Hooray! Another cracking Aussie Noir series to enjoy

 

 ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ So pleased to learn, as I sit down to write this review, that this novel is part of series. Such a great find as I am always happy to add another cracking Aussie thriller series to my reading list. Yes, this is book 3 but I found it stood easily on its own merit without prior knowledge of the two preceding books. I'm sure having them under your belt beforehand would help but not entirely necessary, from my point of view. That said, let's talk about the book.

Unamurra is an isolated one-horse town wilting under the heat of drought. Two murders have occurred here, both victims being displayed as angels for the locals to find. These cases were investigated previously, with no outcome, and the locals aren't terribly bothered to find the killer. Detective Dana Russo has been given these cases as a test, one she is expected to fail or, at least, give scant effort to solve. All Dana has in the way of support are Able, the local police, and Lucy, her researcher hundreds of kilometers away.

Interestingly, of all the Aussie noir I've read, I don't have a series with a female lead. That sets this series apart. The tone feels gentler, with less action, but just as intriguing results. Dana is bright and unorthodox. She leans in heavily with psychology and observation. This suits me down to the ground as human behaviour often tells its own story and that feeds the larger narrative. I cannot say I especially liked or disliked Dana as a character. She is results oriented, efficient at her job and smart. I was impressed by her as an investigator and found the resolution satisfying.  As I said before, this looks to be a great new series and I am lucky to have found it.