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Dan Clement #4
After the Flood
A thrilling new novel in the award-winning Dan Clement series.
A violent death by crucifixion near a remote north-west station has Detective Inspector Dan Clement and his Broome police officers disturbed and baffled. Other local incidents - the theft of explosives from a Halls Creek mine site, social justice protests at an abattoir, a break-in at a child-health care clinic - seem mundane by comparison. But as Clement starts to make troubling connections between each crime, he finds himself caught in a terrifying race. In a landmass larger than Western Europe, he must identify and protect an unknown target before it is blown to bits by an invisible enemy.
‘Sophisticated crime fiction with a WA flavour' SUNDAY TIMES
A violent death by crucifixion near a remote north-west station has Detective Inspector Dan Clement and his Broome police officers disturbed and baffled. Other local incidents - the theft of explosives from a Halls Creek mine site, social justice protests at an abattoir, a break-in at a child-health care clinic - seem mundane by comparison. But as Clement starts to make troubling connections between each crime, he finds himself caught in a terrifying race. In a landmass larger than Western Europe, he must identify and protect an unknown target before it is blown to bits by an invisible enemy.
‘Sophisticated crime fiction with a WA flavour' SUNDAY TIMES
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First published August 2, 2022
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About the author
Dave Warner
41 books90 followersDave Warner is the author of fourteen crime novels, including the winner of the 1996 WA Premier’s Award for Fiction (City of Light) and the 2016 Ned Kelly winner of Best Australian Crime Fiction (Before it Breaks). He has also written a children's book series and seven non-fiction titles, and screenwritten for film and TV.
Dave Warner originally gained national recognition as a musician-songwriter in the late 1970s with Bob Dylan referring to Dave and Richard Clapton as his “favourite Australian artists”.
As early as 1973 Dave had formed Australia’s first punk band, Pus, playing early versions of tracks such as Suburban Boy and Hot Crotch which he was later to record with Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs. In 1975, Dave went to London and wrote many new songs which expressed a clearly-defined vision of Australia, including tracks such as Convict Streak and Oklahoma. Suburban Boy became the cornerstone of this new style of music, which Dave labelled suburban rock. Warner’s music is probably best described as Lou Reed meets Tomas Pynchon.
Dave's feature films include the cult-horror CUT (starring Kylie Minogue and Molly Ringwald) and GARAGE DAYS (co-written with director Alex Proyas). His many TV credits include scripts for MCLEOD’S DAUGHTERS and PACKED TO THE RAFTERS.
Dave was educated at Aquinas College and the University of Western Australia, graduating with a B.A. (Hons.), majoring in Psychology. Growing up an ardent supporter of the East Fremantle Football Club, his passion of Australian football remains.
Dave Warner originally gained national recognition as a musician-songwriter in the late 1970s with Bob Dylan referring to Dave and Richard Clapton as his “favourite Australian artists”.
As early as 1973 Dave had formed Australia’s first punk band, Pus, playing early versions of tracks such as Suburban Boy and Hot Crotch which he was later to record with Dave Warner’s from the Suburbs. In 1975, Dave went to London and wrote many new songs which expressed a clearly-defined vision of Australia, including tracks such as Convict Streak and Oklahoma. Suburban Boy became the cornerstone of this new style of music, which Dave labelled suburban rock. Warner’s music is probably best described as Lou Reed meets Tomas Pynchon.
Dave's feature films include the cult-horror CUT (starring Kylie Minogue and Molly Ringwald) and GARAGE DAYS (co-written with director Alex Proyas). His many TV credits include scripts for MCLEOD’S DAUGHTERS and PACKED TO THE RAFTERS.
Dave was educated at Aquinas College and the University of Western Australia, graduating with a B.A. (Hons.), majoring in Psychology. Growing up an ardent supporter of the East Fremantle Football Club, his passion of Australian football remains.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 11, 2022
EXCERPT: Probably he should have taken more than two weeks off but he kept telling himself he would be better off working. First he went to Queensland near Mount Isa. While he'd never been much of a drinker he gave it a good go. Rum, bourbon, vodka, he tried them all. The thing was, they didn't dull the pain one iota, he was achieving absolutely nothing, and so he stopped drinking to excess as easily as he had begun. He was being paid more than ever before. It was obscene. The giant company that had written off the deaths of Gabrielly and her fellow villagers with some empty words in the annual report and a sharp pencil on the debit side of the balance sheet was making money hand over fist. China's appetite for minerals was insatiable. Gabrielly's life was buried not just under tons of sludge and mud but money, and vexingly, he was its recipient. He sent more money to Gabrielly's family, quite large sums to various aid agencies. He needed so little himself to survive, his parents were well enough off. None of it made sense. He wished he was a doctor, something useful like that where you could make a difference, join Médecines Sans Frontières and help others like Gabrielly, but he wasn't smart enough. No profession was more worthless than HR. Human Resources, the very name stank to high heaven of corporate hoo-ha. Humans weren't resources. They were people who loved, got hungry, cried, swore, laughed, fucked, danced, prayed, sang. And now he did none of these things, so perhaps he wasn't human himself.
ABOUT 'AFTER THE FLOOD': A disturbing, seemingly ritualistic murder on a remote north-west cattle station has DI Dan Clement and his Broome police officers unnerved and baffled. Other local incidents - the theft of explosives from a mine site, social justice protests at an abattoir, a break-in at an early childhood clinic - seem mundane by comparison.
But as Clement starts to make troubling connections between each crime, he finds himself caught in a terrifying race. In a land mass larger than Western Europe, he must identify and protect an unidentified target before it is blown to bits by an unknown terrorist.
MY THOUGHTS: Although After the Flood is one of a series it is easily read as a stand-alone. The story is told from several points of view on both sides of the law but nothing is given away until well into the second half of the book.
Usually I would run a mile from any book that involves terrorism, but in this case the lure of the location won out, and I'm glad I followed my instincts.
Warner has endowed his work with both a great sense of location and of intrigue. There are several different threads to this story, seemingly unconnected crimes. Gradually the threads entwine and it becomes clear that there is a threat to something that may well involve great loss of life. But the question is what and where?
The suspense builds slowly but surely and the twists are subtle but important. The characters are well drawn and complex. I had no idea of who was behind the brutal murder that occurs early in the book or how it connected to the other incidents until the answer was revealed by the author. The tension at the end is high, the ending explosive. That final twist? Totally unexpected, but oh so good!
Warner cleverly weaves environmental issues into the fabric of his story.
A wonderfully satisfying example of Australian crime fiction from an author I hadn't read previously, but I'll definitely be looking for more of his books.
