Well I’m a little bit speechless. What an absolutely brilliant book from the beginning, right up to the end!

This is a crime series set in Australia. This is a slow paced mystery. It is more character driven than plot driven.
A good book.

I found this book hard to follow at time s as everything was written in a long winded way and felt like it was dragging to get to the point each time. Not for me this read.

I have to admit, I picked up Red Dirt Road because I looove The Dry and other novels by Jane Harper and I've been craving a similar setting. I really enjoy thrillers set in the outback because I feel like the climate adds an extra element to the isolation of the characters and the murder or mystery that has taken place.

Red Dirt Road was just okay. The mystery itself was intriguing to begin with, but I felt like it all felt very surface level and it was easy to predict what was going on.

I didn't feel a connection with the main character Dana at all. She seemed to have little personality, and at the end she went all Poirot and her explanation to the killer about how she figured it out went on for what felt like forever. Seriously, it was pages and pages of "I know how you did this and this is how I reached this conclusion and these are all the ways in which you messed up". It became tedious and wasn't really a "gotcha" vibe.

I might have cared more about Dana if I had read the first two books in this series, but I doubt it. All I knew about her in this one was she was good at maths and she had a plastic kneecap, which never really came up again after the first quarter of the book.

The setting was also a bit of a letdown because I felt like the author could have described it more and really made the reader feel as though they're stuck in a drought in the desert. Nothing was really described other than the characters saying they were in a drought. It's something that I felt was really lacking.

All that said, Red Dirt Road isn't a bad book, it was just very mediocre. It entertained me for a few hours but I won't be reaching for this author's other books because nothing really drew me in.

A crime mystery set in an isolated Australian out back town. I am a fan of thrillers set in Australia and the author is a worthy member of the growing genre of out back noir. An interesting protagonist, though the story was slow to get going but a satisfying denouement.

Red Dirt Road is a crime novel by a writer who is being described as one of Australia's rising stars. The book is a hefty read - quite literally not to be taken lightly - and at times, something of a slow burn.

The first part of the story devotes a considerable amount of time on introducing the reader to the protagonist, Dana, a police investigator who is a introvert, both socially and wrt the amount of time she spends inside her head.

And that is just as well, because Dana is soon very much dependent on her own resources, after she is dispatched by her superior to the tiny Outback town of Unamurra, where two bizarre murders have taken place in a population of only 50 people.

The pair of corpses are found carefully staged, in quick succession, in highly public spots. The bodies are discovered hanging from structures originally created for a failed art exhibit which was aimed at bringing more tourism to the town.

The artist, Axel Dubois, is himself an outsider to the town, and has mysteriously gone missing in action - despite the occasional shifting around of the gigantic, mobile Angel sculptures that he created - which would seem to indicate that he remains lurking somewhere in the vicinity. Inevitably, this also raises this suspicion that Dubois is somehow involved in the killings.

If all this were not strange enough, the inhabitants of Unamurra also seem hell-bent on "moving on" from the unsolved murders with a degree of complacency which borders on the suicidal.

Now, Dana is tasked with solving what appears to be an impossible pair of murders with the sole (and somewhat dubious) assistance of the local policeman, who may or may not be involved in a wider cover-up. The situation is made worse by the mixed messages (including an intriguing Star Trek reference) that she is given from the wider law-enforcement structures that have colluded to send her to Unamurra in the first place.

Alongside our gradual introduction to Dana, the writer invests time and a fair bit of detail in fleshing out the oddball characters who live in this small township. And that is actually one of the strengths of the book. Because for me, each person came vividly to life through these character sketches. From the local cop to the semi-reformed town gambler, the local business owners, the "missing" artist and so on.

Another intriguing aspect of the book is the way in which the town itself becomes a character in the story. The writing brings alive the Outback surroundings of the township in all their majestic desolation. The implications of the location for the inhabitants of the town was actually one of the most interesting parts of the narrative.

While we spend a lot of time in Dana's head (which can sometimes get tiring), the payoff at the conclusion of the story was absolutely worth it. The way that the explanation for whodunit - and why - was constructed was not only skillful, but original and quite ingenious. This is clever writing indeed, and deserves a closer look!

(Note: review shared on Goodreads and submitted for sharing on Amazon UK)

Unamurra is an outback town that is dying. Five years of drought have slowly sucked the life out of it. Whilst never prosperous, when there was rain then the farming, cattle ranching, was possible and from this all the businesses needed by a small-town community could function. The butcher, baker and garage have all closed in desperation, only the pub and attached shop, run by Annie, remain open. In some respects, Annie is the heartbeat of what is left of the community, even delivering cooked meals to the old and housebound. Now there are just 50 souls tied to Unamurra, together with some ranches but these can be many kilometres away. They pray for rain, a rain that is long overdue, that will bring some respite, but that is all it will be, even though some of the inhabitants delude themselves that all will be well.

