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Jane Halifax #2
Resurrection
Based on Australia's hugely popular Halifax f.p. television series, this is the second book in the thrilling Dr. Jane Halifax series.
Jane Halifax is back in a twisted story of betrayal, where the formidable forensic psychiatrist will discover that the only person you can trust is yourself. A near-fatal car accident left Jane Halifax in a coma, and when she wakes, she has no idea who she is …
Initially comforted by unlikely specters of past cases, Jane has no memory of the accident and is unaware of everyone else’s the police, who believe she was deliberately run off the road; the lawyer, whose files were in her car at the time of the accident -- files he never should have given her; her neurosurgeon, who fears a relapse; and her partner, Tim, who is slowly realizing Jane remembers nothing of the last two years -- including their relationship.
A young woman named Luna is the only one who seems able to bring Jane back to the present. Linked to a thirty-two year old case from Jane’s past, Luna has a quest of her own she can only solve with Jane’s help. But if Jane wants to help her, she first needs to heal, and discovers there are things other than the car accident hampering her recovery …
Jane Halifax is back in a twisted story of betrayal, where the formidable forensic psychiatrist will discover that the only person you can trust is yourself. A near-fatal car accident left Jane Halifax in a coma, and when she wakes, she has no idea who she is …
Initially comforted by unlikely specters of past cases, Jane has no memory of the accident and is unaware of everyone else’s the police, who believe she was deliberately run off the road; the lawyer, whose files were in her car at the time of the accident -- files he never should have given her; her neurosurgeon, who fears a relapse; and her partner, Tim, who is slowly realizing Jane remembers nothing of the last two years -- including their relationship.
A young woman named Luna is the only one who seems able to bring Jane back to the present. Linked to a thirty-two year old case from Jane’s past, Luna has a quest of her own she can only solve with Jane’s help. But if Jane wants to help her, she first needs to heal, and discovers there are things other than the car accident hampering her recovery …
332 pages, Paperback
First published August 30, 2023
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2160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 23, 2023
Back in the 90s Roger Simpson created the popular Australian TV series Halifax f.p. based on fictional Melbourne forensic psychiatrist, Jane Halifax (played by Rebecca Gibney). Now he is writing a series based on that character. In this second of the series, Jane has been involved in a near fatal car crash and wakes from a coma to find she has totally lost her memory.
Poor Jane doesn’t even recognise herself in the mirror, let alone her friends and partner who are caring for her after she is released from hospital. She learns that she was looking into an old case from 2003 when a man called Robert Millard confessed to killing his parents and then changed his statement to say they were already dead when he found them. He later killed himself when found guilty. Before her accident Jane had been helping the man’s younger sister Luna and had just met with the prosecutor to borrow his notes from the trial.
It was fascinating to watch Jane struggle through her fog of amnesia and to see inside her thoughts (her names for her doctors and the friends she doesn’t recognise are very amusing). As she slowly regains her memory starting with the details of Robert’s trial and conviction, she starts to recall popular music and what she was doing when she heard it and events gradually spread beyond that. However, she was unable to recall anything of the last two years following the murder of her husband Ben ,or anything about her accident.
This is more of a mystery than a thriller, but it is nevertheless an engaging page turner. Apart from the question of what really happened with Robert and his parents, the police are still trying to find out who forced her off the road. She also has a stalker, a man charged with coercive control of his partner who she carried out a psychological assessment on (before her accident) that he refuses to accept. I enjoyed the development of Jane’s complex character and look forward to seeing more of her once she is back practising as Halifax f.p.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster Au via Netgalley for a copy to read
Poor Jane doesn’t even recognise herself in the mirror, let alone her friends and partner who are caring for her after she is released from hospital. She learns that she was looking into an old case from 2003 when a man called Robert Millard confessed to killing his parents and then changed his statement to say they were already dead when he found them. He later killed himself when found guilty. Before her accident Jane had been helping the man’s younger sister Luna and had just met with the prosecutor to borrow his notes from the trial.
It was fascinating to watch Jane struggle through her fog of amnesia and to see inside her thoughts (her names for her doctors and the friends she doesn’t recognise are very amusing). As she slowly regains her memory starting with the details of Robert’s trial and conviction, she starts to recall popular music and what she was doing when she heard it and events gradually spread beyond that. However, she was unable to recall anything of the last two years following the murder of her husband Ben ,or anything about her accident.
