Tipping Point

 

Set in a country town in northern NSW, Luke, the brother of Detective Kate Miles returns for the funeral of Marcus, a school friend, who was shot. Ant, another school friend appears to have committed suicide recently. The three boys, Luke, Marcus and Ant were a close-knit group at school. Now only Luke is left, and he becomes a person of interest to the police as he appears to be the last person to have seen Marcus alive. 

In Tipping Point by Dinuka McKenzie we learn about the relationships between the three boys over the years. Much of the focus hearkens back to events at an eighteenth birthday party held seventeen years earlier and how these may be impacting on the present events. Luke has also just lost his job and is being questioned by police about an incident that led to his dismissal.

This book provides a study of how inappropriate (often forgotten) acts from the past can impact upon future events and continue to affect people over time. Topics in the book cover date rape, the sharing of intimate media clips, domestic violence and coercive control as well as depression and suicide.  

As in the previous two books in this series, the focus continues to be on how Kate juggles with her police work and looking after two young children as well as her relationship with other family members. When the press learns of Luke’s possible involvement in the death of Marcus, Kate has to step down from the case but investigates another line of enquiry.

Tipping Point is another well written, fast moving crime novel – a welcome addition to the sub-genre of Aussie Noir.

Taken

Kate Miles has returned to work in the police force after recovering from a gunshot wound and the birth of her second child. Her husband is not convinced about her returning to work full-time so soon after their daughter's birth, however he is out of work and they need her salary. Then reports appear of the corrupt business dealings of a former parliamentarian with links to her father. Kate therefore has to cope with family pressures as well as the pressures of returning to work where she has the feeling that some of her colleagues are just waiting for her to fail.

Added to these pressures Kate's first case is investigating the disappearance of a baby from her home. The baby's father was away at a conference but when it becomes obvious that there are contradictions in his story he becomes a prime suspect as does the mother's former partner who is renowned for his acts of violence, particularly against women. As the investigation proceeds more is revealed about the lives and relationships of the main characters.

This is a character driven crime novel which focuses on family relationships and family violence as well as attitudes in Kate's work environment regarding the ability of women to lead, particularly women who are not white. Police corruption also features in the book. In Taken, Dinuka McKenzie has written another novel enabling the reader to become immersed in the story and its characters and just want to keep reading. The third book in this series has recently been published.

The Torrent

Northern New South Wales is well known for periods of heavy rain resulting in flooding and unfortunately it is not unusual for people to lose their lives, especially when trying to cross flooded rivers. 

In The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is asked to review a case where a man recently drowned in a fast flowing river. He and his wife had tried to cross a river ford in their car which was consequently swept downstream. The two passengers ended up in the water. The wife was able to escape but her husband did not survive the ordeal. The coroner's report was accidental death by drowning. Some months later a decision is made to reinvestigate the case to ensure that proper procedures were followed in the initial investigation.

Kate and her team are also investigating a robbery at a McDonald's store where a staff member was attacked. The three offenders wore masks making identification difficult but it is believed that they attend a local secondary school. The girl who was attacked is the daughter of a local councillor who places additional pressure on the investigating team by going to the press.

These two cases are passed on to Kate and her team in the week before she is due to go on maternity leave. As well as trying to solve the case she also needs to bring her replacement officer up to speed.

I really enjoyed reading this fast paced book. Fortunately this is a long weekend so I was able to spend the time reading without interruption.  The Torrent is Dinuka McKenzie's first novel. The second book in the Detective Kate Miles series is due to be published next year.