The third thriller with Detective Sergeant Lucas Walker of the Australian Federal Police by Patricia Wolf is due to be released at the end of September.

This adventure finds Walker with his half-sister Grace from Boston showing her the sights of the outback where Walker’s family lives and where he escapes at every opportunity. Their cousin Blair has been working in an opal mining operation even further inland. Blair wants to leave the job early and Walker volunteers to make the long drive to pick him up. He takes Grace with him, expecting to be gone no more than 48 hours at most. But a torrential downpour creates a massive flood, washing away crops, livestock, and bridges and closing roads. Walker, Grace, and Blair are stranded in a small town that suddenly turns violent.

A philandering couple is murdered in her bed and her jealous and brutal husband is the immediate suspect, then when he is ruled out Blair becomes the target of the investigating officer. A double murder is a great way to create doubt as to the motive since it is never clear who the intended victim was and Wolf maximizes the benefit of this plot device. The flooding means the killer can not have escaped and the fear among the townspeople becomes palpable.

As always the detail about rural Australia is fascinating. (I didn’t know there was a large inland sea within Australia at one time.) Plus the description of the mechanics of opal mining adds to the rich local color Wolf brings to this series. Apparently Australian opals are considered more valuable than others because of their high quality.

Walker’s single-mindedness about his work can be annoying. He brought his naïve city slicker sister with him to the rural outback and then more or less left her to the care of strangers while he investigated murders he had been told to stay away from. This intense focus seems to be typical, though I can see how it could backfire in some situations.

I have noticed how some books are fast reads and others require me to look at every single word in order not to miss anything. This series definitely falls into the latter category. The depth of detail cannot be skimmed and the text is dense with it.

A good entry in a really good series about the Australian outback. I am hoping this author is developing a strong following so that more books follow.

DS Lucas Walker's young sister Grace had arrived from Boston to spend some time with him, meeting his family and having a holiday. Lucas had time off from his Australian Federal Police position, so the two of them headed off on the long, thirteen hour drive to Caloodie from Canberra. Chatting about their lives, Lucas enjoyed Grace's company and on arriving at Caloodie, Lucas found that Blair, his cousin, was opal mining up in the small Queensland Channel country town of Kanpara and needed to get home. Lucas and Grace headed off the following day to bring him home.

But the unexpected flood after their arrival at the isolated mining town set off a series of events that kept the three of them trapped there, along with murder victims and a murderer. Walker's cop instincts had immediately taken over, although when the local cop took Blair in for questioning, the investigation suddenly became personal for Walker. He needed to solve the case and get Grace and Blair away from Kanpara - but how long would it take? And would the water drop enough for them to leave the area?

Opal is the 3rd in the DS Walker series by Aussie author Patricia Wolf and I really like Walker's character. Strong, determined to do the right thing, and steadfast in his beliefs; Grace was a sweetheart but a little naïve; the plot was a good one although I picked the perpetrator just before the characters did. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Embla Publishing for my digital ARC to read and review.

Warning: Offensive language and some graphic content

DS Lucas Walker is back but this time with his younger sister Grace who is on holiday from Boston. Lucas wants to show Grace outback Qld but becomes embroiled in a small town double murder that he needs to help solve.

It was great to be back with Lucas as the main character. I was a little disappointed Barbara wasn’t a big part of this book but maybe in the next?!

Patricia Wolf as always writes in such a wonderful tone and uses great detail when discussing the opals and outback. The second half of the book ran at such a pace and I couldn’t stop turning the pages to see what happened. Top marks on the twist too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC to review in advance of publication.

Rated 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

In Opal, the third installment of the DS Lucas Walker series, we find Lucas taking a break in an opal mining town in Queensland's Australian outback. This time, he’s on holiday with his sister Grace when they get caught up in a double murder investigation. The setup is reminiscent of the first book, Outback, where Lucas was also on holidays when he became involved in a case. Intended to show his 21-year-old sister from Boston, the wonders of the outback, Lucas is sidelined by a massive flood that traps them in the town where they went to pick up their cousin, Blair.

