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The Cane
Nail-biting, atmospheric, and unputdownable, the brilliant new thriller for fans of Wimmera and The Dry.ONE MISSING GIRL.NO SUSPECTS.A TOWN ABOUT TO IGNITE.Quala, a North Queensland sugar town, the 1970s.Barbara McClymont walks the cane fields searching for Janet, her sixteen-year-old daughter, who has been missing for weeks. The police have no leads. The people of Quala are divided by dread and distrust. But the sugar crush is underway and the cane must be burned.Meanwhile, children dream of a malevolent presence, a schoolteacher yearns to escape, and history keeps returning to remind Quala that the past is always present.As the smoke rises and tensions come to a head, the dark heart of Quala will be revealed, affecting the lives of all those who dwell beyond the cane.The Cane is an evocative and atmospheric thriller, and announces an exciting new voice in Australian crime writing. 'A fine, brave, perceptive writer.' - Mark Dapin, journalist and author of Public Enemies 'A stunning piece of Australian rural noir.' - Mark Brandi, bestselling author of Wimmera and The Rip
Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2022
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About the author
Maryrose Cuskelly
6 books26 followersMaryrose Cuskelly is a writer of fiction and non-fiction.
She is the best-selling author of The Cane (Allen & Uwin 2022), shortlisted for best debut in the 2023 Davitt Awards.
In 2019, her book Wedderburn: A True Tale of Blood and Dust (Allen & Unwin, 2018), was longlisted for Best Debut and Best True Crime in the 2019 Davitt Awards.
In 2016, she was awarded the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (non-fiction) for her essay on the 1972 abduction and murder of Marilyn Wallman.
She is the author of Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide (Scribe 2010) and The End of Charity: Time for Social Enterprise (Allen & Unwin 2008) co-written with Nic Frances, and winner of the Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues.
Her essays and articles have been published in a range of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including Crikey, The Age, The Australian and The Melbourne Magazine.
She has twice been awarded fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers’ House, most recently in 2020 for her novel The Campers, which will be published by Allen & Unwin in early 2025.
She lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two sons.
She is the best-selling author of The Cane (Allen & Uwin 2022), shortlisted for best debut in the 2023 Davitt Awards.
In 2019, her book Wedderburn: A True Tale of Blood and Dust (Allen & Unwin, 2018), was longlisted for Best Debut and Best True Crime in the 2019 Davitt Awards.
In 2016, she was awarded the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing (non-fiction) for her essay on the 1972 abduction and murder of Marilyn Wallman.
She is the author of Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide (Scribe 2010) and The End of Charity: Time for Social Enterprise (Allen & Unwin 2008) co-written with Nic Frances, and winner of the Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues.
Her essays and articles have been published in a range of magazines, journals, and newspapers, including Crikey, The Age, The Australian and The Melbourne Magazine.
She has twice been awarded fellowships at Varuna, the National Writers’ House, most recently in 2020 for her novel The Campers, which will be published by Allen & Unwin in early 2025.
She lives in Melbourne with her husband and their two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
September 30, 2022
The Premise sounded interesting for me a girl by the name of Janet McClymont went missing weeks ago in the town of Quala in North Queensland her mother Barbara searches for her daughters body day after day& comes back covered in dust & dirt.
It’s Cain season in the small farming town & Cain must be burnt, the towns folk think that Janet’s boyfriend who is aboriginal did it but have no evidence. Who else would do it?
I found this to be a very slow burn that didn’t keep me invested in the storyline I found the author to use a lot of Aussie slang that for me sounded racist.
The disappearance of Janet opens up a can of worms as another girl disappeared earlier Connie & Vince were Cathy’s parents who are still missing their daughter brings back too many memories of that day they are trying to forget.
This was a very slow burn for me I kept losing concentration so it didn’t keep me invested at all, it was atmospheric but didn’t ring any bells 🔔 for me , maybe I read it at the wrong time who knows.
It’s Cain season in the small farming town & Cain must be burnt, the towns folk think that Janet’s boyfriend who is aboriginal did it but have no evidence. Who else would do it?
I found this to be a very slow burn that didn’t keep me invested in the storyline I found the author to use a lot of Aussie slang that for me sounded racist.
The disappearance of Janet opens up a can of worms as another girl disappeared earlier Connie & Vince were Cathy’s parents who are still missing their daughter brings back too many memories of that day they are trying to forget.
This was a very slow burn for me I kept losing concentration so it didn’t keep me invested at all, it was atmospheric but didn’t ring any bells 🔔 for me , maybe I read it at the wrong time who knows.
March 22, 2022
In Quala, a northern Queensland town surrounded by sugar cane fields, a teenage girl has disappeared. Janet McClymont was walking on a track through the fields to babysit at a nearby house when she disappeared. After weeks of searching the cane fields, only her bag has been found. All the men and teenage boys in the town, including Janet’s boyfriend as well as her English teacher, have been interviewed and alibis checked but the police still have no real suspects. As Janet’s mother searches daily for her body in the fields, the town is on edge with children no longer allowed to roam free. Eventually the farmers can no longer wait to burn and harvest the cane.
This debut novel is set in the Australia of the 1970s, in a racist, misogynistic society of mainly white cane farmers. There are many cultural references to music, movies and books of the time, including ‘The Little Red School Book’, banned in 1972 because parents feared it would corrupt their childrens’ morals with its facts about sex and drugs and taking control of their lives. The novel is very atmospheric and peppered with typical Aussie dialogue and slang. The characters are also somewhat typical of their time and place, although a female senior constable sent from Brisbane to assist in the investigation is a breath of fresh air with her more modern outlook on the role of women in the police force (which definitely does not include making the tea for her male colleagues). It’s a slow burn of a book with tensions ramping up until they explode in a fiery climax along with fire in the cane fields and the truth of Janet’s disappearance emerges.
This debut novel is set in the Australia of the 1970s, in a racist, misogynistic society of mainly white cane farmers. There are many cultural references to music, movies and books of the time, including ‘The Little Red School Book’, banned in 1972 because parents feared it would corrupt their childrens’ morals with its facts about sex and drugs and taking control of their lives. The novel is very atmospheric and peppered with typical Aussie dialogue and slang. The characters are also somewhat typical of their time and place, although a female senior constable sent from Brisbane to assist in the investigation is a breath of fresh air with her more modern outlook on the role of women in the police force (which definitely does not include making the tea for her male colleagues). It’s a slow burn of a book with tensions ramping up until they explode in a fiery climax along with fire in the cane fields and the truth of Janet’s disappearance emerges.
April 20, 2022
But the way the words fill Raelene’s mouth, her tongue relishing the consonants packed tightly together in one abrupt parcel of sound, conveys a lewdness that is completely alien to the Janet who Essie knew.
The Cane, an evocative novel set in Northern Queensland in the 1970’s. Evocative is used on the blurb and pretty much every review I’ve seen, but really, this is the best way to describe this novel.
Two young women have gone missing, over the distance of time, one found dead ten years prior, and one still missing. The author states the facts of real-life cases, making this even more haunting. I have holidayed in Queensland, but the sugar cane industry is something I had never pondered. I have driven past the cane, but what is required to produce this commodity is extraordinary, and the community portrayed here in the harsh Australian climate is eery and written in such a way that I feel I could have been there sipping fruit cup cordial, drinking tea and eating chocolate slice.
An air of misogyny wherever one turns, woman are at home looking after families and supporting their hard working and hard drinking husbands, while their children are no longer safe to ride their bikes home from school or play as they once could. The assumption is that the young lads will be ok, but not the innocent young females.
The description of the process of the burning of the cane, the regrowth and the life cycle is an onymous backdrop to the perilousness of precious life and those capable of taking it away. Very descriptive, but a slow burn, this is absolutely no pun intended; I was left wanting at the two third mark and would have liked the pace to have picked up a little.
The loss experienced by the family waiting and searching for their daughter was palpable, with the scenes of the mother searching the cane day in and day out heartbreaking.
