City of Light

City of Light is the first crime novel written by Dave Warner. Snowy Lane investigates a number of crimes over the years, initially as a young constable and then as a private investigator. The novel is written in three sections - 1979, 1986 and 1988. When the novel begins there have been a number of murders of young women by a killer named by the police and the press as Mr Gruesome. Eventually the police identify and arrest the killer and Perth breaths a sigh of relief. During the investigation Snowy begins to learn of the network of corruption occurring in business, politics and the police force in Perth.

As a private investigator Snowy works on a variety of cases over the years but his mind keeps taking him back to the Mr Gruesome case and the feeling that something was missed in the investigation. He also continues to discover examples of corruption in high places. When a colleague is killed he is determined more than ever to discover the truth. Then the murders begin again.

There were times when I felt that this novel was too long and began to lose interest, but at the end when  parts of the story are unravelled and explained I became more involved in the story line. There are also many descriptions of sexual encounters but most of them end up being relevant to the story and the characters involved.

City of Life is often referred to as number one in the Dan Clements series but Dan Clements does not appear as a character in the book. However in Clear to the Horizon both Snowy Lane and Dan Clements work on a case. City of Life is therefore the first of Dave Warner's series of crime novels set in Western Australia containing the characters of Snowy Lane or Dan Clements or both.

Before It Breaks

Detective Inspector Dan Clement has returned to Broome. His marriage to Marilyn has ended but he needs to be in the area to have occasional contact with his daughter, Phoebe. Having worked much of his career investigating murders he is struggling to settle into the routine of 'normal' police work.

Then a body is found in the bush and Dan Clement is in charge of the investigation team. When another man is found murdered - probably by the same weapon - plus an associate of first murdered man is kidnapped, the police have to call in help from police in Perth - especially as a large cyclone is about to hit the area in the next day or two.

There is a race against time to solve this crime which may have links to a police investigation in Germany in 1979. The bush settings and the threat of the impending storm add to the threat of danger and atmosphere as the police try to solve this spate of recent crimes in their region.

Before It Breaks is the second book in the Dan Clement series by Dave Warner.

After the Flood

After the Flood opens with an account of the collapse of a dam wall in Brazil, resulting in many deaths including the partner and unborn child of an Australian working in the country for a multinational company. 

Back in Broome, Detective Inspector Dan Clement misses his teenage daughter who lives with her mother in Perth. Meanwhile the police in the region are busy with a number of cases including dealing with animal rights protestors at the local abattoir, where cars had been torched weeks earlier, a break-in at the Early Childhood Centre resulting in drugs being destroyed, and a break-in at a small mining company in Halls Creek where explosives and a booster were stolen. 

Then the police learn of a brutal murder at a large cattle property off the Gibb River Road. The body had been staked out on the ground as if crucified and then run over repeatedly. Who is this man? What was he doing in such a remote location? And why would be be killed in such a brutal way?

The police gradually realise that the series of crimes could be related and may be connected to a larger crime.

As the plot is revealed we learn about the lives and concerns of the characters - the police and their families as well as those involved in expressing their views, often through illegal means. The terrain of the Kimberley region is also an important factor in the novel.

Dave Warner has written another fast paced crime novel in the Dan Clement series - book four.

When it Rains

The wet season is about to break in northern Western Australia and then the reports of crime begin. Detective Inspector Dan Clement and his team investigate. Detective Sergeant Shepherd is attacked in a hotel carpark. A young woman is found badly injured at a local motel. Then the remains of a woman tied to a post are found in a river. She had been attacked by a crocodile. At first it is thought that the same person was responsible for these crimes, however further investigation reveals otherwise.

Dan had just met Lena but he needs to leave her at his home in Broome while the investigations take him to various locations in The Kimberley including Derby and Kununarra.  

When It Rains by Dave Warner is an action-packed novel which moves at a fast pace. As the story unfolds the reader experiences the landscape and climate of north-west Australia as well as a partial glimpse of life in outback communities. Another great addition to the ever growing collection of Aussie Noir. Number 5 in the Dan Clement series.