This is more of a mystery than a thriller, but it is nevertheless an engaging page turner. Apart from the question of what really happened with Robert and his parents, the police are still trying to find out who forced her off the road. She also has a stalker, a man charged with coercive control of his partner who she carried out a psychological assessment on (before her accident) that he refuses to accept. I enjoyed the development of Jane’s complex character and look forward to seeing more of her once she is back practising as Halifax f.p.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster Au via Netgalley for a copy to read
August 21, 2023
Resurrection is the second book in the Jane Halifax series. I haven’t read the first book or watch the Halifax tv show, also written by Roger Simpson, so went into this book blindly. Dr Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist, wakes from a coma after a horrific car accident. Her memory is slow to return however, a case from her past begins dominating her thoughts. This page-turner jumps between the past and the present. In the present Jane is slowly remembering her life, and in the past, she consulted on a high-profile murder case that ended in tragedy. This book can be read as a stand-alone as I have done, although I’d like to go back and read the first in the series. Thanks to Better Reading and the publisher for my ARC. 4.5 Stars.
September 5, 2023
I love Jane Halifax, the character. And Rebecca Gibney was brilliant in how she brought her to life. Halifax is very smart, strongly independent but also surprisingly vulnerable. In this second novel of the TV series, Simpson turns Jane's world upside down. She's almost killed in a car accident that leaves her in a coma. When she wakes she's unable to remember much at all, including her name and her appearance.
Until she begins to remember a name, Robert Millard. From a case she vigorously defended the accused, Millard, twenty years previously. It's in going back to the case, Jane's memory slowly begins to come back.
She's always relied on her brilliant mind and intuition about people. It's what makes her a great forensic psychologist. But now she can't trust herself as her mind isn't what it used to be. But slowly things begin to make sense and she discovers that maybe she's made some mistakes in her cases and in her personal life.
It's an intriguing story because there are so many fragments to it. There's the Millard case of 20 years ago, the apparent stalker who perhaps was responsible for running her off the road, and her relationship with Tim, the adonis muso.
And then there's Luna. Luna is Robert Millard's younger sister. She's now all grown up but lost in her adult world. She's still traumatised from the double homicide death of her parents twenty years earlier and has a deep love for her brother. But there are secrets here that he, in particular, manifested through the use of poems he wrote for his much younger sister.
Jane can't help herself and wants to help Luna. It's in some way therapeutic for Jane and aids in her recovery.
Simpson writes the story so cleverly. We jump between 2003, the year of the Millard murders, and post-COVID 2023. The way he weaves these various fragments in and out to give us a picture of a very human Jane Halifax, with all her strengths and weaknesses.
I do hope Simpson writes more of them. Yes, I appreciate they're the TV series written as novels but seeing them in this form adds such depth to who is already such a brilliant character, Jane Halifax f.p.
I feel very fortunate to have received an early ebook copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.
Until she begins to remember a name, Robert Millard. From a case she vigorously defended the accused, Millard, twenty years previously. It's in going back to the case, Jane's memory slowly begins to come back.
She's always relied on her brilliant mind and intuition about people. It's what makes her a great forensic psychologist. But now she can't trust herself as her mind isn't what it used to be. But slowly things begin to make sense and she discovers that maybe she's made some mistakes in her cases and in her personal life.
It's an intriguing story because there are so many fragments to it. There's the Millard case of 20 years ago, the apparent stalker who perhaps was responsible for running her off the road, and her relationship with Tim, the adonis muso.
And then there's Luna. Luna is Robert Millard's younger sister. She's now all grown up but lost in her adult world. She's still traumatised from the double homicide death of her parents twenty years earlier and has a deep love for her brother. But there are secrets here that he, in particular, manifested through the use of poems he wrote for his much younger sister.
Jane can't help herself and wants to help Luna. It's in some way therapeutic for Jane and aids in her recovery.
Simpson writes the story so cleverly. We jump between 2003, the year of the Millard murders, and post-COVID 2023. The way he weaves these various fragments in and out to give us a picture of a very human Jane Halifax, with all her strengths and weaknesses.
I do hope Simpson writes more of them. Yes, I appreciate they're the TV series written as novels but seeing them in this form adds such depth to who is already such a brilliant character, Jane Halifax f.p.
I feel very fortunate to have received an early ebook copy of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review.
