Unbeknownst to Walker, when a dangerously violent man introduced in the previous novel learns of his Gold Coast presence, plans are made for revenge against Walker. Many of the loose threads from book one are tied up here, but there are a few things that will probably make it into book three. I really like Lucas as a character. While normally a desk investigator he has no hesitation in jumping into an investigation that could put him in the firing line. Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown With multiple new and previously introduced characters, Wolf then delivers a satisfying, way above-average police procedural full of interesting characters and plots and does well in breathing life into her characters – even the villains. Not only that, Wolf’s writing again exhibits a wonderfully smooth style that clearly feeds the anticipation of the arrival of her future work.

Outback (DS Walker Thriller, book 1) by Patricia Wolf

In fact, anyone with knowledge or eagle eyes may have noticed that she makes a few references to her hometown in the debut work of fiction. During her time there, she coved all manner of subjects from politics, design, culture, art, human interest, and political pieces from all over the world. Patricia Wolf’s novel “Paradise” continues to follow the life and times of DS Sergeant Lucas Walker who is recovering from injuries he got while dealing with a killer about three months earlier. Nail-biting thriller!... From the beginning I was hooked!... A thrilling ride that had me holding my breath through its finale. Highly recommended' Reader review, 5 stars

Publication Order of DS Walker Books

At some point, she worked for “Monocle” magazine as a correspondent from Lisbon and for the Independent as a design columnist, The start of this one is a little slow, I found, but mostly in a setting the scene kind of way. Obviously too, we as readers know more than Lucas does (on account of the number of POVs this book gets), so I was sat waiting for Lucas to get with it, while having more knowledge than he did. Not necessarily a good thing for a detective novel, although it did work in raising tension towards the end. Finished this book within a day ... I honestly loved it, really had you guessing who the murderer was 'til the last minute' Reader review, 5 stars They had disappeared in the neighborhood while heading to a remote cattle station where they had been offered jobs. Initially, Walker doubts that his supervisor is only interested in him helping with an investigation into a missing persons case.

Outback: A stunning new crime thriller: Wolf, Patricia Outback: A stunning new crime thriller: Wolf, Patricia

The plot is intense in Paradise and revolves around bikkie gangs, drugs and greed! Another gripping read and I also rated Paradise as a 5-star read. His spare time is spent swimming, working on his rehab and also, somewhat reluctantly, entertaining a friend of his sister’s, a very attractive champion kite-surfer. Lucas also volunteers himself on the roster of police keeping guard on eight-year-old Gabby Owen in the ICU. He makes occasional calls to German police detective Barbara Guerra, with whom he sought a kidnapper/murderer some months earlier. All while he awaits the results of the board reviewing his actions in Caloodie some months earlier, deciding if he still has a job. Because most resources are applied to the high-profile home invasion investigation, Walker ends up as the main investigator rather than a mere advisor and is careful to hide this from his own boss.Walker remains convinced there is more at play. Working in the organised crime unit has opened his eyes to the growing drug trade in Australia's remote interior. Could this be connected to that dark and violent world? During her time as a journalist, she regularly contributed to prestigious magazines that include “The Telegraph,” “The Guardian,” “The Independent,” and the “Financial Times” among many others. Wolf gives the reader another fast-paced Aussie crime thriller: a wholly credible tale with that requires virtually no suspension of disbelief, and builds up to a nail-biting climax. The dialogue is convincing, with a generous helping of the Australian vernacular, and her depiction of coastal Queensland feels truly authentic. To me, the most appealing aspect of these books is Walker himself. He’s someone who is strong enough to carry off the role he’s assigned but with enough frailties and worries to hold a reader’s interest. Aside from my regard for the lead man, the tale itself bumps along at a decent pace but without ever really introducing anyone or anything that piqued my interest to the same degree. It's all fairly routine and really offers up few surprises, as Walker helps the local cops investigate a brutal home invasion murder.

Outback | Patricia Wolf | 9781471411700 | NetGalley Outback | Patricia Wolf | 9781471411700 | NetGalley

As the number of days since the couple’s disappearance climbs, DS Walker is joined by Rita’s older sister. A detective herself with Berlin CID, she has flown to Australia – desperate to find her sister before it’s too late.

About this book

As the novel progresses, the more information Walker discovers, the more suspicions he has that the two cases may be related, while others remain highly skeptical of such a link. When those investigating the home invasion learn of Walker’s premiere investigative skills, he is asked to review their case files, which leads to him slowly being pulled into that investigation as well.