Not your run-of-the-mill outback crime thriller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#AftertheFlood
I: @davew.author @fremantlepress
T: #DaveWarner @FremantlePress
#australiancrimefiction #contemporaryfiction #murdermystery #policeprocedural #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Dave Warner is an author, musician and screenwriter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Fremantle Press for providing a paperback copy of After the Flood by Dave Warner for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
ABOUT 'AFTER THE FLOOD': A disturbing, seemingly ritualistic murder on a remote north-west cattle station has DI Dan Clement and his Broome police officers unnerved and baffled. Other local incidents - the theft of explosives from a mine site, social justice protests at an abattoir, a break-in at an early childhood clinic - seem mundane by comparison.
But as Clement starts to make troubling connections between each crime, he finds himself caught in a terrifying race. In a land mass larger than Western Europe, he must identify and protect an unidentified target before it is blown to bits by an unknown terrorist.
MY THOUGHTS: Although After the Flood is one of a series it is easily read as a stand-alone. The story is told from several points of view on both sides of the law but nothing is given away until well into the second half of the book.
Usually I would run a mile from any book that involves terrorism, but in this case the lure of the location won out, and I'm glad I followed my instincts.
Warner has endowed his work with both a great sense of location and of intrigue. There are several different threads to this story, seemingly unconnected crimes. Gradually the threads entwine and it becomes clear that there is a threat to something that may well involve great loss of life. But the question is what and where?
The suspense builds slowly but surely and the twists are subtle but important. The characters are well drawn and complex. I had no idea of who was behind the brutal murder that occurs early in the book or how it connected to the other incidents until the answer was revealed by the author. The tension at the end is high, the ending explosive. That final twist? Totally unexpected, but oh so good!
Warner cleverly weaves environmental issues into the fabric of his story.
A wonderfully satisfying example of Australian crime fiction from an author I hadn't read previously, but I'll definitely be looking for more of his books.
Not your run-of-the-mill outback crime thriller.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.3
#AftertheFlood
I: @davew.author @fremantlepress
T: #DaveWarner @FremantlePress
#australiancrimefiction #contemporaryfiction #murdermystery #policeprocedural #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Dave Warner is an author, musician and screenwriter.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Fremantle Press for providing a paperback copy of After the Flood by Dave Warner for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 29, 2023
The case was spreading outwards like a big puddle, but like a puddle it was shallow. For now, Clement had no recourse but to splash around willy-nilly.
After the Flood opens with an ecological disaster in Brazil, killing the wife and unborn child of an Australian working there for a multinational. Switching to Broome, in the Kimberley, NW Western Australia we find a pensive DI Dan Clement approaching middle-age, missing his teenage daughter (living with ex-wife and new husband in Perth), feeling he was missing out on his career with the HQ for Major Crime and Homicide based 2200 km to the south.
Not that the Kimberley was without incident: the Broome station dealing with animal rights protestors at the local abattoir, where cars had been torched weeks earlier, a break-in at the Early Childhood Centre with drugs destroyed by anti-vaxxers, and Officers Jo di Rivi and Graeme Earle attending a break-in at a small mining company in Halls Creek where explosives and a booster were stolen, culminating in a particularly brutal murder at a large cattle property off the Gibb River Rodd, at first thought to be the work of bikkies.
This is the fifth book written by Australian author/musician Dave Warner that I have read, and have yet to be disappointed. Admittedly, I love the location: Warner’s descriptions of sea, sky and land, the vastness echoing with my own memories of Halls Creek, Derby, Broome, the Sandfire Roadhouse where the highway forms a ribbon seemingly to infinity, Eighty Mile Beach, Dampier – and still another 1500 clicks before you reach Perth.
But it’s his characters that fill the pages with sly pithy wit, cameos by an aging biker/informant, an old Indigenous ‘bushie’, and a story that shifts between the murder investigation (tied in with other events), the human face of loss and grief, and the charismatic activist with a troubled childhood, railing against multinationals, yet saving his scorn for celebrity environmentalists he dismisses as show ponies.
Oh how the world had kowtowed to Greta, that snub-nosed little Swedish twerp. How did she deserve it? What had she given up? What had she lost? How many nights had she slept on the streets, scavenged dustbins? Had she lost her mother? Her home? No, her mother was a f*cking opera singer, her father some musician. They’d spent their lives sucking off the teat of cultural institutions, travelling around famous European cities…
As the pieces slowly fit together, Clement and Earle move frantically to prevent sabotage that will lead to an ecological disaster.
Verdict: Well research, well-written, and without a hint of literary posturing.
After the Flood opens with an ecological disaster in Brazil, killing the wife and unborn child of an Australian working there for a multinational. Switching to Broome, in the Kimberley, NW Western Australia we find a pensive DI Dan Clement approaching middle-age, missing his teenage daughter (living with ex-wife and new husband in Perth), feeling he was missing out on his career with the HQ for Major Crime and Homicide based 2200 km to the south.
Not that the Kimberley was without incident: the Broome station dealing with animal rights protestors at the local abattoir, where cars had been torched weeks earlier, a break-in at the Early Childhood Centre with drugs destroyed by anti-vaxxers, and Officers Jo di Rivi and Graeme Earle attending a break-in at a small mining company in Halls Creek where explosives and a booster were stolen, culminating in a particularly brutal murder at a large cattle property off the Gibb River Rodd, at first thought to be the work of bikkies.
This is the fifth book written by Australian author/musician Dave Warner that I have read, and have yet to be disappointed. Admittedly, I love the location: Warner’s descriptions of sea, sky and land, the vastness echoing with my own memories of Halls Creek, Derby, Broome, the Sandfire Roadhouse where the highway forms a ribbon seemingly to infinity, Eighty Mile Beach, Dampier – and still another 1500 clicks before you reach Perth.
But it’s his characters that fill the pages with sly pithy wit, cameos by an aging biker/informant, an old Indigenous ‘bushie’, and a story that shifts between the murder investigation (tied in with other events), the human face of loss and grief, and the charismatic activist with a troubled childhood, railing against multinationals, yet saving his scorn for celebrity environmentalists he dismisses as show ponies.
Oh how the world had kowtowed to Greta, that snub-nosed little Swedish twerp. How did she deserve it? What had she given up? What had she lost? How many nights had she slept on the streets, scavenged dustbins? Had she lost her mother? Her home? No, her mother was a f*cking opera singer, her father some musician. They’d spent their lives sucking off the teat of cultural institutions, travelling around famous European cities…
As the pieces slowly fit together, Clement and Earle move frantically to prevent sabotage that will lead to an ecological disaster.
Verdict: Well research, well-written, and without a hint of literary posturing.
July 30, 2022
I love a good Aussie crime book! Police procedurals are one of my favourite genre's and have it sent in Australia, especially in the vast, barrens lands of Western Australia and I am a happy reader. Dave Warner certainly knows his stuff. This is the 3rd book featuring DI Dan Clement but I read it easily enough without having read the previous books. I will however, be going to back to read them, as well as the rest of his books that I have missed.
