canticle creek, by adrian hyland

When artist and environmentalist Daisy Baker is found dead near Canticle Creek, a young hoodlum from the Northern Territory is blamed.
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Jess Redpath is the top cop in the small town of Kulara, Northern Territory. When restless young lad Adam Lawson gets himself repeatedly in trouble, she vouches for his character to keep him out of jail. He's basically a good kid, she thinks, and hopes this lucky escape from prison time will set him on the straight and narrow. Adam bolts south to country Victoria, gets involved with a girl named Daisy Baker and is suspected of her murder. After Daisy's body is found in a ditch, he tries to escape, but crashes his car and kills himself. All the evidence points to Adam's guilt, but Jess's gut instinct tells her something different. Adam was a bit of a lad, and talented artist too, but no murderer. None of it makes sense.

To find out more, Jess travels to Canticle Creek, rural Victoria, where the crime took place. There she meets an unsettling cast of characters: disgruntled loggers, violent drug dealers and ambitious property developers. A small-scale war is going on between greenie conservationists and those who'd like to exploit the pristine wilderness for financial gain. As Jess gets to know the locals, including a few dangerous run-ins with a thuggish crime ring, she learns that Daisy was a keen amateur botanist. She'd discovered a rare orchid in the Canticle Creek area, signalling land that might be worthy of preservation. Could Daisy's activities have rubbed some people up the wrong way? And could Adam be innocent after all?

Canticle Creek is the third novel from Ned Kelly award winning author Adrian Hyland. It's a cracking tale that holds the reader's interest from first page to last. The protagonist, tough cop Jess Redland, is entirely likeable and real. She's seen it all in her time in the Northern Territory and has a no nonsense approach. The plot is multifaceted and complex, with a lot of different strands to tie up, but a sheer delight to read.  The descriptions of the natural environment are a joy. First Nations knowledge of Country is also carefully woven into the plot, in a way that doesn't feel forced or tokenistic.

Australian crime that ticks all the boxes, addressing issues of corruption, power, money and environment. A winner.

Canticle Creek, by Adrian Hyland. Published by Ultimo. $32.99

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