- This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
- ASIN : B0F495RSCY
- Publisher : Text Publishing, Publication date : September 30, 2025
- Print length : 372 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-1923059535
- Book 5 of 5: The Paul Hirsch mysteries
Synopsis (Amazon)
Hirsch is checking firearms. The regular police audit: all weapons secured, ammo stored separately, no unauthorised person with keys to the gun safe. He’s checking people, too. The drought is hitting hard in the mid-north, and Hirsch is responsible for the welfare of his scattered flock of battlers, bluebloods, loners and miscreants.
He isn’t usually called on for emergency roadside assistance. But with all the other services fully stretched, it’s Hirsch who has to grind his way out beyond the Mischance Creek ruins to where some clueless tourist has run into a ditch.
As it turns out, though, Annika Nordrum isn’t exactly a tourist. She’s searching for the body of her mother, who went missing seven years ago. And the only sense in which she’s clueless is the lack of information unearthed by the cops who phoned in the original investigation.
Hirsch owes it to Annika to help, doesn’t he? Not to mention that tackling a cold case beats the hell out of gun audits and admin…
My Take
Another lovely treat from Garry Disher. The Hirsch series is set in South Australia just north of the Barossa Valley. Years ago Paul Hirschausen blotted his copy book, was stripped of his rank, and became a lone police constable at Tiverton. He does all the usual things a solitary cop would do but occasionally other things a bit more adventurous.
In this series we've seen him develop in the role, and show himself not just competent but conscientious and thoughtful, with a few detective skills thrown in. There is a strong Australian flavour not just to the characterisation but also to the settings and plot lines. Local concerns and issues are to the fore too.
My rating: 4.7
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