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Taylor Bridges #1
The Crossing
“Redemption is born of guilt, and weighs heavy on even the strongest man.” –Stephen King
Traumatised by the disappearance of his daughter Claire, Taylor Bridges’ marriage breaks down, and he exiles himself to Glorys Crossing, a small country town in Tasmania. Taylor is the only ranger in an isolated town adjoining a national park...a town dying a slow death as the rising waters of the new dam project slowly flood it.
Struggling with the guilt of Claire’s disappearance, Taylor is a chronic sleepwalker. When another young girl the same age goes missing, Taylor begins to question himself...uncertain of what happens when he sleepwalks. It’s a race against time not just to find the missing girl, but in Taylor’s search for redemption for a past better left lying at the bottom of the new lake.
Traumatised by the disappearance of his daughter Claire, Taylor Bridges’ marriage breaks down, and he exiles himself to Glorys Crossing, a small country town in Tasmania. Taylor is the only ranger in an isolated town adjoining a national park...a town dying a slow death as the rising waters of the new dam project slowly flood it.
Struggling with the guilt of Claire’s disappearance, Taylor is a chronic sleepwalker. When another young girl the same age goes missing, Taylor begins to question himself...uncertain of what happens when he sleepwalks. It’s a race against time not just to find the missing girl, but in Taylor’s search for redemption for a past better left lying at the bottom of the new lake.
323 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
B. Michael Radburn
15 books26 followersB. Michael Radburn lives with his family in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW. Although he works for a large printing group, in his spare time Radburn enjoys farming his small property and taking road trips on his Harley Davidson. Aside, of course, from writing, he possesses a deep passion for music and treasures the time he spends with his guitar, banjo and harmonica.
Radburn has been writing successfully for many years, having published more than 80 short stores, articles and reviews in Australia and overseas.
Through the late '80s he was Publishing Editor of the Australian Horror & Fantasy Magazine and founder of Dark Press Publications.
Radburn has won several Melbourne University Literary Awards and more recently was short-listed for the Henry Lawson Festival Awards.
The Crossing was his debut novel. His second novel is Blackwater Moon. Radburn is currently working on his next novel, currently titled The Falls.
Radburn has been writing successfully for many years, having published more than 80 short stores, articles and reviews in Australia and overseas.
Through the late '80s he was Publishing Editor of the Australian Horror & Fantasy Magazine and founder of Dark Press Publications.
Radburn has won several Melbourne University Literary Awards and more recently was short-listed for the Henry Lawson Festival Awards.
The Crossing was his debut novel. His second novel is Blackwater Moon. Radburn is currently working on his next novel, currently titled The Falls.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 25, 2019
The Crossing is a thoroughly entertaining read and one I found hard to put down!
I very much enjoyed the setting in Tasmania and I loved the little fantasy about discovering a group of Tasmanian Tigers in the bush. Don't we all wish! There were other moments of fantasy in the story but overall it was a very sound mystery with interesting characters and some very tense moments. I always get uncomfortable when there is a character out there, maybe alive, and not knowing if they will be discovered in time or not.
The author writes well and paces the book nicely. If life did not have to intervene it is a book I could have read in one sitting. I see there is a book two which I will have to source and read soon.
I very much enjoyed the setting in Tasmania and I loved the little fantasy about discovering a group of Tasmanian Tigers in the bush. Don't we all wish! There were other moments of fantasy in the story but overall it was a very sound mystery with interesting characters and some very tense moments. I always get uncomfortable when there is a character out there, maybe alive, and not knowing if they will be discovered in time or not.
The author writes well and paces the book nicely. If life did not have to intervene it is a book I could have read in one sitting. I see there is a book two which I will have to source and read soon.
January 18, 2021
4.5★
“‘Are we going to get stuck in the snow, Taylor?’
He shook his head in mock disappointment. ‘When are you going to start calling me Dad?’
‘You don’t call me Daughter.’ That was Claire."
Eight years old. Only eight when National Parks Ranger Taylor Bridges did indeed have an accident in the snow and was pinned in his seat, so he explained how to get back to the main road to get help. But she disappeared in the snow, bright red parka and all.
After almost a year of gut-wrenching searching, Taylor has taken a new job in Ben Lomond National Park in Tasmania, leaving grieving wife Maggie back on the mainland. It’s obvious they still care for each other, but he is so haunted by guilt – it’s his fault they got stuck, his fault Claire left him, his fault she’s lost – that he almost can’t function. Maybe new surroundings will help?
He’s sent to a small, old town that’s gradually disappearing as the government drowns the valley to create a dam for hydroelectric power. What a cheerful prospect, to watch a town and people’s homes and history be swallowed up by a lake. Not exactly what he needs, but perhaps his bosses figure he won’t do much damage there in the back blocks.
“Christ almighty, the lake was eating everything. The town was drowning, and all at once Taylor sympathised with the loss it represented.
. . .
Further off the lake’s edge, the wooden church steeple stood high out of the water. When the wind was strong enough, the bell tolled as if calling blindly for people to worship. It was a lonely sound, the sound of loss. When the lake eventually reached its peak at the end of the year, the only structures remaining above the water line would be the ranger’s cottage and the old shot tower at the foothills of Mount Saddle, its high walls destined to stand like a lighthouse at the water’s edge. They were the two furthest points from the lake, but were rapidly becoming the closest as the waters crept nearer each day.”
And then a little girl disappears. He’d met Drew and her mum, thought the little girl was lovely – same age as Claire – loved fairies and told him about the fairy dell by an old peppercorn tree where she had met a friend. She planned to collect a jar full of fairies when the light was right.
As if grief isn’t debilitating enough on its own, Taylor sleepwalks. The night Drew disappears, where was he? He’d gone to bed, afraid as always to go to sleep. But sleep, he did.
“It was the same dream of Taylor freeing himself from the wreck, following Claire’s footprints in the snow, and the storm … always ending with the storm, wiping the ground clear of any trace. Taylor stood crying in a field of virgin snow. He could feel the tears freezing on his face, feel the melting snow between his toes. The pain, like frostbite on the soles of his feet, woke him. And he screamed.
Again!
He was outside, two hundred metres from the cottage. The darkness smothered him as a wave of panic shuddered through his body. He had no idea what time it was, his bare feet freezing in mud from the thawing snow. The night air embraced his body like a shroud, the wind chill tore at his senses like razor blades. He felt his face, his tears forming frozen tracks down each cheek as he gazed around, remaining patches of snow lying beneath the shelter of trees like ghosts cowering in the shadows.
‘CLAAAAAIRE!’”