January 13, 2024
Forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax awakes from a coma after a horrific auotmobile accident to discover that her brain injury has altered all she sees. thinks, and remembers. Her spotty memory is unreliable at best. She is immediately tossed into a difficult and personal case where nothing is as it seems. What is the truth? What is merely her own mind rebuilding itself? And what happened to the files apparently stolen from her car after the accident. Enter Luna, a yound woman who is connected to a decades old case in Jane's past. Luna has her own agenda and the two women learn thay must trust and work with each other to solve the cold case. An excellent thriller, beautifullt written.
DP Lyle
Award-winning author fo the Jake longly and Cain/Harper thriller series
DP Lyle
Award-winning author fo the Jake longly and Cain/Harper thriller series
July 7, 2023
Resurrection by Roger Simpson
I had never watched the Halifax fp TV series nor seen the movies, so I wondered how the author would write this novel about Jane Halifax Forensic Psychiatrist in a way that would appeal to both fans of the series and those like me who knew nothing of the heroine’s backstory. It was brilliantly done. Driving home from an excellent dinner, Jane is run off the road and left for dead. She survives with severe memory loss and must ‘recreate’ herself, which she does by tackling a ‘cold case’. Several mysteries ensue – who caused Jane’s accident? What had she missed in that cold case so long ago? Why were some aspects of her self-rediscovery blocked from consciousness? Roger Simpson sets up a real page turner. I loved the first half of the book but felt the second part fell a bit flat, at least in relation to some of the mysteries. Still a good read though!
I had never watched the Halifax fp TV series nor seen the movies, so I wondered how the author would write this novel about Jane Halifax Forensic Psychiatrist in a way that would appeal to both fans of the series and those like me who knew nothing of the heroine’s backstory. It was brilliantly done. Driving home from an excellent dinner, Jane is run off the road and left for dead. She survives with severe memory loss and must ‘recreate’ herself, which she does by tackling a ‘cold case’. Several mysteries ensue – who caused Jane’s accident? What had she missed in that cold case so long ago? Why were some aspects of her self-rediscovery blocked from consciousness? Roger Simpson sets up a real page turner. I loved the first half of the book but felt the second part fell a bit flat, at least in relation to some of the mysteries. Still a good read though!
Read
June 6, 2024The second novel, spinning off from the excellent TV series, Halifax f.p., RESURRECTION is definitely an unusual crime fiction novel, which would work well as a starting point if you've not read the earlier book - TRANSGRESSION.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this second part of the series following on from the TV series. It was will written and had some good twists.
December 7, 2023
“Resurrection” is the second Jane Halifax novel from Roger Simpson. As a crime novel, it’s somewhat run of the mill, but as a character study of someone recovering from significant emotional and physical trauma, it’s excellent.
Simpson is also a screenwriter, and originated the character of Jane Halifax in a TV series around thirty years ago. I’d never watched the series, and came to the first novel, “Transgression”, cold. That novel works well for readers unfamiliar with the TV series, and Simpson has structured “Resurrection” in the same way. You don’t need to have seen the TV series, or indeed read the first novel, to enjoy this.
“Resurrection” opens two years after the events of “Transgression”. There are plot reasons for this gap, which eventually become obvious, but it also allows Simpson to avoid the COVID lockdowns. With something close to normal life reasserting itself, Jane is dining with an old friend and colleague. She wants to reassess a case they were both involved with twenty years ago.
As Jane returns home, she’s involved in a major car accident, which leaves her with serious physical injuries, including brain injuries. Almost complete amnesia accompanies these injuries.
As Jane recovers from her injuries and seeks her lost memories, she turns to the case she had been revisiting. She wants to know what her renewed interest in it was. She also hopes to use her investigation as a tool to open up her personal memories. And in the background is another concern: the police aren’t sure whether Jane’s car accident was a genuine accident or a deliberate attack.
Jane’s investigation is interesting, but never rises to the level of compelling. The crime element seems a distant second in this novel. There is no urgency to Jane’s investigation of the older case. Her conclusions, although fairly significant, land with little emotional impact. Indeed, the separate investigation into Jane’s accident leads to a resolution that I found rather half hearted.
In contrast, Simpson’s depiction of Jane’s brain injury and its’ impact is strong and nuanced. He tells the story from Jane’s point of view, allowing us to share her confusion and her frustration. I have experienced a brain injury myself, and can attest to how accurate Jane’s reactions are. It is hard to be incapable of things you used to be able to do easily; it is frustrating to know you are not the person you used to be.
