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Crimson Lake

Wow, I really loved this one, Candice Fox has written a cracker of a read with Crimson Lake.

Ex Detective Ted Conkaffey's (great name!) life has been uprooted beyond belief after being accused, but not convicted, of the abduction of 13 year old Claire Bingley. With his life in ruins, he escapes to the croc infested Crimson Lake.

This was my first book by Fox and I'll definitely be looking out for more by her. A dark, compelling read that I totally recommend!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, 5*.

Crimson Lake is a fast paced, gripping novel with story lines that reel the reader in, and incredible characters, ranging from pure evil to engagingly quirky and everything in between. As always, Candice Fox has created a real page turner that just cannot be put down. Highly recommended. Thanks to Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

Absolutely brilliant story I loved every page big fat 10/10 for me I can't wait for more.

In “Crimson Lake” you get not just one mystery to solve, that about Ted, there is also the dead of local celebrity writer Jake Scully and the stabbing of local teen Lauren a few years ago. Everything is well written and very interesting. I liked the friendship evolving between Ted and Amanda, two people wronged by society. And I had a hard time liking Ted’s wife. She made it all more difficult with abandoning him. Reading about the two cops and how they got away with their doings for such a long time, made me wondering. How can it be that nobody caught on to them ever? Is it just because they were working for the police? If you like good old detective stories, this is a book you want to read. I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK!

I had a feeling that Crimson Lake was going to be a bit different when Ted, the lead character helped an injured goose and named it Woman. It amused me that every time he approached her she got aggressive. As the story progressed his care of her and her babies was respite from some of the pretty grim moments that Ted had to endure.
After the trial that ended his marriage and career fell apart from lack of evidence he moves north to a remote area in Cairns. When his lawyer puts him in touch with Amanda Pharrell he is given something to focus on.
If it hadn’t been clear from the beginning that Ted was innocent I probably wouldn’t have given this book a second glance. But I’m glad that I did read it, the book is very good and its original. The Australian humour had me giggling a few times. Mainly at his attempts to understand Amanda and his attempts to tame Woman.
Amanda is damaged, you don’t find out what happened to her until the end and it explained a lot about why she had built her defensive mechanism. Her character was amazing, she was easier to warm to then Ted at first.
The scenes with Ted at the mercy of the baying mob, headed up by the two bullying police officers was at times uncomfortable to read. It was a stark example of how media feed a frenzied crowd. The whole novel is more raw than the usual British and American fiction that I usually read, but that was part of its appeal. I hope that it will be a new series, it has great potential.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via NetGalley.

From its very ingenious start - an eccentric-seeming narrator saving geese with his last dimes - we learn what brought him to this quickly - a wrongful arrest, dismissed in court for lack of evidence and he's left smeared after a national outrage and media coverage - to join up with an agency headed up by another ex-con - wrongfully convicted (or not) - things take off. Their sense for things leads them to break a case no one could or cares to. - this is utterly convincing and well done entertainment.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved Ted and I liked Amanda even if she was very wacky, I liked her idiosyncrasies .I liked the small town feel and the characters like the old doctor.I find Australian writers very easy to read I don't want to generalize but Aussie writers, the ones I have read anyway seem to be easy to read I like their quirkiness and humour, that does sound like I'm generalizing but I have found it to be true, they seem more off the wall than others and it suits me.This was a cracking tale good pace to match the characters and I loved it I am already looking forward to the next book.Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Although this book is a thriller and full of suspense it is also home to a number of colourful characters that find their way into your heart. There are also a number of characters, equally well drawn that you would hope never to have to meet in your own life.
I did not want to put the book down but yet I never wanted it to end and I think that is the best you can hope for, and the best accolade for any work of fiction.
The setting, and especially the presence of the bloodthirsty crocodiles give this novel real atmosphere which adds to the suspense and helps to build the tension as a variety of surprisingly interwoven murders are solved not always as you would have suspected.
I was lucky enough to receive this ebook from Netgalley.

Crimson Lake is packed full of mystery, suspense and unease; Candice Fox has crafted a truly atmospheric setting in the Australian town of Crimson Lake, and created equally intriguing characters who you can't help but want to know more about.

The main character, Ted, was accused of a horrific crime many years ago. He was 'let off' when there was a lack of evidence to prove he committed the crime, and he staunchly insists he did not do what he was accused of doing to Claire Bingley, a young girl that he saw standing along by the side of the road. Due to Australian laws and the reputation Ted now has, because of his 'crime' his life is effectively in ruins; his marriage broke up, he doesn't get to see his daughter, and he lost his job as a cop. Now he's the partner (in employment terms only!) of Amanda, another ex-con whose guilt is not as it seems... Together they make up a team of private investigators, and their first case together is investigating the disappearance of well-known author Jake Scully.

The storyline itself has various prongs - the current case of the missing author, Ted's inability to not investigate what really happened in Amanda's case which landed her in prison for many years, and flashbacks/ memories of his own horrific ordeal being wrongly accused. I found the past storylines most interesting, and really wanted to know what had actually happened to little Claire.

I found the whole town of Crimson Lake very atmospheric and oppressive, with everyone judging Ted for his past, particularly the police. So many of the characters in this novel are horrible, but I loved reading it all the same, and I really liked Ted and even Amanda, though she could be very odd at times. Add the eerie atmosphere and interesting characters to a skillfully constructed narrative with some very interesting cases to solve, and you've got the first in what looks set to be a great new crime series - and one which I'll definitely continue reading, so bring on book 2!

