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Detective Dave Burrows
Purple Roads
Anna and Matt Butler were childhood sweethearts with a dream of owning their own land, a dream they achieved through hard work and determination. But as the seasons conspire against them and Matt is involved in a terrible accident, the couple face financial ruin and the loss of their farm. As they fight for everything they hold dear, they suddenly find themselves caught up in events much bigger and more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. Purple Roads is a story about maintaining faith in yourself, staying true to your ideals and, most of all, the belief that some things are worth fighting for.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2012
61 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Fleur McDonald
44 books544 followersAfter growing up on a farm near Orroroo in South Australia, Fleur McDonald’s first job was jillarooing in the outback. She has been involved in agriculture all her life, including helping manage a 8000-acre station for twenty years. Today Fleur and her energetic kelpie, Jack, live in Esperance, Western Australia,
Fleur is the author of 23 bestselling novels and two children's books.
Fleur chats about her daily writing life on her blog http://fleurmcdonald.com,
Facebook - Fleur McDonald Author
Instagram @fleurmcdonald
Tiktok @fleurmcdonaldauthor
Fleur is the author of 23 bestselling novels and two children's books.
Fleur chats about her daily writing life on her blog http://fleurmcdonald.com,
Facebook - Fleur McDonald Author
Instagram @fleurmcdonald
Tiktok @fleurmcdonaldauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 9, 2024
When Anna and Matt Butler lost their farm through a series of disasters, the final being their fertiliser stolen after they received a bank loan to buy it, the small rundown old place in town that they managed to get, saw Matt drop into a deep depression. Anna struggled with caring for little Ella and running the house, but Matt became obsessed with finding who'd stolen from him, ultimately taking their farm from them. When finally Matt took up long haul truck driving to make some money, Anna was more alone than ever. With other farmers in the area also robbed, and the police doing nothing, the despair dug deep. Would Anna and Matt's marriage survive? And would they discover who was taking from so many in the area?
Purple Roads is set in the vast rural outback of South Australia, and is the first introduction to Detective Dave Burrows, who plays a very small role in this book. I've had Purple Roads on my kindle a lot of years, and am glad to have finally read it. Fleur McDonald sets the pace and tension, with Matt and Anna not knowing who is friend or foe. Kate and Sam, their good friends, as well as Maggie in the little shop over the road - all are great characters. An exceptional read which I recommend.
Purple Roads is set in the vast rural outback of South Australia, and is the first introduction to Detective Dave Burrows, who plays a very small role in this book. I've had Purple Roads on my kindle a lot of years, and am glad to have finally read it. Fleur McDonald sets the pace and tension, with Matt and Anna not knowing who is friend or foe. Kate and Sam, their good friends, as well as Maggie in the little shop over the road - all are great characters. An exceptional read which I recommend.
March 26, 2012
Purple Roads is Fleur McDonald's third novel set in rural Australia, a region and lifestyle that she is familiar with as a stock and crop farmer in Western Australia. Teetering on the brink of financial collapse after several harsh seasons, Anna and Matt Butler lose their farm when they are targeted by a thief. Anna is devastated but determined to provide the best life she can for the couple's young daughter, hoping to eventually return to a life of farming. Matt however, is broken, angry and depressed, he is obsessed with discovering the identity of the thief that he holds responsible for the loss of his farm. As Matt's bitterness drives a wedge between himself and his wife, he becomes reckless in his pursuit for justice and finds himself in danger of losing everything.
Purple Roads is a contemporary Australian story of rural life, relationships and family with a surprising twist. I say surprising, because I was expecting, based on the cover and a cursory glance at publicity materials, something more grounded in the romance or chick lit genre. Instead, Purple Roads has a strong element of suspense and while the state of the relationship between Anna and Matt is integral to the story, it does not play out as a traditional romance. I'm not sure if the publicity spin does the novel any favours, even if labeled more generically 'women's fiction', it poses some issues given that Matt tends to edge out Anna as the protagonist of the story. However if I put aside the issues of which genre niche Purple Roads fits most comfortably, it is simply an enjoyable and engaging story.
