Tipping Point is described as "An absolutely unputdownable Australian crime thriller." Okay. But I did put it down several times. The story of two suicides and the three men who were inseparable buddies has its interest, so I did enjoy reading the novel. But "unputdownable?" Can't say that I agree with that.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Tension Fuelled…
The third in the Detective Kate Miles series and another small town whodunnit, atmospheric and drenched with tension. A solid and propulsive plot populated with a credible and well drawn cast of characters, a well imagined sense of place and a convincing narrative mixing a firm police procedural with a domestic suspense. Compelling and intriguing.

This was a great mystery as we were trying to find out what’s going on with Lucas as well as if he is a killer. His sister was on the case but then was removed for obvious reasons though now she too is wondering if he is guilty.

Home is where the secrets are!

Northern Rivers NSW. Kate Miles is a cop who’s returned to work in her home town of Esserton.
But now two men are dead, childhood friends of her brother Luke. One, Antony Reed in Sydney, the other Marcus Rowntree, son of a local film star. Marcus appears to have fallen and shot himself whilst out in the paddocks drunk, taking potshots at rabbits.
Luke, Kate’s brother has come home for Marcus’ funeral and to escape the fallout from a sex scandal with a coworker and the very real possibility of charges being laid, is viewed as a possible suspect in Marcus’ death.
Kate finds herself relegated to the back row when the new acting commander of the station turns up. He turns out to be an ex lover. Kate’s been trying to move forward with her marriage and career, thus the relocation.
Career and family relations have become even more complicated. Even more so when Ant’s father claims his son was murdered and wants Kate to investigate.
A novel heavy with atmosphere, feelings of oppression and hints of time moving slowly coalescing in a moment of revelation.

A Canelo ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Luke Grayling is back in Esserton for the funeral of one of his best friends, Ant, who commited suicide. While he is there, the other best friend from their trio is killed and Luke is one of the last people to see him.
His sister Detective Sergeant Kate Miles starts investigating, but is soon taken off of the case because of her connection to him.
She is asked by Ant's father to look into his death as he doesn't believe his son would commit suicide, but she fobs him off saying that it's not her jurisdiction. However as things move forward, she does take a look and her delay could have fatal consequences.
A very readable book.

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for ARC.

Detective Kate Miles' brother Luke is in their Northern New South Wales hometown for the funeral of one of his childhood friends, died by suicide. Shortly afterwards, another of the long term buddies is dead in tragic circumstances and Luke seems to be unravelling. Under pressure at work and at home, Kate is torn between familial loyalty and professional duty as she tries to tread the thin blue line. Some dark themes are explored compassionately and even small actions very definitely have consequences.

This is the third in a series that is new to me and it's such a treat for me to discover Miles and her world. This is well written, skilfully plotted and will keep you reading on into the night. There is a bit of stretching of credulity that may bend the 'rules' of mystery fiction a little far (no spoilers from me but you'll know). In all skilful crime fiction the reader becomes invested in the characters and their well being and I'm heading right back in for the previous two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for this opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available 7/18/24!

Holy crap y’all but this one had me for a ride! An Australian crime thriller that had me on the edge of my seat.

The plot never lagged. There was no moment where I was like dear god will they get going?! No this one was outta the gate epic.

Another suspenseful DS Kate Miles installment, just as good if not better than the first 2. It works as a stand alone if you haven't read the first 2. Kate is now a mother of 2 and has just returned to work when a case comes up in which her brother is involved. It's a very emotionally charged case, involving her brorher Luke and old school friends. Plenty of twists and red herrings and a little humour now and then. There's a lot more character development in this one involving Kate's home life, and it stays pacey right up to the end. Brilliant!

Really enjoyed the Aussie setting and suspense😮

4.5🌟stars
The main protagonist is a wife, mom, sister, daughter and police officer in a small town in New South Wales. She's not Superwoman, chasing around and taking over when her colleagues need to get the job done because she's linked too closely to individuals, especially her brother, who loom large in the case. I liked that despite her best intentions and inclinations, she holds back (though not totally!). And I liked the short domestic scenes bringing in her stay at home husband and two young children.

The deaths within weeks of each other of her brother Luke's best buddies from his teen years are at the heart of this police thriller and I really liked the pace and thought it was well-written, with realistic dialogue and plenty of surprise and emotion. I really prefer this genre when the victims are a bit fleshed out and the author does that, in flashbacks and Kate and Luke's memories. Dinuka McKenzie also gives Luke an interesting dilemma and failed romance that I liked because it showed a side of him that doesn't appear when he returns to his hometown.