The unrelenting heat of an Aussie summer is getting to everyone. DI Dan Clement is starting to regret his move away from Perth and his daughter. Broome is hot and so far away from everything. And there are no big crimes. Well, that is all about to change. A body has been found on a remote station and on arrival they find the body in a crucifixion pose, nails and all. It is a horrendous crime and they have no leads. It makes the other things happening in the area - animal right protests at the abattoir, a burglary at a Halls Creek mine and a break in a the local child health clinic - seem like minor incidents. But could there be a connection?
The tension is high and the ending is full of drama. I felt the frustration of the officers and their exhaustion from the heat and the lack of progress in the investigations. Dan is a great character and I look forward to learning more about his past in pervious books.
If you are a fan or crime fiction, Australia rural fiction, then After the Flood is for you. Thank you to Freemantle Press for sending me a copy of this book to read prior to publication. Out in Australia on August 2nd
The unrelenting heat of an Aussie summer is getting to everyone. DI Dan Clement is starting to regret his move away from Perth and his daughter. Broome is hot and so far away from everything. And there are no big crimes. Well, that is all about to change. A body has been found on a remote station and on arrival they find the body in a crucifixion pose, nails and all. It is a horrendous crime and they have no leads. It makes the other things happening in the area - animal right protests at the abattoir, a burglary at a Halls Creek mine and a break in a the local child health clinic - seem like minor incidents. But could there be a connection?
The tension is high and the ending is full of drama. I felt the frustration of the officers and their exhaustion from the heat and the lack of progress in the investigations. Dan is a great character and I look forward to learning more about his past in pervious books.
If you are a fan or crime fiction, Australia rural fiction, then After the Flood is for you. Thank you to Freemantle Press for sending me a copy of this book to read prior to publication. Out in Australia on August 2nd
October 6, 2022
After the Flood is the 4th book in the series featuring Detective Dan Clement and it continues what is proving to be an extremely strong rural-based police procedural series. Although part of an established series it’s definitely possible to pick it up as a stand-alone novel and enjoy it in its entirety.
Set in the northwest coastal town of Broome in WA, a small but highly capable police force is kept busy with what is usually a routine and somewhat mundane series of crimes and incidents. Keeping the peace during a right to life protest at the local abattoir, following up on a break in at the early childhood clinic where vials of vaccine were destroyed and theft of ammonium nitrate and a booster at a nearby mine are all part of the day to day job.
Things become rather more serious when the body of a man is found at a remote cattle station. He had been staked out on the ground as if crucified and then run over repeatedly. Clearly a very personal murder and one that demands the attention of the entire police staff.
Who is this man? What was he doing in such a remote location? And why would be be killed in such an unusual way?
As the investigation progresses it starts to become apparent that the recent mini crime spree may all be connected. And there is a likelihood that it’s all potentially leading to a much larger crime.
Readers who really appreciate the ins and outs of good, solid police investigation where working small, seemingly isolated clues and putting them together to build the larger picture will appreciate the work done here. There are elements of environmental activism, terrorism and personal revenge at play here, all of which have great relevance in recent times.
Once again, Dave Warner has done a superb job of capturing the intricacies and the dynamics at play in small-town policing. From the more humorous side involving the petty jealousy over who is getting the perceived plum roles to the family drama surrounding the disappearance of the son of one of the cops. Chuck Clement’s uncomfortable moments of reflection on his own loneliness in for good measure and we get a well rounded picture of the main characters. All of this takes place without interrupting the flow of the investigation which moves slowly but smoothly along its investigatory path.
As with the earlier books in the series, the harsh, remote but beautiful landscape plays a big role in setting the mood of the book. It is brought to life in vivid detail making it an uncompromising element to be admired and respected. It also becomes an important part of the overall investigation.
With a well constructed plot, fully developed characters and a subtle injection of humour throughout, After the Flood proves to be a high quality addition to the series and adds to the strength of Australian crime literature.
Surely…surely this is the type of series that should be picked up and developed into a television series a la Peter Temple’s Jack Irish or Peter Temple or Shane Maloney’s Murray Whelan. Shouldn’t it? I'd definitely watch it!
Note that I’m calling this the 4th Dan Clement book. The first, City of Light, features a Perth detective constable named Snowy Lane but he calls in the help of fellow police officer, Dan Clement to play a small but crucial role.
Set in the northwest coastal town of Broome in WA, a small but highly capable police force is kept busy with what is usually a routine and somewhat mundane series of crimes and incidents. Keeping the peace during a right to life protest at the local abattoir, following up on a break in at the early childhood clinic where vials of vaccine were destroyed and theft of ammonium nitrate and a booster at a nearby mine are all part of the day to day job.
Things become rather more serious when the body of a man is found at a remote cattle station. He had been staked out on the ground as if crucified and then run over repeatedly. Clearly a very personal murder and one that demands the attention of the entire police staff.
Who is this man? What was he doing in such a remote location? And why would be be killed in such an unusual way?
As the investigation progresses it starts to become apparent that the recent mini crime spree may all be connected. And there is a likelihood that it’s all potentially leading to a much larger crime.
Readers who really appreciate the ins and outs of good, solid police investigation where working small, seemingly isolated clues and putting them together to build the larger picture will appreciate the work done here. There are elements of environmental activism, terrorism and personal revenge at play here, all of which have great relevance in recent times.
Once again, Dave Warner has done a superb job of capturing the intricacies and the dynamics at play in small-town policing. From the more humorous side involving the petty jealousy over who is getting the perceived plum roles to the family drama surrounding the disappearance of the son of one of the cops. Chuck Clement’s uncomfortable moments of reflection on his own loneliness in for good measure and we get a well rounded picture of the main characters. All of this takes place without interrupting the flow of the investigation which moves slowly but smoothly along its investigatory path.
As with the earlier books in the series, the harsh, remote but beautiful landscape plays a big role in setting the mood of the book. It is brought to life in vivid detail making it an uncompromising element to be admired and respected. It also becomes an important part of the overall investigation.
With a well constructed plot, fully developed characters and a subtle injection of humour throughout, After the Flood proves to be a high quality addition to the series and adds to the strength of Australian crime literature.
Surely…surely this is the type of series that should be picked up and developed into a television series a la Peter Temple’s Jack Irish or Peter Temple or Shane Maloney’s Murray Whelan. Shouldn’t it? I'd definitely watch it!
Note that I’m calling this the 4th Dan Clement book. The first, City of Light, features a Perth detective constable named Snowy Lane but he calls in the help of fellow police officer, Dan Clement to play a small but crucial role.
August 24, 2022
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
In After the Flood Dave Warner explores the concept of past trauma shaping a person's outlook which could lead to psychopathic thoughts and deadly actions.