Though written in the third person the story unfolds through several narratives. Matt and Anna's stories moves on from the loss of their farm through a difficult year both together and apart, Jimmy's begins during his memories of the Vietnam War and sporadically we are privy to the concerns of the unnamed thief in the midst of his crimes. Initially I thought the inclusion of Jimmy's story was out of left field but it does eventually make sense within the context of the story. For me, however, Matt is the dominant character within the novel, despite the female profile that graces the cover. I think its because Matt's emotions are more intense and he is more actively involved in the plot than Anna.
Childhood sweethearts, the loss of the farm divides them as Matt takes out his distress on Anna and spurns her support. The relationship between Anna and Matt is a feature of the plot and McDonald sensitively explores the breakdown of their marriage in a way that makes neither party the enemy, Matt's tortured emotions are credible as is Anna's frustration.
The suspense element hinges on Matt's obsession with finding the culprits who stole the load of fertiliser that crippled his farm. To begin with Matt's investigation is fairly aimless, even as he is harassed by a black sports car. It takes some time for him to do more than idly collect bits of information and I would have liked him to be more proactive from the start. The clues are there for the reader, though its not until the end of the book that it all comes together.
The depiction of the setting and rural lifestyle is certainly a strength of the novel, from the description of the Butler's farm, to the country town general store and community. McDonald also features long haul truckers that criss cross the vast outback, routes familiar to her from traveling with her father.
I enjoyed Purple Roads, the blend of genres appeals to me and I always appreciate a strong Australian setting. I hope to read more from Fleur McDnald soon.
Purple Roads is a contemporary Australian story of rural life, relationships and family with a surprising twist. I say surprising, because I was expecting, based on the cover and a cursory glance at publicity materials, something more grounded in the romance or chick lit genre. Instead, Purple Roads has a strong element of suspense and while the state of the relationship between Anna and Matt is integral to the story, it does not play out as a traditional romance. I'm not sure if the publicity spin does the novel any favours, even if labeled more generically 'women's fiction', it poses some issues given that Matt tends to edge out Anna as the protagonist of the story. However if I put aside the issues of which genre niche Purple Roads fits most comfortably, it is simply an enjoyable and engaging story.
Though written in the third person the story unfolds through several narratives. Matt and Anna's stories moves on from the loss of their farm through a difficult year both together and apart, Jimmy's begins during his memories of the Vietnam War and sporadically we are privy to the concerns of the unnamed thief in the midst of his crimes. Initially I thought the inclusion of Jimmy's story was out of left field but it does eventually make sense within the context of the story. For me, however, Matt is the dominant character within the novel, despite the female profile that graces the cover. I think its because Matt's emotions are more intense and he is more actively involved in the plot than Anna.
Childhood sweethearts, the loss of the farm divides them as Matt takes out his distress on Anna and spurns her support. The relationship between Anna and Matt is a feature of the plot and McDonald sensitively explores the breakdown of their marriage in a way that makes neither party the enemy, Matt's tortured emotions are credible as is Anna's frustration.
The suspense element hinges on Matt's obsession with finding the culprits who stole the load of fertiliser that crippled his farm. To begin with Matt's investigation is fairly aimless, even as he is harassed by a black sports car. It takes some time for him to do more than idly collect bits of information and I would have liked him to be more proactive from the start. The clues are there for the reader, though its not until the end of the book that it all comes together.
The depiction of the setting and rural lifestyle is certainly a strength of the novel, from the description of the Butler's farm, to the country town general store and community. McDonald also features long haul truckers that criss cross the vast outback, routes familiar to her from traveling with her father.
I enjoyed Purple Roads, the blend of genres appeals to me and I always appreciate a strong Australian setting. I hope to read more from Fleur McDnald soon.
November 21, 2015
The harshness of living on the land is portrayed well in this novel. However, it is not just the elements that conspire to make life difficult for Anna and Matt Butler, but a couple of other events of human intervention that see them lose their farm. Anna tries to move on and make a life for herself, young daughter Ella and Matt while Matt is determined to find out who is responsible for thefts from his farm and other farms.
