Canticle Creek

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When Kulara police officer Jesse Redpath learns about the death of Adam Lawson, a young man from her Northern Territory community, the circumstances don’t make sense to her. Serendipitously, an invitation for her artist father to an exhibition in Melbourne, gives Jesse the opportunity to visit Canticle Creek and do a little investigating of her own. When two dead bodies are discovered, the local police are convinced that Adam Lawson, a stranger to town is guilty. It appears to be an open and shut case. Adam murdered Daisy and while escaping the scene he killed himself by running a stolen car off the road. However, Jess Redpath – not a local to Canticle Creek – knows Adam and she does not believe him capable of murder. Enduring the unbearable local heat, Jess is determined to prove that Adam did not murder Daisy… however, as she digs, she uncovers a lot more than she thought she would. I thought the mystery was quite original, and I loved most of the characters, especially Jesse and Possum. The only thing that was hard to swallow was that a police officer from another jurisdiction would be so well tolerated in the middle of a murder investigation. But as long as you can accept that, it's a fast-paced, satisfying ride. Another thing I really enjoyed was the incorporation of visual art and conservation in the storyline, giving Hyland's writing the opportunity to shine as he describes the paintings and the environment. All of these elements, together with a few well-placed twists, combine to make Canticle Creek another enjoyable Australian rural noir procedural. Robert Goodman 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.

It’s been a decade since I have read Adrian Hyland’s Gunshot Road and Diamond Dove yet both Australian crime novels remain favourites, so I jumped at the opportunity to read Canticle Creek.The flamboyant fellow cruising in to greet us turned out to be Clive Carpenter, the senior curator. He was flaxen-haired, with a wheat-bag belly, a bright blue suit and a nose like a burst sausage.” 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’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.

When young repeat offender Adam Lawson is brought before the magistrate yet again, Jesse steps up to convince the judge to release him into the care of her father, whose influence Jesse hopes can guide the lad. Ben Redpath is a sought-after artist, and he’s willing to give Adam a go. Adam is fascinated by the paints, but he lasts only a week before he takes off south, possibly following some woman he’d been seen chatting to. Restless, seeking the good life.Nash Baker was once a celebrated cop, but his career was ended when he chose to take justice into his own hands. Now he’s living a quiet life in a small town caring for the local wildlife and trying to stay away from trouble. Honestly I found this a melting pot of twisting narrative almost in the style of a cosy mystery - only this time, rather than the local baker or shopkeeper, it is the supposedly professional police woman who jumps from one suspect to another almost after each hot drink that she has. 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.

Full of questions, Jesse travels to the area of the crash, just to make sure what local police say happened is what really went down – and that she didn’t just let a murderer run free to Victoria. What she finds in Canticle Creek are a whole lot more questions, along with breathtaking surrounds, talented artists, nosy teenagers on horses, drug dealers, roadside assaults, blazing fires – well, you get it. It’s everything you need for a rural police thriller, and a hell of a lot more, too. I did enjoy this story very much, though I think at times the author got a bit carried away with technical jargon and “big word dropping” which I had no trouble understanding, but felt it was a bit unnecessary and over the top at times.Hyland has placed an enigmatic female lead at the helm of his new novel Canticle Creek. Jesse is passionate, observant, methodical, determined and skilled. Jesse is also a flawed lead which makes her very likeable. It didn’t take long for me to warm to Jesse and become fully invested in her journey. Jesse interacts with a good number of secondary cast members, who add conflict and interest to this spiralling tale. Hyland places emphasis on his characters and he works hard to zone in on their actions for a good deal of this novel. At times I did fall into the trap of confusing some of the protagonists, which did hamper my overall response to this one. Jesse and Ben were devastated when they heard that Adam was dead, he had murdered a young girl and smashed a stollen car killing himself in the process..............this wasn't the Adam that they knew so they set off for the small town of Canticle Creek a short distance from Melbourne to investigate. Canticle Creek is the first book in 10 years from Aussie author Adrian Hyland and it was well worth waiting for! A tension filled, suspenseful crime novel set in the ravaging heat of the Northern Territory and Victoria, where bushfires kept the locals on edge, and the heat baked everything in its path. I’ve read each of Mr Hyland’s books and loved them all; Canticle Creek, with its captivating cover, is one I recommend highly. TBH the book was completely other than what I had expected. Jesse Redpath encourages a judge to give a petty criminal another chance and he is released into the care of her father. Only days later he runs away and shortly after that is believed to have4 committed a murder in a town in another part of Australia. Jesse travels to this town to try and clear Adam's name.