Starred review from March 22, 2010
Crisp, colorful prose distinguishes the outstanding second Emily Tempest investigation set in the Australian Outback from Ned Kelly Award–winner Hyland (after 2008's Moonlight Downs
). Tempest, a half-Aboriginal, half-white police officer, clashes with her superior in the official inquiry into the murder of prospector Albert Ozolins. She doesn't think eccentric John Vincent Petherbridge (aka “Wireless”) struck Ozolins a fatal blow to the throat with a geological hammer, despite Wireless's admitting he argued with the victim about Xeno's Paradox shortly beforehand. Instead, Emily suspects that the scientist's research into the snowball Earth theory, the hypothesis that the earth's surface may once have been entirely frozen over, may have given someone a motive to kill. Hyland doesn't spare his independent heroine some rough knocks. Readers who like their mysteries in exotic locales will hope this series has a long run.
Starred review from May 1, 2010
Hylands second mystery featuring Emily Tempest (following Moonlight Downs, 2008) finds the half-white, half-Aboriginal young woman having agreed to take on the post of Aboriginal Community police officer. Working as a beat cop in the harsh land of northern Australia, Emily soon encounters her first corpse: an old prospector she knew as a child. Convinced he couldnt possibly have died as a result of an argument gone bad, Emily uses her deep knowledge of the land and people to find the real killer. Except shes not supposed to be investigating that crime: her boss wants her working the night shift in town. Hylands second novel is better than her debut, which won Australias Ned Kelly Award for best first novel. The storys gritty nature echoes the tough life, harsh environment, and difficult living conditions of the setting, and each of the characters seems a perfect fit in the hot and dusty landscape, from Emily, whos not afraid to get into a fight, to the rough-and-tumble prospectors. The suspenseful and well-paced story will appeal equally to readers already familiar with the series and those just getting to know the tough-as-nails Emily. She makes an excellent addition to the roster of international crime-fiction protagonists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)