I had mixed feelings about this novel. Sometimes I was quite interested and the story moved along at a good pace. Other times it felt slow, although it certainly picks up pace towards the end. The narrative moves around a bit with flashbacks to the Vietnam War and Jimmy who has never forgotten Min-Thu, his love. At times this jumping around in time made the narrative seem a bit disjointed to me. Jimmy’s story at first seemed a bit out of place but as you read further it starts to make sense.
The cover doesn’t really give an accurate picture of the novel, because this is not really a rural romance. It is however, a picture of a marriage in trouble and of friendship and relationships within the community. A couple of things troubled me. One was the voice mail message between two people left on Matt’s phone. Even though later an explanation is given, it just seemed a bit bizarre when I first encountered it. The other was to do with Jasper, Matt’s dog. Matt chucks a fit when Anna steals it from the person who bought it from Matt after she saw Jasper was being abused. The owner is angry and abusive but then later Matt does the same thing and there is no reaction from the owner. Just seemed a bit odd. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t totally engaged in the story all the time that I picked up on these things. Others may not worry about them. So, mixed feelings for me on this one, liked it but didn’t love it. However I am sure there will be a number of people who will really enjoy it.
I had mixed feelings about this novel. Sometimes I was quite interested and the story moved along at a good pace. Other times it felt slow, although it certainly picks up pace towards the end. The narrative moves around a bit with flashbacks to the Vietnam War and Jimmy who has never forgotten Min-Thu, his love. At times this jumping around in time made the narrative seem a bit disjointed to me. Jimmy’s story at first seemed a bit out of place but as you read further it starts to make sense.
The cover doesn’t really give an accurate picture of the novel, because this is not really a rural romance. It is however, a picture of a marriage in trouble and of friendship and relationships within the community. A couple of things troubled me. One was the voice mail message between two people left on Matt’s phone. Even though later an explanation is given, it just seemed a bit bizarre when I first encountered it. The other was to do with Jasper, Matt’s dog. Matt chucks a fit when Anna steals it from the person who bought it from Matt after she saw Jasper was being abused. The owner is angry and abusive but then later Matt does the same thing and there is no reaction from the owner. Just seemed a bit odd. Perhaps it was because I wasn’t totally engaged in the story all the time that I picked up on these things. Others may not worry about them. So, mixed feelings for me on this one, liked it but didn’t love it. However I am sure there will be a number of people who will really enjoy it.
June 25, 2020
Purple Roads is about love, loyal, and respect for others. When Anna and Matt Butler brought their farm, they thought all their dreams have come true. However, Matt and Anna were wrong; strange things started to happen around the farm. Then one-day Matt had an accident and the consequences of the accident change both their lives forever. The readers of Purple Roads will continue to follow Matt and Anna to find out what happens.
Purple Roads is another fantastic book by Fleur McDonald, and I was unable to put the book down until the last page. I love Fleur McDonald's portrayals of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. I love Fleur McDonald's writing style that ensures that I engage with the plot of this book. I like the description of the settings of Purple Roads, which allows me to picture myself living on the farm. Purple Roads was well written and researched by Fleur McDonald.
The readers of Purple Roads will learn about the consequences of gambling and how it affects everyone involved. Also, the readers of Purple Roads will start to understand the problems that farmers have in running a rural property.
I recommend this book.
Purple Roads is another fantastic book by Fleur McDonald, and I was unable to put the book down until the last page. I love Fleur McDonald's portrayals of her characters and the way they intertwine with each other throughout this book. I love Fleur McDonald's writing style that ensures that I engage with the plot of this book. I like the description of the settings of Purple Roads, which allows me to picture myself living on the farm. Purple Roads was well written and researched by Fleur McDonald.
The readers of Purple Roads will learn about the consequences of gambling and how it affects everyone involved. Also, the readers of Purple Roads will start to understand the problems that farmers have in running a rural property.
I recommend this book.
