Redhanded

by Nene Davies

Jack loves his stunning wife Stephanie, but Stephanie loves money, drugs - and other men. While her firefighter husband works long, dangerous hours to make enough money for them to start a family, Stephanie leads a secret double life dealing heroin and snorting coke with best friend Jacinta. There's a new man in Steph's life. Marcus. Remote, attractive and as keen to party as she is, there's little she actually knows about him. Stephanie likes it that way, but on no account must her drug-dealer lover JB discover the affair. Unstable, jealous and erratic, this junkie controls both Stephanie and Jacinta. They are terrified of him. When JB sees Marcus leaving Jack and Stephanie's place, he recognises him instantly and bursts into the apartment, where Steph's still in bed, sleepily drunk and smoking a joint. What happens next will send all their worlds spinning out of control and when the apartment catches fire it's Jack's firefighter mates who attend the scene. Their loyalty to Jack will see them in hot pursuit of the truth, but devastated by the turn of events and the exposure of his wife's infidelity, Jack retreats to the small country town of Hill Cross, with only his dog Buddy for company. It's here that Jack reignites his love of music and gradually starts to piece his life back together. A fire at a neighbouring property propels him back into the role he knows and despite his best attempts to avoid interactions, Jack finds himself drawn into the lives and loves of the people around him.

232 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2017

About the author

Born in England to Welsh parents, Nene was raised in beautiful Pembrokeshire, West Wales. In 2002 Nene, her husband and three children emigrated to Australia and now live at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Nene's debut novel, Distance, was published in 2013 and she has gone on to complete the trilogy with Further and Surfacing.
Redhanded was published in November, 2016 and Whitethorne in 2018. The Narrows was published in 2020. Nene has a coffee shop,Chapter, and a bookstore, Hannah Jones. She is the founding director of the Capricorn Coast Writers Festival.
http://www.nenedavies.com
@nene_davies
@nenedavieswrites

Reviews

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Adams is a good guy - a firefighter in Melbourne and a true and loyal friend. The only time he's shown a lack of judgement was in the choice of a wife. Beautiful, flighty Stephanie is everything Jack is not and now her shady double life has come back to haunt her in the worst possible way - she has been murdered in her bed. And just to make sure she is dead the killer has set fire to Jack and Stephanie's apartment.

For Jack, Stephanie's death is devastating from every angle. Not only is the woman he loved gone in the most horrible way, but he has to live with the reality that she was living a very colourful double life of which he had no idea. Unable to cope despite offers of support from all who care about him, Jack takes off with just his dog for company and keeps driving until he arrives in the tiny Victorian town of Hill Cross. While Jack drops out of life for a while, his mates and firefighting colleagues want answers and start following their own leads. And that's when things start getting complex.

Redhanded is a fast paced story that grabs you right from the get go. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue authentic and engaging. The mystery is compelling and the plot twist clever and unexpected. Its a quick ride but an enjoyable one that will stay with you after you finish. As others have mentioned the potential is there for a sequel or a series - either would work well with the groundwork Nene has laid in this first installment.

Redhanded is a new direction for Nene Davies but she carries it off with aplomb. It's different to the Distance series but just as readable and shows Nene's depth as an author.

[Sara Delaval · Rating 4 out of 5]

With "Redhanded", Nene has ventured into new territory since her previous wonderful family saga comprising "Distance", "Further" and "Surfacing", but this novella works on so many levels. I found it impossible to put down. The story is modern, edgy and tight. The characters are young people of "today" with all their tough attitudes, rough language, loyalties and vulnerabilities. Nene's dialogue is effortlessly superb, and the reader is carried on a journey of misunderstandings and coincidences, love and friendship, with mystery thrown in. We come to care for the characters, share their feelings, and long for a happy outcome. This is life in today's world, sometimes ugly, but with enough good to balance it. A great read. Sara Delaval

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redhanded, a novella, is full of twists. Told in a spare and quick-fire style the reader is immediately plunged into the drug crime scene, murder and arson in Melbourne, Australia. And Jack, an unsuspecting firefighter is dragged into the mire through his faithless wife’s hidden life. Jack’s journey towards recovery from the escalating personal trauma is aided by the support and sleuthing efforts of his closest work colleagues. The tainted police investigation leaves lines of inquiry still hanging. This story is the launch of an engaging series for sure.

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! From the very first page Nene takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of every human emotion! Totally believable characters that bring Jack's story to life and a surprise twist in the tale that will keep you enthralled till the last page.