This was such a gripping Murder Mystery!! I've not read anything from this author before but I can safely say I will be seeking more of his books in the future.

The characters were all fantastic. Jesse was a superb protagonist, she's a great police officer. I especially loved Possum - I loved her curiosity about everything and her intelligence. Hylands Characters have depth to them and a real air of being authentic people.

I appreciated the writing style, especially how descriptive the book was it was really easy to set the scene in my own head.

Overall just a really good story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy in exchange for a review.

It is extraordinary how there are so many brilliant Aussie crime writers, and Adrian Hyland is certainly one of the best as he demonstrates here. Leading senior Constable Jess(e) Redpath, a failed lawyer, has found her way into a job she loves, based at Kulara police station in the Northern Territory. She is hoping she is making a difference, operating with compassion, so very different from how things used to be done, and learning from Danny Jakamurra, the aboriginal community police officer, with his excellent tracking skills and ability to read what jars in the totality of everything. When young Adam Lawson is up in front of the magistrate, Jess suceeds in getting him placed to live with her artist father, Ben. However, Adam does not stay long, and to her horror a little while later, she learns that he apparently murdered Daisy Baker before dying in a car wreck escaping from the scene.

This version of Adam does not ring true to Jess, and she and her father travel to the sweltering heat and fires of tinder dry Victoria, and to Canticle Creek, made famous by the late Japanese painter, Kenji Takada, whose daughter, Lucy lives in the Bluehouse with husband, Sam, and their teenage daughter, the incredible Alice Kelly, aka Possom. As Jess begins to poke her nose into the case, convinced that Adam is innocent, it is not long before the list of locals with grudges against her begin to grow by the hour. Jess knows the evidence against Adam is overwhelming, but something does not feel right as she looks into a list of suspects. There is another murder, and it feels as if an intelligent, albeit villainous, hand is directing behind the scenes, an expert when it comes to the art of misleading. There is a explosive world of danger coming, one where even Jess's kicking skills may not help.

Hyland is a superb crime writer, he seamlessly weaves spellbinding elements of aboriginal culture and ways of reading landscapes, with art, through Adam, Ben and Kenji's work, their range of perspectives, understanding and seeking a truth which they can translate into great works of art, along with Jess's growing strength in beginning to read the truth hiding in plain sight, to gain some sense of justice for the tragic deaths of 2 young people. The fires plaguing Victoria make their terrifying way into the story, close to the end of the novel, endangering everything, including the lives of Jess, Possom and the vulnerable Nadia. This is must read Aussie crime that I recommend highly to all readers. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I loved this book which is set in small town outback Australia with so many twists and turns. It’s full of intrigue and suspense and will keep you guessing right to the end. I couldn’t put it down, it’s an absolute page turner.
It’s powerfully written with great descriptions and brilliant characters.
The story follows Jesse Redpath, a Northern Territory policewoman who comes to Canticle Creek with her father to investigate the murders of Adam and Daisy. Adam is known to Jesse back home and she doesn’t believe he’s capable of murder. Here she uncovers plenty of shady characters, secrets, lies and deceit.
It’s very entertaining, easy to read and so atmospheric. Definitely recommend. If you’re a fan of crime murder mystery fiction it’s worth a read.
Love the cover too.
Thanks to #NetGallery @UltimoPress for an arc of #CanticleCreek by @AdrianHyland in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
Book publishes 5th October 2023.

If all the best books transport us, Canticle Creek takes us on a tantalising tour of the the side of the world. The setting is exquisitely immersive, as is the use of language.

Canticle Creek itself becomes on indomitable force in the battle to solve what initially appears to be a single murder -of local artist Daisy Baker - but which quickly becomes more complicated. While reading I kept thinking of the aphorism about it taking a village to raise a child, or perhaps to unearth a conspiracy.

As well as being hooked on the plot, I found Canticle Creek really came into its own at the level of the sentence. A most welcome cut above for the genre.

With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read a review copy.

In the midst of a scorching Australian summer, a policewoman, Jesse Redpath, finds herself outside of her jurisdiction. She’s trying to find out whether the local police’s initial conclusions are true: that Adam, someone she believed in and vouched for, has just murdered a woman and killed himself. This investigation will lead her to the discovery of many local secrets… and straight into a literal inferno.

In a way I felt the mystery itself, whilst certainly intriguing, played a secondary role in this thriller. I revelled in the vivid way Adrian Hyland presents the cast of various characters amongst the local residents, with the tensions and hidden conflicts between them. Jesse herself is a very cool character – strong and feisty, flawed in some ways, but with a profound sense of justice (I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side!)

Also, from the very first pages I was drawn into this book by how the author paints the Australian landscape. I’m not easily enthralled by nature descriptions, but the way Adrian Hyland does it is so vibrant, saturated and intense, that reading is pure pleasure. Most importantly, the wilderness isn’t shown in a neutral, dissociated voice, but through Jesse’s eyes and through her conversations with her father (a painter). Thus, we get a deep sense of the rawness of the unrelenting surroundings and the passion the 2 characters feel for the land they live in.

And not once does the book get boring! The plot is full of unexpected incidents that befall Jesse whilst she leads her precarious investigation in the ever-increasing heat (both literal and metaphorical).

An intricate web of secrets and lies unravels in this chilling thriller, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the shocking end.

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I love Aussie police procedurals and count myself lucky I stumbled upon Canticle Creek. An author new to me but a storyline in the outback I could read time and again, and have. There's a murder, a smart cop smells trouble, the investigation leads to unforeseen danger and gets wrapped up with a bow. Obviously this story has more meat on the bone, is filled with fleshed out likeable/dislikeable characters, carries the sense of place only Australia can claim and is pure entertainment.