The story is engaging, though it unfolds at a slower pace. It provides a vivid portrayal of life in a small mining town. I really like DS Lucas Walker and his cousin Blair, and I’m eager to see where the series goes next. Lucas's dog, Ginger, also adds a fun touch to the story.

While there are some references to characters from previous books, such as the Bikkies gang and Barbara, I think Opal can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

DS Lucas Walker of the Australian Federal Police is back in this third instalment in this series. His half-sister Grace from Boston is visiting so he’s planned to take a week’s leave to take her to visit visit his hometown of Caloodie in the Queensland outback. When they arrive, he learns that his cousin Blair is currently stuck in the opal mining town of Kanpara four hundred kilometres away in Queensland’s Channel Country trying to find a ride home after deciding to quit his job in opal mining. Lucas immediately suggests he goes to get him. He can stay in Kanpara overnight and drive back with Blair the next day. Despite the long drive, Grace tags along, keen to see more of the remote areas of the outback.

What Luke and Grace could not have foreseen is that the recent extensive rain in the north on Queensland’s gulf is about to run off to the south into Channel Country, flooding dry creeks and riverbeds, cutting off roads and towns along the way and stranding them in Kalpara. They also wake to the news that a man and a woman have been brutally murdered overnight, so they are now trapped with a killer in town.

With no local police officer in town, Lucas calls in a Queensland Police detective and forensic team from Longreach to investigate. At first the detective is happy for Luke to assist but when Blair’s boss is also murdered, Blair becomes a suspect and Lucas is barred from the investigation. The rumour that Blair’s boss recently hit the jackpot in finding a huge opal convinces the detective of Blair’s guilt.

This is an atmospheric and gripping tale of greed and hate with tensions rising in a small town where desperate people are trapped by the floods. It sets a good pace and the plot has many false turns with a range of suspects and motives. Lucas is conflicted by his desire to solve the case and exonerate his cousin and his need to protect Grace who is very much out of her comfort zone and way too trusting. I did have an inkling who the killer would turn out to be, but still enjoyed the very suspenseful climax.

This is the 3rd installment on the DS Lucas Walker series. I was looking forward to it but felt a bit disappointed by the slow pace and slightly unbelievable scenarios. Set in a small outback opal mining town, Walker is only supposed to be picking up his cousin but becomes involved when a murder occurs while he's there, plus there is a flood which (conveniently) stops them leaving. Although not his jurisdiction and being on leave he leaves his visiting sister for days at a time while he involves himself in the investigation.
It took forever to get to the end and felt long and drawn out and didn't hold my attention as the first 2 did.

💎A hostile host to handle, a gem to find?😲

4-4.5🌟 stars
Opal is a good, Australian-set novel pitting n'eer do wells and murderers In a remote small town against Australian Federal Police officer Luke Walker. This fellow just can't get away from his job, even when he takes a week's vacation to show his American half-sister around his favorite haunts in the Queensland Outback. His relaxing vacation morphs into a frustrating stay in opal mining country investigating some vicious murders and dealing with a querulous Queensland cop, shady miners and the more than unfriendly local residents. One of the dead is an opal miner who, rumor has it, found a monster, make-the-finder-rich opal briefly before his gruesome murder.

It's a complex and compelling plot with an elusive motive for the deaths. Lots of false impressions and hidden motives. I guessed the murder mastermind early, but author Patricia Wolf provided plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep the characters confused and in the dark right until the action climax. Wolf's writing style is super easy to follow and she includes plenty of insight into life and nature in the Outback. I particularly liked her explanations of how the flooding occurred with nary a cloud or drop in the sky.

I found the pacing somewhat slow despite the fact that the bulk of the action occurs within one week. And Luke too readily gets so fixated on his investigating that sister Grace is left temporarily forgotten, bored and twiddling her thumbs awaiting her brother's return. Still, it's a series I will keep coming back to thanks to the characters and plots.