After the Flood delves into the urge for vengeance or revenge and the misguided belief that someone must pay for the losses suffered.
DI Dan Clement, troubled by his own past mistakes, is after a juicy case to get his mind off his ex-wife. The protesters at the abattoirs and the Health Clinic break-in by an anti-vaxxer aren't keeping him that busy but these cases are put on the backburner when a seemingly ritualistic murder is discovered on a remote cattle station. Is this a drug deal gone wrong or is a psychopath on the loose?
I really enjoyed this intriguing police procedural set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The writing is laid back, a superb example of Aussie noir.
It was fascinating to read along as Clement and his team piece together what seem like inconsequential pieces of information to solve the puzzle and how one piece of information connects with another as the team kept digging away with the little clues that they had.
The story starts at a steady pace as information is gathered and the case seem to be going nowhere. Then the pace accelerates as we are taken on an adrenaline fuelled ride to the end.
After the Flood is superbly plotted crime fiction with an authentic Aussie flavour. It reads well as a stand alone.
*I received my copy from the publisher
In After the Flood Dave Warner explores the concept of past trauma shaping a person's outlook which could lead to psychopathic thoughts and deadly actions.
After the Flood delves into the urge for vengeance or revenge and the misguided belief that someone must pay for the losses suffered.
DI Dan Clement, troubled by his own past mistakes, is after a juicy case to get his mind off his ex-wife. The protesters at the abattoirs and the Health Clinic break-in by an anti-vaxxer aren't keeping him that busy but these cases are put on the backburner when a seemingly ritualistic murder is discovered on a remote cattle station. Is this a drug deal gone wrong or is a psychopath on the loose?
I really enjoyed this intriguing police procedural set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The writing is laid back, a superb example of Aussie noir.
It was fascinating to read along as Clement and his team piece together what seem like inconsequential pieces of information to solve the puzzle and how one piece of information connects with another as the team kept digging away with the little clues that they had.
The story starts at a steady pace as information is gathered and the case seem to be going nowhere. Then the pace accelerates as we are taken on an adrenaline fuelled ride to the end.
After the Flood is superbly plotted crime fiction with an authentic Aussie flavour. It reads well as a stand alone.
*I received my copy from the publisher
September 27, 2022
Set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, After the Flood is the fourth book by Dave Warner to feature Detective Inspector Dan Clement, though it also works effectively as a stand alone.
As his team handles a spate of petty crimes including an unruly protest, the theft of explosive materials, and vandalism of a vaccination clinic, DI Dan Clement, lonely and missing his teenage daughter, is feeling restless and longing for a distraction. Fate obliges with the discovery of a body, naked with tire tread marks on his chest and railroad spikes driven through his palms in a remote area of a cattle station, and Clement finds himself in a race to prevent a deadly scheme.
In what is a tightly plotted, engaging police procedural, Clement and his squad’s challenge is to identify the dead man, and then methodically gather evidence that might explain the reason for his gruesome murder, and reveal his killer. Warner offers several red herrings leading to a succession of dead ends that frustrate the officers, but just as the case seems to stall, a surprising connection is made. The tension rises sharply as the pieces then rapidly fall into place, leading to an explosive finish.
Themes explored in After the Flood include family, trauma, grief, revenge and disenfranchisement. Warner also raises topical issues such as corporate greed, social justice, and eco-terrorism.
The setting of After the Flood is well realised. Clement’s Major Crime Squad are based in Broome but their territory is extensive, and both its geographical and social features can complicate their investigations.
Offering intrigue and excitement, After the Flood is a well written police procedural that I sincerely enjoyed.
As his team handles a spate of petty crimes including an unruly protest, the theft of explosive materials, and vandalism of a vaccination clinic, DI Dan Clement, lonely and missing his teenage daughter, is feeling restless and longing for a distraction. Fate obliges with the discovery of a body, naked with tire tread marks on his chest and railroad spikes driven through his palms in a remote area of a cattle station, and Clement finds himself in a race to prevent a deadly scheme.
In what is a tightly plotted, engaging police procedural, Clement and his squad’s challenge is to identify the dead man, and then methodically gather evidence that might explain the reason for his gruesome murder, and reveal his killer. Warner offers several red herrings leading to a succession of dead ends that frustrate the officers, but just as the case seems to stall, a surprising connection is made. The tension rises sharply as the pieces then rapidly fall into place, leading to an explosive finish.
Themes explored in After the Flood include family, trauma, grief, revenge and disenfranchisement. Warner also raises topical issues such as corporate greed, social justice, and eco-terrorism.
The setting of After the Flood is well realised. Clement’s Major Crime Squad are based in Broome but their territory is extensive, and both its geographical and social features can complicate their investigations.
Offering intrigue and excitement, After the Flood is a well written police procedural that I sincerely enjoyed.
August 10, 2022
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
After the Flood by Dave Warner. (2022).
(Dan Clement ; 3).
**Thank you to Fremantle Press for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 2 August 2022**
A disturbingly, seemingly ritualistic murder on a North-West cattle station has Detective Inspector Dan and his Broome police officers baffled. Other local incidents - explosives stolen from a mine, protest at an abattoir, a break-in at an early childhood clinic - seem mundane by comparison. But Clement stars to make troubling connections between each crime. He finds himself in a terrifying race to identify and protect a target before it is blown up by an unknown terrorist...
This is a great West Australian crime read. You can definitely read this one as a standalone; I myself haven't yet read the previous books in this series and I don't think that lessened my enjoyment at all. I really appreciated the exploration around how and why people commit extreme actions - it provides not an excuse, but more of an explanation as to how these people's attitudes can change. This is a tension-filled narrative as Dan works to join all the dots, leading to a heart-in-mouth climax near the end.
Overall: happily recommend for readers that enjoy crime fiction and/or West Australian fiction.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
After the Flood by Dave Warner. (2022).
(Dan Clement ; 3).
**Thank you to Fremantle Press for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 2 August 2022**
A disturbingly, seemingly ritualistic murder on a North-West cattle station has Detective Inspector Dan and his Broome police officers baffled. Other local incidents - explosives stolen from a mine, protest at an abattoir, a break-in at an early childhood clinic - seem mundane by comparison. But Clement stars to make troubling connections between each crime. He finds himself in a terrifying race to identify and protect a target before it is blown up by an unknown terrorist...
This is a great West Australian crime read. You can definitely read this one as a standalone; I myself haven't yet read the previous books in this series and I don't think that lessened my enjoyment at all. I really appreciated the exploration around how and why people commit extreme actions - it provides not an excuse, but more of an explanation as to how these people's attitudes can change. This is a tension-filled narrative as Dan works to join all the dots, leading to a heart-in-mouth climax near the end.
Overall: happily recommend for readers that enjoy crime fiction and/or West Australian fiction.