This is a skilful writer, I got to know all characters deeply and could feel a community of desperation, scared mothers, and fathers. The descriptions of 1970’s was vivid, milo at lunch time and long socks pulled up high, held with guitars to match their short-sleeved business shorts.
Recommended, but not as a fast paced offering.
With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for my physical advance review copy to read and review.
The Cane, an evocative novel set in Northern Queensland in the 1970’s. Evocative is used on the blurb and pretty much every review I’ve seen, but really, this is the best way to describe this novel.
Two young women have gone missing, over the distance of time, one found dead ten years prior, and one still missing. The author states the facts of real-life cases, making this even more haunting. I have holidayed in Queensland, but the sugar cane industry is something I had never pondered. I have driven past the cane, but what is required to produce this commodity is extraordinary, and the community portrayed here in the harsh Australian climate is eery and written in such a way that I feel I could have been there sipping fruit cup cordial, drinking tea and eating chocolate slice.
An air of misogyny wherever one turns, woman are at home looking after families and supporting their hard working and hard drinking husbands, while their children are no longer safe to ride their bikes home from school or play as they once could. The assumption is that the young lads will be ok, but not the innocent young females.
The description of the process of the burning of the cane, the regrowth and the life cycle is an onymous backdrop to the perilousness of precious life and those capable of taking it away. Very descriptive, but a slow burn, this is absolutely no pun intended; I was left wanting at the two third mark and would have liked the pace to have picked up a little.
The loss experienced by the family waiting and searching for their daughter was palpable, with the scenes of the mother searching the cane day in and day out heartbreaking.
This is a skilful writer, I got to know all characters deeply and could feel a community of desperation, scared mothers, and fathers. The descriptions of 1970’s was vivid, milo at lunch time and long socks pulled up high, held with guitars to match their short-sleeved business shorts.
Recommended, but not as a fast paced offering.
With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for my physical advance review copy to read and review.
October 9, 2022
Sixteen-year-old Janet McClymont has gone missing. Her mother, Barbara found her bag in the cane fields, but that was all that was ever found. Hundreds of people joined in the search, but sadly nothing else was found to help them find or lead them to Janet. But still every morning Barbara walked through the cane fields looking for the remains of her daughter.
Since the disappearance of Janet, parents were constantly questioning their children’s whereabouts. Asking their children where they were going and with whom and for how long were daily questions and it was obvious that all parents were nervous and on high alert.
A well-written slow-burn debut novel which I enjoyed. Highly recommended.
Since the disappearance of Janet, parents were constantly questioning their children’s whereabouts. Asking their children where they were going and with whom and for how long were daily questions and it was obvious that all parents were nervous and on high alert.
A well-written slow-burn debut novel which I enjoyed. Highly recommended.
February 10, 2022
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly is the author's exciting new fiction debut and an atmospheric piece of Australian rural noir.
Set in the 1970's in Quala, a farming town in Northern Queensland, there’s nowhere that you cannot see the impenetrable cane! This is a slow burn and character driven mystery murder tale with the cane itself feeling like one of the main protagonists!
Janet McClymont a sixteen year old has gone missing, it’s been weeks and nothing but her bag has been found in the cane fields. Janet was on her way to babysit the neighbours children where she always cuts through the cane fields on the way and now she’s missing, disappearing into the cane!
The cane fields must be harvested and for that to happen they have to be burnt….. time is running out for the neighbouring farmers but the McClymonts want their daughter found first. The burn cannot be held off much longer.
Memories of an unsolved teenage murder from years ago comes back to haunt the community. Suspicion falls on several men in town including Janet’s boyfriend but without any clues tensions are getting heated amongst the people.
The dialogue is very Aussie and the culture back in the 1970's was considerably both sexist and racist and it’s been captured brilliantly. My favourite character in the story was that of twelve year old Essie.
Publication date 01 February 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
RRP $32.99
Thank you so much to the wonderful team at Allen & Unwin for an advanced copy of the book.
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly is the author's exciting new fiction debut and an atmospheric piece of Australian rural noir.
Set in the 1970's in Quala, a farming town in Northern Queensland, there’s nowhere that you cannot see the impenetrable cane! This is a slow burn and character driven mystery murder tale with the cane itself feeling like one of the main protagonists!
Janet McClymont a sixteen year old has gone missing, it’s been weeks and nothing but her bag has been found in the cane fields. Janet was on her way to babysit the neighbours children where she always cuts through the cane fields on the way and now she’s missing, disappearing into the cane!
The cane fields must be harvested and for that to happen they have to be burnt….. time is running out for the neighbouring farmers but the McClymonts want their daughter found first. The burn cannot be held off much longer.
Memories of an unsolved teenage murder from years ago comes back to haunt the community. Suspicion falls on several men in town including Janet’s boyfriend but without any clues tensions are getting heated amongst the people.
The dialogue is very Aussie and the culture back in the 1970's was considerably both sexist and racist and it’s been captured brilliantly. My favourite character in the story was that of twelve year old Essie.
Publication date 01 February 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
RRP $32.99
Thank you so much to the wonderful team at Allen & Unwin for an advanced copy of the book.
January 30, 2022
When I heard about The Cane I was very excited to read it. Sounded like my kind of read - an Aussie crime thriller set in the 70's in the cane fields of North Queensland. I have read some great reviews of this book, where readers whose opinions I trust have loved it.
For me, I struggled with The Cane. It was a slow burn and it did not hold my interest for very long. The author has written many non fiction books and I could see that in her writing (which was fantastic) There was alot of setting description and character building, a bit too much for my tastes.
The story of a young girl who has gone missing in the cane fields, just as the burning is due to begin. Her parents believe that she is still out there but the police have no leads. There are alot of characters and points of view to work with. Set in the 70's, it is full of casual racism and Aussie slang. No mobile phones or internet, it was a simpler time. Outsiders are not welcomed in this small town of Quala.
I feel that maybe this was the wrong book for me at the time, and that I may enjoy it at another time. Please make up your own minds on this one, I am definately on the outer here with my thoughts.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me this advanced copy to read. Released in Australia February 1st. Sorry I didn't enjoy it more, but we can't love all the books all of the time
For me, I struggled with The Cane. It was a slow burn and it did not hold my interest for very long. The author has written many non fiction books and I could see that in her writing (which was fantastic) There was alot of setting description and character building, a bit too much for my tastes.
The story of a young girl who has gone missing in the cane fields, just as the burning is due to begin. Her parents believe that she is still out there but the police have no leads. There are alot of characters and points of view to work with. Set in the 70's, it is full of casual racism and Aussie slang. No mobile phones or internet, it was a simpler time. Outsiders are not welcomed in this small town of Quala.
I feel that maybe this was the wrong book for me at the time, and that I may enjoy it at another time. Please make up your own minds on this one, I am definately on the outer here with my thoughts.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me this advanced copy to read. Released in Australia February 1st. Sorry I didn't enjoy it more, but we can't love all the books all of the time
February 20, 2022
This is a compelling read, once I started it I didn’t want to put it down, when a young sixteen year old girl goes missing in the cane fields in north Queensland it sets everyone in the small town of Quala on edge, it is the 1970s and everything is very different than it is now they have no body and no suspects.
When young Janet McClymont goes missing walking through the ready to burn cane fields to do some babysitting, her parents are beside themselves and this starts the town keeping their children close to home and not being out alone, there is also the crush that is about to be started burning of the sugar cane is essential but two families are asked to hold off so Janet’s mother can continue to search for her daughter a month after she has gone missing the town is divided in their thinking.
Memories are surfacing about the death of a young girl ten years ago and that mystery was never really solved even though they said she drowned and now this, there are accusations everywhere, everyone has an opinion. When detectives are sent up from Brisbane to continue to investigate one of them is a woman and it is the 1970s there is lots of sexist opinions as well and Senior Detective Carmel Maitland has a hard time in the town but she shows her strength. Add in the teacher at the high school with his not so popular views and this book is a page turner.
