Crucifixion Creek

Harry Belltree is a detective in the NSW police force. Previously he served as a member of the Australian armed forces in Afghanistan where he saw many deadly events so to some extent becomes immune to the violence that he encounters working in homicide. But Harry is still troubled by the death of his parents in a car crash three years earlier. His wife, who was also in the car, is now blind. Harry knows that this was no accident and is determined to find out who is responsible.

Meanwhile a number of events have occurred in / near Crucifixion Creek and when Harry meets a journalist, Kelly Pool, who is looking for leads for stories he occasionally provides her with leads for stories. Harry is officially restricted in the investigation as his brother-in-law is one of the victims. However he sets out to carry out his own unofficial investigation into what turns out to be a minefield of corruption.

Crucifixion Creek by Barry Maitland is the first book in the Belltree Trilogy. It is a fast paced, often violent, crime thriller that is easy to read and difficult to put down.