July 27, 2022
When Detective Inspector Dan Clement discovers a body nailed to the road on an isolated cattle station in the north-west of Western Australia, it’s a task to find out the victim’s identity, let alone why they were there in the first place. The violent crime speaks of deep personal hurt rather than expedience. Why else would the body be left in such a manner on the road?
Shocking though this murder is, it’s not as though this is the only crime that Dan must solve. His team are already dealing with a theft of explosives at a mine site, an animal rights protest at the local abattoirs and a break in at the children’s clinic.
As the threads of the story interweave, it soon becomes apparent that there may be a link between the crimes. Moreover, Clement soon sees that these events are leading to something more serious. His team must put together the pieces of the puzzle and stop the killer from carrying out his final plan.
In essence, this is a police procedural novel told by author Dave Warner in several parallel narratives. It’s not until well into the second half of the novel that we, along with Dan Clement, begin to tease out the knots of lies told by the characters and weave the strands of the story together to find out the truth.
What Warner does really well is to present us with rounded main characters, especially Clement, who proceeds carefully towards resolution despite his own relationship and parenting issues.
Relationships between the police team are also realistically drawn, misogynist arrogance and all, quite typical of conditions women in the police force have put up with for years.
Somehow, every flaw seems exacerbated by the setting itself in this ‘outback noir’ novel, the unforgiving isolation of a land where misdeeds can lay hidden, and bodies never found.
In fact, I was so taken by the Western Australian landscape where most of the story is set, that I had to think hard about the implications of the title, how traumatic physical and psychological events impact on our lives, their pain often emerging through our later actions.
This is the third book featuring DI Dan Clement, yet as a crime novel it stands alone without obvious prequel or sequel links. He’s a fascinating character; one who you feel you’d like to meet in real life. This book would appeal to those who love Aussie authors, outback settings, real-life characters and a great crime storyline.
Thank you to Fremantle Press for the ARC of this novel. ‘After the Flood’ is due to be published in August 2022.
Shocking though this murder is, it’s not as though this is the only crime that Dan must solve. His team are already dealing with a theft of explosives at a mine site, an animal rights protest at the local abattoirs and a break in at the children’s clinic.
As the threads of the story interweave, it soon becomes apparent that there may be a link between the crimes. Moreover, Clement soon sees that these events are leading to something more serious. His team must put together the pieces of the puzzle and stop the killer from carrying out his final plan.
In essence, this is a police procedural novel told by author Dave Warner in several parallel narratives. It’s not until well into the second half of the novel that we, along with Dan Clement, begin to tease out the knots of lies told by the characters and weave the strands of the story together to find out the truth.
What Warner does really well is to present us with rounded main characters, especially Clement, who proceeds carefully towards resolution despite his own relationship and parenting issues.
Relationships between the police team are also realistically drawn, misogynist arrogance and all, quite typical of conditions women in the police force have put up with for years.
Somehow, every flaw seems exacerbated by the setting itself in this ‘outback noir’ novel, the unforgiving isolation of a land where misdeeds can lay hidden, and bodies never found.
In fact, I was so taken by the Western Australian landscape where most of the story is set, that I had to think hard about the implications of the title, how traumatic physical and psychological events impact on our lives, their pain often emerging through our later actions.
This is the third book featuring DI Dan Clement, yet as a crime novel it stands alone without obvious prequel or sequel links. He’s a fascinating character; one who you feel you’d like to meet in real life. This book would appeal to those who love Aussie authors, outback settings, real-life characters and a great crime storyline.
Thank you to Fremantle Press for the ARC of this novel. ‘After the Flood’ is due to be published in August 2022.
August 4, 2022
‘It was funny how your life could turn so quickly.’
Broome, Western Australia. Detective Inspector Dan Clement finds his days filled with relatively minor crimes: a break-in at a child-health care clinic, the theft of explosives from a Hall Creek mine sight and social justice protests at an abattoir. But then a violent death by crucifixion near a remote station has him and his team baffled. The identity of the man is a mystery at first, but gradually DI Clement and his team find links with the other crimes.
I really enjoyed this novel, trying to work out who was responsible for the murder and why. The police must work hard for their information, with each new piece providing additional possibilities to explore. The characters are well-developed and had me caring about what might happen to most of them. The tension increases as the story moves towards its climax: can DI Clement and his team prevent an attack on an unknown target? By this stage, I could not put the book down. A terrific read. This is the third book to feature DI Clement, and I am keen to read the first two.
My thanks to Better Reading Preview for an advance reading copy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Broome, Western Australia. Detective Inspector Dan Clement finds his days filled with relatively minor crimes: a break-in at a child-health care clinic, the theft of explosives from a Hall Creek mine sight and social justice protests at an abattoir. But then a violent death by crucifixion near a remote station has him and his team baffled. The identity of the man is a mystery at first, but gradually DI Clement and his team find links with the other crimes.
I really enjoyed this novel, trying to work out who was responsible for the murder and why. The police must work hard for their information, with each new piece providing additional possibilities to explore. The characters are well-developed and had me caring about what might happen to most of them. The tension increases as the story moves towards its climax: can DI Clement and his team prevent an attack on an unknown target? By this stage, I could not put the book down. A terrific read. This is the third book to feature DI Clement, and I am keen to read the first two.
My thanks to Better Reading Preview for an advance reading copy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
May 14, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It is a smartly written police procedural based in the unforgiving surrounds of the north west of Western Australia.
When a man is found nailed to the road, by his hands, on a remote cattle station in WA, Detective Inspector Dan Clement has no idea what this investigation will uncover, or where it will lead. This ritualistic and violent murder sets him on edge. In the meantime, his colleagues are dealing with the theft of explosives from a mine site, animal rights activists protesting at the abattoir, and a break in at the children's clinic. Can they somehow be connected?
As the investigation deepens, the pace of this book matches the urgency of the situation. There is an unknown target and people they cannot find in this expansive landscape. The build up to the conclusion was literally heart pounding.
After the Flood is a tightly written, plausible and exciting book. I enjoy a well written crime or murder storyline and love the process of the police investigation, and loved seeing the pieces come together for this story.
This is the first book from this author I have read, and it wont be the last. This is the third book featuring DI Dan Clement and I am keen to read the other two. This book would appeal to those who love Aussie authors, outback settings, real-life characters and a great crime storyline.
Thank you to Fremantle Press for a copy of this book prior to publication. Publication date 02 August 2022
When a man is found nailed to the road, by his hands, on a remote cattle station in WA, Detective Inspector Dan Clement has no idea what this investigation will uncover, or where it will lead. This ritualistic and violent murder sets him on edge. In the meantime, his colleagues are dealing with the theft of explosives from a mine site, animal rights activists protesting at the abattoir, and a break in at the children's clinic. Can they somehow be connected?
