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helenfrench 's review for:
Opal Country
by Chris Hammer
It was so nice to read a really good book at the start of a new year. Opal Country (also known as Treasure & Dirt) is an Australian outback crime noir or crime thriller, I suppose. Gritty, dark and complicated.
It's a standalone story but I believe one of the characters may have featured in a previous book (which I may well go back and read!).
Anyway, it's set in Finnegans Gap, an opal town, full of miners hoping for treasure and mostly finding dirt. As a result, tempers frequently run high. Then one of their own is discovered dead, crucified in his own mine. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic goes to investigate, while young and once-a-local investigator Nell Buchanan is there to capably assist. But virtually everyone seems to be hiding something and secrets hide behind secrets, hiding behind men who are reluctant to talk about anything...
I really enjoyed this read. A good solid crime novel, good police work, strong characterisation, and an amazing sense of place. I'll be going back for more.
It's a standalone story but I believe one of the characters may have featured in a previous book (which I may well go back and read!).
Anyway, it's set in Finnegans Gap, an opal town, full of miners hoping for treasure and mostly finding dirt. As a result, tempers frequently run high. Then one of their own is discovered dead, crucified in his own mine. Sydney homicide detective Ivan Lucic goes to investigate, while young and once-a-local investigator Nell Buchanan is there to capably assist. But virtually everyone seems to be hiding something and secrets hide behind secrets, hiding behind men who are reluctant to talk about anything...
I really enjoyed this read. A good solid crime novel, good police work, strong characterisation, and an amazing sense of place. I'll be going back for more.