There are so many red herrings that Radburn makes it hard to choose between them. I will say that, unlike some authors, who throw in a baddie near the end, we have met them. We meet the town’s only cop, and later there’s a blow-in from the mainland, who swaggers around and makes a nuisance of himself.
There’s a returned, damaged Vietnam vet and a disfigured man whose face was cut up by the locals when they decided he was guilty of a past crime. And then there is Joe, who hunts Tasmanian Tigers, Thylacines, known to have been extinct since 1936 – but people, including Joe, continue to claim to see them. Ranger Bridges thinks he’s seen them and their footprints. Who knows?
I think Radburn’s done a great job of keeping us on edge while giving us a strong sense of Taylor’s despair as well as a particularly good feel for this part of Tassie. This is an area that has seen its share of controversy already, with many anti-logging protests. [A friend of mine just shared photos today of his drive up Jacob’s Ladder on Ben Lomond – a hair-raising trip, if ever there was one. But I digress.]
It’s cold, rugged, beautiful, sad, and sparsely populated. A retreat for broken people or those who wish to hide.
It’s a great story with characters I’d like to meet again. This is only the first of three books about Taylor Bridges, and I’m certainly looking forward to the next! Thanks to the author for a copy to read before I get to his new one.
“‘Are we going to get stuck in the snow, Taylor?’
He shook his head in mock disappointment. ‘When are you going to start calling me Dad?’
‘You don’t call me Daughter.’ That was Claire."
Eight years old. Only eight when National Parks Ranger Taylor Bridges did indeed have an accident in the snow and was pinned in his seat, so he explained how to get back to the main road to get help. But she disappeared in the snow, bright red parka and all.
After almost a year of gut-wrenching searching, Taylor has taken a new job in Ben Lomond National Park in Tasmania, leaving grieving wife Maggie back on the mainland. It’s obvious they still care for each other, but he is so haunted by guilt – it’s his fault they got stuck, his fault Claire left him, his fault she’s lost – that he almost can’t function. Maybe new surroundings will help?
He’s sent to a small, old town that’s gradually disappearing as the government drowns the valley to create a dam for hydroelectric power. What a cheerful prospect, to watch a town and people’s homes and history be swallowed up by a lake. Not exactly what he needs, but perhaps his bosses figure he won’t do much damage there in the back blocks.
“Christ almighty, the lake was eating everything. The town was drowning, and all at once Taylor sympathised with the loss it represented.
. . .
Further off the lake’s edge, the wooden church steeple stood high out of the water. When the wind was strong enough, the bell tolled as if calling blindly for people to worship. It was a lonely sound, the sound of loss. When the lake eventually reached its peak at the end of the year, the only structures remaining above the water line would be the ranger’s cottage and the old shot tower at the foothills of Mount Saddle, its high walls destined to stand like a lighthouse at the water’s edge. They were the two furthest points from the lake, but were rapidly becoming the closest as the waters crept nearer each day.”
And then a little girl disappears. He’d met Drew and her mum, thought the little girl was lovely – same age as Claire – loved fairies and told him about the fairy dell by an old peppercorn tree where she had met a friend. She planned to collect a jar full of fairies when the light was right.
As if grief isn’t debilitating enough on its own, Taylor sleepwalks. The night Drew disappears, where was he? He’d gone to bed, afraid as always to go to sleep. But sleep, he did.
“It was the same dream of Taylor freeing himself from the wreck, following Claire’s footprints in the snow, and the storm … always ending with the storm, wiping the ground clear of any trace. Taylor stood crying in a field of virgin snow. He could feel the tears freezing on his face, feel the melting snow between his toes. The pain, like frostbite on the soles of his feet, woke him. And he screamed.
Again!
He was outside, two hundred metres from the cottage. The darkness smothered him as a wave of panic shuddered through his body. He had no idea what time it was, his bare feet freezing in mud from the thawing snow. The night air embraced his body like a shroud, the wind chill tore at his senses like razor blades. He felt his face, his tears forming frozen tracks down each cheek as he gazed around, remaining patches of snow lying beneath the shelter of trees like ghosts cowering in the shadows.
‘CLAAAAAIRE!’”
There are so many red herrings that Radburn makes it hard to choose between them. I will say that, unlike some authors, who throw in a baddie near the end, we have met them. We meet the town’s only cop, and later there’s a blow-in from the mainland, who swaggers around and makes a nuisance of himself.
There’s a returned, damaged Vietnam vet and a disfigured man whose face was cut up by the locals when they decided he was guilty of a past crime. And then there is Joe, who hunts Tasmanian Tigers, Thylacines, known to have been extinct since 1936 – but people, including Joe, continue to claim to see them. Ranger Bridges thinks he’s seen them and their footprints. Who knows?
I think Radburn’s done a great job of keeping us on edge while giving us a strong sense of Taylor’s despair as well as a particularly good feel for this part of Tassie. This is an area that has seen its share of controversy already, with many anti-logging protests. [A friend of mine just shared photos today of his drive up Jacob’s Ladder on Ben Lomond – a hair-raising trip, if ever there was one. But I digress.]
It’s cold, rugged, beautiful, sad, and sparsely populated. A retreat for broken people or those who wish to hide.
It’s a great story with characters I’d like to meet again. This is only the first of three books about Taylor Bridges, and I’m certainly looking forward to the next! Thanks to the author for a copy to read before I get to his new one.
November 26, 2020
Going into this book I must admit I knew very little about it. I knew it was set in Tasmania and it was a thriller/mystery and that was about it. As for the author B. Michael Radburn he was a new author to me and I love discovering new authors, especially when I learn they are Aussie authors.
Taylor Bridges was a broken man after losing his daughter Claire the strain it puts on his marriage was too much and before he knew it his marriage had fallen apart. Taylor worked as a ranger for National Park, this is where he buried himself in his work, but then he had disturbing nights to deal with which would be a mixture of sleepwalking and nightmares.
On the anniversary of Claire's death, another little girl is reported missing from the national park. Taylor thinks he has to take part in the search because he's desperate to find the little girl, but will she be found?
Well, I have to say that this book was fantastic and if you like to read, mystery, crime or thrillers, I urge you to read this book, you will not regret it.
Taylor Bridges was a broken man after losing his daughter Claire the strain it puts on his marriage was too much and before he knew it his marriage had fallen apart. Taylor worked as a ranger for National Park, this is where he buried himself in his work, but then he had disturbing nights to deal with which would be a mixture of sleepwalking and nightmares.
On the anniversary of Claire's death, another little girl is reported missing from the national park. Taylor thinks he has to take part in the search because he's desperate to find the little girl, but will she be found?
Well, I have to say that this book was fantastic and if you like to read, mystery, crime or thrillers, I urge you to read this book, you will not regret it.