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

This is the third installment in the DS Lucas Walker series set in Australia and this series keeps getting better with every book. Walker's half-sister is visiting from America and he brings her to his hometown to meet their extended family. But what was supposed to be a quick trip to pick up his cousin from opal hunting turns into a week-long stay due to unexpected flooding that cuts off the roads in the small town. Walker gets involved in a murder investigation that implicates his cousin and also endangers his sister. Fans of Michael Robotham and Jane Harper will enjoy this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Embla Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Seargant Lucas Walker is taking his sister Grace, who is over visiting from Boston, to Caloodie to visit relatives when he offers to pick up his cousin from Kanpara, an Opal mining town about 400 km away. Whilst in town an opal miner who had supposedly found a million dollar gem whist having an affair with another miners wife who was also killed.

Due to flood water DS Lucas is unable to leave town and assists the Queensland police with their investigation. There are the normal twists and turns in this thoroughly enjoyable novel. I have read all three books in the series and eagerly look forward to each..

Definitely well worth reading.

This eARC was received through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is the third novel in the DS Walker series, and once again has proven that Wolf has a great story-telling presence. This book starts not too long after the end of the second novel, and finds our MC not only trying to still find the biker leader of previous crimes, but now on a vacation with his visiting little sister from the US. From the synopsis, you can see where this goes from there....

I have been lucky enough to read all three novels of this series, and I anxiously await each one, hoping that this series doesn't just end after a "few books". Not knowing anything about Australia, it's policing system, geography, et cetera, Wolf does a wonderful job of describing ther world detail in a way even a non-resident will enjoy the read.

A perfectly good outback thriller. I find that the books in this series do a good job of character development, but the plots move slowly. This one was no exception.

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for letting me read an ARC of this book.

I was very excited to be asked to review Patricia Wolf’s new novel Opal. Having enjoyed her previous novels featuring Lucas Walker, I was itching to read another, In a similar vein to Jane Harper’s novel The Dry, Wolf has an excellent way of describing the Australian Outback in such a vivid and dramatic manner that it really feels as if you can feel the arid heat and see the red dust. This is combined with a gripping storyline with plenty of drama, peril and complex relationships. From the start of this novel, you feel as though you suspect Lucas’s cousin - a character Lucas himself trusts completely.

The storyline of Opal centres around the tiny town of Kanpara - home to a few locals and a smattering of miners. Tension is rising, and Lucas just happens to be in town the night of a brutal double murder. Flooded in by freak rainfall, there‘s no help to be had and no escape. The planned holiday with his sister, Grâce is not quite what either if them imagined. However, Lucas rises to the challenge, and I found myself gripped throughout. In fact, I think this has been my favourite of Wolf’s Nobels so far.

Detective Lucas Walker is on holiday from his job as an Australian Federal Police officer, and is taking his younger sister to visit the small outback town of Caloodie to meet her relatives. What should be a pleasant trip to spend time with family takes an unexpected turn when Lucas takes a detour to pick up his cousin from an opal mining town. A flash flood devastates the area and makes it impossible to leave, and at the same time the gruesome discoveries and nasty secrets just keep on coming. This book is a really brilliant evocation of life in the outback, and of the hard graft and competitiveness of opal mining. Every character in the book was so real as to become visible to the reader, and the setting became a character in itself. A great story, a great writer and a great setting - what more could a reader want?

loved the book loved the characters .loved the cover
Patricia 3rd book can not wait for the fourth book to see what Ds Lucus goes

Thanks to NetGalley and Embla books for an advanced copy of this. I had a great time returning to Australia and seeing what Lucas Walker is now up to. Turns out it’s solving a horrible murder with a shocking twist. A fast paced thriller in a unique setting that will keep you guessing!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was too slow moving for me. The only characters I liked and were invested in were Lucas, Grace and Blair. Other reviewers mentioned, and I concur, that it was confusing when characters were sometimes called by their first names and other times by their last. I had to pause and think about who was who. Also, I thought it was a bit overdone how many times Lucas left Grace alone, after all the times he talks about spending time with her. Granted, he was pulled into this mystery, but there's a killer on the loose and you're leaving your little sister in the middle of nowhere with people you don't know well and she's in your country for the first time. Seemed unrealistic to me. Anyway, the story did pick up speed a lot towards the very end. I really enjoy this series, though, and look forward to the next.