This is a well written thriller that moved along as we get to see the opinions of the many people who live in this town including some of the young children who played a big part in the story, the cane farmers are a hard lot and remember it is the 1970s there were lots of racism and sexism back then, I started high school in 1970 and there were lots of memories this story bought up for me, but the search for answers to find Janet kept everything moving to a huge thrilling finish, so many fabulous characters in this one and it is a book that I would highly recommend.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
When young Janet McClymont goes missing walking through the ready to burn cane fields to do some babysitting, her parents are beside themselves and this starts the town keeping their children close to home and not being out alone, there is also the crush that is about to be started burning of the sugar cane is essential but two families are asked to hold off so Janet’s mother can continue to search for her daughter a month after she has gone missing the town is divided in their thinking.
Memories are surfacing about the death of a young girl ten years ago and that mystery was never really solved even though they said she drowned and now this, there are accusations everywhere, everyone has an opinion. When detectives are sent up from Brisbane to continue to investigate one of them is a woman and it is the 1970s there is lots of sexist opinions as well and Senior Detective Carmel Maitland has a hard time in the town but she shows her strength. Add in the teacher at the high school with his not so popular views and this book is a page turner.
This is a well written thriller that moved along as we get to see the opinions of the many people who live in this town including some of the young children who played a big part in the story, the cane farmers are a hard lot and remember it is the 1970s there were lots of racism and sexism back then, I started high school in 1970 and there were lots of memories this story bought up for me, but the search for answers to find Janet kept everything moving to a huge thrilling finish, so many fabulous characters in this one and it is a book that I would highly recommend.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
June 9, 2022
Aussie fiction debut novelist, Maryrose Cuskelly’s The Cane is yet another addition to the popular rural noir genre. Set in a 1970s North Queensland sugar town, it begins with a woman walking the cane fields searching for her missing daughter. Locals aren’t happy as it’s delaying the burning and there are no clues as to what has occurred. The lives and characters of the local community are revealed against this background of rural Australia and its worldview. Told from many different perspectives, this tale is character based and displays the social moray and cultural changes occurring at the time. Whilst well written and illuminative of the time period, it is a slow burner of a thriller lacking in suspense and was more literary than crime fiction. So overall a disappointing three star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
February 16, 2022
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly
Synopsis /
Quala, a North Queensland sugar town, the 1970s. Barbara McClymont walks the cane fields searching for Janet, her sixteen-year-old daughter, who has been missing for weeks. The police have no leads. The people of Quala are divided by dread and distrust. But the sugar crush is underway and the cane must be burned.
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
The Cane is written by Australian author, Maryrose Cuskelly. Cuskelly has worked as a freelance writer and editor for almost twenty years and she writes both fiction and non-fiction. The Cane, her debut novel, published by Allen & Unwin is on shelves now. Cuskelly was born in Queensland, where, in the 1970s, a series of high-profile child abductions and murders shocked the community, including the disappearance of Mackay schoolgirl Marilyn Wallman. Her disappearance on March 21, 1972, remains Queensland's longest-running child abduction case.
At approximately 7.42am on 21 March 1972 Marilyn Joy Wallman, 14 years, left her home by bicycle to ride to the Rural Youth Hall at the junction of Wallman and Eimeo Road, Mackay to catch a school bus at 8.00am. About ten minutes later, her two brothers followed the same route and found Marilyn's bicycle and school port by the side of the road approximately one kilometre from her home. The case was initially treated as a disappearance but later upgraded to a murder investigation. In January 2015, advances in DNA testing identified a piece of skull found in McGregor Creek, about 40 kilometres from where Marilyn disappeared in the 1970s, as being hers. Her killer has never been found.
This tragic incident – and other similar disappearances – provided inspiration for The Cane.
The Cane, as the name suggests, refers to sugar cane. The Australian sugar industry produces raw and refined sugar from sugarcane. Around 95 per cent of sugar produced in Australia is grown in Queensland and about five per cent in northern New South Wales, along 2,100 km of coastline between Mossman in far north Queensland and Grafton in northern New South Wales. Let's hit some quick sugar cane facts:-
— Sugarcane is a giant tropical grass that takes between nine and eighteen months to reach maturity;
— Australia is the second largest supplier of raw sugar onto the world market;
— Australia has around 378,000 hectares under sugarcane each year;
— Sugarcane is cut and re-grown as a ratoon crop for up to six years before being ploughed out and replanted - (ratoon: where a new shoot or sprout springing from the base of a crop plant, especially sugar cane, after cropping).
THOUGHTS:
Starting with something positive. The Cover: Striking.
Moving on to Genre: Mystery - Mystery/Crime. The first line of the synopsis reads "ONE MISSING GIRL". So I'm expecting some sort of crime and/or mystery - and there is one.
Arriving at the Story: There was a LOT of potential here for a terrific novel. Unfortunately, this is where it kind of fell apart for me. Let me explain. This novel suffers from waffle. Not the good kind of waffle - the kind that is hot and toasted to perfection and smothered with ice cream and syrup. Nope. It was the kind of waffle where I learned a whole lot about sugarcane and not very much about our missing girl, Janet McClymont.
The Cane is very definitely a slow burn novel, not the sort of fast-paced crime story this reader enjoys. It is character driven, although having said that, I think a lot more could have been put into developing them. We only caught a glimpse of many. Whereas a more in depth characterisation could have added to the story's mystery. Told in multiple POVs, one first and the rest third, we get different perspectives on the disappearance and what could have happened to Janet McClymont. We are introduced to the local township and all the people that live within it during a time of high paranoia and lingering racism. The story opens with the reader discovering that sixteen year old Janet McClymont has gone missing. Janet was taking a short cut through the cane fields between her home and her neighbours. A search ensues but turns up nothing and, as the weeks drag on, the police fail to turn up any leads. Janet's mother now lives in a state of limbo, searching for her daughter and begging the neighbours to hold off on the burning of the sugarcane harvest that is due, thinking that her daughter is lying somewhere in the cane fields. But Janet’s disappearance is reminder of another loss some ten years before. Sixteen-year-old Cathy Creadie disappeared while swimming and her body was found some miles away in mangroves. The impact of her death – whether accidental or deliberate – continues to reverberate through the town and is at the forefront of everyone’s minds as they search for Janet.
A female police officer is sent from Brisbane to help with the investigation when it stalls. This was another bugbear for me. Carmel was not introduced into the story until over a third of the way in. In this reader's opinion she was one of the more interesting characters in the story and could have reinforced the story from the get go.
Much of the action is delayed until the last few pages, when, the pieces of the puzzle come together in impressive fashion, making for a well thought out finale. I should also make mention there is a LOT of Australian slang and colloquialisms used in the telling of this story which may make it slightly more difficult to grasp.
I think with a little more patience, this reader might have enjoyed the story more. Maybe I just had too much sugar pulsing around my veins!
Synopsis /
Quala, a North Queensland sugar town, the 1970s. Barbara McClymont walks the cane fields searching for Janet, her sixteen-year-old daughter, who has been missing for weeks. The police have no leads. The people of Quala are divided by dread and distrust. But the sugar crush is underway and the cane must be burned.
My Thoughts /
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
The Cane is written by Australian author, Maryrose Cuskelly. Cuskelly has worked as a freelance writer and editor for almost twenty years and she writes both fiction and non-fiction. The Cane, her debut novel, published by Allen & Unwin is on shelves now. Cuskelly was born in Queensland, where, in the 1970s, a series of high-profile child abductions and murders shocked the community, including the disappearance of Mackay schoolgirl Marilyn Wallman. Her disappearance on March 21, 1972, remains Queensland's longest-running child abduction case.
At approximately 7.42am on 21 March 1972 Marilyn Joy Wallman, 14 years, left her home by bicycle to ride to the Rural Youth Hall at the junction of Wallman and Eimeo Road, Mackay to catch a school bus at 8.00am. About ten minutes later, her two brothers followed the same route and found Marilyn's bicycle and school port by the side of the road approximately one kilometre from her home. The case was initially treated as a disappearance but later upgraded to a murder investigation. In January 2015, advances in DNA testing identified a piece of skull found in McGregor Creek, about 40 kilometres from where Marilyn disappeared in the 1970s, as being hers. Her killer has never been found.