January 25, 2019
Taylor Bridges, struggling with grief after his daughter Claire disappeared a year ago, has taken a job as a park ranger in the small isolated town of Glory's Crossing in Tasmania, leaving his wife on the mainland. The town is slowly dying as it is being flooded by construction of a giant new dam and people are gradually moving away. When a young girl goes missing Taylor becomes emotionally involved in searching for her and discovers that other young girls have disappeared in the past.
This was an excellent mystery, quite dark with winter settling over a town that is small and insular and fearful of strangers. The suspense builds gradually as the race is on to find the missing girl. Taylor is dark and brooding too, suffering from nightmares and constantly reminded of the events around his daughter's disappearance. This is an accomplished and carefully crafted novel and I look forward to reading more by this author.
This was an excellent mystery, quite dark with winter settling over a town that is small and insular and fearful of strangers. The suspense builds gradually as the race is on to find the missing girl. Taylor is dark and brooding too, suffering from nightmares and constantly reminded of the events around his daughter's disappearance. This is an accomplished and carefully crafted novel and I look forward to reading more by this author.
January 26, 2021
The Crossing is a dark and engrossing mystery set in rural Tasmania.
National Parks ranger Taylor Bridges has taken a solo posting in the back blocks of Tasmania while coming to terms with the disappearance of his daughter, Claire, during a blizzard in the Victorian Alps a year previously. He's a haunted individual, blaming himself for failing to protect Claire, missing his wife, from whom he's estranged in the aftermath of the loss of their child, and experiencing worrying psychological symptoms, such as sleepwalking.
The town nearest to his remote cottage is also a troubled place. Glory's Crossing is slowly being subsumed by the rising waters of a hydroelectric dam, several of the remaining residents hanging on until the waters are literally lapping at their doors. Tensions are high and there's a relentless inevitability to the town's fate.
Against this backdrop, a young girl goes missing near the lake, a child of a similar age to Taylor's missing daughter, whose acquaintance he's made just days before her disappearance.
Desperately seeking redemption in any form, Taylor throws himself into the search for Drew, heedless of the impact his involvement is having on his mental health. Seeking the assistance of a mysterious local known as "The Librarian", Taylor uncovers a link with the disappearances of several other young girls in the area over preceding decades. Could there be a serial child abductor at work? An arrogant detective swings in from Hobart, further raising local hackles, but fortifying the resolve of the rather odd assortment of characters as they band together in a race against time to find and save Drew.
This was an intriguing character-based mystery, with an evocative and well-imagined setting. There is a lot of introspection from the perspective of the central character, whose entire existence revolves around his grief at the loss of his daughter and his need for resolution. B. Michael Radburn has created a solid basis for a continuing series featuring the intuitive park ranger Taylor Bridges.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries with a distinctly Australian flavour.
National Parks ranger Taylor Bridges has taken a solo posting in the back blocks of Tasmania while coming to terms with the disappearance of his daughter, Claire, during a blizzard in the Victorian Alps a year previously. He's a haunted individual, blaming himself for failing to protect Claire, missing his wife, from whom he's estranged in the aftermath of the loss of their child, and experiencing worrying psychological symptoms, such as sleepwalking.
The town nearest to his remote cottage is also a troubled place. Glory's Crossing is slowly being subsumed by the rising waters of a hydroelectric dam, several of the remaining residents hanging on until the waters are literally lapping at their doors. Tensions are high and there's a relentless inevitability to the town's fate.
Against this backdrop, a young girl goes missing near the lake, a child of a similar age to Taylor's missing daughter, whose acquaintance he's made just days before her disappearance.
Desperately seeking redemption in any form, Taylor throws himself into the search for Drew, heedless of the impact his involvement is having on his mental health. Seeking the assistance of a mysterious local known as "The Librarian", Taylor uncovers a link with the disappearances of several other young girls in the area over preceding decades. Could there be a serial child abductor at work? An arrogant detective swings in from Hobart, further raising local hackles, but fortifying the resolve of the rather odd assortment of characters as they band together in a race against time to find and save Drew.
This was an intriguing character-based mystery, with an evocative and well-imagined setting. There is a lot of introspection from the perspective of the central character, whose entire existence revolves around his grief at the loss of his daughter and his need for resolution. B. Michael Radburn has created a solid basis for a continuing series featuring the intuitive park ranger Taylor Bridges.
Highly recommended for those who enjoy mysteries with a distinctly Australian flavour.
October 21, 2023
Taylor Bridges is plagued by grief and guilt over the disappearance of his and Maggie’s daughter. Claire. When his marriage breaks up under the strain, he exiles himself to Glory’s Crossing in Tasmania. He is park ranger in this town which is dying as the waters of the new dam project flood it. Since Claire’s disappearance, Taylor has a problem sleepwalking. He doesn’t remember what he gets up to. Then Drew Chapman, who is the same age as Claire when she disappeared, goes missing. Taylor is determined determined to find Drew.
It is easy to get drawn into Taylor’s grief. He believes the spirit of Claire will guide him to find Drew. But time is running out. Taylor has some help in his quest from the Librarian and his son Rory who has suffered severe abuse in the Vietnam war. A pattern of missing girls is uncovered.
Tasmanian tigers and a fairy dell add an interesting element to the story.
This book took me way out of my comfort zone. It is dark, and atmospheric and yet, quietly compelling. This debut novel played majorly with my emotions. At times I had to put it aside and turn to something a bit lighter.
There are going to be a lot of people who will appreciate this book. Though it is well written, it was too dark and violent for this reader. That said, I had to finish it. But I was relieved when I reached the end and could put it aside.
It is easy to get drawn into Taylor’s grief. He believes the spirit of Claire will guide him to find Drew. But time is running out. Taylor has some help in his quest from the Librarian and his son Rory who has suffered severe abuse in the Vietnam war. A pattern of missing girls is uncovered.
Tasmanian tigers and a fairy dell add an interesting element to the story.
This book took me way out of my comfort zone. It is dark, and atmospheric and yet, quietly compelling. This debut novel played majorly with my emotions. At times I had to put it aside and turn to something a bit lighter.
There are going to be a lot of people who will appreciate this book. Though it is well written, it was too dark and violent for this reader. That said, I had to finish it. But I was relieved when I reached the end and could put it aside.
December 5, 2016
Taylor Bridges had buried himself in the vastness of the National Park of Tasmania, unable to recover from his grief and guilt over the loss of his beautiful daughter Claire. His marriage was fractured; Maggie was on the mainland and they stayed in telephone contact, but their grief had gradually driven them apart. Now Taylor’s days were filled with his job as Ranger for the National Park while his nights were filled with nightmares and sleepwalking.
