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Jesse Redpath #2
The Wiregrass
A murder made to look like an accident. A disgraced cop trying to forget his past.
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.
Jesse Redpath has a new job in a new town, Satellite – the stormy weather that greets her first few days on the new beat seems like a sign for what’s to come. A local has died in what seems like an accident, but Jesse isn’t so sure that ‘accident’ wasn’t planned.
All evidence seems to point to Nash, but Jessie’s not sure about that either. Seems like Nash has enemies. And what looks like a close knit community might just be cover for dark secrets.
No amount of rain will wash this town clean.
The new Jesse Redpath crime thriller from the bestselling author of Canticle Creek.
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.
Jesse Redpath has a new job in a new town, Satellite – the stormy weather that greets her first few days on the new beat seems like a sign for what’s to come. A local has died in what seems like an accident, but Jesse isn’t so sure that ‘accident’ wasn’t planned.
All evidence seems to point to Nash, but Jessie’s not sure about that either. Seems like Nash has enemies. And what looks like a close knit community might just be cover for dark secrets.
No amount of rain will wash this town clean.
The new Jesse Redpath crime thriller from the bestselling author of Canticle Creek.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2023
95 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Adrian Hyland
9 books109 followersAdrian Hyland spent many years in the Northern Territory, living and working among indigenous people. He now teaches at LaTrobe University and lives in the north-east of Melbourne. His first novel, Diamond Dove won the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 11, 2025
4.5★
“Starcy slowed down, clearly troubled. The conversation was costing him. I sensed he’d survived as long as he had by sweeping things under the carpet, but you can only do that for so long. There comes a time when you have to bring in the industrial vacuum cleaners.
. . .
‘You find out what happened, Jess. That boy’s been through enough.’ He raised the axe then swung it down and split the wood with an energy that generated sparks.”
Another excellent visit to Hyland territory, although not the Northern Territory of his Emily Tempest books. This is the tiny old gold-mining and timber town of Satellite in rural Victoria, where Jesse Redpath is now working as a police officer. She’s with others at the scene of a fatal accident where a tree has fallen, crushing farmer Raph Cambric to death on his tractor. Severe storms have flooded creeks and paddocks and knocked trees over.
“I paused for a last look at the scene. Tried to take it all in, something I’d learned to do in the Territory. A quick scan, a mental photograph filed away: the angles and glances, the whirling geometry, the anomalies and questions.
. . .
‘Redpath!’ The boss. ‘What are you waiting for? You’re not up in the Never-Never now.’
Was that all I was going to be known for down here? The woman from the Territory. Maybe, until I settled in, forged my own identity.”
Don’t worry, she will. As it turns out, she did notice an anomaly which has raised the question of murder, not accident. She’s driving back when a guy leaps across the road in front of her truck to save a turtle.
She takes him to his house to patch him up, and after a meal and a lot of talking and trading stories, she feels such a strong connection that she stays the night. It’s still flashing lightning outside, after all.
The attraction is mutual and all is well until the cops come knocking... well, actually they don't knock - they just barge in.
“Detective Senior Sergeant Neville Wallace, from the Homicide Squad, dragged a coat from a hook near the door and passed it over to me.
. . .
‘We came to arrest your . . . friend. Heard you’d started working in Satellite. Didn’t expect to come across you in flagrante delicious.’”
('Delicious' - love it!) Arrest Nash? Wallace explains why he is their number one suspect for murder.
“Nash was a convicted killer?
‘Who did he kill?’
‘Before Raph Cambric? Nash was a police officer. A detective constable who went rogue and killed a feller up in Horse Thief Creek.’
. . .
‘When was this?’
‘Seven years ago. Nash has spent six of the years since then on a custodial supervision order. Banged up in the nuthouse.’
This was getting weirder by the minute. The feller I’d flung myself at was a killer, a cop and a psycho? He hadn’t seemed like any of those things. He’d seemed kind of nice, if a little reserved. Was my bullsh*t detector that out of whack?”
Ah, Jesse Redpath. You are a caution! I thoroughly enjoyed the complex plot, Hyland’s people, and the patch of country Victoria that he describes so well.
“Satellite had a winter-green patina to it this afternoon. The river made its way through the town moodily, like a trail of tears shed by the snow-capped crags in the distance. The church was a huddle of hilltop spires looming over the misty valley.”
I don't know how this man inhabits the minds of his strong young women protagonists, but I hope he keeps doing so.
I listened on and off to the audio too, which is well done.
“Starcy slowed down, clearly troubled. The conversation was costing him. I sensed he’d survived as long as he had by sweeping things under the carpet, but you can only do that for so long. There comes a time when you have to bring in the industrial vacuum cleaners.
. . .
‘You find out what happened, Jess. That boy’s been through enough.’ He raised the axe then swung it down and split the wood with an energy that generated sparks.”
Another excellent visit to Hyland territory, although not the Northern Territory of his Emily Tempest books. This is the tiny old gold-mining and timber town of Satellite in rural Victoria, where Jesse Redpath is now working as a police officer. She’s with others at the scene of a fatal accident where a tree has fallen, crushing farmer Raph Cambric to death on his tractor. Severe storms have flooded creeks and paddocks and knocked trees over.
“I paused for a last look at the scene. Tried to take it all in, something I’d learned to do in the Territory. A quick scan, a mental photograph filed away: the angles and glances, the whirling geometry, the anomalies and questions.
. . .
‘Redpath!’ The boss. ‘What are you waiting for? You’re not up in the Never-Never now.’
Was that all I was going to be known for down here? The woman from the Territory. Maybe, until I settled in, forged my own identity.”
Don’t worry, she will. As it turns out, she did notice an anomaly which has raised the question of murder, not accident. She’s driving back when a guy leaps across the road in front of her truck to save a turtle.
She takes him to his house to patch him up, and after a meal and a lot of talking and trading stories, she feels such a strong connection that she stays the night. It’s still flashing lightning outside, after all.
The attraction is mutual and all is well until the cops come knocking... well, actually they don't knock - they just barge in.
“Detective Senior Sergeant Neville Wallace, from the Homicide Squad, dragged a coat from a hook near the door and passed it over to me.
. . .
‘We came to arrest your . . . friend. Heard you’d started working in Satellite. Didn’t expect to come across you in flagrante delicious.’”
('Delicious' - love it!) Arrest Nash? Wallace explains why he is their number one suspect for murder.
“Nash was a convicted killer?
‘Who did he kill?’
‘Before Raph Cambric? Nash was a police officer. A detective constable who went rogue and killed a feller up in Horse Thief Creek.’
. . .
‘When was this?’
‘Seven years ago. Nash has spent six of the years since then on a custodial supervision order. Banged up in the nuthouse.’