This tragic incident – and other similar disappearances – provided inspiration for The Cane.
The Cane, as the name suggests, refers to sugar cane. The Australian sugar industry produces raw and refined sugar from sugarcane. Around 95 per cent of sugar produced in Australia is grown in Queensland and about five per cent in northern New South Wales, along 2,100 km of coastline between Mossman in far north Queensland and Grafton in northern New South Wales. Let's hit some quick sugar cane facts:-
— Sugarcane is a giant tropical grass that takes between nine and eighteen months to reach maturity;
— Australia is the second largest supplier of raw sugar onto the world market;
— Australia has around 378,000 hectares under sugarcane each year;
— Sugarcane is cut and re-grown as a ratoon crop for up to six years before being ploughed out and replanted - (ratoon: where a new shoot or sprout springing from the base of a crop plant, especially sugar cane, after cropping).
THOUGHTS:
Starting with something positive. The Cover: Striking.
Moving on to Genre: Mystery - Mystery/Crime. The first line of the synopsis reads "ONE MISSING GIRL". So I'm expecting some sort of crime and/or mystery - and there is one.
Arriving at the Story: There was a LOT of potential here for a terrific novel. Unfortunately, this is where it kind of fell apart for me. Let me explain. This novel suffers from waffle. Not the good kind of waffle - the kind that is hot and toasted to perfection and smothered with ice cream and syrup. Nope. It was the kind of waffle where I learned a whole lot about sugarcane and not very much about our missing girl, Janet McClymont.
The Cane is very definitely a slow burn novel, not the sort of fast-paced crime story this reader enjoys. It is character driven, although having said that, I think a lot more could have been put into developing them. We only caught a glimpse of many. Whereas a more in depth characterisation could have added to the story's mystery. Told in multiple POVs, one first and the rest third, we get different perspectives on the disappearance and what could have happened to Janet McClymont. We are introduced to the local township and all the people that live within it during a time of high paranoia and lingering racism. The story opens with the reader discovering that sixteen year old Janet McClymont has gone missing. Janet was taking a short cut through the cane fields between her home and her neighbours. A search ensues but turns up nothing and, as the weeks drag on, the police fail to turn up any leads. Janet's mother now lives in a state of limbo, searching for her daughter and begging the neighbours to hold off on the burning of the sugarcane harvest that is due, thinking that her daughter is lying somewhere in the cane fields. But Janet’s disappearance is reminder of another loss some ten years before. Sixteen-year-old Cathy Creadie disappeared while swimming and her body was found some miles away in mangroves. The impact of her death – whether accidental or deliberate – continues to reverberate through the town and is at the forefront of everyone’s minds as they search for Janet.
A female police officer is sent from Brisbane to help with the investigation when it stalls. This was another bugbear for me. Carmel was not introduced into the story until over a third of the way in. In this reader's opinion she was one of the more interesting characters in the story and could have reinforced the story from the get go.
Much of the action is delayed until the last few pages, when, the pieces of the puzzle come together in impressive fashion, making for a well thought out finale. I should also make mention there is a LOT of Australian slang and colloquialisms used in the telling of this story which may make it slightly more difficult to grasp.
I think with a little more patience, this reader might have enjoyed the story more. Maybe I just had too much sugar pulsing around my veins!
February 21, 2022
The Cane is the first novel by award-winning Australian author, Maryrose Cuskelly. In 1970’s North Queensland, sixteen-year-old Janet McClymont goes missing on a short walk down a cane-field track to babysit the neighbours’ children. Despite an immediate, thorough and prolonged search by neighbours, volunteers and police, no trace of Janet is found, except for her bag.
Her father is convinced she is still alive; her mother accepts that her daughter has met with foul play and spends her days searching for her body. But now, weeks later, the cane is ready to harvest, and that requires setting fire to the fields. Her close neighbours have delayed their burn because Barbara McClymont is desperate to recover her daughter’s body intact rather than her cremains, but they can’t delay much longer.
Senior Constable Carmel Maitland has been called to Quala to offer a female perspective on the case. Detective Sergeant Doug Patterson hopes the women of the town will share information with her that they may have kept from male police officers. Carmel already has ideas on how to move the case forward, none of which involve making the tea. Her participation in the investigation earns disapproval of the country-town-conservative male population.
With the cane at its full height and recent heavy rains swelling creeks and standing waters, finding a body is a logistical challenge. Old timers like Arthur Mulligan are reminded of another sixteen-year-old girl, Cathy Creadie, who went missing ten years earlier from the rocks at Danger Point, her body later found, cut and bruised, in the mangroves.
In the absence of body or person, the possibilities include that Janet left intentionally, met with an as yet undiscovered fatal accident, was taken and murdered or is being held. A local dowser’s firm belief about Janet’s fate is summarily dismissed by most.
But surely, until a motive is known, everyone over a certain age without an ironclad alibi for the short time window between when she was last seen alive and first noticed missing, is suspect in Janet’s disappearance? It seems incredibly naïve and short-sighted that the community, media and the police (even Carmel) focus only on the male population, effectively eliminating half of their potential suspect list.
Weeks of tension are telling on the town: parents lose sleep worrying about the safety of their children; children have nightmares about the pervert they hear has taken Janet; testosterone-filled xenophobic young men are ready to use their fists on anyone who is different; and emotions run high as everyone in town wonders if one of their neighbours is involved in Janet’s disappearance.
Cuskelly easily conveys the mood and mindset of this small coastal community of cane farmers: the sexism and racism as depicted will certainly resonate with readers of a certain vintage. The large cast of characters and their dialogue are mostly authentic, although some may strike the reader as stereotypes.
The story comes together with narratives from multiple perspectives but it’s Arthur Mulligan’s first-person narrative that gives an overview of everything that occurs. There’s a slow build to a dramatic climax set against the backdrop of burning cane fields. Very atmospheric Aussie crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
Her father is convinced she is still alive; her mother accepts that her daughter has met with foul play and spends her days searching for her body. But now, weeks later, the cane is ready to harvest, and that requires setting fire to the fields. Her close neighbours have delayed their burn because Barbara McClymont is desperate to recover her daughter’s body intact rather than her cremains, but they can’t delay much longer.
Senior Constable Carmel Maitland has been called to Quala to offer a female perspective on the case. Detective Sergeant Doug Patterson hopes the women of the town will share information with her that they may have kept from male police officers. Carmel already has ideas on how to move the case forward, none of which involve making the tea. Her participation in the investigation earns disapproval of the country-town-conservative male population.
With the cane at its full height and recent heavy rains swelling creeks and standing waters, finding a body is a logistical challenge. Old timers like Arthur Mulligan are reminded of another sixteen-year-old girl, Cathy Creadie, who went missing ten years earlier from the rocks at Danger Point, her body later found, cut and bruised, in the mangroves.
In the absence of body or person, the possibilities include that Janet left intentionally, met with an as yet undiscovered fatal accident, was taken and murdered or is being held. A local dowser’s firm belief about Janet’s fate is summarily dismissed by most.
But surely, until a motive is known, everyone over a certain age without an ironclad alibi for the short time window between when she was last seen alive and first noticed missing, is suspect in Janet’s disappearance? It seems incredibly naïve and short-sighted that the community, media and the police (even Carmel) focus only on the male population, effectively eliminating half of their potential suspect list.
Weeks of tension are telling on the town: parents lose sleep worrying about the safety of their children; children have nightmares about the pervert they hear has taken Janet; testosterone-filled xenophobic young men are ready to use their fists on anyone who is different; and emotions run high as everyone in town wonders if one of their neighbours is involved in Janet’s disappearance.
Cuskelly easily conveys the mood and mindset of this small coastal community of cane farmers: the sexism and racism as depicted will certainly resonate with readers of a certain vintage. The large cast of characters and their dialogue are mostly authentic, although some may strike the reader as stereotypes.