This is the strongest element in this novel, and it contributes to a strong character study of an older woman who’s experienced significant emotional trauma throughout her life, and now is dealing with a new, pervasive, emotional and physical challenge.
Simpson is also frank about another aspect of Jane’s age: she is thinking about the choices she made when younger, and whether they’ve shaped the life she truly wanted.
One aspect of Jane’s recovery is the basis of a “twist” late in the narrative. Frankly, I’d seen this coming from early in the novel, so was unsurprised. I was disappointed by Jane’s reaction to it, however. It seemed unrealistic and squibbed several very serious issues raised by this twist.
I enjoyed this novel quite a lot, despite feeling it is weak as a crime novel. As a character study which happens to have some crime elements, it is strong. It sensitively draws an emotional and vivid picture of Jane in crisis, both physical and emotional. Those looking for a classic crime novel might be disappointed, but other readers will find a great deal that’s worthwhile in “Resurrection”.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
Simpson is also a screenwriter, and originated the character of Jane Halifax in a TV series around thirty years ago. I’d never watched the series, and came to the first novel, “Transgression”, cold. That novel works well for readers unfamiliar with the TV series, and Simpson has structured “Resurrection” in the same way. You don’t need to have seen the TV series, or indeed read the first novel, to enjoy this.
“Resurrection” opens two years after the events of “Transgression”. There are plot reasons for this gap, which eventually become obvious, but it also allows Simpson to avoid the COVID lockdowns. With something close to normal life reasserting itself, Jane is dining with an old friend and colleague. She wants to reassess a case they were both involved with twenty years ago.
As Jane returns home, she’s involved in a major car accident, which leaves her with serious physical injuries, including brain injuries. Almost complete amnesia accompanies these injuries.
As Jane recovers from her injuries and seeks her lost memories, she turns to the case she had been revisiting. She wants to know what her renewed interest in it was. She also hopes to use her investigation as a tool to open up her personal memories. And in the background is another concern: the police aren’t sure whether Jane’s car accident was a genuine accident or a deliberate attack.
Jane’s investigation is interesting, but never rises to the level of compelling. The crime element seems a distant second in this novel. There is no urgency to Jane’s investigation of the older case. Her conclusions, although fairly significant, land with little emotional impact. Indeed, the separate investigation into Jane’s accident leads to a resolution that I found rather half hearted.
In contrast, Simpson’s depiction of Jane’s brain injury and its’ impact is strong and nuanced. He tells the story from Jane’s point of view, allowing us to share her confusion and her frustration. I have experienced a brain injury myself, and can attest to how accurate Jane’s reactions are. It is hard to be incapable of things you used to be able to do easily; it is frustrating to know you are not the person you used to be.
This is the strongest element in this novel, and it contributes to a strong character study of an older woman who’s experienced significant emotional trauma throughout her life, and now is dealing with a new, pervasive, emotional and physical challenge.
Simpson is also frank about another aspect of Jane’s age: she is thinking about the choices she made when younger, and whether they’ve shaped the life she truly wanted.
One aspect of Jane’s recovery is the basis of a “twist” late in the narrative. Frankly, I’d seen this coming from early in the novel, so was unsurprised. I was disappointed by Jane’s reaction to it, however. It seemed unrealistic and squibbed several very serious issues raised by this twist.
I enjoyed this novel quite a lot, despite feeling it is weak as a crime novel. As a character study which happens to have some crime elements, it is strong. It sensitively draws an emotional and vivid picture of Jane in crisis, both physical and emotional. Those looking for a classic crime novel might be disappointed, but other readers will find a great deal that’s worthwhile in “Resurrection”.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.net as part of their bookclub.
June 25, 2023
"I cry for what I can't recall, for the gaps and the blackness, and friends that are strangers, for lovers whose kisses feel like an assault." I nearly put down Resurrection as it had a clunky, awkward voice to the start, but I quickly got invested in the lead protagonist, Dr Jane Halifax. Or is she? The novel begins with her being caught up in a car accident—or maybe a car on-purpose—and losing her memory. She tackles the problem like a true forensic psychiatrist, and dives into a twenty-year old case she does remember, that has haunted her ever since, putting aside the things she can't remember, like her boyfriend, Tim whose "sexual longing is all-pervasive."
