I received an advance reading copy of this book thanks to Allen & Unwin.

I've noticed over the past eighteen months that my reading habits and preferences have slowly been changing. I've sensed an urge, and in a slightly patriotic sense have embraced quite a lot of Australian authors and Australian based novels into my repertoire. I think as I have aged I have developed an alternative view and appreciation for Australian writers and also the Australian landscape. That is most probably why I was compelled to read this from the get go.

The plot of this book is great. Reading the blurb on the inside cover you know you're heading into a murder massacre in which another double murder is uncovered, but you aren't prepared for the multiple story lines that greet you within the pages. It's brilliant how Hammer has created this small town layered with personalities that each play a pivotal role throughout the book. This is without a doubt the highlight of this novel. Hammer's construction of a plot with multidimensional characters in a multifaceted dying town is worth marveling over because he makes it feel so real. You read this and with strong conviction believe that you could potentially and unfortunately see a similar story unfold on the nightly news or read about in the morning newspapers. And just as you assume that you know what lies ahead, Hammer veers sharply to the right to make you question what you thought you knew and how it could potentially end.

Heading into this book you'd be forgiven for making comparisons with Jane Harper's The Dry. Similar setting, comparable genre, like minded protagonist. Unlike Harper's much acclaimed work I found this lagged in a few places throughout. Whilst I was compelled to discover the outcome, the writing style didn't leave me gagging to keep reading and finish as quickly as humanly possible as opposed to when I read The Dry. A stronger use of descriptive language and a higher sense of urgency could have undoubtedly made this an unforgettable piece of fiction for me.