The story comes together with narratives from multiple perspectives but it’s Arthur Mulligan’s first-person narrative that gives an overview of everything that occurs. There’s a slow build to a dramatic climax set against the backdrop of burning cane fields. Very atmospheric Aussie crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
January 16, 2022
Cuskelly’s debut fiction novel is an atmospheric story of a northern Queensland town in the 70s coping with suspicion, and possibly further peril, after a teenage girl goes missing within the local cane fields.
As I live in far north Queensland myself, I adored the place setting. Although Quala is a fictional town, it could be one of many near me. Personally I’ve never found cane fields scary or haunting but I did enjoy the added tension the thick crops provided. In fact, they nearly became another character, especially in the heart pounding and dramatic climactic scenes.
The story is told from multiple narrators and, I must admit, that I found this a little off putting at first. However, I soon settled into Cuskelly’s pacing and style and became engrossed with the diverse characters and their various viewpoints.
The plot was really supported by the time setting -- the ultra-conservative political landscape of Queensland, the subtle (and not so subtle) racism and sexism, the authentic Australian slang not yet influenced by the internet.
Cuskelly can now be added to the list of Australian authors knocking it out of the park when it comes to rural/outback noir.
Highly recommended. 5 stars
*Thank you to Better Reading AU for my preview copy
As I live in far north Queensland myself, I adored the place setting. Although Quala is a fictional town, it could be one of many near me. Personally I’ve never found cane fields scary or haunting but I did enjoy the added tension the thick crops provided. In fact, they nearly became another character, especially in the heart pounding and dramatic climactic scenes.
The story is told from multiple narrators and, I must admit, that I found this a little off putting at first. However, I soon settled into Cuskelly’s pacing and style and became engrossed with the diverse characters and their various viewpoints.
The plot was really supported by the time setting -- the ultra-conservative political landscape of Queensland, the subtle (and not so subtle) racism and sexism, the authentic Australian slang not yet influenced by the internet.
Cuskelly can now be added to the list of Australian authors knocking it out of the park when it comes to rural/outback noir.
Highly recommended. 5 stars
*Thank you to Better Reading AU for my preview copy
February 16, 2022
Thank you Allen and Unwin for sending me this book for review.
This is a slow paced crime book set in the 1970's in Queensland , Australia.
Being a Queenslander myself, loved the reference to ports. Only a Queenslander would understand this term. Just liking bringing your togs for a swim.
It is narrated by several characters in the book, but I really connected with Essie the most.
Everyone is suspecting the same person and most of the book is spent on the community trying to bring this person to justice.
Lots of Aussie slang , parents going overboard in their safety of their children.
They say dont judge a book by its cover, but this is what attracted me to the book in the first place. Absolutely stunning.
I loved the ending and really found myself flipping the pages as we finally get to know what happened . The only thing I could say is I wish there was more chapters in the book about the crime itself.
This is a slow paced crime book set in the 1970's in Queensland , Australia.
Being a Queenslander myself, loved the reference to ports. Only a Queenslander would understand this term. Just liking bringing your togs for a swim.
It is narrated by several characters in the book, but I really connected with Essie the most.
Everyone is suspecting the same person and most of the book is spent on the community trying to bring this person to justice.
Lots of Aussie slang , parents going overboard in their safety of their children.
They say dont judge a book by its cover, but this is what attracted me to the book in the first place. Absolutely stunning.
I loved the ending and really found myself flipping the pages as we finally get to know what happened . The only thing I could say is I wish there was more chapters in the book about the crime itself.
February 6, 2022
Really a 3.5 star rating. While I enjoyed this book, I was left feeling I wanted more. I was hooked at the beginning, but the middle third seemed to drag on and lost me a bit. Then the final few chapters seemed to throw everything at you at once and it was all over. While everything in the storyline was resolved, I finished feeling a sense of something lacking. Everything was wound up so quickly, I was left still wanting more.
The did find the setting really well thought out and well articulated, and I did feel that I was in the middle of the Queensland cane fields, the characters were also believable and reminiscent of a small town.
Thank you to A&U for my advance copy.
The did find the setting really well thought out and well articulated, and I did feel that I was in the middle of the Queensland cane fields, the characters were also believable and reminiscent of a small town.
Thank you to A&U for my advance copy.
February 18, 2022
Set in 1970's Queensland, this Aussie crime mystery tells the story of missing teen Janet McClymont. Did she run away, has she been kidnapped and possibly murdered, and who in this small town was involved, or knows more than they are saying?
While I found the first half of the book a little slow, which I think for me came down to the amount of characters that are introduced, I absolutely loved the second half, which was set at a much faster pace.
Very atmospheric and real to the time and place that the book is set, it was overall an enjoyable read.
3.5 stars
While I found the first half of the book a little slow, which I think for me came down to the amount of characters that are introduced, I absolutely loved the second half, which was set at a much faster pace.
Very atmospheric and real to the time and place that the book is set, it was overall an enjoyable read.
3.5 stars
February 24, 2022
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘She leaps up to stand by the open window, and in the light thrown by the late-risen moon she can see a ripple of movement, as if something large and swift is striding through the cane.’
Evocative, skittish and hazy, The Cane is the first fiction release from true crime author Maryrose Cuskelly. Set in a tiny town in the North Queensland sugar cane area, Maryrose Cuskelly’s fiction debut offers a slow burn mystery filled with small town politics and supposition. The Cane is a disquieting tale from a new voice in Australian noir.
A tense thriller from an experienced true crime writer, The Cane takes the reader to the depths of a sugar cane town in North Queensland. We meet a mother on a desperate search to find her missing teenage daughter, who has been missing for a number of weeks. Sadly, the police have no idea of where sixteen-year-old Janet could be. It sends the local community of Quala into a state of shock. But life must go on for this thriving sugar cane community, especially as the all-important harvest date arrives. As the town surges forward with their traditional plans, fear ripples through the younger residents of Quala. A tragic history also haunts the region, which leaves a bitter stain on the township. As the burning of the sugarcane proceeds, more secrets of this divided town will be revealed, leaving a distinct mark on the people of Quala.
Maryrose Cuskelly makes a grand entrance into the burgeoning Australian crime fiction scene with her first novel in the genre, The Cane. With a glowing front cover quote from fellow Australian crime writer Mark Brandi, The Cane immediately fired up my interest. Maryrose Cuskelly’s debut fiction release turned out to be an wonderful example of a slow burn style Aussie crime tale.
The best thing about Maryrose Cuskelly’s first foray in the Australian crime fiction genre is the setting of the sugar cane fields in Far North Queensland. I’ve read a couple of Australian historical fiction novels set in this area in the past and it was great to revisit this very atmospheric backdrop thanks to The Cane. This novel’s landscape drips with atmosphere, tension, fear, heat and sweat. I would consider the setting to be a character in its own right, thanks to the generous descriptions of this unique stage. I also gleaned a lot in terms of the sugar cane farming process and the impact this had on the whole local community. It really was a fascinating aspect of the novel as a whole.
The main mystery running through the story which relates to the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old girl, minus a body and clues was quite fascinating to follow. The main storyline crux of The Cane is based largely on the author’s understanding of a number of well-known child education cases and murders in the 1970s. Maryrose Cuskelly has infused this narrative with some fascianting real-life elements. This adds to the high sense of authenticity and credibility in terms of the crime element of The Cane. I really enjoyed playing an active role in helping to crack this case, it was a nice plodding style crime mystery novel. Maryrose Cuskelly draws in lots of niggling small town issues of division, gossip, suspicion, innuendo, mistrust and rising tension. The cast are rendered well thanks to the alternating form of narration, which builds a bigger overall picture of the crime mystery at hand.
The Cane is one to stew over. Maryrose Cuskelly’s debut crime release is dusky, riveting and suggestive, offering an eerie portrayal of an environment under great duress. Add this one to your purchase list if you gravitate towards outback crime fiction.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
‘She leaps up to stand by the open window, and in the light thrown by the late-risen moon she can see a ripple of movement, as if something large and swift is striding through the cane.’
