Day's End

Set in 2021 in outback South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) carries out his duties as the only police officer in the small town of Tiverton, plus the many properties in the large surrounding area, though Hirsch reports to a larger police station in Redruth which is half an hour away by car. Hirsch makes it his business to get to know the residents in the community that he polices and spends much of the time assisting them when problems, big or small, arise.

Day's End is the fourth book in the Paul Hirchhausen series and the novel begins with Hirsch taking Janne Van Sant to visit the area where her son was last seen when he worked on a property in the region. They are informed that Willi and his girfriend had left the property to travel north. Janne is concerned as she has not heard from her son for several months. On the return journey to Tiverton they discover a body in a suitcase that has been set on fire. Janne confirms that Willi is not the body in the suitcase.

Meanwhile it soon becomes apparent that harassment via social media is taking place in the community as well as many sites in the community being vandalised with grafitti. Reports also start coming in about the validity of a recent hard rubbish collection. A variety of seemingly unrelated reports eventually cause Hirsch to decide that an extreme right wing group, propagating conspiracy theories, is being established in the community. The local First Nations community is one target as is the local doctor attempting to provide COVID-19 vaccinations.

Day's End was a book that I just had to keep reading. Another great addition to the growing genre of excellent Australian crime novels. 

Shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards - General Fiction