This was getting weirder by the minute. The feller I’d flung myself at was a killer, a cop and a psycho? He hadn’t seemed like any of those things. He’d seemed kind of nice, if a little reserved. Was my bullsh*t detector that out of whack?”
Ah, Jesse Redpath. You are a caution! I thoroughly enjoyed the complex plot, Hyland’s people, and the patch of country Victoria that he describes so well.
“Satellite had a winter-green patina to it this afternoon. The river made its way through the town moodily, like a trail of tears shed by the snow-capped crags in the distance. The church was a huddle of hilltop spires looming over the misty valley.”
I don't know how this man inhabits the minds of his strong young women protagonists, but I hope he keeps doing so.
I listened on and off to the audio too, which is well done.
November 11, 2024
Police officer Jesse Redpath had moved to Satellite, a small Victorian town not far from Melbourne, where she'd settled into the rundown, ramshackle cottage which she'd call home. The violent storm which hit a few days into her new job, saw Jesse and her partner driving around checking on the roads, the locals and farms to see who needed help. When Jesse spotted a car down in a deep hollow, they discovered the man inside was dead, with the huge tree laying across the car obviously the culprit. An accident - but Jesse wasn't convinced.
When Nash, a man Jess had just met, was arrested for murder, she was determined to investigate - against the wishes of her boss. And when she was suspended, she continued on regardless. The town of Satellite held secrets - of that she was sure. And Jess was getting closer, much closer than some wanted her to be. Was she putting herself in danger?
The Wiregrass is the 2nd in the Jesse Redpath series by Aussie author Adrian Hyland and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A follow on from Canticle Creek which I loved, it once again features a grim, determined and courageous young woman who is intent on finding justice and proving those wrongly arrested, are innocent. Yes, Jess takes chances, and puts herself in danger, but a more admirable cop, and friend, those good citizens of Satellite are yet to find. The bad citizens wish she'd never come to town!! Highly recommended.
When Nash, a man Jess had just met, was arrested for murder, she was determined to investigate - against the wishes of her boss. And when she was suspended, she continued on regardless. The town of Satellite held secrets - of that she was sure. And Jess was getting closer, much closer than some wanted her to be. Was she putting herself in danger?
The Wiregrass is the 2nd in the Jesse Redpath series by Aussie author Adrian Hyland and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A follow on from Canticle Creek which I loved, it once again features a grim, determined and courageous young woman who is intent on finding justice and proving those wrongly arrested, are innocent. Yes, Jess takes chances, and puts herself in danger, but a more admirable cop, and friend, those good citizens of Satellite are yet to find. The bad citizens wish she'd never come to town!! Highly recommended.
January 8, 2024
3.5 ★
Another great story from Adrian Hyland, but one really critical part of the plot just didn't sit well with me.
Jesse Redpath has relocated from the NT to Victoria and after completing her transition training at the Police Academy, has taken on a new posting as OIC at Satellite, a small station attached to Greendale on the outer fringes of Melbourne, and incidentally also not too far from Canticle Creek where her father now lives.
Her first few days at Satellite are hectic, including a night where the mother of all storms wreaks havoc across the region. Arriving after other emergency services at the scene of a tragic treefall accident, Jesse and her new colleague Lance, are despatched to a submerged river crossing where she earns the praise of her new boss for her heroic actions. Later, reflecting on the treefall accident, Jesse's instincts tell her something about the scene wasn't right, and when she is subsequently proved correct, she finds herself caught up in her first official murder investigation as a VicPol officer.
Phew! This is a fast-paced book, and it includes a lot of the things I really liked about its predecessor, Canticle Creek. In fact it's so fast-paced that no sooner has Jesse had the successes outlined above, than she . I mean I understand that the author had to find a way to get Jesse emotionally involved, and quickly, but I just didn't find it all that realistic.
Anyway, that aside, I found this to be a really compelling book and listened at every opportunity. Blazey Best was once again a good choice of narrator for this story.
Another great story from Adrian Hyland, but one really critical part of the plot just didn't sit well with me.
Jesse Redpath has relocated from the NT to Victoria and after completing her transition training at the Police Academy, has taken on a new posting as OIC at Satellite, a small station attached to Greendale on the outer fringes of Melbourne, and incidentally also not too far from Canticle Creek where her father now lives.
Her first few days at Satellite are hectic, including a night where the mother of all storms wreaks havoc across the region. Arriving after other emergency services at the scene of a tragic treefall accident, Jesse and her new colleague Lance, are despatched to a submerged river crossing where she earns the praise of her new boss for her heroic actions. Later, reflecting on the treefall accident, Jesse's instincts tell her something about the scene wasn't right, and when she is subsequently proved correct, she finds herself caught up in her first official murder investigation as a VicPol officer.
Phew! This is a fast-paced book, and it includes a lot of the things I really liked about its predecessor, Canticle Creek. In fact it's so fast-paced that no sooner has Jesse had the successes outlined above, than she . I mean I understand that the author had to find a way to get Jesse emotionally involved, and quickly, but I just didn't find it all that realistic.
Anyway, that aside, I found this to be a really compelling book and listened at every opportunity. Blazey Best was once again a good choice of narrator for this story.
January 9, 2024
A highly compelling follow-up to the sparkling Canticle Creek, the brutal and unpredictable Australian climate once again provides a cataclysmic backdrop to The Wiregrass. This rural police procedural starts off in the midst of a ferocious winter storm and reintroduces us to police constable Jesse Redpath as she saves a woman from floodwaters, unhesitatingly risking her life in the process. The furious start to the book serves as an appetiser of what we can expect from someone who’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get a result.
I need a story to be constantly evolving and I like my protagonist to be proactive and The Wiregrass, courtesy of Jesse Redpath ticks all of the boxes.
In short order, Jesse identifies that a scene that initially looks like an accidental death caused by a fallen tree is actually a murder, meets and has a whirlwind one night stand with ex-policeman and loner Nash Rankin, watches in bewilderment as her new romantic partner is arrested for the murder she earlier identified and then proceeds to embark on a fight to prove his innocence.
This was getting weirder by the minute. The feller I'd flung myself at was a killer, a cop and a psycho? He hadn't seemed like any of those things. He'd seemed kind of nice, if a little reserved. Was my bullshit detector that out of whack?
Much of this doesn’t go down well with her superiors, not that that really gives her pause. Jesse Redpath is the kind of badass operator who tends to push ahead on a chosen path if she believes her cause is just. It’s an attitude that’s great for a reader to follow but can play merry hell with a burgeoning police career.
Motivated to clear Nash’s name and, in the process, find who the real murderer is, Jesse does her own off-the-books investigating. And there’s very little quit in her which means everything happens at a hectic pace.
In fact, from page 1 everything happens at a hectic pace: heroic flood rescue, animal attraction/consummation with Nash, suspension, working off the books, making herself a target. You name it, most of it happens in startlingly short order.