Evocative, skittish and hazy, The Cane is the first fiction release from true crime author Maryrose Cuskelly. Set in a tiny town in the North Queensland sugar cane area, Maryrose Cuskelly’s fiction debut offers a slow burn mystery filled with small town politics and supposition. The Cane is a disquieting tale from a new voice in Australian noir.
A tense thriller from an experienced true crime writer, The Cane takes the reader to the depths of a sugar cane town in North Queensland. We meet a mother on a desperate search to find her missing teenage daughter, who has been missing for a number of weeks. Sadly, the police have no idea of where sixteen-year-old Janet could be. It sends the local community of Quala into a state of shock. But life must go on for this thriving sugar cane community, especially as the all-important harvest date arrives. As the town surges forward with their traditional plans, fear ripples through the younger residents of Quala. A tragic history also haunts the region, which leaves a bitter stain on the township. As the burning of the sugarcane proceeds, more secrets of this divided town will be revealed, leaving a distinct mark on the people of Quala.
Maryrose Cuskelly makes a grand entrance into the burgeoning Australian crime fiction scene with her first novel in the genre, The Cane. With a glowing front cover quote from fellow Australian crime writer Mark Brandi, The Cane immediately fired up my interest. Maryrose Cuskelly’s debut fiction release turned out to be an wonderful example of a slow burn style Aussie crime tale.
The best thing about Maryrose Cuskelly’s first foray in the Australian crime fiction genre is the setting of the sugar cane fields in Far North Queensland. I’ve read a couple of Australian historical fiction novels set in this area in the past and it was great to revisit this very atmospheric backdrop thanks to The Cane. This novel’s landscape drips with atmosphere, tension, fear, heat and sweat. I would consider the setting to be a character in its own right, thanks to the generous descriptions of this unique stage. I also gleaned a lot in terms of the sugar cane farming process and the impact this had on the whole local community. It really was a fascinating aspect of the novel as a whole.
The main mystery running through the story which relates to the disappearance of a sixteen-year-old girl, minus a body and clues was quite fascinating to follow. The main storyline crux of The Cane is based largely on the author’s understanding of a number of well-known child education cases and murders in the 1970s. Maryrose Cuskelly has infused this narrative with some fascianting real-life elements. This adds to the high sense of authenticity and credibility in terms of the crime element of The Cane. I really enjoyed playing an active role in helping to crack this case, it was a nice plodding style crime mystery novel. Maryrose Cuskelly draws in lots of niggling small town issues of division, gossip, suspicion, innuendo, mistrust and rising tension. The cast are rendered well thanks to the alternating form of narration, which builds a bigger overall picture of the crime mystery at hand.
The Cane is one to stew over. Maryrose Cuskelly’s debut crime release is dusky, riveting and suggestive, offering an eerie portrayal of an environment under great duress. Add this one to your purchase list if you gravitate towards outback crime fiction.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
February 26, 2023
Set in the cane fields of North Queensland, The Cane is a slow paced character study of a small town more than a thriller, with the mystery of a missing girl as the background. It presents multiple characters points of view, schoolgirls, parents, teachers, police and older residents and you get a good idea of the type of society in rural Australia in the 1970s. There’s plenty of sexism and racism and dated attitudes. I found it a good read with an ending that came together all on one night. (I read the authors afterword before finishing the book and was almost expecting that the case of the missing girl would be unresolved which would’ve annoyed me!)
February 14, 2023
Maryrose Cuskelly's novel seems to have taken Arthur Conan Doyle’s maxim to heart: ‘When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.’ Full Review at: Newtown Review of Books
February 18, 2022
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly was an unexpected delight. Not because I didn't think it would offer up a great mystery... which it did. Indeed it's wonderfully atmospheric. Rural noir at its most noir-ish.
What enchanted me the most was the nostalgia this book brought with it. The blurb mentions the 1970s but I assumed it was going to be set in the present with some reflections on the past, when in fact... all of it is set in the 1970s and - as someone born at the end of the 1960s so in my formative years over the next decade or so - this brought back soooo many memories and Cuskelly effortlessly took me back to my childhood again and again.
While being flooded with memories of everything from I Dream of Jeannie to Sunday night's TV staple, The Wonderful World of Disney, bottled milk at school, roll-on flavoured lip gloss, the Tower Mill Motel in Brisbane and references to the school 'port' brought an enormous amount of authenticity to this read, it's the atmospheric setting that really stands out.
Set amidst the cane fields in north Queensland Cuskelly manages to imbue a dark stillness into this story. A sense of menace that lingers over the Quala community; distrust, unease and fear.
Cuskelly offers us a number of narrators. The elderly Arthur, Connie and her daughter Essie - not yet a teenager, and a police officer who's travelled up from Brisbane, Carmel. I found Essie's story to be the most interesting and in many ways this felt like a coming-of-age story with a difference. She's not on the precipice of adulthood as such. But of consciousness. Of understanding.
Arthur and Connie give us the backstory of the locals. Connie in particular, as the closest friend of Janet's mother Barbara is torn between the need to move on with cane production and Barbara's fruitless constant search of the fields.
Carmel gives us the outsider's perspective. She picks up on some dodgy locals pretty quickly and is forgiving or accepting of them than those who've known them all of their lives.
Cuskelly's prose flows with a casual storytelling ease. Her commentary often filled with insight and depth.
Cuskelly touches on a range of issues here. The casual racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as well as traditional values and roles proffered to men and woman, boys and girls - common in the past but exacerbated in small town living. The insular nature of the latter also evidenced by judgements made of a teacher at the school who's different, and Carmel, a female cop in a man's world. Not to mention a sense of indifference to the events outside their small community.
This is paced in a way that builds to a crescendo to a climax in which everything hits the fan.
I very much enjoyed this book. I note that Cuskelly grew up in Queensland so knows her stuff. (Yes, in Queensland we used the word 'port' for school bag or a suitcase!) I was taken back to my sleepy childhood that required us to create our own adventures and in which anything out of the ordinary became extraordinary. And.... I could smell the cane ash and see the fields burning.
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
What enchanted me the most was the nostalgia this book brought with it. The blurb mentions the 1970s but I assumed it was going to be set in the present with some reflections on the past, when in fact... all of it is set in the 1970s and - as someone born at the end of the 1960s so in my formative years over the next decade or so - this brought back soooo many memories and Cuskelly effortlessly took me back to my childhood again and again.
While being flooded with memories of everything from I Dream of Jeannie to Sunday night's TV staple, The Wonderful World of Disney, bottled milk at school, roll-on flavoured lip gloss, the Tower Mill Motel in Brisbane and references to the school 'port' brought an enormous amount of authenticity to this read, it's the atmospheric setting that really stands out.
Set amidst the cane fields in north Queensland Cuskelly manages to imbue a dark stillness into this story. A sense of menace that lingers over the Quala community; distrust, unease and fear.
Cuskelly offers us a number of narrators. The elderly Arthur, Connie and her daughter Essie - not yet a teenager, and a police officer who's travelled up from Brisbane, Carmel. I found Essie's story to be the most interesting and in many ways this felt like a coming-of-age story with a difference. She's not on the precipice of adulthood as such. But of consciousness. Of understanding.
Arthur and Connie give us the backstory of the locals. Connie in particular, as the closest friend of Janet's mother Barbara is torn between the need to move on with cane production and Barbara's fruitless constant search of the fields.
Carmel gives us the outsider's perspective. She picks up on some dodgy locals pretty quickly and is forgiving or accepting of them than those who've known them all of their lives.
Cuskelly's prose flows with a casual storytelling ease. Her commentary often filled with insight and depth.
The children of Quala slip through the humid air like eels in mud. They don't notice the close, damp heat. It is their natural habitat. They are mystified by the way their mothers constantly talk about it, plucking at their clothes and fanning themselves with their hands. p 15
Cuskelly touches on a range of issues here. The casual racism towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as well as traditional values and roles proffered to men and woman, boys and girls - common in the past but exacerbated in small town living. The insular nature of the latter also evidenced by judgements made of a teacher at the school who's different, and Carmel, a female cop in a man's world. Not to mention a sense of indifference to the events outside their small community.