"Be wary of the voices in your head. They are invariably your own." The case centres around Robert Millard, a fabulist, "performing for his audience, leading them on outrageously and delighting in every step on the way; he is, more than anything, entertaining himself," until he ends up gaol after the deaths of his parents. This idea is interesting, as it's not mental illness per say, but rather someone who prefers "the truth to be blurred". As the novel progresses you find out why that might be.
What I think Roger Simpson does better than others is integrate the inner workings of a clever protagonist's mind into the action. For example, instead of just telling us how barristers behave, Jane wonders about them scribbling notes as she gives her expert testimony. I also liked the duelling storylines, Jane recovering her memories and solving why she lost only the most recent two years, and the crime itself. I also liked the way the novel was situated in Australia, referencing our own mythologies: "Who can forget 'a dingo's got my baby' and the conviction of Lindy Chamberlain based, in part, on evidence of blood that turned out to be a sound deadening compound."
I think expression needs some work particular in the initial stages, and the end chapter tying up all the mysteries wasn't as well written as the middle of the book. So it just scrapes in at four stars for me, based mostly on liking the characterisation.
With thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a copy to read.
"Be wary of the voices in your head. They are invariably your own." The case centres around Robert Millard, a fabulist, "performing for his audience, leading them on outrageously and delighting in every step on the way; he is, more than anything, entertaining himself," until he ends up gaol after the deaths of his parents. This idea is interesting, as it's not mental illness per say, but rather someone who prefers "the truth to be blurred". As the novel progresses you find out why that might be.
What I think Roger Simpson does better than others is integrate the inner workings of a clever protagonist's mind into the action. For example, instead of just telling us how barristers behave, Jane wonders about them scribbling notes as she gives her expert testimony. I also liked the duelling storylines, Jane recovering her memories and solving why she lost only the most recent two years, and the crime itself. I also liked the way the novel was situated in Australia, referencing our own mythologies: "Who can forget 'a dingo's got my baby' and the conviction of Lindy Chamberlain based, in part, on evidence of blood that turned out to be a sound deadening compound."
I think expression needs some work particular in the initial stages, and the end chapter tying up all the mysteries wasn't as well written as the middle of the book. So it just scrapes in at four stars for me, based mostly on liking the characterisation.
With thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for sending me a copy to read.
August 18, 2023
‘When something takes your memory away, the void is all you’ve got.’
A near fatal car accident left Jane Halifax in a coma. When she awakens, she has no idea who she is. Jane, who cannot recognise herself in the mirror, also does not recognise the friends who are looking after her once she leaves hospital. The police believe that Jane was deliberately run off the road, but by who and why?
Jane learns that she had been looking into an old case from 2003 (there were legal files in her car). The case involved Robert Millard, a man who confessed to killing his parents, changed his confession saying that his parents were dead when he found their bodies and then took his own life. Jane had been helping Robert’s sister Luna before the accident. Can helping Luna help Jane? In the meantime, Jane has no memory of the past two years, including of her relationship with Tim. Two stories unfold – Jane’s struggle for recovery in the present, and memories of cases she was involved with.
‘That’s the trouble with people who tell tall tales – you never know when they’re on the level.’
This is the second novel Mr Simpson has written about Jane Halifax, forensic psychiatrist. While I didn’t watch the television series Mr Simpson created in the 1990s, Jane Halifax is familiar to me from some of the telemovies I have seen since. I find her an intriguing character and I found her struggles with both injury and amnesia at the beginning of this novel challenging. Slowly Jane’s memory returns. Some connections are jogged by music, but others remain elusive.
Jane’s amnesia is nearly as discombobulating for the reader as it must be for the character, and it took me a while to get into the story. What unfolds is more of a mystery than a thriller, with plenty of twists that held my attention. I am already looking forward to a third instalment (I hope) – once Jane makes a full recovery!
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
A near fatal car accident left Jane Halifax in a coma. When she awakens, she has no idea who she is. Jane, who cannot recognise herself in the mirror, also does not recognise the friends who are looking after her once she leaves hospital. The police believe that Jane was deliberately run off the road, but by who and why?
Jane learns that she had been looking into an old case from 2003 (there were legal files in her car). The case involved Robert Millard, a man who confessed to killing his parents, changed his confession saying that his parents were dead when he found their bodies and then took his own life. Jane had been helping Robert’s sister Luna before the accident. Can helping Luna help Jane? In the meantime, Jane has no memory of the past two years, including of her relationship with Tim. Two stories unfold – Jane’s struggle for recovery in the present, and memories of cases she was involved with.