April 1, 2012
3.5 stars
Purple Roads is Australian author, Fleur McDonald’s third book that falls into the ‘rural lit’ genre, with elements of romance and suspense thrown in.
This story spreads over the course of a couple of years and is told in third person, mainly from the perspective of Anna and Matt, a young couple living in the South Australian countryside with their little girl named Ella. Although, they have been doing it tough financially in the past couple of years, Matt and Anna have each other and their dream of running a farm. However, after a string of bad luck including, dry seasons, an accident with the stock and stolen fertilizer, Anna and Matt have no choice but to sell up their farm and move into town.
Matt becomes obsessed with finding the culprit of the theft when a string of farm robberies canvas the local region, at the cost of his family and wellbeing. All Anna wants to do is move on and start to build a new, different future wtih Matt from the one that they had dreamed. But somewhere amidst his grief and despair they become disconnected and not only do they have to rebuild their lives, but their relationship as well.
Fleur McDonald has created two strong, hard-working characters who are both relateable and likeable. There were certainly times when I felt frustrated by Anna and more so by Matt who kept his feelings bottled up and became quite moody. But both of their inner conflicts were realistic. A young man, a provider, who loses his livelihood and is overwhelmed by feelings of failure and hopelessness… Matt finds a way to feel like he can regain control- by investigating the robberies. Anna tends to walk on eggshells and is patient in Matt’s grief and obsessions but there comes a time when she has had enough and stands up for herself. Unfortunately, Matt is too far gone to really care by that stage.
Suspense is built up slowly in the story as Matt follows leads of the theft, but in doing so he puts his life at risk. It turns out he doesn’t know who he can trust among his friends and colleagues.
The ending was satisfying, albeit a little rushed, but I was happy to see Matt and Anna work things out. Purple Roads is a story about a young family who are struggling in the country to own a farm in a time difficult for the industry and how they manage to work through it and become a stronger family in the end.
Purple Roads is Australian author, Fleur McDonald’s third book that falls into the ‘rural lit’ genre, with elements of romance and suspense thrown in.
This story spreads over the course of a couple of years and is told in third person, mainly from the perspective of Anna and Matt, a young couple living in the South Australian countryside with their little girl named Ella. Although, they have been doing it tough financially in the past couple of years, Matt and Anna have each other and their dream of running a farm. However, after a string of bad luck including, dry seasons, an accident with the stock and stolen fertilizer, Anna and Matt have no choice but to sell up their farm and move into town.
Matt becomes obsessed with finding the culprit of the theft when a string of farm robberies canvas the local region, at the cost of his family and wellbeing. All Anna wants to do is move on and start to build a new, different future wtih Matt from the one that they had dreamed. But somewhere amidst his grief and despair they become disconnected and not only do they have to rebuild their lives, but their relationship as well.
Fleur McDonald has created two strong, hard-working characters who are both relateable and likeable. There were certainly times when I felt frustrated by Anna and more so by Matt who kept his feelings bottled up and became quite moody. But both of their inner conflicts were realistic. A young man, a provider, who loses his livelihood and is overwhelmed by feelings of failure and hopelessness… Matt finds a way to feel like he can regain control- by investigating the robberies. Anna tends to walk on eggshells and is patient in Matt’s grief and obsessions but there comes a time when she has had enough and stands up for herself. Unfortunately, Matt is too far gone to really care by that stage.
Suspense is built up slowly in the story as Matt follows leads of the theft, but in doing so he puts his life at risk. It turns out he doesn’t know who he can trust among his friends and colleagues.
The ending was satisfying, albeit a little rushed, but I was happy to see Matt and Anna work things out. Purple Roads is a story about a young family who are struggling in the country to own a farm in a time difficult for the industry and how they manage to work through it and become a stronger family in the end.
June 9, 2018
This was an easy read but there were times I just wanted to bang Matt and Anna's heads together - they frustrated me a little when they wouldn't talk to each other or see each others side of the story. So pleased it had a happy ending. I even had a little lump in my throat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2022
Anna and Matt Butler are a young couple who are trying to give farming a red hot go. Despite a set of major hiccups and facing financial ruin, they are looking forward to the prospect of a good season. However their dreams are shattered when they are robbed and they had to sell up.