As the investigation deepens, the pace of this book matches the urgency of the situation. There is an unknown target and people they cannot find in this expansive landscape. The build up to the conclusion was literally heart pounding.
After the Flood is a tightly written, plausible and exciting book. I enjoy a well written crime or murder storyline and love the process of the police investigation, and loved seeing the pieces come together for this story.
This is the first book from this author I have read, and it wont be the last. This is the third book featuring DI Dan Clement and I am keen to read the other two. This book would appeal to those who love Aussie authors, outback settings, real-life characters and a great crime storyline.
Thank you to Fremantle Press for a copy of this book prior to publication. Publication date 02 August 2022
August 5, 2022
A fast-paced police procedural set in rural north-west Australia for fans of Jane Harper and Garry Disher.
December 31, 2022
A good read.
abandoned
February 3, 2023This looks like a fine book, but it was just too 'telly' and overexplainy for me. Too many "X thought Y"s.
January 7, 2024
I struggled through my first book of 2024, After the Flood, which doesn't bode well for the year of books. I've jumped into a series at book four, because I wanted to read about a flood, which does actually happen in this book, but it's a pretty minor component of the police procedural meets terrorism novel set in and around Broome and Australia’s North-West.
My partner got excited when he saw me reading this author, Dave Warner, famous as a musician. I can't say I really related to the book, which really is a bit of a boys club. The opening detective, Shepherd, is a bit of a tool: "Shepherd enjoyed demonstrating to the uniforms that there was a gap between the respective abilities of them and him." So I was glad to find out that he wasn't really the lead protagonist.
Dan Clement is a bit more likeable, until he starts talking to his ex-wife. You'll understand from his sad sack behaviour why she left: "He watched the cardboard coaster absorb the moisture from the cold heel of his glass, thought, my life is as flat as that coaster." He's stuck in old ways of being masculine and it grated me as a female reader: "Modern etiquette was a broken bottle for middle-aged men in bare feet." I don't need to feel sorry for middle-aged white men who can't move with the times.
However when it comes to uncovering crime, Clement is pretty astute, even clever enough to check out which fingerprints were missing from a workplace: "But have a look and see if there is anybody whose prints ought to be there but aren’t. Sometimes these dummies wipe off their prints and it’s like a neon sign." Clement also understands that people respond better to police that are human: "these kind of interviews are a dance, not a wrestling match. You have to let them get to know and respect you as a person, not just a cop."
So what I liked about this book was the vast Australian setting, and the was the way the vastness of the space meant they had to adjust police procedures to accommodate it: "People crisscrossed the region for work, holidays, adventure." What I hated was the crude descriptive writing: "the instrument that turned Jean-Claude into a human wafer." The descriptions Warner uses jar the reader out of the narrative: "Clement left the room with their sobs sounding like hail on a concrete path." Have you ever heard sobs like hail hitting concrete? Really? How about a class observation about a ute's tray: "While the front bar had all the class of a ute’s tray, the food out the back was pretty good."
Personally, I have never had heat claw off air-conditioning: "She opened her door and the outside air rushed in and clawed away the veil of air-conditioning that had draped itself over her these last fifty k." However according to Warner, the air is pretty hostile: "The air crawled up her shirt like an abductor’s clammy hands." I'm also not that au fait with women being described as trash: "Before he’d found her, she was nothing, a torn ice-cream wrapper scuttling over soulless suburban bitumen whichever way the wind blew." I think we're better than that. I don't think this writer is quite for me, and it shows in how slowly I consumed the book despite the Aussie noir style being my usual stomping ground.
My partner got excited when he saw me reading this author, Dave Warner, famous as a musician. I can't say I really related to the book, which really is a bit of a boys club. The opening detective, Shepherd, is a bit of a tool: "Shepherd enjoyed demonstrating to the uniforms that there was a gap between the respective abilities of them and him." So I was glad to find out that he wasn't really the lead protagonist.
Dan Clement is a bit more likeable, until he starts talking to his ex-wife. You'll understand from his sad sack behaviour why she left: "He watched the cardboard coaster absorb the moisture from the cold heel of his glass, thought, my life is as flat as that coaster." He's stuck in old ways of being masculine and it grated me as a female reader: "Modern etiquette was a broken bottle for middle-aged men in bare feet." I don't need to feel sorry for middle-aged white men who can't move with the times.
However when it comes to uncovering crime, Clement is pretty astute, even clever enough to check out which fingerprints were missing from a workplace: "But have a look and see if there is anybody whose prints ought to be there but aren’t. Sometimes these dummies wipe off their prints and it’s like a neon sign." Clement also understands that people respond better to police that are human: "these kind of interviews are a dance, not a wrestling match. You have to let them get to know and respect you as a person, not just a cop."
So what I liked about this book was the vast Australian setting, and the was the way the vastness of the space meant they had to adjust police procedures to accommodate it: "People crisscrossed the region for work, holidays, adventure." What I hated was the crude descriptive writing: "the instrument that turned Jean-Claude into a human wafer." The descriptions Warner uses jar the reader out of the narrative: "Clement left the room with their sobs sounding like hail on a concrete path." Have you ever heard sobs like hail hitting concrete? Really? How about a class observation about a ute's tray: "While the front bar had all the class of a ute’s tray, the food out the back was pretty good."
Personally, I have never had heat claw off air-conditioning: "She opened her door and the outside air rushed in and clawed away the veil of air-conditioning that had draped itself over her these last fifty k." However according to Warner, the air is pretty hostile: "The air crawled up her shirt like an abductor’s clammy hands." I'm also not that au fait with women being described as trash: "Before he’d found her, she was nothing, a torn ice-cream wrapper scuttling over soulless suburban bitumen whichever way the wind blew." I think we're better than that. I don't think this writer is quite for me, and it shows in how slowly I consumed the book despite the Aussie noir style being my usual stomping ground.
November 24, 2022
“After the Flood” is an interesting Australian crime story from experienced writer Dave Warner. It’s very similar in tone to Warner’s earlier novels, and is a low key but absorbing depiction of a complex investigation in a remote part of Australia.
In Broome it’s been a while since Detective Inspector Dan Clement had a particularly difficult or interesting case. He’s half hankering after the challenge, and half relieved that nothing too bad is going on in the region. Almost as soon as he thinks this, of course, he finds himself faced with the death of an anonymous young man who’s been crucified and then run over with a vehicle. It’s a kind of death he’s never seen before.
Of course, that’s not the only thing on Clement’s plate. His team were already looking into vandalism at the Child Health Clinic, and an unrelated theft of explosives from a mining company. However, it eventually seems that there might be links between these very different crimes…
I found this low key because it lacks the dramatics that some crime novels go in for; there wasn’t a cliffhanger or crisis every few chapters. Instead, it builds momentum so that the tension really takes hold in the last third of the novel, until it reaches the climax. It’s almost understated in the early chapters. That heightens the sense of realism, though; surely a real investigation would involve a great deal of routine and even some boring work.