The morning of the one year anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, another small girl disappeared from the National Park. The town was slowly drowning as the dam filled – more and more people were being driven away as their houses became inundated. But Drew and her mother had stayed, though packed and ready to go when they had to. Now all the men left in the small town banded together with the local police officer O’Brien and Taylor to search for Drew.
As Taylor became desperate to find Drew, he knew he was confusing her with Claire – but his need to find Drew drove him on. His investigation was separate from anyone else, and what he found scared him – had there been other missing girls in this same National Park over the years? What was going on? Time was against him as the waters continued to rise…
The Crossing by Aussie author B. Michael Radburn was brilliant! A fantastic plot, the pace was full on, the suspense heart-stopping! I was totally engrossed in the story, and have no hesitation in recommending The Crossing highly. I read The Falls (2nd in the Taylor Bridges series) first; (The Crossing is #1) so they can be read as standalone novels. But if you can, read them in order. I can’t wait for #3 to be published.
The morning of the one year anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, another small girl disappeared from the National Park. The town was slowly drowning as the dam filled – more and more people were being driven away as their houses became inundated. But Drew and her mother had stayed, though packed and ready to go when they had to. Now all the men left in the small town banded together with the local police officer O’Brien and Taylor to search for Drew.
As Taylor became desperate to find Drew, he knew he was confusing her with Claire – but his need to find Drew drove him on. His investigation was separate from anyone else, and what he found scared him – had there been other missing girls in this same National Park over the years? What was going on? Time was against him as the waters continued to rise…
The Crossing by Aussie author B. Michael Radburn was brilliant! A fantastic plot, the pace was full on, the suspense heart-stopping! I was totally engrossed in the story, and have no hesitation in recommending The Crossing highly. I read The Falls (2nd in the Taylor Bridges series) first; (The Crossing is #1) so they can be read as standalone novels. But if you can, read them in order. I can’t wait for #3 to be published.
February 3, 2018
“There was a certain misery attached to this place, but what had come first, the misery or the lake? It was as if the Crossing had become a catchment area for life’s tragedies, a basin of dark secrets. Alone in the dark, it was only natural that Taylor’s own tragedies were caught here.”
The Crossing is the first book in the Taylor Bridges series by Australian author, B. Michael Radburn. Unable to come to terms with the disappearance of his eight-year-old daughter, Claire in the high country of Victoria, National Parks Ranger, Taylor Bridges takes up a post in a remote corner of Tasmania, Glorys Crossing. He goes alone; his wife Maggie stays in Melbourne.
The Crossing is a dying town, doomed to be slowly swallowed by Lake Glory as it fills, a product of the new Lake Glory Dam. Much of the town is already underwater, and many of the residents have gone. Those left are too busy with their own issues to welcome this reticent stranger. Although Taylor buries himself in Parks routines, he dreads returning to his cabin: insomnia, nightmares about Claire, and sleepwalking plague his nights.
On the first anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, a young girl goes missing from the Crossing. Taylor had met Drew Chapman just the day before and he can’t believe she is dead, but the local cop seems to be treating it like a murder case. It may be beyond his field of expertise, but Taylor is determined to race the clock to find the girl, convinced it will help him deal with Claire’s disappearance. As he talks to some of the Crossing’s stranger residents, he learns that Drew is not the first Crossing child to go missing.
Radburn gives the reader a plot that is easily believable, characters (some decidedly quirky) that have more than one dimension, and a setting that will strike a chord with anyone who has visited the Tasmanian bush. His protagonist presents as a man of integrity trying to overcome an awful experience, a man whose narrative might not be entirely reliable because of his physical and mental exhaustion.
His characters deal with mental illness, domestic abuse, post-traumatic stress, guilt and grief. This tale questions when loyalty and personal debt should be eclipsed by moral obligation. This is an outstanding debut novel and it will be interesting to see what Radburn has in store for Taylor Bridges in The Falls.
The Crossing is the first book in the Taylor Bridges series by Australian author, B. Michael Radburn. Unable to come to terms with the disappearance of his eight-year-old daughter, Claire in the high country of Victoria, National Parks Ranger, Taylor Bridges takes up a post in a remote corner of Tasmania, Glorys Crossing. He goes alone; his wife Maggie stays in Melbourne.
The Crossing is a dying town, doomed to be slowly swallowed by Lake Glory as it fills, a product of the new Lake Glory Dam. Much of the town is already underwater, and many of the residents have gone. Those left are too busy with their own issues to welcome this reticent stranger. Although Taylor buries himself in Parks routines, he dreads returning to his cabin: insomnia, nightmares about Claire, and sleepwalking plague his nights.
On the first anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, a young girl goes missing from the Crossing. Taylor had met Drew Chapman just the day before and he can’t believe she is dead, but the local cop seems to be treating it like a murder case. It may be beyond his field of expertise, but Taylor is determined to race the clock to find the girl, convinced it will help him deal with Claire’s disappearance. As he talks to some of the Crossing’s stranger residents, he learns that Drew is not the first Crossing child to go missing.
Radburn gives the reader a plot that is easily believable, characters (some decidedly quirky) that have more than one dimension, and a setting that will strike a chord with anyone who has visited the Tasmanian bush. His protagonist presents as a man of integrity trying to overcome an awful experience, a man whose narrative might not be entirely reliable because of his physical and mental exhaustion.
His characters deal with mental illness, domestic abuse, post-traumatic stress, guilt and grief. This tale questions when loyalty and personal debt should be eclipsed by moral obligation. This is an outstanding debut novel and it will be interesting to see what Radburn has in store for Taylor Bridges in The Falls.
January 4, 2021
After an accident in the Victorian High Country where his young daughter Claire went missing, park ranger Taylor Bridges has relocated to a 1-ranger post in northern Tasmania. His new patch includes Lake Glory and the small, doomed town of Glorys Crossing, soon to be submerged as part of the Lake Glory Dam Project. But when young local girl Drew Chapman goes missing on the first anniversary of Claire's disappearance, there are enough residents left for Sergeant O'Brien to quickly pull together a decent search party. Taylor's background compels him to help the investigation in any way he can. Between search team gossip and intel uncovered by a local known as The Librarian, Taylor soon learns that Drew is not the first child to go missing in the area.
There's a lot to capture and hold the reader's interest in this story, the debut novel by B. Michael Radburn. With a handful of misfit residents to get to know, the possibility of thylacine sightings, not to mention the mystery of Claire's disappearance, the story chugs along at a good pace. The big reveal took me by surprise - not so much the who as the why - going to a pretty dark and unexpected place. This is the beginning of a series that I'll be happy to continue.