Now living in rented accommodation and taking on work as a truck driver, the loss of the farm hits Matt particularly hard. With the news that the police aren't able to assist much, Matt's hell bent on finding the people responsible for stealing his livelihood. With other farms being targeted and little support from his wife, Matt has no idea that's he has gotten twisted up with a very dangerous operation....
Whilst this isn't Dave Burrows focused, my favourite fictional Aussie Detective makes a most welcome appearance! In true Detective Dave style, he is able to unofficially connect all the dots to get the investigation underway. What would we do without Dave to save the day?
It's been quite a fair few months since I got lost in a Fleur McDonald novel! Purple Roads is one of her earlier works, and it's absolutely wholesome.
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫/5
Now living in rented accommodation and taking on work as a truck driver, the loss of the farm hits Matt particularly hard. With the news that the police aren't able to assist much, Matt's hell bent on finding the people responsible for stealing his livelihood. With other farms being targeted and little support from his wife, Matt has no idea that's he has gotten twisted up with a very dangerous operation....
Whilst this isn't Dave Burrows focused, my favourite fictional Aussie Detective makes a most welcome appearance! In true Detective Dave style, he is able to unofficially connect all the dots to get the investigation underway. What would we do without Dave to save the day?
It's been quite a fair few months since I got lost in a Fleur McDonald novel! Purple Roads is one of her earlier works, and it's absolutely wholesome.
🌟🌟🌟🌟💫/5
March 18, 2018
3 1/2 stars
A captivating australian rural drama set in South Australia near Claire. McDonald is a creative storyteller who uses her knowledge of farmlife, trucking and isolated rural Australia to spin a narrative that is well paced. She reveals the difficulty of juggling the daily farm management, with weather crises and bank creditors but also the camaraderie and good spirit of most rural communities. Despite a predictable outcome it is still a good read.
A captivating australian rural drama set in South Australia near Claire. McDonald is a creative storyteller who uses her knowledge of farmlife, trucking and isolated rural Australia to spin a narrative that is well paced. She reveals the difficulty of juggling the daily farm management, with weather crises and bank creditors but also the camaraderie and good spirit of most rural communities. Despite a predictable outcome it is still a good read.
February 1, 2015
This one was a bit flat for me. Uninteresting characters for me, with too much gloom and not enough story. Story of a couple on hard times, with husband Matt becoming distant and intolerable, after losing the farm. It picked up towards the end, thankfully, but not one of my favorites.
Read
July 6, 2019Couldn't put it down!
April 8, 2024
This is my second Fleur McDonald book and I am now obsessed. I love these outback adventures and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Love the Aussie farm stories her mind creates. Anna and Matt are childhood sweethearts who have been struggling with their farm of late. A turn of events see them both struggle to get by and Matt obsessed by his grief. Can they get through it and are Matt’s instincts of fighting to find the truth worth it?
Great novel and I am now trying to get my hands on as many Fleur McDonald books as I can. I just love the farm, outback stories that just wrap you in their arms and suck you in. Fantastic storyteller.
Great novel and I am now trying to get my hands on as many Fleur McDonald books as I can. I just love the farm, outback stories that just wrap you in their arms and suck you in. Fantastic storyteller.
October 26, 2024
I know I read this book a while ago but I was not on Goodreads back then so I re-read it and to be honest, I can see why I had forgotten I had read it in the first place - boring.
I found it just went on and on too long in the issue of Matt being hell-bent on finding the thieves. It was floundering about trying to find a foothold of a storyline but it failed in my opinion. The fact only at the end we discover why one of the characters is the way he is was interesting but I still had many unanswered questions.
Not one of my favourite books by Fleur McDonald but it was in her early days and I know her later books certainly show her natural talent of writing Aussie farming/bush life.
I found it just went on and on too long in the issue of Matt being hell-bent on finding the thieves. It was floundering about trying to find a foothold of a storyline but it failed in my opinion. The fact only at the end we discover why one of the characters is the way he is was interesting but I still had many unanswered questions.