This even, low key tone is something I think of as a hallmark of Warner’s writing. It’s a little unusual for crime novels, but it works very well. The end result is a novel which feels like it sits between a crime novel and a literary novel.
It was only after I finished the novel that I realised it was the third featuring Dan Clement. It wasn’t obvious, and didn’t impinge at all on my enjoyment. Characterisation is strong, there wasn’t a sense of big gaps in the background, and the story was easy to follow. No doubt there would be benefits to reading the earlier novels – mostly, I suspect, in developing the relationships between the team members or in the plot strand that looks at Dan’s personal life. However, it was no problem at all picking this up cold.
I enjoyed this a lot. It’s a relatively short novel, and despite the low key tone, it packs quite a punch in that time. The red herrings are excellent, and few readers will completely work out what’s going on until Warner decides it’s time to reveal all. It bounces between characters in a way that manages to be both illuminating and subtly misleading, depending on Warner’s intent.
I’d recommend this to most crime readers, but particularly those who want tension and a puzzle with high stakes, while steering clear of a sensationalist writing style. This is a really satisfying read; a well constructed plot, a well drawn setting, and strong characters.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
In Broome it’s been a while since Detective Inspector Dan Clement had a particularly difficult or interesting case. He’s half hankering after the challenge, and half relieved that nothing too bad is going on in the region. Almost as soon as he thinks this, of course, he finds himself faced with the death of an anonymous young man who’s been crucified and then run over with a vehicle. It’s a kind of death he’s never seen before.
Of course, that’s not the only thing on Clement’s plate. His team were already looking into vandalism at the Child Health Clinic, and an unrelated theft of explosives from a mining company. However, it eventually seems that there might be links between these very different crimes…
I found this low key because it lacks the dramatics that some crime novels go in for; there wasn’t a cliffhanger or crisis every few chapters. Instead, it builds momentum so that the tension really takes hold in the last third of the novel, until it reaches the climax. It’s almost understated in the early chapters. That heightens the sense of realism, though; surely a real investigation would involve a great deal of routine and even some boring work.
This even, low key tone is something I think of as a hallmark of Warner’s writing. It’s a little unusual for crime novels, but it works very well. The end result is a novel which feels like it sits between a crime novel and a literary novel.
It was only after I finished the novel that I realised it was the third featuring Dan Clement. It wasn’t obvious, and didn’t impinge at all on my enjoyment. Characterisation is strong, there wasn’t a sense of big gaps in the background, and the story was easy to follow. No doubt there would be benefits to reading the earlier novels – mostly, I suspect, in developing the relationships between the team members or in the plot strand that looks at Dan’s personal life. However, it was no problem at all picking this up cold.
I enjoyed this a lot. It’s a relatively short novel, and despite the low key tone, it packs quite a punch in that time. The red herrings are excellent, and few readers will completely work out what’s going on until Warner decides it’s time to reveal all. It bounces between characters in a way that manages to be both illuminating and subtly misleading, depending on Warner’s intent.
I’d recommend this to most crime readers, but particularly those who want tension and a puzzle with high stakes, while steering clear of a sensationalist writing style. This is a really satisfying read; a well constructed plot, a well drawn setting, and strong characters.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
August 9, 2022
This intricately plotted, fast-paced police procedural is also an eloquent literary thriller. Set in the vast, hot, hostile landscape of Western Australia's top end, it's the fourth novel in the Detective Inspector Dan Clement series. It reads well as a standalone. It begins with a thread of intriguing lower level crimes: abattoir protests, a child-health clinic break-in, explosives stolen from a mine site. Soon, a mysterious and very grisly murder occurs on an isolated cattle station. As they investigate, Detective Clement and his team realise the truth is murkier, the crimes possibly interwoven, and the consequences potentially catastrophic.
The police procedural thread is the backbone of the thriller and it is sharply written and compelling, with often funny dialogue, and a cast of strongly realised characters. The tension builds expertly and quickly to the gripping finali. A rich section of the novel are the scenes detailing the tragedy that entails when a mining operation dam collapses in Brazil, killing innocent village people. Australian man Paul loses the love of his life on this day, Brazilian woman Gabrielly. The scenes detailing his love for her are very moving.
After the Flood provides a nuanced, often tender portrait of Australian masculinity, with depictions of adventurous, brave, strong men willing to take risks to protect the vulnerable and do the right thing. It raises uncomfortable questions about capitalism, corporate greed, social justice and the roles we play in maintaining those structures. The landscape is striking - it's a place where the truth can be just as easily buried or revealed - and it reflects the challenge at the heart of the novel in this way. With morally complicated characters, this is a smart and unflinching novel that leaves you with much to ponder.
The police procedural thread is the backbone of the thriller and it is sharply written and compelling, with often funny dialogue, and a cast of strongly realised characters. The tension builds expertly and quickly to the gripping finali. A rich section of the novel are the scenes detailing the tragedy that entails when a mining operation dam collapses in Brazil, killing innocent village people. Australian man Paul loses the love of his life on this day, Brazilian woman Gabrielly. The scenes detailing his love for her are very moving.
After the Flood provides a nuanced, often tender portrait of Australian masculinity, with depictions of adventurous, brave, strong men willing to take risks to protect the vulnerable and do the right thing. It raises uncomfortable questions about capitalism, corporate greed, social justice and the roles we play in maintaining those structures. The landscape is striking - it's a place where the truth can be just as easily buried or revealed - and it reflects the challenge at the heart of the novel in this way. With morally complicated characters, this is a smart and unflinching novel that leaves you with much to ponder.
September 7, 2022
There’s a lot to like about this book. High-level crime. Strong cast of characters. The sense of looming danger as the tension ratchets up. The clever intersection of multiple storylines in a climactic finish. It’s a solid piece of fiction. But do you know what I enjoyed most about After The Flood? The figurative language!
This author’s simile and metaphor game is strong! Some might feel it’s overplayed (at one point I counted four uses on the same page), but I got a kick out of reading all of them and found myself curiously anticipating the next one. And the next one…
Here's a taste:
'The air crawled up her shirt like an abductor’s clammy hands.' (Creepy!)
'There was a shade of doubt that crept back like a plucky cat after you’d shooed it away.'
'… she was nothing, a torn ice-cream wrapper scuttling over soulless suburban bitumen whichever way the wind blew.'
'There are … journeys in your life that impress themselves on you like a hot iron on soft skin.'
'Thomas smashed a sneer as if it were avocado.' (This one made me laugh.)
'Paul swung towards the girl looking for her support but she was like a new sheet of A4.'
I could go on! These clever and thoughtful descriptions combine with a close third POV to deliver what I found an enjoyable and absorbing read. The plot, which begins with a bizarre murder and evolves into a major local threat, was also satisfyingly good.
