Canticle Creek

Product Information

I thought the mystery was quite original, and I loved most of the characters, especially Jesse and Possum. The only thing that was hard to swallow was that a police officer from another jurisdiction would be so well tolerated in the middle of a murder investigation. But as long as you can accept that, it's a fast-paced, satisfying ride. Another thing I really enjoyed was the incorporation of visual art and conservation in the storyline, giving Hyland's writing the opportunity to shine as he describes the paintings and the environment. Jesse Redpath is a cop from the Territory. She helps a young Adam when he does something illegal by offering him a second chance; helping her dad and working in the local roadhouse. A week later, Adam runs away and Jesse doesn’t think about him again except to send a warrant. A spate of new, seemingly random crimes, have Jesse and friends jumping for cover as the danger to their own lives becomes apparent…and the dots don’t seem to be connecting as they should.

Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Goodreads Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Goodreads

This story follows Jessie questioning the local police's conclusion and persuading them, with her assistance , to investigate further. Things got very fraught, the heat was getting to everyone, fire a constant danger, the fear was almost palpable. As more and more suspects were uncovered and more and more reasons for the murders, things became dangerous, Jesse was to need all her skills.

Putting this at the top of my favourite Aussie thrillers. Beautifully written, and a magnificent MC. It’s not easy to do all of that! Canticle Creek is a brilliantly written police thriller that delivers a real sense of danger but also a powerful polemic on what man is doing to the environment. A novel deserving of a wide audience and certainly one of my favourite reads of the year. As the temperature soars, and the ground bakes, the wilderness surrounding Canticle Creek becomes a powderkeg waiting to explode. Nash Baker was once a celebrated cop, but his career was ended when he chose to take justice into his own hands. Now he’s living a quiet life in a small town caring for the local wildlife and trying to stay away from trouble. I have just finished reading this book,it was a little different from the fiction I usually read but thoroughly enjoyed it.

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As the temperature soars, and the ground bakes, the wilderness surrounding Canticle Creek becomes a powderkeg waiting to explode. All it needs is one spark. Canticle Creek is headed by bush cop Jesse Redpath, who is compelled to delve into a case involving a murder in her community base. With questions surrounding truth, lies and blame, this is a conflicting case. With tensions reaching an all time high in this tiny rural Victorian community, Jesse is determined to expose the truth. But Jesse meets plenty of contention from the local community and it becomes clear that there are secrets that some people of this town want to stay buried in the past. When mother nature unleashes itself on the local community, there is further stress placed on this strained township. Can Jesse help prevent Canticle Creek from total eruption?Jesse was told that the evidence against Adam was clear and that the case was fairly conclusive, but after reading all the police reports, she just wasn’t convinced; She knew this boy, and didn’t believe that he was capable of these crimes…nor was her father convinced. Jesse Redpath is a police officer in Northern Territory. When a likeable petty criminal, whom Jesse previously vouched for, is implicated in a murder in Victoria, Jesse goes there to carry out her own unofficial investigation. She’s not the only one with doubts about the boy’s guilt. Local horse-mad teenager, Possum, is keen to help Jesse with her enquiries, while former drug-addict, Nadia, doesn’t want to help at all. Adrian Hyland is the award-winning author of Diamond Dove, Gunshot Roadand Kinglake-350, which was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for non-fiction in 2012.His books have been published internationally, including in Britain and the US, and translated into a variety of languages, including German, French, Swedish and Czech. Jesse Redpath is a good cop working in the remote Northern Territory town of Kulara, at the top of Australia.

Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Theresa Smith Book Review: Canticle Creek by Adrian Hyland | Theresa Smith

Jesse’s narrative is enjoyably dry. For example this observation when she visits the local sawmill: Full of questions, Jesse travels to the area of the crash, just to make sure what local police say happened is what really went down – and that she didn’t just let a murderer run free to Victoria. What she finds in Canticle Creek are a whole lot more questions, along with breathtaking surrounds, talented artists, nosy teenagers on horses, drug dealers, roadside assaults, blazing fires – well, you get it. It’s everything you need for a rural police thriller, and a hell of a lot more, too. The flamboyant fellow cruising in to greet us turned out to be Clive Carpenter, the senior curator. He was flaxen-haired, with a wheat-bag belly, a bright blue suit and a nose like a burst sausage.” Hyland has placed an enigmatic female lead at the helm of his new novel Canticle Creek. Jesse is passionate, observant, methodical, determined and skilled. Jesse is also a flawed lead which makes her very likeable. It didn’t take long for me to warm to Jesse and become fully invested in her journey. Jesse interacts with a good number of secondary cast members, who add conflict and interest to this spiralling tale. Hyland places emphasis on his characters and he works hard to zone in on their actions for a good deal of this novel. At times I did fall into the trap of confusing some of the protagonists, which did hamper my overall response to this one.

Canticle Creek, Adrian Hyland

The novel is set in Australia and the author does a fantastic job of transporting you there through vivid descriptions of what is a beautiful country. Things were going well it seemed, with Adam and Jesse’s father, they shared a common interest in art. Canticle Creek is a gripping murder mystery, just a brief examination of the crime scene is enough to convince Jesse that the police, who believe Adam killed his girlfriend, Daisy, and died when his car left the road as he attempted to flee, are wrong. Looking for an alternative narrative, Jesse puts several of the locals, and a Melbourne mobster, offside as she noses around the small community. She had earned herself a law degree, didn’t like that side of the law, so surprised everyone by training with the Territory police. She knows her people and she knew Adam. No way he did that.