Not one of my favourite books by Fleur McDonald but it was in her early days and I know her later books certainly show her natural talent of writing Aussie farming/bush life.
February 14, 2013
Anna and Matt were high school sweethearts. Together they had a dream of owning their own parcel of land, farming for their living. When they had scraped enough money together to buy a farm, things couldn’t be better, even though it was always a struggle. They had several years where the drought crippled them. then Matt was involved in a bad accident. Finally, the theft of a large load of uninsured fertiliser was the last straw. The bank couldn’t lend them anymore money and they couldn’t afford to keep up the repayments when they had no means now to get the land to make them some more money. It had to be sold and they moved into a small rental in the nearby small town.
Matt sank into a deep depression, his whole world revolving around the loss of his beloved farm and his financial ruin. For months he does little except think and allow the bitterness to consume him. Finally he gets a job driving trucks and Anna begins to run a babysitting service from home. They are no longer struggling so badly for money, but things are not back to the way they were.
It seems that the theft of their fertiliser was not an isolated incident. Farms from around the district within a certain radius are also experiencing a similar sort of thing – a quick, well organised theft in the middle of the night, the goods never to be seen again. Matt finds himself becoming obsessed with the thefts, determined to find out who it is that is doing this. He is the only one who has lost his livelihood because of it but it’s damaging people around him too. Somewhere out there is a criminal with a lot of knowledge and a lot of front.
However Matt’s obsession has taken its toll on Anna. She’s tired of the anger, tired of the bitterness, tired of their whole lives revolving around this one incident. She thinks that the way of the future is to forget the past and look forward. They’re ok, they’re healthy, they have jobs and they have a beautiful daughter. Dwelling on past hurts is only going to keep the wounds fresh and not allow it to heal. With such fundamentally different ways of dealing with the loss and misfortune they have endured, Matt and Anna are at a crossroads. Is the fight truly worth fighting for or will they move on separately?
Purple Roads is Fleur McDonald’s third novel and is set in rural South Australia. Matt and Anna were a quintessential perfect couple – they met when they were 17 and 15 and patiently dated through their teens. When Anna’s parents moved away because her father got a new job, Anna remained behind as Matt worked on a farm, earning money to put towards his goal of his own farm. When Anna’s parents were involved in a terrible car accident, Matt went above and beyond the call of duty to support her. And when they finally purchased their own property, things were wonderful. Hard work and often it was a struggle to make ends meet, but they were happy. Even though the book starts after Matt and Anna purchase the farm, enough of their history is given so that the reader can really get a good picture of them as a couple.
That image of them is slowly deconstructed in the months after the fertiliser is stolen and they are forced into selling the farm. Matt cannot get past the grief of having lost his dream and he has trouble relating to his wife and even his toddler daughter. He finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the theft from his farm and the snippets he hears about other thefts in the district. He makes notes, he drives around searching for clues. Once he doesn’t even alert Anna to the fact that he isn’t going to be home and he stays out all night, leaving her sick with worry. He can’t understand Anna’s lack of interest in finding out who did this to them, she just wants to move on. They aren’t on the same wavelength anymore, they don’t talk.
It was hard to watch Anna deflate each time Matt rejected her, or brushed her off. But later on in the book the reader does get a chance to really see things from Matt’s point of view and I think that was an important part of the story. Without that, it was all too easy to just urge Matt in my head to “get over it” and realise that he had a family right there that needed him. But once I slipped into his head and saw what it had meant to him, what he truly felt about what had happened and the way in which he felt about Anna’s reaction to everything, I could sort of understand. I still didn’t condone a lot of his behaviour, but I found it more easy to understand why he was that way. At times I felt myself getting mad on Anna’s behalf – I wanted to urge her to stand up for herself! But I think that Anna wanted to try and be supportive, but she also felt that she had to move on for the sake of herself and also their daughter. They needed money, they needed stability.