The author sort of takes the easy way out creating uncertainty regarding suspects potentially involved in the deaths as I was kept in the dark about a significant player who I never thought could be part of the equation.

The most dramatic and sad incident in the story involves a veteran fellow officer and friend of Kate's. It was an emotional way to end the story but I felt realistic, underlining that police work can lead to dangerous situations when least expected.

Would I read more by this author? Definitely!

Thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

"'He never actually hit them, as far as I know, but there's more than one way of being violent, isn't there?'"

#tippingpoint, the third in the Detective Kate Miles series (the first for me) is a good police procedural. I was a little out of the loop not having read the first two, but that didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. Nice characterizations, lots going on and a real nice twist or two at the end.

p. s. thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.

Love the Kate Miles series and this one did not disappoint Great premise. Good characters. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled. Can’t wait for the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Tipping Point is the 3rd book in Dinuka McKenzie's Detective Kate Miles series.
Kate's estranged brother Luke comes back to his hometown for the funeral of one of his best friends from his school days, a few days later another one is dead . With Luke behaving oddly and being evasive Kate really wants to believe he's not involved when revelations about his private life come to light that show him in a very bad light. Under pressure from her employer and the press and with her surly brother finding trouble wherever he goes Kate walks a tightrope as she tries to make sense of events.

This quite a complex tale of small town Australia where relationships and past events play a big part in the tale in the grand tradition of Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and others. There's plenty going on with more than one figure from the past reappearing in Kate's life and some quite drastic events involving regular characters in the series. There are chapters told from the perspectives of various characters before they're actually mentioned in narrative,which keeps the tension going and the reader on their toes.
An involving and entertaining read.

The third in this rather good series, this story can be read with a little effort as a stand alone.

Detective Kate Miles is an appealing character, and you feel for her predicament when her estranged brother returns to town for his childhood friend Ant's funeral and things subsequently degenerate into the opening of a major can of worms.

When Kate's brother Luke's other best friend from childhood, Marcus, is found dead shortly thereafter, there are inevitable questions - and the answers may lie in events long past. This will appeal hugely to those who enjoy a good police procedural in an Australian setting. It gets 3.5 stars.

A suicide. A shooting. And a reckoning, decades in the making! Great read! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! This book had suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, a great who done it and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my kindle! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo Crime for my copy of Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie

This is the third book in this series and I really wish I had read the first two before I started this book.
It would have made a lot more sense to me especially in the beginning. Having said that once I got into the book I enjoyed it just fine. There's lots of secrets in the small town of Esserton. Some are better buried than others and when Luke, Detective Kate Miles’ estranged brother, comes back to town for a funeral of one of his high school friends it doesn't take long for old resentments to emerge.

I really enjoyed this thriller, set in Australia and featuring detective Kate Miles. Although it is book 3 in the series, it can easily stand alone and is a very enjoyable read. I loved the developing characterisation, although I would really like to see more of Kate actually carrying out more police work and not being side lined. I like the glimpses into her personal life and family relationships, especially with her father. The subject matter is very topical, domestic violence, suicide and sharing intimate videos on social media, although handled with a degree of sensitivity as always. I was engrossed from the start and highly recommend the series to lovers of Australian crime series. i do hope it's not too long until we see where Kate goes next. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

This detective mystery is the third in a series and was enjoyable as a standalone. I think it would be beneficial to read the first two to have a better understanding of the characters backstories.
A well-developed and well-placed plot that kept me engaged and invested in the story.
I am looking forward to reading the first two as well as continuing this series with Kate. I hope there’s more to come!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Kate's brother Luke is in town for the funeral of a childhood friend, having been fired from his job. Then the third member of Luke's childhood friendship group is found dead, apparently after an accident shooting rabbits. There are chapters from the perspectives of undisclosed characters which gradually began to make more sense, but at a point at which I had forgotten the content of the early ones. Does any one go back and read them again? There must be a better way of doing this...

My other issue with this novel was the sudden insertion of a former love interest of Kate's (the fact that they had been involved actually added nothing to the plot) and a whole story about a police shooting 6 years ago which suddenly had present day repercussions, but which totally detracted from the main plot. The resolution to the deaths of Marcus and Ant made sense, but had to be explained length by a dying character, which was a bit weak. I'm with Geoff, time for Kate to do something else.