- This edition from my local library
- published Penguin 2026
- ISBN 978-1-76134-931-7
- 346 pages
Synopsis (Publisher)
Set in the 1990s in New Zealand’s King Country, The First Law of the Bush is the scintillating new rural noir from the author of When The Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.
It’s a beautiful day to be alive, Bill Dickerson thought, seconds before he tumbled from the viaduct onto the jagged rocks below . . .
His awful death made national news. But still, one year on, Bill’s widow Carol has received no explanation about what happened. Was it suicide? An accident? Maybe murder?
So Carol hires lawyer Ryan Bradley in her fight for justice. Ryan has just returned to the remote town of Nashville after ten years away, so he’s in no position to turn down work.
Except the case seems hopeless from the start. Bill’s employer is denying responsibility, Carol’s friends are shunning her, and the only witnesses – co-workers Gav Coates and Wati Reynolds – can shed no light on the tragic fall. Even Senior Sergeant ‘Stinger’ Nettle is too busy turning a blind eye to Wati’s illegal schemes to dig deeper into the death.
But in small towns, nothing is quite what it seems. And for one Nashville resident the wrong question will come at a deadly price . . .
My Take
An engrossing read. The real reason for Bill Dickerson's death comes as a total surprise. The plot is well constructed with a number of sub-plots that are well executed. An author to watch and I will certainly be reading his debut title., When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.
My rating: 4.8
About the author
Born and raised in rural New Zealand, Geoff Parkes now lives in Melbourne. For the last twelve years he’s written a weekly opinion column for The Roar, Australia’s leading on-line sports website. He is the author of two crime novels, When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole and The First Law of the Bush.
Perhaps my enjoyment of this novel was too drastically affected by the fact that it is #2 in in the series, but to be honest I think I was too much turned off by the disclaimer "Agatha Christie meets Made in Chelsea in this witty and addictive whodunnit". Those of you who follow my blog know that I object particularly to the 