The third installment of Patricia Wolf's books has Lucas and his sister Grace trapped in an isolated mining town following a brutal double murder who's suspects include Lucas' own cousin Blair.
This is a really enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. I wasn't the biggest fan of Grace but I think that's because she seemed at times to be there solely to be rescued. Overall a definite recommendation though.

Thanks to Embla Books and NetGalley for ARC.

Lucas Walker, Australian Federal Police Officer, is on leave in his home town of Caloodie for the first time since his grandmother's death. He's her to honour her memory, heal some wounds, and show his American teenage sister Grace the Australian outback she's heard so much about. When he learns that his cousin Blair is looking for a lift home from a mining town, he adds the side trip and Grace tags along. But overnight their plans for a quick exit from the town are scuppered by rapidly rising flood waters and a gruesome discovery.
Wolf is excellent at conjuring the hard scrabble life of the small town residents, the more itinerant opal miners and the beautiful, brutal landscape that can change without warning. She is an enviable plotter and I cared about the outcomes while reading into the night. Walker is a terrific character, and there is real development over the series (of which this is the third). This instalment can be read as a standalone, but you will want to go back to the beginning to spend more time in this world.

Third book in the Lucas Walker series.
Walker is on vacation and taking his half sister to meet family whilst she is over in Australia.
What can possibly go wrong ?
Plenty it would appear as they find themselves bang in the middle of a double murder and Walker's cousin is one of the suspects.
Tempers fray in the small mining village as the finger is pointed at a number of potential suspects and as further murder, shootings and a house fire see the village implode in violence. Add to all of this the ongoing story of Markovich and the biker gang from the first two books and you have a thoroughly entertaining and gripping story that will keep you guessing until close to the end.
Looking forward to book number four

4.5 Stars

Opal by Patricia Wolf is another compelling addition to the DS Lucas Walker series, blending the harsh beauty of the Australian outback with a chilling murder mystery. Set in the isolated mining town of Kanpara, the story kicks off with DS Lucas Walker taking an unexpected detour from his off-duty plans to visit his cousin Blair, who has been prospecting for boulder opal. However, the thrill of a big opal find is overshadowed by the discovery of two brutally murdered bodies. With floodwaters cutting off the town, Walker must race against time to uncover the killer before it's too late.

This third installment in the series continues to impress with its vivid setting and tightly woven plot. I discovered the DS Walker series late last year, and both Outback and Paradise were five-star reads for me. Opal comes close with its 4.5 stars, thanks to its immersive setting, complex characters, and the palpable tension that Wolf expertly crafts. The juxtaposition of the arid outback with the floodwaters adds a unique twist to the classic "trapped" thriller scenario, making the environment as much a character as the people within it.

Wolf's background on opal mining enriches the story, shedding light on why people would endure such a challenging lifestyle and how that can lead to explosive situations ripe for murder. The conflict between the miners and the locals adds an authentic layer to the narrative, reflecting the tensions often found in small towns.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I did start to suspect the culprit(s) around 70% of the way through, which slightly tempered the suspense for me. Additionally, Grace and Blair felt a bit stereotypical at times, and I would have appreciated more updates on the Vandals storyline from the previous books. And as for Barbara—I'm desperate to see more of her and Lucas together. The sexual tension is palpable, and I hope Wolf gives readers what they want in future installments! They keep giving us glimpses of her through phone calls, but we want to see her as a main character again.

On a final note, Ginger once again steals the show in Opal. This series wouldn’t be the same without her. A huge thank you to Patricia Wolf, Embla Books, and the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to see where DS Lucas Walker's adventures take us next!