Why didn't I rate it higher? My only option was to listen to the audiobook, and I was ambivalent about the narrator. He wasn't bad, but I didn't really like the way he 'played' some of the character voices. I've got a text copy of #2 on reserve at my library.
There's a lot to capture and hold the reader's interest in this story, the debut novel by B. Michael Radburn. With a handful of misfit residents to get to know, the possibility of thylacine sightings, not to mention the mystery of Claire's disappearance, the story chugs along at a good pace. The big reveal took me by surprise - not so much the who as the why - going to a pretty dark and unexpected place. This is the beginning of a series that I'll be happy to continue.
Why didn't I rate it higher? My only option was to listen to the audiobook, and I was ambivalent about the narrator. He wasn't bad, but I didn't really like the way he 'played' some of the character voices. I've got a text copy of #2 on reserve at my library.
February 24, 2021
Set in rural Tasmania this is the first novel by author Taylor Bridges. I enjoyed this book and I really loved the setting. There were parts of this book that I really loved and parts that I didn't.
What I loved, Radburn managed to make you feel that you are right there along with characters in the cold unforgiving landscape. I loved the way that he managed to capture the slow death of the town and the impact that this has on the people that live in these towns. The mystery was also very compelling.
There was not much that I didn't love, but what I struggled with was the depth of Taylor's grief and guilt. At times it felt overwhelming and I felt I needed to put the book down in order to cope.
All in order this was a great read and I will be reading the next book in this series.
What I loved, Radburn managed to make you feel that you are right there along with characters in the cold unforgiving landscape. I loved the way that he managed to capture the slow death of the town and the impact that this has on the people that live in these towns. The mystery was also very compelling.
There was not much that I didn't love, but what I struggled with was the depth of Taylor's grief and guilt. At times it felt overwhelming and I felt I needed to put the book down in order to cope.
All in order this was a great read and I will be reading the next book in this series.
October 30, 2022
Joli récit.Tristesse et enchantement mêlés. Le ranger Taylor s'est fait muter dans un coin perdu de Tasmanie, tentative de reconstruction laborieuse après la disparition de Claire, sa fillette. Dans un village condamné à disparaître sous les eau x du futur lac alimentant un barrage hydroélectrique, le ranger somnambule est plongé dans un autre drame, la disparition d'une autre fillette. Il n'est pas flic, mais il jette toute son énergie dans la recherche de cette gamine, qui le fait tellement penser à sa fille, même âge. Des portraits de personnages attachants, pas tous, bien sûr, dans ce village qui se noie un peu plus chaque jour.
March 31, 2021
“There was a certain misery attached to this place, but what had come first, the misery or the lake? It was as if the Crossing had become a catchment area for life’s tragedies, a basin of dark secrets. Alone in the dark, it was only natural that Taylor’s own tragedies were caught here.”
The Crossing is the first book in the Taylor Bridges series by Australian author, B. Michael Radburn. The audio version is read by Ric Herbert. Unable to come to terms with the disappearance of his eight-year-old daughter, Claire in the high country of Victoria, National Parks Ranger, Taylor Bridges takes up a post in a remote corner of Tasmania, Glorys Crossing. He goes alone; his wife Maggie stays in Melbourne.
The Crossing is a dying town, doomed to be slowly swallowed by Lake Glory as it fills, a product of the new Lake Glory Dam. Much of the town is already underwater, and many of the residents have gone. Those left are too busy with their own issues to welcome this reticent stranger. Although Taylor buries himself in Parks routines, he dreads returning to his cabin: insomnia, nightmares about Claire, and sleepwalking plague his nights.
On the first anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, a young girl goes missing from the Crossing. Taylor had met Drew Chapman just the day before and he can’t believe she is dead, but the local cop seems to be treating it like a murder case. It may be beyond his field of expertise, but Taylor is determined to race the clock to find the girl, convinced it will help him deal with Claire’s disappearance. As he talks to some of the Crossing’s stranger residents, he learns that Drew is not the first Crossing child to go missing.
Radburn gives the reader a plot that is easily believable, characters (some decidedly quirky) that have more than one dimension, and a setting that will strike a chord with anyone who has visited the Tasmanian bush. His protagonist presents as a man of integrity trying to overcome an awful experience, a man whose narrative might not be entirely reliable because of his physical and mental exhaustion.
His characters deal with mental illness, domestic abuse, post-traumatic stress, guilt and grief. This tale questions when loyalty and personal debt should be eclipsed by moral obligation. This is an outstanding debut novel and it will be interesting to see what Radburn has in store for Taylor Bridges in The Falls.
The Crossing is the first book in the Taylor Bridges series by Australian author, B. Michael Radburn. The audio version is read by Ric Herbert. Unable to come to terms with the disappearance of his eight-year-old daughter, Claire in the high country of Victoria, National Parks Ranger, Taylor Bridges takes up a post in a remote corner of Tasmania, Glorys Crossing. He goes alone; his wife Maggie stays in Melbourne.
The Crossing is a dying town, doomed to be slowly swallowed by Lake Glory as it fills, a product of the new Lake Glory Dam. Much of the town is already underwater, and many of the residents have gone. Those left are too busy with their own issues to welcome this reticent stranger. Although Taylor buries himself in Parks routines, he dreads returning to his cabin: insomnia, nightmares about Claire, and sleepwalking plague his nights.
On the first anniversary of Claire’s disappearance, a young girl goes missing from the Crossing. Taylor had met Drew Chapman just the day before and he can’t believe she is dead, but the local cop seems to be treating it like a murder case. It may be beyond his field of expertise, but Taylor is determined to race the clock to find the girl, convinced it will help him deal with Claire’s disappearance. As he talks to some of the Crossing’s stranger residents, he learns that Drew is not the first Crossing child to go missing.
Radburn gives the reader a plot that is easily believable, characters (some decidedly quirky) that have more than one dimension, and a setting that will strike a chord with anyone who has visited the Tasmanian bush. His protagonist presents as a man of integrity trying to overcome an awful experience, a man whose narrative might not be entirely reliable because of his physical and mental exhaustion.
His characters deal with mental illness, domestic abuse, post-traumatic stress, guilt and grief. This tale questions when loyalty and personal debt should be eclipsed by moral obligation. This is an outstanding debut novel and it will be interesting to see what Radburn has in store for Taylor Bridges in The Falls.
October 18, 2016
My View:
I have just discovered a new favourite Australian crime fiction/mystery series writer, B Michael Radburn – you are a star!
Let me introduce you to this wonderful talented author:
“B. Michael Radburn is a self-professed bloke from the “wrong side of the tracks”, whose fall into writing offered an escape from the fatal attraction of drugs and alcohol. Wonderful high school teachers made him realise that writing, when shared, offered faith in one’s self.
