Opal

Detective Sergeant Lucas Walker, a member of the Australian Federal Police, has time off work to visit his family in Caloodie in outback Queensland. His half-sister, Grace, is visiting from America and he wants to show her the family home and introduce her to family members. Their plans are disrupted when they travel an extra 400 kilometres to the opal mining town of Kampara to collect Lucas' cousin, Blair, who is returning home.

Arriving at Kampara they encounter unrest among some of the inhabitants as news is circulating that a large opal has been discovered and is to be sold in secret. Next morning they are ready to leave the town only to discover that heavy rains in northern Queensland have flooded the access roads into town and they are trapped until the floodwaters subside which could take several days. Then two people are murdered and Lucas becomes involved with the investigation, especially when he realises that his brother is one of the suspects.

Opal by Patricia Wolf is the third book in the D S Walker thriller series. Fortunately I read this enthralling, fast paced novel in the summer holidays when I could spend hours reading without interruption. It is another great example of Aussie noir with emphasis on the effects of the environment on the lives of those living in outback Australia. I have not read the first two books in the series but will definitely borrow them from the local library.