Black river / Matthew Spencer.

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Title:

Black river / Matthew Spencer.

Author:

Spencer, Matthew (Journalist), author.

ISBN:

9781662510069

Physical Description:

286 pages : maps ; 21 cm.

Series:

[Rose Riley] ; [#1]

Rose Riley ; #1.

General Note:

Series statement from Goodreads.com.

Abstract:

During a stifling summer in Sydney, the body of a chaplain's daughter is found wrapped in black plastic on the deserted grounds of an elite boarding school. Is it the work of the killer who's been stalking the privileged neighborhoods along the Parramatta River? Gut instinct tells Detective Sergeant Rose Riley something even more devious might be at play. Eager to find the so-called Blue Moon Killer before he strikes again, Riley forms an uneasy alliance with Adam Bowman, a journalist with a valuable, and unsettling, link to the school's history. As Riley's investigation takes her deep into the secret lives of Sydney's prominent citizens, Bowman delves into the darkest places of his own childhood for answers. When their paths converge, Riley must use every bit of her cunning to stop another murder. Excavating Bowman's past might just be the key to unlocking the case. Or it could prove to be Riley's undoing. Because clue by clue she's being pulled into the sights of a killer.

Subject Term:

Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction.

Boarding schools -- Fiction.

Journalists -- Fiction.

Meurtre -- Enquêtes -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Internats -- Romans, nouvelles, etc.

Boarding schools

Journalists

Murder -- Investigation

Geographic Term:

Sydney (N.S.W.) -- Fiction.

New South Wales -- Sydney

Genre:

Detective and mystery stories.

Detective and mystery fiction

Fiction

Detective and mystery fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Adult Mystery Fiction Book Paperback	120791003072328	F SPE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

The elite neighborhoods of Sydney are becoming a serial killer's hunting ground. But for a city--and a detective--on the edge, not everything is as it seems in a twisting novel of suspense.

Eager to find the so-called Blue Moon Killer before he strikes again, Riley forms an uneasy alliance with Adam Bowman, a journalist with a valuable, and unsettling, link to the school's history. As Riley's investigation takes her deep into the secret lives of Sydney's prominent citizens, Bowman delves into the darkest places of his own childhood for answers. When their paths converge, Riley must use every bit of her cunning to stop another murder.

Excavating Bowman's past might just be the key to unlocking the case. Or it could prove to be Riley's undoing. Because clue by clue she's being pulled into the sights of a killer.

Reviews (2)

Bookseller Publisher Review

He's been dubbed the Blue Moon Killer: someone who has been killing young women along Sydney's Parramatta River whenever the moon is full. Sydney is on edge, and the cops, led by Rose Riley and Steve O'Neil, know they need to figure out the killer's identity soon. When another young woman is found dead on the grounds of an exclusive private school, cleaned and wrapped in plastic like the others, O'Neil thinks there are too many discrepancies and it's a copycat. Riley, however, thinks the murders are related, and that having the media onside will help. Enter journalist Adam Bowman, for whom the school holds many bitter memories. Adam knows only one thing: that running this story might just break him. An on-the-ground procedural that feels honest about the legwork without ever slowing down the pace, Black River charts a chilling murder investigation with a cast of characters ranging from forensic psychiatrists to new detectives. These people are flawed, skilled and determined, and their story transports the reader to the waters of the Parramatta River, leaving unease and mistrust in its wake. For those who love the idea of P M Newton's savvy cops working alongside a Chris Hammer-style cunning journalist, all set in the glossy but sinister Sydney of Loraine Peck, this is your next gripping Australian crime read. Fiona Hardy is a children's author and a bookseller at Readings.

Kirkus Review

The murder of a third girl in an affluent Sydney suburb brings out an army of police and press. A young woman is brutally killed on the campus of Prince Albert, a private boys' boarding school in suburban Sydney. She's assumed to be the latest casualty of the Blue Moon Killer, who's currently at large. This victim is Marguerite Dunlop, daughter of the school chaplain and a recent graduate of a neighboring girls' school. Reporter Adam Bowman, an alumnus of Prince Albert, is sent to cover this hot story with orders to stay out of the way of his brash colleague "Beat-Up" Benny Diamond, who's already reporting on BMK for their newspaper. Meanwhile, the investigation by DCI Steve O'Neil and DS Rose Riley is underway. A police team dubbed Strike Force Satyr that's also investigating BMK is on the scene as well. Riley and O'Neil's methodical gathering of forensic evidence and questioning of witnesses alternates with Bowman's more personal reminiscences and interviews. An additional perspective is provided by DC Priya Patel, a young officer with a justifiable chip on her shoulder over "a lifetime of explaining yourself to dumb fucks." Spencer's fiction debut, the first installment in a planned Rose Riley series, features a straightforward detective plot that's enriched and deepened by touching on issues of class, race, and gender. An engaging police procedural with a little something extra. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.