Writing from his farm in the hauntingly beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW, his work reflects both natural and supernatural environs. Described as “Ian Rankin meets Stephen King”, Radburn is the author of three full-length novels: The Crossing, Blackwater Moon and The Falls.
Radburn loves his family, jamming out the blues and his motorcycle! He also loves giving back and inspiring others from all walk of life – his Harley Davidson chapter (Sydney HOG) works with Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets program.
Radburn uses these opportunities to talk to youth living rough in Sydney – offering reading and writing as “therapy” and sharing his own teenage experiences.” https://www.panterapress.com.au/shop/...
The Crossing - the first in the Taylor Bridges series has all the elements I love in a crime/mystery read - a great Australian setting and the first Australian novel I have read set in Tasmania – the setting evocative, beautiful, cold and Radburn deftly weaves a little bit of debate around conservation into this mystery - very topical and well done. Characters – great character development and empathetic protagonists. Radburn captures the essence of “small town” isolation and narrow minded thinking that breeds fear of strangers/difference (can I plant an ear worm – think Duelling Banjos Deliverance…) ultimately this type behaviour delivers vigilante style punishment; there were some very disturbing yet credible scenes centred on this theme.
The plot – complex and multilayered – as I reflect on this read (I finished this book a few weeks ago) I am recalling some of the more subtle yet pervasive themes surrounding family – and in this book not all is quite as it seems! Family – loss of, dealing with grief, protecting loved ones, and unconditional love… and sadly abuse within families…so much material here. Then there is the overarching theme of redemption. Add to all these delicious elements a missing child and a ticking clock and you have a compelling read!
I have just discovered a new favourite Australian crime fiction/mystery series writer, B Michael Radburn – you are a star!
Let me introduce you to this wonderful talented author:
“B. Michael Radburn is a self-professed bloke from the “wrong side of the tracks”, whose fall into writing offered an escape from the fatal attraction of drugs and alcohol. Wonderful high school teachers made him realise that writing, when shared, offered faith in one’s self.
Writing from his farm in the hauntingly beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW, his work reflects both natural and supernatural environs. Described as “Ian Rankin meets Stephen King”, Radburn is the author of three full-length novels: The Crossing, Blackwater Moon and The Falls.
Radburn loves his family, jamming out the blues and his motorcycle! He also loves giving back and inspiring others from all walk of life – his Harley Davidson chapter (Sydney HOG) works with Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets program.
Radburn uses these opportunities to talk to youth living rough in Sydney – offering reading and writing as “therapy” and sharing his own teenage experiences.” https://www.panterapress.com.au/shop/...
The Crossing - the first in the Taylor Bridges series has all the elements I love in a crime/mystery read - a great Australian setting and the first Australian novel I have read set in Tasmania – the setting evocative, beautiful, cold and Radburn deftly weaves a little bit of debate around conservation into this mystery - very topical and well done. Characters – great character development and empathetic protagonists. Radburn captures the essence of “small town” isolation and narrow minded thinking that breeds fear of strangers/difference (can I plant an ear worm – think Duelling Banjos Deliverance…) ultimately this type behaviour delivers vigilante style punishment; there were some very disturbing yet credible scenes centred on this theme.
The plot – complex and multilayered – as I reflect on this read (I finished this book a few weeks ago) I am recalling some of the more subtle yet pervasive themes surrounding family – and in this book not all is quite as it seems! Family – loss of, dealing with grief, protecting loved ones, and unconditional love… and sadly abuse within families…so much material here. Then there is the overarching theme of redemption. Add to all these delicious elements a missing child and a ticking clock and you have a compelling read!
March 29, 2021
This book very much started with a tired cliche -- broken man in authority struggling with loss, but after I moved past that, the story started to grab me and didn't let go.The action picked up quickly, introducing characters with gay abandon, and then diving into the meat of the story. The climax exploded onto the scene and left me breathless, and I will freely admit that while I thought the antagonist wasn't the perpetrator, I was a little surprised at the final reveal. The resolution made me smile, and I will have to look out for more of this author's work.
January 28, 2021
Easy to read despite the deep grief of protagonist. And those endings... made me cry!! Loved it.
June 3, 2019
An enjoyable read with much to like about it - authentic Australian landscapes and characters being strong parts as well as the tension and mystery of the parallel lines of the twin vanishings. I particularly liked the way tensions and prejudices which build up in a small and largely closed community develop. A well thought out and engaging story - my only negatives were that some parts of the narrative (in terms of separating the real from imagined) were hard to keep up with and that I would have liked a bit more closure about what really happened to his own child.
October 31, 2011
Even allowing for the theories about the limited number of plot lines there are out there, it's always surprising when you come across a couple of books that have a central premise that's remarkably similar, written within the same time period. And this isn't a particularly common shared premise. THE CROSSING by B. Michael Radburn is the second book with a male protagonist mourning the inexplicable and sudden disappearance of a much loved young daughter. In THE CROSSING Taylor Bridges' is completely traumatised by the unexplained vanishing of his daughter Claire - so much so that his marriage falls apart, and he exiles himself to a small town in Tasmania.
Bridges is a national park ranger, and somehow this new job, based on the fringes of a drowning town, in the dark, damp and cloying forests of Tasmania fits. He mourns his daughter as the community around him mourns the loss of their town, overall there's a sense of loss and despair everywhere.
As with the first book I read on this theme, there are elements of the supernatural. Bridges does see / talk to his daughter and whilst there's definitely a feeling of the "other" about that aspect to the book, overall it seems to fit within what is really a very creepy, odd, unsettling sort of atmosphere. Bridges is uncertain, unsure, suffering, frightened and yet baffling, questionable. He is a chronic sleepwalker, often waking up outside his cabin, cut and bruised, with no idea what he has been doing or where he has been. Which doesn't help when a little girl goes missing from the neighbourhood. A little girl he's recently spent time with.
Undoubtedly the feeling that you come away from THE CROSSING with is overwhelming grief, although along the way there's just creepiness, disquiet and discomfort. As the story of how Claire Bridges came to disappear is revealed, Bridges' overwhelming sense of loss, responsibility and complicity matches perfectly with the weird, insular, dark, enclosed and vaguely sinister world that he now lives in. Even the possibility that supposedly extinct Tasmanian Tigers could be lurking in the surrounding forest seems to fit with the idea that this place, this little drowning town, is just slightly off.
