Canticle Creek

Product Information

Hyland frames his plot and murder mystery well, issuing his readers with plenty of plot stops, turns, detours, secrets, codes, suspects to consider and disputes to settle. My response rate went up and down with this one, but I think Canticle Creek would be ideal for seasoned readers of Australian crime noir. I enjoyed the characters and their dialect. While at times it took a moment to understand – I loved the speech patterns and local habits. The professional who suffers no end of injuries but still manages to plod on racing up and down hills, across rivers and plains whilst puffing on her inhaler. Nil desperandum desrcibes her action but eventually she does seem to have cornered the guilty party only for yet another twist in the plot. Its a fantastic read, bringing to life modern Australia in vivid colours. I thoroughly enjoyed it and really hope the author has more in store for Jesse! Fire is never far from people’s minds and lingers as a threat throughout the book until Hyland uses his knowledge and experience to bring its dangers vividly and viscerally to life.

Also, not necessarily a criticism but I kept hearing parts of this story as dialogue in my head like a voice over in one of those private detective tv spoofs....like Columbo or such…made for interesting reading. Jesse Redpath was a police officer in the small town of Kulara in the Northern Territory where she saw more than most and controlled more than most. Since Jesse took over, crime had greatly lessened in the area. When young Adam Lawson went up before the magistrate once again, Jesse persuaded him to allow Adam to live with her father Ben, and work at the local pub, to work his hours out. If he absconded, he would be arrested and thrown in jail. Adam managed quite some time with Ben Redpath – both of them artists and Ben directed Adam, gave him some pointers. But Adam had itchy feet, apologizing to his mentor and taking off down south. Jesse’s an appealing protagonist, a thoughtful and capable and police officer, with investigative skills learnt from Danny Jakamarra, the Aboriginal Community Police Officer, whom she works with in Kulara. I liked the character of Possum, the teenage friend of the murdered woman, and the surprise of Nadia’s character. There’s an authenticity to Hyland’s characters generally, both in the way they talk and act, that gives them substance. an entertaining and engrossing novel. Hyland has written the ideal story for a long, hot summer, where fire always seems a possibility.’ ― The Canberra Times

Add new comment

Senior Constable Jesse Redpath is unwelcome and surplus to requirements, as far as Victorian lawmakers are concerned. She’s out of her territory, in both senses of the word, and has no jurisdiction here. I feel I’d recognise his people if I ran into them in a dusty pub (or an art gallery). His descriptions of characters and landscape are memorable. I really enjoyed this and his two Emily Tempest books. I hope we don’t have to wait another ten years for a new one. He and Garry Disher are both worth waiting for, though.

Adrian Hyland is the award-winning author of Diamond Dove, Gunshot Roadand Kinglake-350, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for non-fiction in 2012.His books have been published internationally, including in Britain and the US, and translated into a variety of languages, including German, French, Swedish and Czech. Ben was a much sought after artist and as such they were welcomed into the home of Lucy, daughter of distinguished Japanese artist Kenji Takada, her husband Sam, and their sixteen year old, wise beyond her years daughter, Possum. The action steps up, and at one point, just when I thought everything was wrapping up on a pretty good yarn, it heats up again and gets even better.Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Canticle Creek and would heartily recommend it to all crime noir fans who enjoy a slower paced investigation but with plenty of well-written twists along the way. The characters were all interesting with Jesse stealing the show from the get-go. I did enjoy how she takes her artist father along for the ride when she visits Canticle Creek. It was a different relationship to the ones we crime readers tend to see featured in fiction (it's normally the father of the victim, rather than the police officer!). The sense of place is exemplary. You really get a great feel for the setting, a small rural community amidst a period of drought. As the temperature rises so does the tension, which is beautifully written. All in all, I loved Canticle Creek and I'm excited to see more from this author. Thoroughly readable, highly compelling and one of the best books I've read recently. Highly recommended. A spate of new, seemingly random crimes, have Jesse and friends jumping for cover as the danger to their own lives becomes apparent…and the dots don’t seem to be connecting as they should.