Reviews

The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland

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judygold's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I liked, but didn't LOVE this book. The characters are interesting, and I liked the bush setting on the edge of Melbourne, but aspects of it annoyed me after awhile (too much of the main characters thought process, the increasingly complicated sequence of events with too many characters to keep straight in my mind). Fast paced and enjoyable though - I hadn't realised it was the second in a series, but I don't think that matters, worked as a standalone

kcampbell0507's review

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

elliecleland5's review

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

serenityofbooks's review

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4.0

**3.5 Stars**

I’m a big fan of Aussie crime books and The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland is a great new discovery in the genre I love.

Jesse Redpath has just moved to the rural Victorian town of Satellite and started her new job with the local police. On her first shift, she’s out helping the rural fire brigade protect the town from a huge storm thrashing the area when they discover a local has been killed in what looks like an accident, but Jesse’s instincts tell her there’s more to it. Nash Rankin is a disgraced former cop who is trying to live a quite life in the bush until he meets Jesse by accident and trouble follows.

I was hooked into the storyline from the first page and loved the character of Jesse Redpath who was first featured in 2021’s Canticle Creek. Even though this is the second book in the series, it easily worked as a standalone. The investigation heads in lots of directions from cults to serial killers some adding depth to the storyline, but others felt a little excessive. A real highlight for me was the atmospheric Australian bush setting with all its native fauna and the pacing of this book was excellent which as a reader I much prefer over the slow burn.

A big thank you to Ultimo Press for sending this one my way for honest review and introducing me to an Aussie author I haven’t read before but look forward to reading more of in the future.