And as with many of these types of rural crime novels, many of the usual criminal activities and red flags are introduced, you know, the kinds of things that remote locations just scream out for: cult activity; drugs, illegal dumping, terrorising people in the dead of night. The town of Satellite in Victoria and its immediate surrounds is an absolute hotbed of wrong ‘un behaviour. It’s just as well they’ve got Jesse who’s prepared to go rogue to clean up the joint.
Adrian Hyland has the ability to incorporate sharp injections of humour into the most dramatic of scenes. The result is a consistently entertaining story backing a constantly evolving plot. And there’s a helluva lot crammed into that plot, let me tell you. To top it off, the setting is a special one and I was given yet another reminder of just how vast and diverse the Australian countryside is.
As was the case with Canticle Creek, I found The Wiregrass to be a truly compelling rural crime thriller and Jesse, compulsive nature and all, is a top notch copper. Although it’s the second in a series there’s no problem picking it up and reading it as a stand-alone novel.
I need a story to be constantly evolving and I like my protagonist to be proactive and The Wiregrass, courtesy of Jesse Redpath ticks all of the boxes.
In short order, Jesse identifies that a scene that initially looks like an accidental death caused by a fallen tree is actually a murder, meets and has a whirlwind one night stand with ex-policeman and loner Nash Rankin, watches in bewilderment as her new romantic partner is arrested for the murder she earlier identified and then proceeds to embark on a fight to prove his innocence.
This was getting weirder by the minute. The feller I'd flung myself at was a killer, a cop and a psycho? He hadn't seemed like any of those things. He'd seemed kind of nice, if a little reserved. Was my bullshit detector that out of whack?
Much of this doesn’t go down well with her superiors, not that that really gives her pause. Jesse Redpath is the kind of badass operator who tends to push ahead on a chosen path if she believes her cause is just. It’s an attitude that’s great for a reader to follow but can play merry hell with a burgeoning police career.
Motivated to clear Nash’s name and, in the process, find who the real murderer is, Jesse does her own off-the-books investigating. And there’s very little quit in her which means everything happens at a hectic pace.
In fact, from page 1 everything happens at a hectic pace: heroic flood rescue, animal attraction/consummation with Nash, suspension, working off the books, making herself a target. You name it, most of it happens in startlingly short order.
And as with many of these types of rural crime novels, many of the usual criminal activities and red flags are introduced, you know, the kinds of things that remote locations just scream out for: cult activity; drugs, illegal dumping, terrorising people in the dead of night. The town of Satellite in Victoria and its immediate surrounds is an absolute hotbed of wrong ‘un behaviour. It’s just as well they’ve got Jesse who’s prepared to go rogue to clean up the joint.
Adrian Hyland has the ability to incorporate sharp injections of humour into the most dramatic of scenes. The result is a consistently entertaining story backing a constantly evolving plot. And there’s a helluva lot crammed into that plot, let me tell you. To top it off, the setting is a special one and I was given yet another reminder of just how vast and diverse the Australian countryside is.
As was the case with Canticle Creek, I found The Wiregrass to be a truly compelling rural crime thriller and Jesse, compulsive nature and all, is a top notch copper. Although it’s the second in a series there’s no problem picking it up and reading it as a stand-alone novel.
December 3, 2023
Another hard to put down, Australian rural crime fiction book from Adrian Hyland. I recently read and enjoyed Canticle Creek, and was looking forward to more from Jesse. The Wiregrass was an excellent crime novel, rich in mystery and the landscape played a huge role in the story.
In Canticle Creek, Jesse Redpath was fighting bushfires. Now she is working in the remote area of Satellite in Victoria. Wild weather has hit the region, strong winds, rain that is just not stopping and lightning all around. All hands on deck to rescue those getting into trouble with the weather. When a local man is killed first impressions are that it was a terrible accident. But something in Jesses mind tells her that it was deliberate and they are looking for a murderer. Former police officer, Nash Baker is soon arrested and charged with killing the man. Nash is somebody that Jesse has recently met and believes that he has been set up and that he is innocent. Of course, she has to look into it and find out who really did it and why, getting herself into trouble and danger along the way.
I loved the setting of this story, so many animals around. And there was a dog which always makes me happy. Being in the middle of the bush, losing power, small towns where everyone knows everyone’s business are some of my favourite storylines and they are all here. If you are a fan of Chris Hammer and Margaret Hickey books, give this one a try.
Thanks to Ultimo Press for sending me a copy of this book to read. Published in Australia last week, add it to your shelves now.
In Canticle Creek, Jesse Redpath was fighting bushfires. Now she is working in the remote area of Satellite in Victoria. Wild weather has hit the region, strong winds, rain that is just not stopping and lightning all around. All hands on deck to rescue those getting into trouble with the weather. When a local man is killed first impressions are that it was a terrible accident. But something in Jesses mind tells her that it was deliberate and they are looking for a murderer. Former police officer, Nash Baker is soon arrested and charged with killing the man. Nash is somebody that Jesse has recently met and believes that he has been set up and that he is innocent. Of course, she has to look into it and find out who really did it and why, getting herself into trouble and danger along the way.
I loved the setting of this story, so many animals around. And there was a dog which always makes me happy. Being in the middle of the bush, losing power, small towns where everyone knows everyone’s business are some of my favourite storylines and they are all here. If you are a fan of Chris Hammer and Margaret Hickey books, give this one a try.
Thanks to Ultimo Press for sending me a copy of this book to read. Published in Australia last week, add it to your shelves now.
August 29, 2025
Another fantastic Australian crime fiction read.
December 4, 2023
It has been a while since I've read a novel set in Australia. "The Wiregrass" didn't really entice me to visit, though my time there was exciting and I really liked Senior Constable Jesse Redpath, the protagonist.
Jesse was a 'badass'. She was cunning, courageous, and very astute. Newly transferred from the back country, she is thrown in at the deep end her first day in the town of Satellite. A severe storm ensures that in addition to power outages, flooded roads, etc. she encounters a murder victim, and saves a woman's life. In her early forties, Jesse is very comfortable in her own skin. She is also comfortable living rough, and the Australian terrain and fauna give her no pause.
When she meets an attractive loner, they immediately 'click', only to have him arrested the following day... Nash is a former cop, who lived in a cult as a child. He blew the whistle on the cult's leaders and has never gotten over his abusive experiences there. Now, though she has only known him briefly, Jesse puts her career on the line to prove Nash's innocence.
Along the way, she encounters villains of every description and puts her own life in jeopardy.
This fast-paced crime thriller was the second book to feature Jesse Redpath. It read very, very well as a stand-alone, though I would like to read its predecessor "Canticle Creek" when time permits.
I'm certain that most fans of the genre will enjoy "The Wiregrass". I can heartily recommend the read.