This is paced in a way that builds to a crescendo to a climax in which everything hits the fan.
I very much enjoyed this book. I note that Cuskelly grew up in Queensland so knows her stuff. (Yes, in Queensland we used the word 'port' for school bag or a suitcase!) I was taken back to my sleepy childhood that required us to create our own adventures and in which anything out of the ordinary became extraordinary. And.... I could smell the cane ash and see the fields burning.
The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
April 22, 2022
The writing style of this book is beautiful, evoking the remote Queensland community, the heat, the lifestyle and of course the titular Cane. It tells the story of a small rural community in which a teenage girl Janet goes missing.
There were a few things that didn't work for me as a matter of personal preference.
First of all I felt that most of the story was just atmosphere building and exposition. It didn't feel like anything major happened until the end - then, all the climaxes were jammed in together in an almost too action packed ending.
Secondly I felt like the story shifted around characters and perspectives without much clarity or structure. There is one first person point of view, "Arthur", who we meet infrequently and who has little bearing on the story. Otherwise we're jumping around in third person between anxious mother Connie, her husband Cam, their daughter Essie, old neighbour Vince, new cop to town Carmel, headmaster Ern, teacher Eamon, and so on. I feel like we could've explored characters better if we'd gotten to know less of them.
Finally I just didn't find the "mystery" very satisfying, about what happened to Janet. The resolution is rushed and felt lazy, like an after thought.
There were a few things that didn't work for me as a matter of personal preference.
First of all I felt that most of the story was just atmosphere building and exposition. It didn't feel like anything major happened until the end - then, all the climaxes were jammed in together in an almost too action packed ending.
Secondly I felt like the story shifted around characters and perspectives without much clarity or structure. There is one first person point of view, "Arthur", who we meet infrequently and who has little bearing on the story. Otherwise we're jumping around in third person between anxious mother Connie, her husband Cam, their daughter Essie, old neighbour Vince, new cop to town Carmel, headmaster Ern, teacher Eamon, and so on. I feel like we could've explored characters better if we'd gotten to know less of them.
Finally I just didn't find the "mystery" very satisfying, about what happened to Janet. The resolution is rushed and felt lazy, like an after thought.
January 3, 2024
3.5★s
This was an engaging book to read, but ultimately I felt disappointed by the end. My main criticism of it is that it failed to achieve the requirements of the mystery genre which, in my opinion, means dropping some hints into the narrative to lead the reader towards the final goal – to discover ‘whodunnit’.
The Cane opens with the voice of Arthur, an elderly farmer living in the sugarcane district of northern Queensland in the 1970s. A teenage girl, Janet McClymont, has been missing for weeks and there are no clues as to her whereabouts, no body found, no reliable sightings. The small township of Quala has been gripped by this mystery, with almost the entire population engaged in searching over many days for Janet, or clues to her fate. Everyone has a theory and everyone is on edge, fearing for the safety of their own children.
Janet’s parents, Barbara and Ted, are utterly distraught. Barbara continues to search extensively for Janet’s body among the cane fields, while Ted holds desperately to the belief that his daughter is still alive somewhere. Their neighbours, the Tranters and the Creadies, have held off the harvest of their sugar cane crops out of respect for Barbara, who remains convinced that Janet’s body lies there.
The main narrative (in various third person voices) continues to explore the reactions and behaviours of various townsfolk, in particular that of Connie Tranter, mother of Essie who was a close friend of Janet’s, and Vince Creadie, an old farmer whose own daughter Cathy disappeared and was then found dead some 10 years earlier. Nobody has ever been arrested and charged with her death, because the coroner ruled that she had drowned, and her body was swept by the tides to its final resting place in mangroves many kilometres north of Quala. Questions about the nature of Cathy's death have remained unanswered for a decade.
Because the investigation has stalled, the Queensland police force sends Detective Carmel Maitland from Brisbane to pursue further inquiries. She is a rarity in the 1970s, being a female detective in a profession dominated by men.
Suspicion falls on an outsider, Eamonn Sullivan, a teacher at the high school in nearby Kaliope, who taught Jennifer, and lives in an old cottage on the Creadies’ land. A university graduate, he has created controversy in sedate Quala due to his progressive ideas and his hippie appearance.
Page after page the author canvasses the feelings and attitudes of the Quala residents about the mystery. This allows the narrative to expose a range of ideas and behaviours that were common in conservative rural areas of Australia. This is the era of massive social change, with the anti-war movement, civil rights for people of colour, feminism and alternative lifestyles. Racial prejudice is entrenched in the minds of the Quala residents, where Aboriginals and South Sea Islanders are subjected to all sorts of discrimination. No respectable white person would abduct and kill a white girl, so the crime must have been perpetrated by a blackfella, yeah?
Amid this swirl of ideas and attitudes, the investigation into Jennifer’s disappearance inches along with no strong leads. One of my criticisms of the story is that the role of Detective Carmel Maitland is somewhat peripheral, and thus the author has wasted the opportunity to create a strong narrative thread which would drive the story forward. One of the big distractions is the sizeable sub-plot regarding teenager Essie Tranter’s friendship with the publican’s daughter, Raelene Mason. Raelene is precocious and world-wise beyond her 13 years, and she draws the naïve Essie into all sorts of inappropriate behaviours.
So, after faffing around the central story for nearly 300 pages, suddenly the narrative moves into top gear. In the space of about 40 pages, the tension ratchets up, and races towards a conclusion. Hooray, finally the reader gets resolution of the mystery!! In my opinion, a better editorial process by the publisher could have reshaped the story to seed the narrative with more hints about the key events that led to Jennifer’s disappearance. The ending demands a more balanced approach throughout the reader's journey.
Overall I enjoyed The Cane but in my mind it lacks the edginess of a really good mystery novel. Score: 3.5 stars.
This was an engaging book to read, but ultimately I felt disappointed by the end. My main criticism of it is that it failed to achieve the requirements of the mystery genre which, in my opinion, means dropping some hints into the narrative to lead the reader towards the final goal – to discover ‘whodunnit’.
The Cane opens with the voice of Arthur, an elderly farmer living in the sugarcane district of northern Queensland in the 1970s. A teenage girl, Janet McClymont, has been missing for weeks and there are no clues as to her whereabouts, no body found, no reliable sightings. The small township of Quala has been gripped by this mystery, with almost the entire population engaged in searching over many days for Janet, or clues to her fate. Everyone has a theory and everyone is on edge, fearing for the safety of their own children.
Janet’s parents, Barbara and Ted, are utterly distraught. Barbara continues to search extensively for Janet’s body among the cane fields, while Ted holds desperately to the belief that his daughter is still alive somewhere. Their neighbours, the Tranters and the Creadies, have held off the harvest of their sugar cane crops out of respect for Barbara, who remains convinced that Janet’s body lies there.
The main narrative (in various third person voices) continues to explore the reactions and behaviours of various townsfolk, in particular that of Connie Tranter, mother of Essie who was a close friend of Janet’s, and Vince Creadie, an old farmer whose own daughter Cathy disappeared and was then found dead some 10 years earlier. Nobody has ever been arrested and charged with her death, because the coroner ruled that she had drowned, and her body was swept by the tides to its final resting place in mangroves many kilometres north of Quala. Questions about the nature of Cathy's death have remained unanswered for a decade.
Because the investigation has stalled, the Queensland police force sends Detective Carmel Maitland from Brisbane to pursue further inquiries. She is a rarity in the 1970s, being a female detective in a profession dominated by men.
Suspicion falls on an outsider, Eamonn Sullivan, a teacher at the high school in nearby Kaliope, who taught Jennifer, and lives in an old cottage on the Creadies’ land. A university graduate, he has created controversy in sedate Quala due to his progressive ideas and his hippie appearance.