The earlier book I read covering this subject matter is one of my favourites, but then the author of that book is the only person that has yet been able to convince me to read horror or vampires or supernatural and not run screaming from the room. So I was a little leery when I realised what was going on in THE CROSSING. Would it stand up against the earlier one? It's undoubtedly a different book and whilst the supernatural elements don't come across as intrinsic to our culture or sense of place, they absolutely do work in terms of this man's mind, his state of being if you like. The story of the disappearance of Claire is slowly revealed, it's plausible and undoubtedly poignant, and whilst the discovery of the truth may require a little suspension of disbelief, the result is really quite moving.
Radburn has written a most unusual book in THE CROSSING. Even if, like me, you're very leery of supernatural elements, if horror normally leaves you more than underwhelmed, the emotional journey of this man, combined with the wonderful sense of place that is built around him, really makes THE CROSSING one of those books to step outside your comfort zone with.
Bridges is a national park ranger, and somehow this new job, based on the fringes of a drowning town, in the dark, damp and cloying forests of Tasmania fits. He mourns his daughter as the community around him mourns the loss of their town, overall there's a sense of loss and despair everywhere.
As with the first book I read on this theme, there are elements of the supernatural. Bridges does see / talk to his daughter and whilst there's definitely a feeling of the "other" about that aspect to the book, overall it seems to fit within what is really a very creepy, odd, unsettling sort of atmosphere. Bridges is uncertain, unsure, suffering, frightened and yet baffling, questionable. He is a chronic sleepwalker, often waking up outside his cabin, cut and bruised, with no idea what he has been doing or where he has been. Which doesn't help when a little girl goes missing from the neighbourhood. A little girl he's recently spent time with.
Undoubtedly the feeling that you come away from THE CROSSING with is overwhelming grief, although along the way there's just creepiness, disquiet and discomfort. As the story of how Claire Bridges came to disappear is revealed, Bridges' overwhelming sense of loss, responsibility and complicity matches perfectly with the weird, insular, dark, enclosed and vaguely sinister world that he now lives in. Even the possibility that supposedly extinct Tasmanian Tigers could be lurking in the surrounding forest seems to fit with the idea that this place, this little drowning town, is just slightly off.
The earlier book I read covering this subject matter is one of my favourites, but then the author of that book is the only person that has yet been able to convince me to read horror or vampires or supernatural and not run screaming from the room. So I was a little leery when I realised what was going on in THE CROSSING. Would it stand up against the earlier one? It's undoubtedly a different book and whilst the supernatural elements don't come across as intrinsic to our culture or sense of place, they absolutely do work in terms of this man's mind, his state of being if you like. The story of the disappearance of Claire is slowly revealed, it's plausible and undoubtedly poignant, and whilst the discovery of the truth may require a little suspension of disbelief, the result is really quite moving.
Radburn has written a most unusual book in THE CROSSING. Even if, like me, you're very leery of supernatural elements, if horror normally leaves you more than underwhelmed, the emotional journey of this man, combined with the wonderful sense of place that is built around him, really makes THE CROSSING one of those books to step outside your comfort zone with.
April 19, 2021
Brisé par la disparition de sa fille de 8 ans, le ranger Taylor Bridges décide d'accepter un poste dans un parc national de Tasmanie. Mais cet exil va le replonger dans son pire cauchemar, au moment où une fillette se volatilise. Le décor de ville engloutie et l'atmosphère sauvage nimbée de surnaturel donne à ce polar tout son mystère. A découvrir !
August 11, 2012
Set in Glorys Crossing, Tasmania, The Crossing is the debut novel from Aussie author B. Michael Radburn.
Taylor Bridges is a Ranger working in the local National Park at Glorys Crossing, having left his wife and moved from the mainland after the tragedy of his daughter's disappearance. The town is slowly being flooded by a massive dam project and residents are slowly leaving the town as the floodwaters reach their doorsteps.
When local girl Drew goes missing, Taylor is reminded of his daughter Claire's disappearance and tries to find her, fighting his fatigue and beginning to question his chronic sleepwalking problem.
This is a chilly tale and I really felt the cold while following Taylor on his rounds through deserted areas of Glorys Crossing or preparing a simple meal by the fire in the stark Ranger's cabin.
My favourite character in the town by far was the Librarian. Living in an impressive looking house, he wasn't a traditional librarian but a hoarder and master of information in the form of newspapers, books, reports and microfiche and was the unofficial 'go-to' person for information.
Radburn pays tribute to the Tassie devil via one of the characters in The Crossing in an unexpected way. I enjoyed this aspect (although I won't spoil the surprise) and it significantly added to the Australian tone of the novel; I'll certainly be glad to include The Crossing as part of my Aussie Author Reading Challenge.
I've just learned B. Michael Radburn has a new book out soon called Blackwater Moon and I'll definitely be checking that one out, so stay tuned!
Taylor Bridges is a Ranger working in the local National Park at Glorys Crossing, having left his wife and moved from the mainland after the tragedy of his daughter's disappearance. The town is slowly being flooded by a massive dam project and residents are slowly leaving the town as the floodwaters reach their doorsteps.
When local girl Drew goes missing, Taylor is reminded of his daughter Claire's disappearance and tries to find her, fighting his fatigue and beginning to question his chronic sleepwalking problem.
This is a chilly tale and I really felt the cold while following Taylor on his rounds through deserted areas of Glorys Crossing or preparing a simple meal by the fire in the stark Ranger's cabin.
My favourite character in the town by far was the Librarian. Living in an impressive looking house, he wasn't a traditional librarian but a hoarder and master of information in the form of newspapers, books, reports and microfiche and was the unofficial 'go-to' person for information.
Radburn pays tribute to the Tassie devil via one of the characters in The Crossing in an unexpected way. I enjoyed this aspect (although I won't spoil the surprise) and it significantly added to the Australian tone of the novel; I'll certainly be glad to include The Crossing as part of my Aussie Author Reading Challenge.
I've just learned B. Michael Radburn has a new book out soon called Blackwater Moon and I'll definitely be checking that one out, so stay tuned!
October 26, 2016
If you are looking for a smouldering thriller, with compelling characters, set against an evocative landscape, then The Crossing is definitely for you. It's certainly the best book I've read this year.
I loved the restraint employed by B. Michael Radburn. His characters lure you in as the dam waters slowly rise, threatening to swallow the small town and its secrets. Before you know it, it's 2am and you still can't put it down.
The central character is the solitary park ranger Taylor Bridges. Haunted by the loss of his daughter Claire, he desperately seeks redemption by finding a young girl who vanishes from the small town of Glory's Crossing. Every step he takes puts him at odds with the local police and leads him to uncover the town's disturbing past, a past that the dwindling inhabitants of the dying town would prefer to stay buried.
I won't spoil the end for you but I do love a twist and The Crossing doesn't disappoint.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series The Falls.