4.5 stars rounded up
Jesse was a 'badass'. She was cunning, courageous, and very astute. Newly transferred from the back country, she is thrown in at the deep end her first day in the town of Satellite. A severe storm ensures that in addition to power outages, flooded roads, etc. she encounters a murder victim, and saves a woman's life. In her early forties, Jesse is very comfortable in her own skin. She is also comfortable living rough, and the Australian terrain and fauna give her no pause.
When she meets an attractive loner, they immediately 'click', only to have him arrested the following day... Nash is a former cop, who lived in a cult as a child. He blew the whistle on the cult's leaders and has never gotten over his abusive experiences there. Now, though she has only known him briefly, Jesse puts her career on the line to prove Nash's innocence.
Along the way, she encounters villains of every description and puts her own life in jeopardy.
This fast-paced crime thriller was the second book to feature Jesse Redpath. It read very, very well as a stand-alone, though I would like to read its predecessor "Canticle Creek" when time permits.
I'm certain that most fans of the genre will enjoy "The Wiregrass". I can heartily recommend the read.
4.5 stars rounded up
January 15, 2024
SPOILERS AHEAD!
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Oh man, really not my favourite!
A boatload of telling, and not a whole lot of showing - back stories given in great dollops of exposition that read more like a report than how someone would actually think or talk.
Narrative structure boys! Big reveals were often done mid chapter, with very little fanfare, then followed by a few more pages of dry 'this happened, then this happened' before dribbling to the close of the chapter with no narrative tension at all. Hard to get excited about things when the author themselves isn't even feeling it!
Multiple instances of stretching plausibility to breaking point. When you're a single woman whose just moved to a new remote town with a murderer on the loose, and you find some random dishevelled dude on the side of the road, you ABSOLUTELY choose to put him in your car, go home with him, eat food he prepares for you, then shag him within the hour. And then, when you find out he's a convicted murderer and suspected for another one, you ABSOLUTELY choose to blow up your career to persue him further and prove his innocence because you know him so intimately after your single hour together. Also, if you're a psychiatrist and some random person turns up in your waiting room, you ABSOLUTELY make time to see them, then disclose to them every single piece of confidential information you have about an old client with no consent to share information or attempt to seek it whatsoever. Then the next day you get in the car with this random person, drive across the country with them, and use your psychiatrist privileges to dodgily get them into a prison without any security checks to visit a convicted murderer they met 2 days ago. As a psychologist myself, that one reeeeeally pissed me off!
Don't read this one if you have a preference for things making sense!
.
.
.
.
Oh man, really not my favourite!
A boatload of telling, and not a whole lot of showing - back stories given in great dollops of exposition that read more like a report than how someone would actually think or talk.
Narrative structure boys! Big reveals were often done mid chapter, with very little fanfare, then followed by a few more pages of dry 'this happened, then this happened' before dribbling to the close of the chapter with no narrative tension at all. Hard to get excited about things when the author themselves isn't even feeling it!
Multiple instances of stretching plausibility to breaking point. When you're a single woman whose just moved to a new remote town with a murderer on the loose, and you find some random dishevelled dude on the side of the road, you ABSOLUTELY choose to put him in your car, go home with him, eat food he prepares for you, then shag him within the hour. And then, when you find out he's a convicted murderer and suspected for another one, you ABSOLUTELY choose to blow up your career to persue him further and prove his innocence because you know him so intimately after your single hour together. Also, if you're a psychiatrist and some random person turns up in your waiting room, you ABSOLUTELY make time to see them, then disclose to them every single piece of confidential information you have about an old client with no consent to share information or attempt to seek it whatsoever. Then the next day you get in the car with this random person, drive across the country with them, and use your psychiatrist privileges to dodgily get them into a prison without any security checks to visit a convicted murderer they met 2 days ago. As a psychologist myself, that one reeeeeally pissed me off!
Don't read this one if you have a preference for things making sense!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2023
The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland is an atmospheric read as he's able to imbue a real sense of its moody, storm-drenched setting. I don't know Victoria (or the area) at all but - even though I'm not particularly visual - I could imagine its damp bleakness.
Of course, I hadn't realised when I requested this that it's the second in a series. It didn't really matter however, and I enjoyed it so will now need to go and read the first to learn more about somewhat-maverick cop, Jesse Redpath.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
Of course, I hadn't realised when I requested this that it's the second in a series. It didn't really matter however, and I enjoyed it so will now need to go and read the first to learn more about somewhat-maverick cop, Jesse Redpath.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
December 10, 2023
The Wiregrass is the follow up to Canticle Creek, continuing on with the story of police officer, Jesse Redpath. I enjoyed Canticle Creek, a lot, it was a standout read for me, so when this one arrived, courtesy of the publisher – thank you – I was keen to dive in as soon as possible.
Hyland writes with such atmosphere when it comes to setting the scene. I grew up in rural Victoria, so the area and its climate and terrain are familiar to me and he pretty much nails it. When he writes of the dark and freezing cold, the penetrating icy wetness from bone chilling rain and howling wind, I know exactly what he’s conjuring. I can feel it; I’m taken straight back to all the Victorian winters I’ve ever experienced.
Jesse Redpath is a little bit on the rogue side in this novel. We don’t get to experience her doing much police work because she gets suspended almost immediately and from then on is operating solo on a combination of hunches and favours. The novel moves along at a rather slow pace for the first two thirds and then picks up with a racing pace for the remainder with a whole lot happening non-stop. Jesse is under attack multiple times, so many times, that it seems somewhat remarkable that she’s still able to get around and continue to pursue the bad guys with so much zeal and gunslinging. At times, I struggled with Jesse and felt she had been written too masculine. Even her thoughts at times didn’t always resonate with those of a woman.
I recently watched the TV series The Clearing, based on the true story of the Family, a cult who operated in regional Victoria from the 1960s to the 1980s, successfully flying under the radar for so long because of the extensive network of professionals it had under its influence, including police. The TV series was adapted from JP Pomare’s novel, In the Clearing. The reason I’m bringing this up is because the plot within The Wiregrass bore striking similarities to the TV series, The Clearing, in terms of the cult and its operations, location, extensive network, and its matriarch. I found it difficult to not draw comparisons. A case of bad timing, perhaps, but it clouded my overall opinion of The Wiregrass.
A solid follow up to Canticle Creek. Recommended if you’ve read and enjoyed the first.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
Hyland writes with such atmosphere when it comes to setting the scene. I grew up in rural Victoria, so the area and its climate and terrain are familiar to me and he pretty much nails it. When he writes of the dark and freezing cold, the penetrating icy wetness from bone chilling rain and howling wind, I know exactly what he’s conjuring. I can feel it; I’m taken straight back to all the Victorian winters I’ve ever experienced.