Purple Roads is a novel that gave me much more than I bargained for. I thought it would be more focused on romance but this is more contemporary rural fiction, rather than rural romance. I didn’t expect such a deep exploration of loss and disappointment and nor did I expect the tight and clever plot concerning the theft of the farm equipment. That story touched me as much as Matt and Anna’s and I found myself praying that certain people were not involved as I made my way through the book. It’s a smart story pairing a love of the land with a sensitive deep exploration of the mental struggles that may come from losing ones livelihood. I’ll be looking forward to her next novel, Silver Clouds which I think will be published sometime this year.
Matt sank into a deep depression, his whole world revolving around the loss of his beloved farm and his financial ruin. For months he does little except think and allow the bitterness to consume him. Finally he gets a job driving trucks and Anna begins to run a babysitting service from home. They are no longer struggling so badly for money, but things are not back to the way they were.
It seems that the theft of their fertiliser was not an isolated incident. Farms from around the district within a certain radius are also experiencing a similar sort of thing – a quick, well organised theft in the middle of the night, the goods never to be seen again. Matt finds himself becoming obsessed with the thefts, determined to find out who it is that is doing this. He is the only one who has lost his livelihood because of it but it’s damaging people around him too. Somewhere out there is a criminal with a lot of knowledge and a lot of front.
However Matt’s obsession has taken its toll on Anna. She’s tired of the anger, tired of the bitterness, tired of their whole lives revolving around this one incident. She thinks that the way of the future is to forget the past and look forward. They’re ok, they’re healthy, they have jobs and they have a beautiful daughter. Dwelling on past hurts is only going to keep the wounds fresh and not allow it to heal. With such fundamentally different ways of dealing with the loss and misfortune they have endured, Matt and Anna are at a crossroads. Is the fight truly worth fighting for or will they move on separately?
Purple Roads is Fleur McDonald’s third novel and is set in rural South Australia. Matt and Anna were a quintessential perfect couple – they met when they were 17 and 15 and patiently dated through their teens. When Anna’s parents moved away because her father got a new job, Anna remained behind as Matt worked on a farm, earning money to put towards his goal of his own farm. When Anna’s parents were involved in a terrible car accident, Matt went above and beyond the call of duty to support her. And when they finally purchased their own property, things were wonderful. Hard work and often it was a struggle to make ends meet, but they were happy. Even though the book starts after Matt and Anna purchase the farm, enough of their history is given so that the reader can really get a good picture of them as a couple.
That image of them is slowly deconstructed in the months after the fertiliser is stolen and they are forced into selling the farm. Matt cannot get past the grief of having lost his dream and he has trouble relating to his wife and even his toddler daughter. He finds himself becoming more and more obsessed with the theft from his farm and the snippets he hears about other thefts in the district. He makes notes, he drives around searching for clues. Once he doesn’t even alert Anna to the fact that he isn’t going to be home and he stays out all night, leaving her sick with worry. He can’t understand Anna’s lack of interest in finding out who did this to them, she just wants to move on. They aren’t on the same wavelength anymore, they don’t talk.
It was hard to watch Anna deflate each time Matt rejected her, or brushed her off. But later on in the book the reader does get a chance to really see things from Matt’s point of view and I think that was an important part of the story. Without that, it was all too easy to just urge Matt in my head to “get over it” and realise that he had a family right there that needed him. But once I slipped into his head and saw what it had meant to him, what he truly felt about what had happened and the way in which he felt about Anna’s reaction to everything, I could sort of understand. I still didn’t condone a lot of his behaviour, but I found it more easy to understand why he was that way. At times I felt myself getting mad on Anna’s behalf – I wanted to urge her to stand up for herself! But I think that Anna wanted to try and be supportive, but she also felt that she had to move on for the sake of herself and also their daughter. They needed money, they needed stability.
