When big-city Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic arrives in Finnegans Gap to investigate the death of an opal miner, he feels as though he's landed on another planet-- a planet filled with wind, dirt, and blast furnace heat. His local partner in the investigation is Detective Constable Navelle Buchanan, and her insight into the area is invaluable.
Nothing is straightforward, neither about the man's death nor the person who found him. In this desolate outback town, police struggle to maintain order. Opal mines are ransacked by thieves. Religious fanatics recruit vulnerable youngsters, and the rich? Well, the rich always seem to do whatever they want.
Finnegans Gap has proved tough on the police. It's ended one police officer's career and damaged others, and now allegations have been made against both Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan. But the two are relentless, and there's one thing that the people of Finnegans Gap must learn: nothing stays buried forever.
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Chris Hammer is an Australian author who's been on my radar for a couple of years, and since I love opals, Opal Country persuaded me that this is where I needed to jump in and test the waters.
Ivan Lucic is a fascinating, multi-faceted character. His introduction to the climate in Finnegans Gap made me smile, desert dweller that I am, and his driving skill on dirt roads made me laugh out loud. There's a subplot involving his partner, Detective Inspector Morris Montifiore, that he's got to be wary of since the workings of any police force's "internal affairs" are serious. Lucic is well-described as " a lone wolf forced to tend a flock," It can chafe him when he realizes that he has to keep Nell Buchanan in the loop, and that there are people in Finnegans Gap for whom he has a duty of care. He's also got a gambling problem that almost made me roll my eyes until Hammer worked his magic on it.
Nell Buchanan is another fascinating character. She's relatively new on the job and has faced her share of misogyny, but she's incredibly dedicated and intuitive. However, she can also be incredibly thoughtless. These two form a very interesting partnership.
As an American of a certain age, I have to admit being thrown each and every time one of the bad guys was mentioned by name. Why? Because the name is Bullwinkel, that's why. I kept hearing Boris and Natasha muttering away about "Moose and Squirrel" in my ear. Ah well. The name certainly didn't stop him from being a five-star slimeball.
As Lucic and Buchanan fought their way to the truth and Opal Country concluded in a good old-fashioned shootout, I gained a hearty respect for the mayor of Deadmans Well. That's one very important thing I learned about Chris Hammer: never dismiss one of his characters. You never know what they're capable of (other than surprising you).
Hammer's setting took me right into Australia's opal country and gave me a nice, twisty mystery to solve alongside some amazing characters. I'll be back for more.
Opal Country (APA Treasure and Dirt) by Chris Hammer
ISBN: 9781472272966
Wildfire © 2022
Hardcover, 512 pages
Police Procedural
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Amazon UK.