Jesse Redpath is a little bit on the rogue side in this novel. We don’t get to experience her doing much police work because she gets suspended almost immediately and from then on is operating solo on a combination of hunches and favours. The novel moves along at a rather slow pace for the first two thirds and then picks up with a racing pace for the remainder with a whole lot happening non-stop. Jesse is under attack multiple times, so many times, that it seems somewhat remarkable that she’s still able to get around and continue to pursue the bad guys with so much zeal and gunslinging. At times, I struggled with Jesse and felt she had been written too masculine. Even her thoughts at times didn’t always resonate with those of a woman.
I recently watched the TV series The Clearing, based on the true story of the Family, a cult who operated in regional Victoria from the 1960s to the 1980s, successfully flying under the radar for so long because of the extensive network of professionals it had under its influence, including police. The TV series was adapted from JP Pomare’s novel, In the Clearing. The reason I’m bringing this up is because the plot within The Wiregrass bore striking similarities to the TV series, The Clearing, in terms of the cult and its operations, location, extensive network, and its matriarch. I found it difficult to not draw comparisons. A case of bad timing, perhaps, but it clouded my overall opinion of The Wiregrass.
A solid follow up to Canticle Creek. Recommended if you’ve read and enjoyed the first.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
January 14, 2024
The Wiregrass is another excellent instalment in Adrian Hyland’s Australian crime series featuring maverick Senior Constable Jesse Redpath.
Set a year or so after the events in Canticle Creek, Jesse has transferred from the Territory to the Windmark Ranges in Victoria where she’s been appointed as the officer-in-charge at the small rural town of Satellite. She’s still familiarising herself with the area when a wild storm lashes the mountain, and she responds to a horrific accident where a tree has crushed a man in a tractor. There’s something about the scene that nags at Jesse, and when she returns later it’s clear to her that the tree was deliberately felled.
Jesse is an intuitive and determined investigator, but also impulsive and headstrong, which is how she comes to be in the bed of the victims neighbour when the Special Operations Group burst through the door the next morning. She should be horrified, but despite only having met Nash Rankin the night before, and some damning evidence suggesting his guilt, Jesse’s certain he is innocent, and sets out to prove it.
There’s plenty of tension and action in The Wiregrass as Jesse starts to dig for alternative motives and puts some nasty and dangerous characters off side. Despite being warned off, and more that one attempt on her life, she refuses to stop pushing for the truth. The plot is clever and complex, with multiple suspects including drug dealers, dodgy operators, and cultists in the mix. I was caught up in the mystery, eager for Jesse’s instincts to prevail and Nash to be exonerated.
As I have come to expect from Hyland the setting of The Wiregrass is effortlessly atmospheric, evoking the bleak, wintry weather and dense bush of the Victorian ranges.
A captivating and absorbing novel, The Wiregrass is a terrific read, and I’m already looking forward to the next.
Set a year or so after the events in Canticle Creek, Jesse has transferred from the Territory to the Windmark Ranges in Victoria where she’s been appointed as the officer-in-charge at the small rural town of Satellite. She’s still familiarising herself with the area when a wild storm lashes the mountain, and she responds to a horrific accident where a tree has crushed a man in a tractor. There’s something about the scene that nags at Jesse, and when she returns later it’s clear to her that the tree was deliberately felled.
Jesse is an intuitive and determined investigator, but also impulsive and headstrong, which is how she comes to be in the bed of the victims neighbour when the Special Operations Group burst through the door the next morning. She should be horrified, but despite only having met Nash Rankin the night before, and some damning evidence suggesting his guilt, Jesse’s certain he is innocent, and sets out to prove it.
There’s plenty of tension and action in The Wiregrass as Jesse starts to dig for alternative motives and puts some nasty and dangerous characters off side. Despite being warned off, and more that one attempt on her life, she refuses to stop pushing for the truth. The plot is clever and complex, with multiple suspects including drug dealers, dodgy operators, and cultists in the mix. I was caught up in the mystery, eager for Jesse’s instincts to prevail and Nash to be exonerated.
As I have come to expect from Hyland the setting of The Wiregrass is effortlessly atmospheric, evoking the bleak, wintry weather and dense bush of the Victorian ranges.
A captivating and absorbing novel, The Wiregrass is a terrific read, and I’m already looking forward to the next.
November 1, 2023
I really enjoyed Canticle Creek so when I saw this was available via Netgalley, I didn't hesitate to get it (and being auto-approved meant there was no wait!)
What I loved so much about CC was the sense of place that Hyland brings to his novels and this was no different. Those first few chapters set against an horrendous storm was so well-written, I genuinely felt colder and wetter just reading it.
Again, Hyland delivers an excellent crime fiction novel with an excellent protagonist (prone to making a few dubious decisions) taking the lead. Really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the next.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ultimo Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
What I loved so much about CC was the sense of place that Hyland brings to his novels and this was no different. Those first few chapters set against an horrendous storm was so well-written, I genuinely felt colder and wetter just reading it.
Again, Hyland delivers an excellent crime fiction novel with an excellent protagonist (prone to making a few dubious decisions) taking the lead. Really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the next.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ultimo Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
March 8, 2024
Really glad Hyland has given us a follow up for Jesse Redpath. He tested my belief a few times and I still don't find Jesse fully convincing as a woman, but I go with it because Hyland is so knowledgeable about so many things and the writing in this story is up to the same standard as Canticle Creek. I found the denouement in this book even more tense than the first one. Ah yes. And thankyou to the same guy who did the stunning cover for book number one, this one is equally gorgeous.
Here is my review for Jesse Redpath #1:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Here is my review for Jesse Redpath #1:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 5, 2023
I really enjoyed the first book, but was a bit disappointed with this one. The story was far-fetched and a bit linear and the love story just not that well written
January 28, 2024
Another in a long list of Australian crime novels I’ve read in the last few years. Now let me see if this one has all the tropes.
Cop new to the area, a loner……tick.
Cop is self-directed and has problems with authority….tick
Even when suspended, cop pursues her lines of interrogation….tick
Bad guys do physical harm to cop, but not enough to deflect her from her investigation….tick
Cop confronts bad guys with no back-up or weapons….tick
Single-handed, our hero solves all the crimes, some going back years…tick
Whew! This book was set in a mountainous area of Victoria in winter, with some evocative settings. Even though there may be diverse wildlife in the area, this novel had too much to be believable, ranging from eagles to deer to kangaroos to rabbits to….
One last beef from me: this book was written by a male from a female perspective. I don’t think it worked. But the story itself was okay, with a few newish criminal elements. But my advice to Mr Hyland, make your next books more believable.
Cop new to the area, a loner……tick.