‘That’s the trouble with people who tell tall tales – you never know when they’re on the level.’
This is the second novel Mr Simpson has written about Jane Halifax, forensic psychiatrist. While I didn’t watch the television series Mr Simpson created in the 1990s, Jane Halifax is familiar to me from some of the telemovies I have seen since. I find her an intriguing character and I found her struggles with both injury and amnesia at the beginning of this novel challenging. Slowly Jane’s memory returns. Some connections are jogged by music, but others remain elusive.
Jane’s amnesia is nearly as discombobulating for the reader as it must be for the character, and it took me a while to get into the story. What unfolds is more of a mystery than a thriller, with plenty of twists that held my attention. I am already looking forward to a third instalment (I hope) – once Jane makes a full recovery!
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 21, 2023
Back in the day I was a big fan of Halifax fp, loved that she was a Forensic Psychologist working with the police, and was thrilled when I heard Roger Simpson was bringing back the character, this time in book form, rather than TV. Resurrection is the second in this series, eagerly awaited after reading Transgression, the first, last year.
Resurrection begins with Jane Halifax in a car accident, waking up from a coma with no memory of the incident, who she, or who anyone else, is. I found this beginning fascinating as Jane cannot trust anyone because she doesn’t know who they are, who she is or how they are all related. She slowly begins to re-enter the world with the help of a decades old case she was apparently interested in before the crash. She doesn’t need memory to solve the case but memory does slowly come back closely followed by some uncomfortable truths.
Resurrection was an easy-to-read psychological thriller. Jane Halifax is a complex character who I am happy to spend time with anytime. Keep on writing her, Mr Simpson, I beg you.
Thanks to Better Reading for the review copy.
July 22, 2023
Resurrection is the second in the Roger Simpson, Dr Jane Halifax series.
Simpson has written the screenplays for the same character and has now turned his hand to novels. Halifax is a forensic psychiatrist who has been involved in a serious car accident and recovery is very slow physically and mentally due to the loss of memory. There, was another car involved in the hit and run accident ongoing police investigation is working to find out if it was a deliberate attempt on Jane’s life.
As parts of her memory start to return, the most, clear time is 20 years earlier. Simpson brilliantly tells the story over the two timelines as Jane regains her memory and becomes more involved a cold case, but is it cold? There was a conviction.
It is a page turner and keeps you guessing to the very end, as parts of Jane’s life and cases come back to her.
As a Melbournian I enjoy the story being set in suburbs that are very familiar to me. Although second in the series it can be read alone.
I highly recommend this series for all crime thriller fans. @betterreadingau thanks for the preview
Simpson has written the screenplays for the same character and has now turned his hand to novels. Halifax is a forensic psychiatrist who has been involved in a serious car accident and recovery is very slow physically and mentally due to the loss of memory. There, was another car involved in the hit and run accident ongoing police investigation is working to find out if it was a deliberate attempt on Jane’s life.
As parts of her memory start to return, the most, clear time is 20 years earlier. Simpson brilliantly tells the story over the two timelines as Jane regains her memory and becomes more involved a cold case, but is it cold? There was a conviction.
It is a page turner and keeps you guessing to the very end, as parts of Jane’s life and cases come back to her.
As a Melbournian I enjoy the story being set in suburbs that are very familiar to me. Although second in the series it can be read alone.
I highly recommend this series for all crime thriller fans. @betterreadingau thanks for the preview
April 11, 2025
The second of the Halifax crime mystery series, Resurrection (2023) by Roger Simpson finds forensic psychiatrist Dr Jane Halifax suffering from total memory loss after a car accident. Unaware of who she is and unable to recognise herself in the mirror, a case from twenty years earlier is the triggering for the beginning of her memories returning as Jane helps a young woman discover who is her real father. The narrative moves seamlessly back and forth between 1983 and 2023, with the former somewhat of a prequel or account of Jane’s early career. Not knowing if she can trust her own instinct or judgement, Jane ignores advice and is determined to discover the truth behind her accident. Another enthralling crime mystery with Jane’s own past and health, the key to unlocking secrets and her recovery. A first rate forensic drama with outstanding characters and a four and a half star read rating, which requires no knowledge of previous events. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
July 29, 2023
Resurrection is the 2 nd Book in the Halifax books by Roger Simpson. Finished the book in 2 sittings as I loved it. Back is Jane in another adventure in solving a puzzle and looking into someone’s mind. This time it’s her mind as it opens with Jane having a car accident or was it someone trying to murder her? With Janes memory gone she needs to find a way back to her life and treasured memory’s. Some great (Ben and Zoe) some not so, Bens Death. But on she muddles with Luna a girl she meets in hospital waiting for Jane to wake up. Together Luna and Jane try and solve a cold case from 20 years ago involving Luna’s parents and her brother Robert. Along the way more is solved about her relationship with Donis and her job. Will she get her memory back and will she continue working at her job at the University? Thanks @betterreadingau for my preview copy❤️#BRPreview
July 12, 2023
Inside the mind of a forensic psychiatrist who's affected by trauma ...