I loved the restraint employed by B. Michael Radburn. His characters lure you in as the dam waters slowly rise, threatening to swallow the small town and its secrets. Before you know it, it's 2am and you still can't put it down.
The central character is the solitary park ranger Taylor Bridges. Haunted by the loss of his daughter Claire, he desperately seeks redemption by finding a young girl who vanishes from the small town of Glory's Crossing. Every step he takes puts him at odds with the local police and leads him to uncover the town's disturbing past, a past that the dwindling inhabitants of the dying town would prefer to stay buried.
I won't spoil the end for you but I do love a twist and The Crossing doesn't disappoint.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series The Falls.
June 30, 2021
Not a bad book in and of itself. The idea is good, the characters good, plot not bad, but the literary license taken by the author became a bit obvious. A good editor should have picked up on this.
Serious timing issues in the book!!!
1. It's the 1 year anniversary of the disappearance of Taylor's daughter. He has been in his new job in Tassie for 10 months (been in the village!), that only leaves 2 months after the disappearance of his daughter to recover from serious leg injuries and to walk up and down dale searching for her through changing seasons and seeing searches being scaled down. And only 2 months after the daughter went missing before he split from his wife and left town. Just not enough time!!!!
2. Mother of newly missing girls says they came to that village after the death of her husband in a mining accident to prevent any such bad thing from happening again. Yet the father is buried in the local cemetery. Unlikely.
The returned from the war ex-soldier's age only just fits. He must be at least 55 years old which makes his dad approximately 75+. A fine line. But timing needs to be right.
Serious timing issues in the book!!!
1. It's the 1 year anniversary of the disappearance of Taylor's daughter. He has been in his new job in Tassie for 10 months (been in the village!), that only leaves 2 months after the disappearance of his daughter to recover from serious leg injuries and to walk up and down dale searching for her through changing seasons and seeing searches being scaled down. And only 2 months after the daughter went missing before he split from his wife and left town. Just not enough time!!!!
2. Mother of newly missing girls says they came to that village after the death of her husband in a mining accident to prevent any such bad thing from happening again. Yet the father is buried in the local cemetery. Unlikely.
The returned from the war ex-soldier's age only just fits. He must be at least 55 years old which makes his dad approximately 75+. A fine line. But timing needs to be right.
March 23, 2020
I bought this book because I heard the author speak at a conference, and I didn't read it for ages because I wasn't too sure if I'd find it too creepy, especially with the "missing child" theme and the mention of "supernatural" stuff. I actually found it really engrossing and ended up staying up late to keep reading. Would have probably finished it that night too except my kindle battery went flat. ;-)
The concept of a town disappearing underwater as a dam fills is intriguing, and the strands of the plot as they draw together were quite satisfying. I also enjoyed the collection of odd characters, many of whom have been rejected by others or misunderstood. The supernatural bit was done with quite a light touch - it didn't put me off.
Do beware that there's several missing children in this book, if that is too much of a trigger for you. But I actually found it was more of an old-fashioned mystery, not overly gruesome or dark. There is some coarse language including the F-word, but it's not drenched in it like some books.
On the whole, a well constructed mystery that really drew me in, and had a satisfying ending.
The concept of a town disappearing underwater as a dam fills is intriguing, and the strands of the plot as they draw together were quite satisfying. I also enjoyed the collection of odd characters, many of whom have been rejected by others or misunderstood. The supernatural bit was done with quite a light touch - it didn't put me off.
Do beware that there's several missing children in this book, if that is too much of a trigger for you. But I actually found it was more of an old-fashioned mystery, not overly gruesome or dark. There is some coarse language including the F-word, but it's not drenched in it like some books.
On the whole, a well constructed mystery that really drew me in, and had a satisfying ending.
January 28, 2013
Set in Tasmania, The Crossing begins with a Park Ranger grieving for the loss of his daughter and dissolving marriage, in a town which is slowly being swallowed by a rising dam. Then, a little girl disappears. A girl around the age of his own daughter...
The Crossing is the first book by B. Michael Radburn, and had me stuck to the pages well past my bedtime, and actually into the early hours of the next day, even with work looming ever closer. Radburn has a deft hand with characters, with grief, and the Tasmanian landscape he so beautifully wraps the story around and through.
I've bought a copy of The Crossing after reading it from the library, and recommend it highly. I'm looking forward to reading Radburn's latest book, Blackwater Moon.
The Crossing is the first book by B. Michael Radburn, and had me stuck to the pages well past my bedtime, and actually into the early hours of the next day, even with work looming ever closer. Radburn has a deft hand with characters, with grief, and the Tasmanian landscape he so beautifully wraps the story around and through.
I've bought a copy of The Crossing after reading it from the library, and recommend it highly. I'm looking forward to reading Radburn's latest book, Blackwater Moon.
March 8, 2021
I was engrossed by this book. Taylor Bridges is mourning the loss of his daughter and his life, when another girl goes missing. Set in Tasmania, in a remote location, events escalate. This was full of interesting characters and lots of tension. I am not usually a fan of stories where ghosts help solve the mystery, but in this case, it worked well. The back story to the murders was sad, as was the story of Rory. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
January 16, 2022
(Hoopla.)
Tasmania, missing girls, a ranger whose daughter also went missing, some colorful small-town characters, some tragedies, spuernatural elements, and Tasmanian tigers. What a unique combo!
The mystery was solid, the characters were interesting, it moved quickly and had a lot of action, some heartbreak, and some unique elements that were quite fascinating. The audio was especially nice. The narrator did a fantastic job.
Tasmania, missing girls, a ranger whose daughter also went missing, some colorful small-town characters, some tragedies, spuernatural elements, and Tasmanian tigers. What a unique combo!
The mystery was solid, the characters were interesting, it moved quickly and had a lot of action, some heartbreak, and some unique elements that were quite fascinating. The audio was especially nice. The narrator did a fantastic job.
January 3, 2022
Brilliant, evocative, fast-paced writing. I had done a music beat/writing workshop with B. Michael Radburn in 2017. Its true significance has finally fallen into place. The tempo, the beat, the rich texture of the interwoven sub plots created a rhythm and harmony which made this heart wrenching story sing. Hard to put down.
November 25, 2025
I picked this up on an impulse and couldn’t stop. Excellent storytelling, atmospheric Tassie location and plenty of twists and turns but also quiet moments of grief and pain. I will certainly continue this series.
Read
November 23, 2019Loved the setting of this book - so visual and eerie...and I loved the supernatural element. A real page turner!
August 25, 2021
Great Australian crime fiction set in snowy Tasmania. I enjoyed the audio version with an excellent narrator.
August 28, 2021
Great read. Thank you
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