Cop is self-directed and has problems with authority….tick
Even when suspended, cop pursues her lines of interrogation….tick
Bad guys do physical harm to cop, but not enough to deflect her from her investigation….tick
Cop confronts bad guys with no back-up or weapons….tick
Single-handed, our hero solves all the crimes, some going back years…tick
Whew! This book was set in a mountainous area of Victoria in winter, with some evocative settings. Even though there may be diverse wildlife in the area, this novel had too much to be believable, ranging from eagles to deer to kangaroos to rabbits to….
One last beef from me: this book was written by a male from a female perspective. I don’t think it worked. But the story itself was okay, with a few newish criminal elements. But my advice to Mr Hyland, make your next books more believable.
January 13, 2024
First book I've read from Aussie author Adrian Hyland. And to be a little bit critical, it was "okay"
It is very quick paced and the way in which the book is written is entertaining and witty, yet I was lost a few times in the amount of characters and very quick and vague intros.
When the villians are revealed, I felt the need to go back to see how they fit in again. Some of the plot lines felt rushed and thrown in for the sake of it.
Needless to say, it was an easy read and entertaining none the less. 3 stars.
It is very quick paced and the way in which the book is written is entertaining and witty, yet I was lost a few times in the amount of characters and very quick and vague intros.
When the villians are revealed, I felt the need to go back to see how they fit in again. Some of the plot lines felt rushed and thrown in for the sake of it.
Needless to say, it was an easy read and entertaining none the less. 3 stars.
July 18, 2025
Five stars because I struggled to put this down. The action started from the first page, and the story soon drew me in. The plot twists and slight amount of humour kept me turning pages as well as turning over the story in my head. The climax as well as the final reveal were both a shock, and I wished there was more of a resolution, but what was written was also good.
September 8, 2025
Review to follow.
November 25, 2023
Australian rural crime author Adrian Hyland brought character Jesse Redpath from the red outback of Northern Territory to a tinder-dry Victorian country town in Canticle Creek. There was a raging bushfire in the climax to Canticle Creek but when Hyland’s follow-up The Wiregrass opens, the weather could not be more different. Jesse finds herself working with the local rural fire brigade to clear roads of fallen trees and rescue people trapped by rising flood waters as the rain hammers down on her new posting, in the Windmark Ranges and the tiny town of Satellite.
Jesse is a bit of a firebrand and it does not take long for her to find herself in the middle of trouble. During the storm it is Jesse who realises that what looked like death by falling tree was actually murder. Not long after Jesse finds herself attracted to a loner called Nash Rankin, an ex-policeman, who is arrested for the murder. Jesse is not so sure and despite being warned off investigating, starts to try and clear Nash’s name, a quest that will reveal long held dark secrets and put her in the crosshairs.
Hyland does a great job of keeping revelations coming and the tension high in The Wiregrass. From the reader’s perspective Jesse is always in the right but she is always pushing against authority and deliberately shaking things up to see what will happen. She is fearless, laconic, compassionate and intuitive. And Jesse also inspires loyalty from her friends and finds that Nash also has some people in his corner who can help her find her way to the truth.
The other highlight of The Wiregrass is Hyland’s feeling for the landscape. From the opening pages set on the night of the big storm - “trees and poles down everywhere, roads washed away, sinkholes opening up, flashfloods and landslides descending” to expeditions into the remote, former mining country of the Wiregrass Valley:
I made my way down serpentine trails and watercourses, hacked a passage through thick scrub, startled wallabies and lyrebirds, stirred up stroppy pigs and kangaroos… A step in the wrong direction and you could vanish into a tangle of wolly wattle or cat’s claw, never to be seen again. Thick vines twisted and clung to messmates and mountain ash, giving the impression that they’d mummify you if you gave them half a chance.
The Wiregrass is another great piece of evocative Australian rural crime fiction. One that uses as its jumping off point deep and in some cases unresolved issues around the way the authorities deal with cults and sexual abuse. Despite her remote posting, it is likely that Jesse Redpath will be back (it seems hard to stop her), a return which would be welcome.
Jesse is a bit of a firebrand and it does not take long for her to find herself in the middle of trouble. During the storm it is Jesse who realises that what looked like death by falling tree was actually murder. Not long after Jesse finds herself attracted to a loner called Nash Rankin, an ex-policeman, who is arrested for the murder. Jesse is not so sure and despite being warned off investigating, starts to try and clear Nash’s name, a quest that will reveal long held dark secrets and put her in the crosshairs.
Hyland does a great job of keeping revelations coming and the tension high in The Wiregrass. From the reader’s perspective Jesse is always in the right but she is always pushing against authority and deliberately shaking things up to see what will happen. She is fearless, laconic, compassionate and intuitive. And Jesse also inspires loyalty from her friends and finds that Nash also has some people in his corner who can help her find her way to the truth.
The other highlight of The Wiregrass is Hyland’s feeling for the landscape. From the opening pages set on the night of the big storm - “trees and poles down everywhere, roads washed away, sinkholes opening up, flashfloods and landslides descending” to expeditions into the remote, former mining country of the Wiregrass Valley:
I made my way down serpentine trails and watercourses, hacked a passage through thick scrub, startled wallabies and lyrebirds, stirred up stroppy pigs and kangaroos… A step in the wrong direction and you could vanish into a tangle of wolly wattle or cat’s claw, never to be seen again. Thick vines twisted and clung to messmates and mountain ash, giving the impression that they’d mummify you if you gave them half a chance.
The Wiregrass is another great piece of evocative Australian rural crime fiction. One that uses as its jumping off point deep and in some cases unresolved issues around the way the authorities deal with cults and sexual abuse. Despite her remote posting, it is likely that Jesse Redpath will be back (it seems hard to stop her), a return which would be welcome.
November 15, 2023
Talented Aussie crime writer, Adrian Hyland, brings back the welcome return of Detective Jesse Redpath in this sequel to Canticle Creek. She has now moved on to be the officer in charge of Satellite Station in Victoria, living in a remote, seriously dilapidated, cabin with a leaking roof, sharing it with rats. A terrible storm heralds power cuts, blocked roads, accidents, flooding, and more, which has her and fellow cop, Lance Cunningham, out in the nightmare weather conditions in the dark, try to help stuck drivers, with a courageous Jesse saving the life of a woman, and coming across the gruesome death of a man by a fallen tree. A wiped out, wet and frozen Jesse returns home, only to reflect, her acute observation skills finally understanding that the male victim, Raph Cambric, was murdered, and she returns to the crime scene.
Caught in a compromising situation with former cop, wildlife and nature lover Nash Rankin, a man she has just met, when the murder squad come to arrest him for the murder, Jesse's gut instinct tells her he is not guilty and so begins a dangerous investigation as she faces threats to her life and her professional career. She finds herself suspended and forbidden to see Nash, not that any of this stops her probing into the lives of a list of possible suspects that include the brother of a serial killer. Few are inclined to view her suspicions as credible, Nash has apparently previously killed a man, Leon Glazier, and spent time in a mental health facility. However, as a boy, he had bravely helped to bring down a horrifying cult, and as a cop, he had been relentless in going after the bad guys, unsurprisingly earning himself enemies.