Wow what a fantastic book that was to read. Kept you gripped all the way from the first page until the last one. It was like 3 stories for the price of one and I wouldn't mind reading more stuff by this author.

A detective novel with a difference; where the two dectectives are a convicted child murderer and an accused paedophile. Not your average read but thrilling all the same. You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge people by their appearances or in this case what they're accused of. Full of Australian outback crocs and snakes and full of the bad guys being the good ones, with darkly dry adult humour thrown in for good measure.

I adored this book despite its billing. It's a great thriller and mystery as well as making you challenge your own preconceptions. I really recommend reading this book. It'll illuminate your life.

Really enjoyed this book and would highly reccommend for anyone looking for a tense crime thriller with plenty of twists... and an unusual set of main characters.

The main story follows the disappearance of a local celebrity author in small town Australian - however the magic of the book is with the two people investigating the case... a former police officer accused but acquitted of the kidnap and rape of a 13 year old girl... and a female PI who had served her time for the killing of a friend as a teenager.

Together Ted and Amanda try to solve the current case whilst trying to escape, but ultimately face, their own suspected crimes.

Ted and Amanda are well devloped, interesting characters who certainly are not your typical crime fighting heroes.... they are fighting their own battles both within themselves, with the law and with the locals who are not keen on them being around.

I would definitely reccommend.

Crimson Lake

This is the first book I've read by Candice Fox. It certainly won't be the last. Crimson Lake is a cracking crime thriller, packed with tension. Set in a small town in Northern Australia, it's filled with strong and some flawed characters, wild weather, lurking crocs, complex plotting and sparkling dialogue.

The central characters, Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell are poles apart. Quirky and original, they're an unlikely duo. Each has a backstory that unfolds in greater detail as the story develops. The whole is brought together following an investigation into a missing author, whose wife's main interest is in money.

It's difficult to explain how this all pans out without spoilers, but suffice to say, this is a story that rattles along at a great pace. The plotting is intriguing and kept me guessing, the characters are flawed, but personable and very plausible. There's a strong sense of location, with an almost palpable sense of oppressive small town mentality. It's intelligent and thought provoking including themes of justice, media pressure and lost lives. This is a cut above many books in this genre; it's original and unusual and I really enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Firstly thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC on exchange for an honest review.

Secondly, wow! What a great story.
Well written, atmospheric, great characters.
I hope this becomes a series of books, I would love to delve deeper into the lives of Amanda, who is quirky, clever and brilliant , and Ted who is just as brilliant though more serious, understandably so.
I need to know how their stories pan out!
I will definitely be reading more Candice Fox stories and highly recommend this one!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great thriller, but really quirky. This book is perfect for fans of detective/mystery stories from authors like John Hart, Karin Slaughter and Harlan Coben. The two main protagonists were fantastically interesting characters, both with very intriguing back stories and their 'journey' was a blast from start finish. I would really like to read more from this author and this story would make a great film or TV mini-series. Definitely more please!

I loved this book and read it in one day. There were basically three plots going on and at times these caused some confusion. The individual murders were all well developed, the descriptions of the area were sound but I found it just a tad unbelievable that all three would happen at the same time in a small North Australian community. Having said that I did not fathom out fully who was responsible for the murders nor why until the last few pages. I loved the descriptions of Amanda and in a weird way found her a very likeable person. The interspersing of red herrings was well paced and kept the reader going along false tracks with the author.

Well I thoroughly enjoyed that!

The plot is intricately written around 3 separate crimes that are woven together with masterful precision. The characters are richly complex and intriguing and the journey you’re taken on through Ted’s eyes is exceptionally enjoyable.

Whose guilty, whose innocent, who knows……

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for a review copy

Superb book, loved reading it and couldn't wait to reach the end. Looking forward to reading the second in the series. Beautifully drawn, interesting characters.

Buddy cop style novels are a dime a dozen these days, so I pitched my expectations low but I have been pleasantly surprised by this book, my first read by this particular author. Not because it's a story that particularly breaks the mould- a damaged investigator, his chequered past, a quirky sidekick and the slow drip of secrets woven throughout the text leading to a big reveal. The book ticks all the boxes, but what makes Crimson Lake a standout is its characters. Sure, I guessed who the Big Bad was fairly early on, but there came a point where I didn't mind because I found myself invested in some very interesting lead characters. Ted and Amanda are everything you could want in an investigative duo, equal parts amusing and sometimes even infuriating. I enjoyed learning about them, and the best part is I'm curious to know what happens next.

A very cleverly crafted novel with three investigations stemming from the meeting of Amanda and Ted. It had pace, brutality, intrigue, blackmail, stifling heat and malevolent crocs, some tender moments too. I must confess of drifting into thinking it was set in the Everglades as we don’t usually get a thriller like this set in Cairns, Australia. However, no matter where the backdrop, the darkness of the human soul pitted against right thinking people always makes for an interesting read. I have given it 5 stars because I found it compulsive reading and I’m composing this review hardly having slept last night for turning pages! There is one cloud on the horizon though…….cable brakes? Parking brakes are generally cable but the usual brakes you use for stopping a car are hydraulic. They also are dual circuit so that in the event of a major leak some degree of braking is usually possible. Perhaps the author could change this? Tampering with hydraulic pipes is difficult to get away with, however the servo vacuum hose might just come adrift and render the braking extremely difficult after a couple of operations! So, I’m mentally taking a half point away 4.5 / 5.