dead ditches the split perspective chapters and is all about Alice and Teddy, against the wishes and explicit orders of their boss, trying to find out who killed their friend.
The narrative is great, especially for a debut, but the highlight for me is the two main characters. Their strength, their questionable morals, their bond and love for each other, and their flaws. If you are a fan of Australian crime novels you will enjoy this.
Reviewed by Neale Lucas
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