Will Jesse be able to prove that Nash is an innocent man, so sinned against, and live to ensure that justice prevails in the trickiest of cases? Jesse finds her artist father, Ben's art, helpful in getting to grips with an almost impossible investigation, and gaining insights and perspective when she deploys Aboriginal approaches she has become familiar with. Hyland is a gifted crime writer who immerses the reader in the location with his rich descriptions, whilst providing the reader with a wide range of what feel like authentic and offbeat characters that make an impression, I particularly adored Flinders, the dog. I am really hoping he is planning to continue with this brilliant series with the marvellous Jesse. Highly recommended Aussie crime. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
Caught in a compromising situation with former cop, wildlife and nature lover Nash Rankin, a man she has just met, when the murder squad come to arrest him for the murder, Jesse's gut instinct tells her he is not guilty and so begins a dangerous investigation as she faces threats to her life and her professional career. She finds herself suspended and forbidden to see Nash, not that any of this stops her probing into the lives of a list of possible suspects that include the brother of a serial killer. Few are inclined to view her suspicions as credible, Nash has apparently previously killed a man, Leon Glazier, and spent time in a mental health facility. However, as a boy, he had bravely helped to bring down a horrifying cult, and as a cop, he had been relentless in going after the bad guys, unsurprisingly earning himself enemies.
Will Jesse be able to prove that Nash is an innocent man, so sinned against, and live to ensure that justice prevails in the trickiest of cases? Jesse finds her artist father, Ben's art, helpful in getting to grips with an almost impossible investigation, and gaining insights and perspective when she deploys Aboriginal approaches she has become familiar with. Hyland is a gifted crime writer who immerses the reader in the location with his rich descriptions, whilst providing the reader with a wide range of what feel like authentic and offbeat characters that make an impression, I particularly adored Flinders, the dog. I am really hoping he is planning to continue with this brilliant series with the marvellous Jesse. Highly recommended Aussie crime. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
December 10, 2023
Australian crime fiction is fantastic. I have read so many books by Australian authors in this genre that are such standouts, and easily run rings around many international authors. The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland is an example of this. This was my first foray into the tales of Detective Jesse Redpath, the officer in charge in the remote Satellite Station in Victoria. I felt waterlogged and damp reading about her dilapidated cabin, full of holes and leaking rain, and a rat named Rupert.
From saving the life of a young women in a flooding storm, Jess and a fellow police officer (Lance) discover a dead man, Raph Cambric, killed by a fallingtree. The only problem is that this was not a tree falling from the impact from a storm: Raph was murdered, and Jesse is determine to uncover why. Jeses is then caught up in flagrante delicto (oh yes!) with Nash Rankin who is accused of the murder, because of his past where he killed a man he was a police officer (yep!) investigating baddies and a cult, all of which holding lifelong grudges against Nash, as Jesse discovers. Just from these events alone, this book is full of connections and intersections, with so much happening with a very short space of time. It captured my undivided attention and I ended up reading this over a short period of time, because I just did not want to stop between chapters. The weather elements highlighted the unpredictability of the land and many of the not-so-nice characters in the local area. It captured Nash’s past despair and loneliness, as well the overflowing rush of sexual connection between Jesse and Nash. It also had a redeeming and cathartic quality about it, washing away the evil to discover the truth.
The traditional Aboriginal tracking insights that Jesse utilises, with her father’s art knowledge, and the sidekick of Flinders the dog (owned by Nash) were intricate additions that complemented the story and landscape. Jesse’s ability to manoeuvre through tricky situations and uncover elements of evidence that the local police offers did not see were refreshing. Highly recommended - a fabulous book, available from 29 November 2023. Thank you to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy. This will not be my last Adrian Hyland book!
From saving the life of a young women in a flooding storm, Jess and a fellow police officer (Lance) discover a dead man, Raph Cambric, killed by a fallingtree. The only problem is that this was not a tree falling from the impact from a storm: Raph was murdered, and Jesse is determine to uncover why. Jeses is then caught up in flagrante delicto (oh yes!) with Nash Rankin who is accused of the murder, because of his past where he killed a man he was a police officer (yep!) investigating baddies and a cult, all of which holding lifelong grudges against Nash, as Jesse discovers. Just from these events alone, this book is full of connections and intersections, with so much happening with a very short space of time. It captured my undivided attention and I ended up reading this over a short period of time, because I just did not want to stop between chapters. The weather elements highlighted the unpredictability of the land and many of the not-so-nice characters in the local area. It captured Nash’s past despair and loneliness, as well the overflowing rush of sexual connection between Jesse and Nash. It also had a redeeming and cathartic quality about it, washing away the evil to discover the truth.
The traditional Aboriginal tracking insights that Jesse utilises, with her father’s art knowledge, and the sidekick of Flinders the dog (owned by Nash) were intricate additions that complemented the story and landscape. Jesse’s ability to manoeuvre through tricky situations and uncover elements of evidence that the local police offers did not see were refreshing. Highly recommended - a fabulous book, available from 29 November 2023. Thank you to @ultimopress for the #gifted copy. This will not be my last Adrian Hyland book!
December 20, 2025
‘I’d been in situations like this before. I have tendency to overthink, to get bogged down in possibilities and potential, overlook the obvious. What I needed was more detailed information. Hard facts.’
Leading Senior Constable Jesse Redpath is back. First introduced by Adrian Hyland in Canticle Creek , Redpath has now been assigned to the town of Satellite, a couple of hours north of Melbourne. She’s not far from her old stamping ground of Canticle Creek so characters from that novel pop up from time to time offering both intel and respite as required.
In this second Jesse Redpath novel, the stormy winter weather is a harbinger of the grim events awaiting Redpath – a death made to look like an accident, an old case with question marks hanging over the conviction, and a series of personal attacks.
Suspended from duty, Redpath continues her investigations into the current case and its possible links to the past. How does the insidious cult, active in the area decades ago, fit into the puzzle? And how is her new love interest, and one-time police officer, connected?
Redpath hunts down the hard facts, piece by piece, until she comes up with (most of) the answers.
My reading of Wiregrass was somewhat diminished by typos in the text and also by some glib judgements that Hyland attributes to Jesse Redpath. I was unconvinced that the character Hyland has built over the course of two novels would be so dismissive of the Satellite townsfolk as to describe them as ‘lumpy proletariat … swilling slurpees and shovelling carbs into their cakeholes’ or that she would characterise a possibly troubled adolescent with an interest in ‘natural history’ with the uncharitable aside ‘everything about her … said private school’.
* * * * * * * * * *
You can find more book reflections on my blog, Thoughts from an Idle Hour.
