The Redline

Jesse Redpath #3

by Adrian Hyland

An open road. A dead cop. A killer in the hills …I flicked on the torch, swept the surrounds. Nothing. Then I directed the beam into the trees on the other side of the road.Up on a high, jutting branch, something moved. It may have been a white face, a pale body, a curved leg. Or it may have been none of those things. Was it human? Too quick for me to tell. A ripple, a blink and it was gone. But it seemed to leave an afterglow, an impression upon the fabric of the night.I took a deep breath. What had I seen? It had appeared to be a pair of piercing eyes in a pale visage. It could almost have been an owl, so compelling was its gaze, so swift its departure. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, a distorted shadow?There was a crunch of leaf in the litter below and it was gone.Whatever it was, it sent a chill through me. It’s the festive season in the Windmark Ranges and Sergeant Jesse Redpath’s day is going from bad to worse. It begins with her having to arrest the usual drunks and troublemakers and ends with the death of a colleague out on the Redline road. A death that may or may not have been an accident.

Jesse learns there have been other deaths and disappearances in the ranges, and that the local rumour mill suggests the perp is an elusive, semi-mythical character who goes by the name of ‘Anarchy’.

Beneath the charm of a close-knit community, a darker truth festers, and Jesse’s driven to expose it, no matter the disruption to the valley’s fragile tranquillity.

Genres: Australia

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2025

About the author

Adrian 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.

Reviews

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse Redpath is not a woman to mess with. A copper in rural Victoria, she is used to dealing with brawls at the pubs when the punters have had one too many. But this festive season she has her work cut out for her when a colleague is killed on the notorious Redline road. What first appears to be an accident, soon turns into a murder investigation.

This is the 3rd book featuring Jesse and I have enjoyed them all. Jesse is one tough cookies, and will not sit still. She cannot help but throw herself into a case,not,after what the cost. The number of broken bones, cuts, bruises, head injuries.. you name it, she has had it. She doesn’t let it stop her though, she will get the perpetrator no matter what. She can be quite reckless but she cares and that is what you want in a police officer.

This book is dark, it is a little messy and violent, but there are some funny parts as well. A great series from an often overlooked Australian writer who deserves more attention in my opinion.

Thanks to Ultimo Press for sending me a copy of this book to read.

[Marit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping murder mystery set in rural Victoria, outside Melbourne. A policeman winds up dead, possibly murdered with more murders and mysterious disappearances to be investigated by Acting Sergeant Jesse Redpath, set during the festive season. A detailed police procedural with a large cast of characters, touches of humour and wry observations on small town life. Does contain a lot of coarse language but overall a compelling read, with an unexpected resolution to the murders (for me at least). Exceptional rural crime story.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flawless.
As crime thrillers go, you can’t get much better. And as Australian crime thrillers go, it’s hard to beat Adrian Hyland!
For me this author is every bit as good as Garry Disher and alike and to this point he’s been sadly ignored. This book hopefully will break that barrier as it deserves the widest of audiences!
Thanks to Hardie Grant for the reading copy.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crash on the Redline, the nickname of the area's main road, leads to the death of a fellow officer. Jesse Redpath spots almost immediately that it was murder rather than an accident. Her investigation leads to a missing boy and some unsolved mysteries. She puts her life at risk to find the truth.
Very readable.

[Barondestructo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it up to the introduction of Anarchy, the wild boy. Then at turns silly and predictable.