This is a fascinating idea. It isn't, as some might assume, simply a detective drama. In fact, it doesn't really have a focus on crime-solving or a crime case which may annoy some readers. It isn't what I'd call a thriller (which makes it a bit different from the first Halifax). It's more of a study of Jane Halifax, as she works out who she is and what's going on. The mystery in this case is all about her and the bits around her unfold to explain the strangeness around her.
A good idea though it doesn't have the tautness and action of some other crime thrillers, however great if you like character examination and are a fan of Jane. It is plainly written to make it easy and swift to read.
This is a fascinating idea. It isn't, as some might assume, simply a detective drama. In fact, it doesn't really have a focus on crime-solving or a crime case which may annoy some readers. It isn't what I'd call a thriller (which makes it a bit different from the first Halifax). It's more of a study of Jane Halifax, as she works out who she is and what's going on. The mystery in this case is all about her and the bits around her unfold to explain the strangeness around her.
A good idea though it doesn't have the tautness and action of some other crime thrillers, however great if you like character examination and are a fan of Jane. It is plainly written to make it easy and swift to read.
July 14, 2023
Roger Simpson is the acclaimed screenwriter of 20 plus movies the popular Halifax series, which I will now endeavour to watch. Resurrection is his 2nd novel following Dr Jane Halifax. Apart from getting acquainted with the characters, it was not necessary to have read the 1st novel, nor see the series. This novel was easy flowing, with jumps to and from past and present. It has mileage and intrigue. Dr Jane Halifax is on the process of ‘resurrecting’ her memories and to assist she reflects on a past investigation which takes us on a rollercoaster. I would class this novel as a psychological twister that is well worth the read.
July 31, 2023
This was a great read with an interesting plot. There was good character development throughout. This book was well written and left me guessing and wanting to read on. I enjoyed that the story was set in Melbourne and included areas and landmarks of which I am familiar. I haven’t read any of the other Halifax FP books but I will now - this book was really well written so that you didn’t need to have read any of the previous books and it can stand alone as well as being part of a series. I really enjoyed this book. It is an easy and interesting read, and have already recommended it to a friend.
July 11, 2023
When Jane Halifax awakes from a coma, she can't remember who she is. We get an insight into the workings of her mind as she tries to regain her memories. An old case haunts her.
If you enjoyed the TV series you will definitely love this book, but it doesn't matter if you have never watched an episode. This is a tightly written thriller with a complex central character. Jane is not afraid to put herself in danger if it means she will get the answers she needs. Roger Simpson is a great writer who really knows his central character.
If you enjoyed the TV series you will definitely love this book, but it doesn't matter if you have never watched an episode. This is a tightly written thriller with a complex central character. Jane is not afraid to put herself in danger if it means she will get the answers she needs. Roger Simpson is a great writer who really knows his central character.
July 19, 2023
This series is new to me. It took me a while to get into the book. I was a little confused to start with because of all the different code names and the case obsession. Once she started on her journey, I really felt for her and wanted to figure out what happened.
I guessed what happened to Luna and was disappointed with the car accident culprits. I was hoping it would be more juicy or have more substance.
The nicest surprise was Tim! I was expecting that plot twist and didn’t predict it straight away.
A slow burn enjoyable read
I guessed what happened to Luna and was disappointed with the car accident culprits. I was hoping it would be more juicy or have more substance.
The nicest surprise was Tim! I was expecting that plot twist and didn’t predict it straight away.
A slow burn enjoyable read
September 13, 2023
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Simon & Schuster for my copy of Resurrection by Roger Simpson.
I had read the first one in the Jane Halifax series so was looking forward to this one.
It did not disappoint. Jane is involved in a terrible accident which left her in a coma. When she awakens she does not know who she is.