This author’s simile and metaphor game is strong! Some might feel it’s overplayed (at one point I counted four uses on the same page), but I got a kick out of reading all of them and found myself curiously anticipating the next one. And the next one…
Here's a taste:
'The air crawled up her shirt like an abductor’s clammy hands.' (Creepy!)
'There was a shade of doubt that crept back like a plucky cat after you’d shooed it away.'
'… she was nothing, a torn ice-cream wrapper scuttling over soulless suburban bitumen whichever way the wind blew.'
'There are … journeys in your life that impress themselves on you like a hot iron on soft skin.'
'Thomas smashed a sneer as if it were avocado.' (This one made me laugh.)
'Paul swung towards the girl looking for her support but she was like a new sheet of A4.'
I could go on! These clever and thoughtful descriptions combine with a close third POV to deliver what I found an enjoyable and absorbing read. The plot, which begins with a bizarre murder and evolves into a major local threat, was also satisfyingly good.
January 9, 2023
An intriguing crime read, After the Flood by Dave Warner is quintessential Aussie noir. Set in Broome, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, a dead man is found crucified on a remote road, with no wallet or vehicle. The police have difficulty in establishing his identity and a series of dead ends do not assist their investigations. The narrative also includes flashbacks to a collapse of a copper tailings dam in Brazil. Detective Inspector Dan Clement and his team work tirelessly to solve the case, yet fail to realise the explosive danger that is about to be released. So, a gripping unfolding police procedural, with enjoyable characters, location and a baffling investigation that makes for a four and a half stars read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
October 1, 2022
It seems, like a good wine, Dave Warner's writing improves with age - well I have liked all of his crime novels, but this may well be his best. It features the return of Broome detective Dan Clement who has featured in two previous books. This time he and his team investigate a gruesome death on a remote cattle station and find a series of other, seeming less serious crimes, may be linked. It is soon apparent that someone is planning a terrorist attack and they race against time to locate the target and the culprits. Capturing the atmosphere of northern Western Australia, its size alone hindering efforts to solve the crime, this is a sizzling read, fast paced, suspenseful, but with the laid back humour for which Dave is well known.
September 7, 2023
Inspector Dan Clement is a detective based in Broome in Western Australia and is contemplating life and wondering if he should return to Perth to be closer to his daughter. He longs for an interesting case to grab his attention, something he soon regrets.
A body is found on an isolated road, over 200kms from Broome, and it's the start of an investigation that is not easy. The first problem is trying to identify the body, because without that he really has no where to take the case.
This is an enjoyable, fast paced read but there are times it seems to wonder into deep thought about life. Of course there is a climatic ending, one which feels a bit rushed.
A body is found on an isolated road, over 200kms from Broome, and it's the start of an investigation that is not easy. The first problem is trying to identify the body, because without that he really has no where to take the case.
This is an enjoyable, fast paced read but there are times it seems to wonder into deep thought about life. Of course there is a climatic ending, one which feels a bit rushed.
August 15, 2025
Not having heard of this Aussie author (why ever not, perhaps because he is from WA?!), I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this richer version of an outback mystery. Bigger themes and the teenage offspring were woven in without being overbearing. Focusing on different people throughout the book, not just the main detective Dan Clement, worked well. However, I was left with a sense of disappointment about not finding out more about the Seydoux character.
I was surprised at how big the remote police station seemed to be, with lots of staff on hand. There was a good sense of location.
I was surprised at how big the remote police station seemed to be, with lots of staff on hand. There was a good sense of location.
August 4, 2022
I know a few library users who are staunch Dave Warner readers, and whilst I’m familiar with him from his punk musician days I’d never read one of his novels. This is the third in the Detective Dan Clement series and is set up in Broome. I enjoyed the way this crime novel was crafted - shifting points of view, police procedure and little insights into the personal lives of personnel involved. The tension was drawn out to breaking point so I was really engaged with the outcome of the story. I loved the West Australian setting too. Keen to read the other two in the series now!!
December 4, 2022
Sped read most of this and just got to the end as fast as possible.
The scenario was lame, the story was all a bit silly, as if the write could t decide what the story was, so just chucked everything in, including the kitchen sink! The writing was awful. Weird metaphors. ( a face like an A4 sheet? What the hell is that?!)
Gave it two stars, one for writing it and the other in celebration of finally finishing I!
The scenario was lame, the story was all a bit silly, as if the write could t decide what the story was, so just chucked everything in, including the kitchen sink! The writing was awful. Weird metaphors. ( a face like an A4 sheet? What the hell is that?!)
Gave it two stars, one for writing it and the other in celebration of finally finishing I!
September 3, 2024
Dave Warner is a very good writer. He provides exciting plots, interesting characters, plenty of surprises and increasing tension.
Dan Clement is a likeable but slightly flawed hero - focussed and hard working but seemingly incapable of moving on after his separation from his wife, Marilyn.
He works diligently to put the pieces together to solve this thriller involving environmental protestors, an bizarre murder and more.
Dan Clement is a likeable but slightly flawed hero - focussed and hard working but seemingly incapable of moving on after his separation from his wife, Marilyn.
He works diligently to put the pieces together to solve this thriller involving environmental protestors, an bizarre murder and more.
Read
October 8, 2022A well written and tense who dun it. A grotesque murder starts it and a few misguided ideologues add complexity to the story. Good characters and lots of sub plots, some quire satisfying. The writing is good and the story moves at a good pace.
New author for me and I will seek out more of his writing.
New author for me and I will seek out more of his writing.
February 8, 2023
Not just a crime story but also an unsettling look at people's motivations, fears and blundering searches for love and vindication For this reader, the fear the two lead detectives hels of losing connection with their teenage children was as absorbing as the hunt for the unknown killer. A bloody good read.
February 15, 2023
A great insight into the meticulous day to day investigating that leads to a case being solved. This story was full of suspense and full of interesting characters. Seeing the motivation behind the terrorists added to the interest and seeing the insecurities and family situations of the detectives was also interesting. Love these outback crime novels.
February 9, 2025
My second Dave Warner book happens to be the third novel in his series featuring Broome DI Dan Clement. While I enjoyed this book's successor, When It Rains, a bit more than this one, I still found After the Flood an engaging read, combining a gruesome murder with Monkey-Wrench gang type activism, only far more deadly.
September 4, 2022
This book is set in Broome. A body that has been crucified is found near Meda station. In their search for his murderer the police discover anti vaxxers, people who wish to destroy the lives of those who work for the big companies and much more.
April 8, 2023
Terrorism in the Kimberley. The first of this series I have read. I am not sure we need to know what each member of the police station ordered for lunch. I wasn’t sure how the threads of narrative would come together in the end, but they did. How come the bad guy never survives to face trial?
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