Purple Roads is a novel that gave me much more than I bargained for. I thought it would be more focused on romance but this is more contemporary rural fiction, rather than rural romance. I didn’t expect such a deep exploration of loss and disappointment and nor did I expect the tight and clever plot concerning the theft of the farm equipment. That story touched me as much as Matt and Anna’s and I found myself praying that certain people were not involved as I made my way through the book. It’s a smart story pairing a love of the land with a sensitive deep exploration of the mental struggles that may come from losing ones livelihood. I’ll be looking forward to her next novel, Silver Clouds which I think will be published sometime this year.
July 5, 2024
Purple Roads is a great read , set in rural Australia it covers the issues affecting many rural farmers, drought , theft , crime, as well as drugs and alcohol . But at the heart of it is love , commitment , loyalty and hard work
It is evident the author Fleur McDonald is familiar with rural living as her writing draw me into the story and kept me captivated until the ending which has a number of twists. As a retired farmer I could relate to many of the issues in the novel and would recommend Purple Roads to anyone who enjoys a family drama.
It is evident the author Fleur McDonald is familiar with rural living as her writing draw me into the story and kept me captivated until the ending which has a number of twists. As a retired farmer I could relate to many of the issues in the novel and would recommend Purple Roads to anyone who enjoys a family drama.
January 10, 2025
Anna and Matt seem happy with their life on their farm until there’s a truck accident and truck fire and they don’t have insurance and then the fertiliser they’ve bought to get back on their feet is stolen and again there’s no insurance. This leads to major issues for the married couple. Matt is so determined to work out who stole the fertiliser that he’s forgetting about his family. I worked out a couple of the clues when they first appeared in the story, but not all of them and enjoyed the story overall.
March 20, 2021
I have great admiration for Fleur McDonalds writing. This book is no exception. She knows her topic and the nature of people in the narrative, not to mention rural Australia and the challenges of farming.
August 6, 2021
When fertilizer is stolen, it's the last straw, and Matt and Anna have to sell the farm. As the marriage falls apart Matt has to find out wo was behind the theft. This was a well paced romantic suspense story that also explores rural hardships, Vietnam veterans, friendships and marriage breakdown.
April 17, 2019
Love her books
September 3, 2019
A great read that I couldn't put down. It had all the things you could ask for..love, mystery and drama.
October 6, 2019
I read this quite a few years ago. But fell in love with this author's writing style and now have all her books. Do yourself a favour and grab one of Fleur's books and get lost in the characters
November 4, 2019
Great book
July 14, 2020
A fresh approach for this one. I enjoyed it greatly.
October 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, I am enjoying all these books written in and around Australia
July 2, 2021
A good book, however a good outcome does not justify poor behavior.
August 2, 2022
Good read
October 28, 2023
I haven’t read Fleur McDonald’s books in any particular order. I do love how Dave made a cameo appearance in this one, if you could call it that! Did loosely predict the ending on this one.
Read
September 19, 2024A good story
December 15, 2024
Simple, easy, enjoyable read.
January 7, 2026
Have enjoyed her other books more but in saying that I read this in a day.
August 24, 2024
Anna and Matt Butler were childhood sweethearts with a dream of owning their own land through hard work and determination. But as the seasons conspire against them and Matt is involved in a terrible accident, the couple face financial ruin and the loss of their farm. As they fight for everything they hold dear, they suddenly find themselves caught up in events much bigger and more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.
Whoa, what an adventure! The plot in this one was so unique and fresh, I couldn’t guess where it was going. I was totally in for the ride, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I really appreciated that we started with the main characters already in a loving marriage with a baby. Sometimes people forget that loving relationships continue well beyond meet cutes and love at first sight. For me, this was the differentiator and highlight of the story.
I’ve been loving going through Fleur McDonald’s backlist. I’m definitely continuing with the journey!
See my bookstagram review.
Whoa, what an adventure! The plot in this one was so unique and fresh, I couldn’t guess where it was going. I was totally in for the ride, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I really appreciated that we started with the main characters already in a loving marriage with a baby. Sometimes people forget that loving relationships continue well beyond meet cutes and love at first sight. For me, this was the differentiator and highlight of the story.
I’ve been loving going through Fleur McDonald’s backlist. I’m definitely continuing with the journey!
See my bookstagram review.
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