This books follows Jane’s journey to discover herself again and restore her memory of her past. She focuses on a twenty year old case as it’s the only thing she can remember.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
I had read the first one in the Jane Halifax series so was looking forward to this one.
It did not disappoint. Jane is involved in a terrible accident which left her in a coma. When she awakens she does not know who she is.
This books follows Jane’s journey to discover herself again and restore her memory of her past. She focuses on a twenty year old case as it’s the only thing she can remember.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
February 29, 2024
Jane Halifax has amnesia following a suspicious car crash. As she struggles to regain her health and her mind, various people she supposedly loves and knows are determined to help her. However, the only thing she can truly remember is the case she got wrong. She failed to keep her innocent client out of jail, where he commits suicide. When her former client's sister shows up, asking for Jane's hep to find the peron who really killed her parents, the quest becomes the thread that leads Jane back in time and forward in remembering. Good characters, nice twist.
April 15, 2024
I enjoyed Resurrection by Roger Simpson which is set in Melbourne. Forensic Psychiatrist Jane Halifax was seriously injured in a car accident. She was in a coma for two months and has lost her memory, which is slowly returning. She is not sure what is real or whether all those around her are telling her the truth about her past. As the story continues, Jane remembers a case that she was involved with 20 years ago and this helps with her recall. A well written suspense story. The author has so far written screenplays for several Australian TV shows, including Homicide.
August 3, 2023
Resurrection took a different turn to the first instalment of this series. From the blurb alone we know that Jane is involved in a car accident that leaves her in a coma. When she wakes, she has lost two years of her memory. As the story goes on, Jane begins working on a cold case, while trying to rebuild her life. This one took a turn that I absolutely did not see coming and it was such a page turner!
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this gifted review copy.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this gifted review copy.
January 21, 2024
Really disappointed with this one. The writing style and main character feel so different from the first book in this series, it’s hard to believe it’s the same author. The first quarter of the book was so tedious to get through. Such a shame because I really enjoyed the first book and gave that 4 stars. Not sure if I’ll bother with the next one. 2 stars because I appreciate it isn’t terrible writing (looking past that first 1/4), it just doesn’t work as a series for me.
February 16, 2024
with a 1/2
# 2 in the series...
When I read Bosch books I have the image of Titus Welliver.
When reading this its Rebecca Gibney [who masterfully portrayal of Jane in the TV tele movies.{is that still a word.]...which is most assuredly NOT the case with tom cruise & reacher }}}}}
RS has in Jane Halifax created an erudite-flawed-empathetic-troubled character that always proved an engaging read
# 2 in the series...
When I read Bosch books I have the image of Titus Welliver.
When reading this its Rebecca Gibney [who masterfully portrayal of Jane in the TV tele movies.{is that still a word.]...which is most assuredly NOT the case with tom cruise & reacher }}}}}
RS has in Jane Halifax created an erudite-flawed-empathetic-troubled character that always proved an engaging read
September 17, 2024
thoroughly enjoyed this book, the trials and tribulations of brain injury combined with the pressure to decide about work and personal life throw in a twenty year old puzzle. How did the celebrity chef couple really die and what caused their son to commit suicide if that is what he did. The one surviving family member is looking for answers but why does she suddenly quit her job and move interstate?
July 14, 2023
This was a great second book in the Jane Halifax series. It took us on a journey of Jane trying to recover lost memories after she was involved in a serious car accident. Is everyone’s intentions pure? Who can she really trust? We also follow Jane as she tries to help a young woman get some answers about her family, old wounds were reopened and answers were finally found. I really enjoyed this novel.
Thank you to better readings for my preview copy of this novel. All reviews are my own.
Thank you to better readings for my preview copy of this novel. All reviews are my own.
March 16, 2024
enjoyed the book of this popular Australian tv series. Jane Halifax a forensic psychiatrist struggles with complete e loss of memory after a car accident . Sh uncovers he rgrief over her fathers suicide, her partners horrific death and the suicide of a person she was an expert witness in a court case for.
July 21, 2023
Good storyline, easy to read and quick to get through... However it didn't have the same charm as the first book. There were so many alternative storyline options to finish with and this one felt incomplete... 😟
January 14, 2024
Roger Simpson’s second book in the Halifax series is wonderfully written and does not disappoint. It has an interesting and intriguing protagonist and the complicated mystery she must solve is great. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
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