My review of Moonlight Downs aka Diamond Dove - Emily Tempest #1 - which won the 2007 Ned Kelly award for best first fiction.

Canticle Creek - Kindle edition by Hyland, Adrian. Mystery

Jesse’s narrative is enjoyably dry. For example this observation when she visits the local sawmill:

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When Jesse starts to ask awkward questions, she uncovers a town full of contradictions and a cast of characters with dark pasts, secrets to hide and even more to lose.

Canticle Creek, Adrian Hyland | AustCrimeFiction Canticle Creek, Adrian Hyland | AustCrimeFiction

However, local cop Jesse isn't convinced. She knew Adam, and whilst he was always getting involved in minor scrapes, she doesn't believe he would ever be involved in murder.Jesse was told that the evidence against Adam was clear and that the case was fairly conclusive, but after reading all the police reports, she just wasn’t convinced; She knew this boy, and didn’t believe that he was capable of these crimes…nor was her father convinced.

Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Theresa Smith Book Review: Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Theresa Smith

I quite enjoyed this Aussie crime novel. I found the lead character, Jesse, a likeable and intelligent character. When Jesse hears that Adam is dead and allegedly killed a woman, she and her dad head to Canticle Creek to find out more because they knew Adam and can't believe that he would commit murder. There they meet some intriguing characters including artists, welcoming families, aggressive loggers and ex drug addicts. With some very tense scenes, Jesse is determined to find out what really happened in relation to Adam's death, and someone else out there is equally determined that she doesn't...Working in the small town of Kulara in the Northern Territory kept police officer Jesse Redpath on her toes. Her days were long and tiring, but she felt she was starting to get the crime rate down to a minimum.

Canticle Creek – Peter turns the page Canticle Creek – Peter turns the page

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. Seems like Nash has enemies. And what looks like a close knit community might just be cover for dark secrets. Jesse Redpath is an interesting detective to spend time with, facing up to sexism and the walls put in front of a woman detective, especially one investigating a case outside her jurisdiction. A second outing would be welcome if Hyland has a mind for it. She has great intuition, a strong sense of what’s right and is a savvy detective. She’s also very down to earth and easy to like. The time she spends with her father is a treat – a grumpy old curmudgeon with softer edges than he’d care to admit, very proud of his daughter but not keen to let on. Their relationship plays into the story nicely. This author has been on my radar for his Emily Tempest series, but this recent release (a standalone) is the first of his novels I've read. I'll be moving Diamond Dove up my TBR to read soon. Blazey Best was a great choice of narrator for this audiobook.

Advance Praise

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. I enjoy Hyland’s writing and his people. It’s interesting that his main characters are tough youngish women. They still fancy a good bloke, but he leaves the bedroom scenes to our imagination. This isn’t what I call a “straw hat rural romance (the books with the girl in a straw hat on the cover). It’s a proper mystery, with action and some violence.