Where the River Runs by Fleur McDonald

 

This is a beautifully constructed book about righting wrongs, re-establishing relationships and solving a century-old mystery.

Chelsea has returned with her small daughter, Aria, to her home town where her father, Tom, is living alone, continuing to run his sheep station with the aid of one full-time employee named Cal. Chelsea has a battle ahead of her to win back the love of her father and the respect of the friends she left behind,

Dave, the local policeman, is called out to the discovery of what appears to be a grave on Tom’s property and he and his assisting constable, Jack, are tasked with investigating the find. Fleur McDonald cleverly brings a new dimension to the story by rounding out Dave’s character to include his marriage to Kim and his own relationships with his mother and his brothers.

 All the supporting characters are clearly defined and my interest didn’t waver for a second as I tried to pace myself to prolong the enjoyment but failed and read long into the night, as I usually do when I’m reading an engrossing book. The scenery is described with as much scrupulous attention as the people of the town of Barker and the book hums with the promise of love and redemption.

Australia has produced many brilliant writers and Fleur McDonald shines with the best of them! 5 out of 5 absolutely!

Published by Allen & Unwin