Canticle Creek felt fresh to me with an artistic angle filled with beauty and great tension that comes when nature unleashes her fury leaving people scared, in danger and fighting for their lives. That gritty determination was exposed throughout this novel. I could feel the heat of raging fire and concern for characters I got to know over the course of the book. An atmospheric novel, Canticle Creek saved me the cost of airfare as I could enjoy Australia in all her splendour from the comfort of my own home. A great book I wholeheartedly recommend.

This is a crime novel set in Australia. The author is very descriptive in his observations of the countryside, in particular the wildlife and flora.
I found the plot a little drawn out and some of the action sequences a little too convenient.
The characters are well defined and believable however.

I really enjoyed this book. Set near Melbourne, Australia, when Adam Lawson's body is found in his burnt out car just a mile from the murdered body of Daisy Baker, everyone assumes he killed her while off his face and then crashed his car trying to flee the scene. However, police officer Jesse Redpath can't quite believe it . She has known Adam for a while and comes down from the Northern Territory to find out what really happened. This is a fast paced story set against a backdrop of heat and drought. It'll only take a spark to set it all aflame! Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Jesse a Police officer in a small Australian town tries to help a young man to keep out of trouble.
When he is accused of murder and is later found dead, Jesse tries to discover what happened.
A slow moving story with lots of characters that I enjoyed in parts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic thriller. I was on the edge of my seat. I love books like this, the reader can really lose themselves for a few hours. I thought "I'll just read a bit more, just one more chapter". I was engrossed. I will definitely seek out more books by this author.

This is the first book I have read by Hyland and strangely, possibly the first I’ve read that has been set in Australia. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, instantly capturing my attention and holding it until the end. There’s so many twists and turns I really didn’t know how it was going to end. I’d highly recommend not reading this at bedtime or you may (as I did) be left with no sleep, having stayed up all night until the final word!

I like the cover for this book and it is now that I have finished that I realise the relevance. While it looks like a nice cheery cover, the story is dark and twisted and the author has created a wonderful mystery set in this remote area of Australia.

This is quite a riveting story but also one that is a slow burner, the author introduces his characters in a way that makes them easier to remember. These are relevant and while some have more input than others, they all provide something that helps the story along.

I liked the descriptions I was given of the countryside, tracking, weather and the fear that as everything was so dry that it could go up in a moment. I did read in his acknowledgements a the end of the story that he received help and advice from Indigenous People and this has been incorporated into the story so well. It is great to be able to learn more as well as have their experiences and expertise acknowledged and used in the story.

The story is one of murder, but who murdered who is the question. It takes the intervention from Jesse Redpath, a copper from a different district to step in and cause trouble. She knew one of the bodies, and it doesn't fit with what she knew about him. As she steps out of her jurisdiction she finds her own leads from unexpected places and uses her own skills to discover what is going on.

I enjoyed this story and I was able to envisage various things from the words and descriptions. It is an atmospheric story and one that I got into and kept me turning the pages. It is a mystery and has a crime feel to it. Suspense I think more than thriller but definitely enjoyable and one I would happily recommend.

A good story although it did feel a bit long winded at times which made it hard to stick to it.

Worth sticking with though

I do love a book set in Australia, especially when the heat and dust and landscape are practically tangible, as they are in Canticle Creek. The main character, Jesse, a policewoman from a small NT town investigates the murder of a woman in South Australia because she knew the young man accused of her murder (now also dead).

The descriptions of the arid tinderbox land made me feel like I was there. The narration is upbeat and quirky; the mystery convoluted, and the characters well-drawn. The denouement is exciting and so vivid I could feel the raging heat.

I rattled through it and enjoyed every page. I hope there are more novels featuring Jesse to come. I'll certainly be seeking out more of Adrian Hyland's books. Don't know why I haven't come across him before.

A detective story with an interesting setting. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

When Jesse an out of town detective arrives in Canticle Creek to solve the mystery of the deaths of Adam and Daisy she meets with a very hostile police force and locals who do not wish the truth to be known and have secrets to keep. As temperatures rise Jesse is forced to use all the skills available to her including tracking before all is lost to bush fires. Just when you think that all is solved the temperature rises even higher...........

Canticle Creek is a gritty read,a well written plot with some interesting characters ,I especiall liked Possum .Jesse Redpath is a Police Officer who is determined to find the truth of how Adam and Daisy really died I did found the Australian slang words difficult to understand and rather too many of them but a good read with an unexpected ending .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it. Jesse Redpath works as a police officer in Kulara. It is a small town and nothing much happens that she cannot handle. She had a young man called Adam Lawson in front of the Magistrates for another misdemeanor by him and she decides that it would be better to send him to her father, Ben, who could keep him in check and where Ben lives he cannot keep into any trouble. The Magistrate agrees and Jesse takes Adam to live with Ben on the understanding that he pulls his weight in a local pub This works for a while, Ben is a painter and realises that Adam has a talent to nurture. Then the problems start. Adam disappears and Jesse finds out that he is dead and could well have killed the girl he moved in with. Jesse and her father Ben do not believe that Adam is capable of this and they decide to investigate the case which is out of Jesse’s jurisdiction being near Melbourne in a place called Canticle Creek. Jesse introduces herself to the local Police who are unhappy to see her as they feel they have the whole case sorted out and do not take too kindly to her saying that Adam could not have committed the crime. The story continues at a fairly fast pace, lots of characters, all interesting most bad and I enjoyed the way the book weaved through these. The ending was unexpected and great