Page after page the author canvasses the feelings and attitudes of the Quala residents about the mystery. This allows the narrative to expose a range of ideas and behaviours that were common in conservative rural areas of Australia. This is the era of massive social change, with the anti-war movement, civil rights for people of colour, feminism and alternative lifestyles. Racial prejudice is entrenched in the minds of the Quala residents, where Aboriginals and South Sea Islanders are subjected to all sorts of discrimination. No respectable white person would abduct and kill a white girl, so the crime must have been perpetrated by a blackfella, yeah?
Amid this swirl of ideas and attitudes, the investigation into Jennifer’s disappearance inches along with no strong leads. One of my criticisms of the story is that the role of Detective Carmel Maitland is somewhat peripheral, and thus the author has wasted the opportunity to create a strong narrative thread which would drive the story forward. One of the big distractions is the sizeable sub-plot regarding teenager Essie Tranter’s friendship with the publican’s daughter, Raelene Mason. Raelene is precocious and world-wise beyond her 13 years, and she draws the naïve Essie into all sorts of inappropriate behaviours.
So, after faffing around the central story for nearly 300 pages, suddenly the narrative moves into top gear. In the space of about 40 pages, the tension ratchets up, and races towards a conclusion. Hooray, finally the reader gets resolution of the mystery!! In my opinion, a better editorial process by the publisher could have reshaped the story to seed the narrative with more hints about the key events that led to Jennifer’s disappearance. The ending demands a more balanced approach throughout the reader's journey.
Overall I enjoyed The Cane but in my mind it lacks the edginess of a really good mystery novel. Score: 3.5 stars.
February 21, 2022
In a small town in Queensland in the 1970s, a teenaged girl goes missing and the town struggles during the long investigation. Atmospheric, tense, character-driven drama about how a town responds to the loss and fear. All the racism and sexism you would expect from a small town in the 70s, and it's a slow burn (pun intended - sugar cane!). For fans of Australian rural noir.
March 23, 2022
Impulse pick from the library. The redeeming feature of this book is the location and the setting.
Read
March 3, 2022DNF. I started reading this as part of the local library bookclub but lost interest in it, mainly due to the little girl characters. A child's perspective is not what I was looking for in this book about the disappearance of a teenage girl. The old man's perspective is extremely well done but not enough to keep me going.
DNF at about 20% of the way through.
DNF at about 20% of the way through.
July 1, 2022
A slight slog, with characters insufficiently fleshed out to feel foreboding.
February 26, 2023
The Cane is about a missing girl and how a small town in rural Queensland coped. During the 1970s, Barbara McClymone and her family moved to North Queensland to a small sugar community of Quala. However, on arrival, her daughter Janet disappeared. With no help from the police and the traditional sugar cane burning approaching, Barbara McClymont started to search for her daughter in the cane fields. The readers of The Cane will continue to follow Barbara McClymont and the investigation into the disappearance of her daughter, Janet, to discover what happens.
Seeing so many good ratings from other readers of The Cane, I reread this book. I am pleased I reread The Cane. It allowed me to understand what Maryrose Cuskelly was trying to portray for her readers, and I did engage with the plot, which allowed me to change my rating from 3 to 4. I did like Maryrose Cuskelly's description of the settings that let me imagine living in North Queensland during the 1970s. I enjoyed Maryrose Cuskelly's description of her characters and their interaction throughout this book.
The readers of The Cane will learn about living in a small Australian sugar cane community. Also, the readers of The Cane will understand the importance of wearing helmets when riding motorbikes.
I recommend this book.
Seeing so many good ratings from other readers of The Cane, I reread this book. I am pleased I reread The Cane. It allowed me to understand what Maryrose Cuskelly was trying to portray for her readers, and I did engage with the plot, which allowed me to change my rating from 3 to 4. I did like Maryrose Cuskelly's description of the settings that let me imagine living in North Queensland during the 1970s. I enjoyed Maryrose Cuskelly's description of her characters and their interaction throughout this book.
The readers of The Cane will learn about living in a small Australian sugar cane community. Also, the readers of The Cane will understand the importance of wearing helmets when riding motorbikes.
I recommend this book.
May 18, 2023
Set in the 70’s in Nth QLD The Cane was a book I’ve had on my shelf for a while. I was intrigued from the very beginning. Aussie crime novels have become one of my favourite genres to read and we have so many amazing authors emerging.
While this book didn’t quiet hit the mark for me (it was a quick read with only just over 300 pages) but I just found the story a bit slow to get going and being set in the 1970’s while I could understand the difference in slang and the racism at that time maybe that’s what bothered me about the story.
Loved the setting with the burning cane fields. I like in QLD and always love seeing the fields of cane when you are travelling.
If you are a lover of Aussie Noir this one may be worth picking up for a quick, easy read.
While this book didn’t quiet hit the mark for me (it was a quick read with only just over 300 pages) but I just found the story a bit slow to get going and being set in the 1970’s while I could understand the difference in slang and the racism at that time maybe that’s what bothered me about the story.
Loved the setting with the burning cane fields. I like in QLD and always love seeing the fields of cane when you are travelling.
If you are a lover of Aussie Noir this one may be worth picking up for a quick, easy read.
March 18, 2022
A slow burn mystery...some of the 1970's language and ideas are hard to deal with but worth reading.
March 7, 2025
I’ve read the author’s two recent novels back to front. This is her first book and it’s a beauty. It explores many issues from attitudes through different points of view, showing how slow and hard it is to go through social change. The actual murder is huge, but remains in the background of life in a 1970s Queensland cane-growing community.
The author’s second fiction novel stops to focus closely on how social groups within a suburb interact. I’ve really enjoyed both novels, she’s a fantastic writer.
The author’s second fiction novel stops to focus closely on how social groups within a suburb interact. I’ve really enjoyed both novels, she’s a fantastic writer.
November 22, 2021
Award-winning non-fiction author Maryrose Cuskelly’s first leap into fiction is set in a small Australian town where an unsolved crime turns the community upside down. It’s the 1970s and it doesn’t take much to create outrage and scandal - like a new suspiciously anti-establishment teacher at the local high school giving students copies of the banned Little Red Schoolbook.
Sixteen-year-old Janet McClymont disappears without a trace, her handbag and its contents found strewn in the cane fields. Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Or did she simply run away to Brisbane? After two months, the residents of Quala can still find no explanation and continue to search for clues of her whereabouts, while police investigate all leads, including the decade-old death of another teenage girl, which may or may not be related.
The Cane is an evocatively written, atmospheric novel of landscape and rural life where everyone knows each other’s business. One can feel the humidity and searing heat of Far North Queensland, its isolation and uniqueness. As we are introduced to the plethora of townsfolk, potential suspects and subplots, the story’s pace quickens and tensions rise, particularly as we reach the denouement when the cane fields are burnt for harvesting. The action on multiple fronts becomes palpable as the narrative heats up - literally- towards the conclusion. Reminiscent of Jane Harper’s The Dry and Chris Hammer’s Scrublands, The Cane is perfect for fans of taut outback mysteries.
Sixteen-year-old Janet McClymont disappears without a trace, her handbag and its contents found strewn in the cane fields. Was she kidnapped? Murdered? Or did she simply run away to Brisbane? After two months, the residents of Quala can still find no explanation and continue to search for clues of her whereabouts, while police investigate all leads, including the decade-old death of another teenage girl, which may or may not be related.
The Cane is an evocatively written, atmospheric novel of landscape and rural life where everyone knows each other’s business. One can feel the humidity and searing heat of Far North Queensland, its isolation and uniqueness. As we are introduced to the plethora of townsfolk, potential suspects and subplots, the story’s pace quickens and tensions rise, particularly as we reach the denouement when the cane fields are burnt for harvesting. The action on multiple fronts becomes palpable as the narrative heats up - literally- towards the conclusion. Reminiscent of Jane Harper’s The Dry and Chris Hammer’s Scrublands, The Cane is perfect for fans of taut outback mysteries.
May 15, 2022
Really enjoyed this book set in rural Queensland. I wanted to know more at the end though, it wrapped up really quickly.
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