November 20, 2023
While I had not read the first book featuring Jesse Redpath (Canticle Creek), it wasn't necessary to enjoy this book. Jesse Redpath is just getting settled into her new job in a remote area of Victoria when there is a terrible storm. She ends up rescuing a woman and then encounters a man who was killed by a fallen tree. The details don't seem to add up and, when she returns, she figures out that the man, Raph Cambric, was murdered. As she is investigating, she meets Nash, an apple grower, nature lover, and ex-cop. Nash and Jesse end up attracted to each other and are found in a comprising position when the local police come to search his home and arrest Nash for Raph's death. Jesse is convinced that he's innocent and starts stirring up trouble when she investigates. She finds out some of Nash's backstory; he brought down a religious cult as a teenager and as a cop was relentless in pursuing justice. Jesse starts looking at Nash's old cases. Her investigation eventually gets her suspended and attacked in her home. The story builds to an exciting conclusion. The characters are quirky yet believable. You can also feel the author's love for rural Australia - the descriptions are so immersive that you feel you are there. This was a good crime mystery and I hope that we'll see more of Jesse and Nash.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for this ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ultimo Press for this ARC.
December 6, 2023
**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.
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.
May 9, 2024
An excellent rural crime novel set in the Victorian bushland. The sense of place is outstanding & I love the feeling of being in the bushland in the rain, I could almost hear & feel it. I really like Senior Constable Jesse Redpath with her Northern Territory background & her geological knowledge courtesy of her artist grandfather, Ben. It was great to see some of the characters from Canticle Creek return but it is by no means necessary to have read that book to enjoy this one - it is entire unto itself.
Jesse notices that a supposed accident scene doesn't look quite right & when the evidence points towards her new-found friend Nash Rankin, she's not quite convinced of that either. When she is forced to leave the official case to others, Jesse takes up the investigation in an unofficial capacity, stirring up enmity in some quarters that leads to an explosion of violence against herself. Unperturbed, she uncovers an array of dark, festering crimes: illegal dumping, drug-dealing, cult activities & murder.
Jesse Redpath is an excellent, strong female lead & this is a compelling, well-written crime thriller.
Jesse notices that a supposed accident scene doesn't look quite right & when the evidence points towards her new-found friend Nash Rankin, she's not quite convinced of that either. When she is forced to leave the official case to others, Jesse takes up the investigation in an unofficial capacity, stirring up enmity in some quarters that leads to an explosion of violence against herself. Unperturbed, she uncovers an array of dark, festering crimes: illegal dumping, drug-dealing, cult activities & murder.
Jesse Redpath is an excellent, strong female lead & this is a compelling, well-written crime thriller.
November 23, 2023
I haven’t read the first book by Mr Hyland featuring Jesse Redpath but I will remedy that having read this one. The writing and plotting is that good. One of the things I really liked about this book is the sense of place. I know nothing about the Northern Territories of Australia but having read this book, I feel like I’ve been there and wonder whether I’ll ever be warm and dry again ;-) Jesse is continually fighting the rain and storms - even in her own bed.
Jesse transfers to a new job in a homicide unit and while helping out during a huge storm stumbles across an ‘accident’ that she believes is murder. That brings her into ‘contact’ with a disgraced former cop Nash Baker. Jesse’s life (and Nash’s) take off at breakneck speed and the story drags you along. There are loads of twists and less than salubrious folks but also caring, decent folk which make the town seem real.
The characters are excellent, the plotting is tight, the descriptions are critical, and overall a very enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to more Jesse adventures (after I’ve read the first one).
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
Jesse transfers to a new job in a homicide unit and while helping out during a huge storm stumbles across an ‘accident’ that she believes is murder. That brings her into ‘contact’ with a disgraced former cop Nash Baker. Jesse’s life (and Nash’s) take off at breakneck speed and the story drags you along. There are loads of twists and less than salubrious folks but also caring, decent folk which make the town seem real.
The characters are excellent, the plotting is tight, the descriptions are critical, and overall a very enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to more Jesse adventures (after I’ve read the first one).
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley
January 6, 2024
This was soo good! I didn’t realise until reading it that it’s the second in the Jesse Redpath series but I will be going back and reading Canticle Creek immediately! This book felt visceral and alive. Set in the wild forests and ungrowth in Australia, Jesse is assigned to the town of Satellite from her previous role in the territories. She works for the police. When she is assigned to help with flooding and thunder storms causing trees to fall in the area one night, she is unsurprised to hear that someone inside their car has been crushed by a tree. However when she turns up to investigate she doesn’t think it’s an accident at all! I loved her rough and ready character. She was tough but incredibly loving. I liked the impenetrable character of Nash and the smattering of community around both characters. I will certainly read anymore books produced in this series. The sense of atmosphere and location were sensational. You felt you were there during the rain and the storms and in the cabin with Jesse in the bitter frosty mornings.
Thanks to the Author, the Publisher and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the Author, the Publisher and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2024
I dislike knowing too much beforehand about the plot or characters so I go in 'blind' when I read. It took me two chapters to fully realise Jesse was a woman. This is fine by me, but coupled with names and words angled at the overseas reading market, I realised this was a hybrid story, sugar-coated with unique Australian bushland but underneath riddled with generic speech. An airbrushed story with outside influence. I doubt there was one Aussie term, slang or otherwise, in the whole book. Also, I reckon the tone is off. Jesse did a fair job but maybe written as male and turned into a woman?
I fully support gender equality and women ruling in places of power, or working in any area they choose, but they have to be genuine and believable and not a figment of a gamer’s imagination. Getting up into the roof to fix leaky beams – really. Also there was a lurking background feel of an exercise penned for a romance writers group, e.g. sex scenes. If this is the case, full marks to author Adrian Hyland because he can flesh out a story and is certainly dedicated and committed enough to become well-recognised but I kept coming back to the generic nature of the book. Be real, mate.
I fully support gender equality and women ruling in places of power, or working in any area they choose, but they have to be genuine and believable and not a figment of a gamer’s imagination. Getting up into the roof to fix leaky beams – really. Also there was a lurking background feel of an exercise penned for a romance writers group, e.g. sex scenes. If this is the case, full marks to author Adrian Hyland because he can flesh out a story and is certainly dedicated and committed enough to become well-recognised but I kept coming back to the generic nature of the book. Be real, mate.
December 30, 2023
Wow! where do I start , perhaps with the heroine of the story Jesse , a Policewoman who won't let an injustice go! when she realises that wrong's have been done regarding her new man in her life ( he's an ex-policeman charged with Murder) but there's something about the charges that just don't sit right & when Jesse's own life is threatened she's knows that she's on the right track . With interesting background about the Flora, Fauna & Geology of the area she's now living & working in ,this makes for a really good read. #NetGalley, #Goodreads, #FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram, # 
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