Our Review… Fans of rural Aussie crime have a new book to check out and a new flawed cop protagonist to care about. Set in a coastal town in NSW under threat of fire, Haze is a story of religious cults, powerful family dynasties, revenge, redemption, murder and more. Constable Dahlia Thompson has returned to her hometown from Sydney determined to leave her harrowing past behind her. But that’s not easy when the cult she escaped is still an all-pervading presence, her former boyfriend’s family is still intent on hassling her and no-one seems able to leave the past in the past. The story starts with Dahlia helping to evacuate the outskirts of town under threat from fires (that appear to have been deliberately lit). The last house on her list is owned by her best friends – but when she gets there, she finds them dead and their young son missing. What follows is a race against time – to find the boy, to solve the murders, to reconcile herself with her past and to do it all before the whole town is engulfed in flames. To say there is a lot going on in this book is an understatement – there are twists and turns on every page, and it all unfolds at a frenetic pace. At times you feel like you’re being taken on a wild goose chase before it all starts to fall into place. With a sequel due in 2027, this is a page turner to add to your Australian rural crime collection. Review by Andi @ Great Escape Books