The State Government’s answer to the re-generation is an art project, Axel DuBois’ angels. Fate is sealed when two men are murdered a month apart and their bodies displayed on frames just like the angel artwork. Two local officers investigate and are clueless in more ways than one. Dana Russo’s boss wants to get rid of her so what better case for her to fail on than a review of this impossible one. A case it seems nobody wants solving.

This is very much a slow burning novel but one to stick with. The murders have happened and there is little by way of traditional thriller action. Instead, it concentrates upon the investigation and a deep examination into life in a dying town. It excels in its descriptive passages where it brings the book cover to life, the oppressive heat, the desolation, the endless barren countryside. The reader also gets the sense of people who have given up but don’t want to acknowledge it, who rely on Annie and a few neighbours.

The investigation itself is an oddity, it doesn’t follow a traditional police procedural form, far from it. The local officer, Able, assigned to assist Dana cannot understand her approach to questioning. Her questioning is somewhat oblique and not the questions he would have expected. He doubts her capacity to solve the case whilst Dana is unsure if she can trust Able who was side lined from the original investigation. Their building of a mutual understanding is core to the story, they need each other. It requires the outsider Dana to bring some resolution, but as an insider will Able become collateral damage in the process.

The plot is cleverly constructed. The pool of suspects is small so the reader could well guess the killer, it is the methodology and motivation that matter and that is well described. Dana’s approach is very much that of a free thinker and threequarters through she gets the lightbulb moment as the jigsaw pieces click together in her mind. Some of the clues are there to pick up on and she asks Lucy to do investigations for her which the reader is not party to until the end.

It is all explained in the reveal, which isn’t really a reveal but a confrontation, where Dana and Able put the case to her suspect. A real sense of tension built up here as Dana’s points are rebuffed but she keeps plugging away until the facade starts to crumble and the person beneath is exposed. This is a masterclass in producing a gripping finale with zero thrills and spills but all the while leaving a question of doubt.

Red Dirt Road is a cerebral crime story set in a dusty barren landscape you can almost touch.

I was allowed access to a pdf review copy on Net Galley in exchange for a fair review. Thanks to the author and publisher for organising this.

As a huge Jane Harper fan, I love an outback murder investigation story and this was a great example. The vastness of the Australian outback blows my mind, thinking about people living in small towns such an isolated way - and that was put to good use in Red Dirt Road - the landscape and setting was as much a character as the detective investigating the seemingly unrelated outback murders. I'll definitely be back for more books by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the first I've read from S.R.White and hopefully won't be the last. It was thrilling, exciting, tense and all round a great story. Would definitely recommend.

This was another novel in the increasing genre of Australian outback murder mysteries. I found it to be a very interesting read and the plotting was sound. The sheer amount of suspects made it difficult to follow at times, but also difficult to pick the outcome of the novel. Not as good as Jane Harper or Chris Hammer but plenty of potential. Thanks to Headline and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

This is the first book by this author iv read and I’d definitely like to read about Dana and her unusual detection methods again. Set in the outback with lots of interesting characters it was an enjoyable read although I did find the ending a tad long and drawn out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy.

This was my first book in this series, now I need to go back and read the others. This was so different from normal police procedurals and as such it was a pleasant relief to read something different.

The detective Dana Russo took a completely different approach and it worked and flowed - impressed.

The setting was good, brought back memories of driving through the outback and staying with my father in my early years.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

A slow paced story linked to evidence gathering where Dana a hot shot detective from the city is sent to the outback to a town with a population of 50 to solve 2 murders.
Be patient in reading this book full of characters

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve heard such good things about this book and I was intrigued to start it, I then found out it was the third book in a series. I feel this can be read as a stand-alone but I didn’t get the references to a few characters at the start of book but that didn’t spoil the rest of the story at all.

I think this is the only Australian Crime Fiction book I’ve read and it’s fast becoming one of my favourite things to read after reading Red Dirt Road. It’s so atmospheric, you definitely feel like you’re in the outback with Dana painstakingly discovering the truth.

I’d highly recommend this book.

I've read a few #outbacknoir books and this one has an interesting take as it's an 'unsolvable' murder case set in Unamurra, a remote outback town with no real purpose and only 50 inhabitants.
The setting is as much a character as the inhabitants are and you really get a feel. for the dryness and the red dust. The dust storm description is really evocative.
Dana Russo is an intelligent, slightly geeky detective who I instantly warmed to. She faces a lot of hostility from the town and all the barriers are up against her.
The plot moves quickly until the end, where it becomes rather drawn out and overly detailed in her Poirot style explanation. However the book overall is a gripping well written book with some dry humour along the way.

Australian crime fiction seems to be in a very healthy state at the moment, with the likes of Jane Harper rapidly spreading the word. This is another gripping novel from the Antipodes, well plotted and beautifully evocative. When two murders are reported in a small rural town, and no progress is made by the local cops, a detective from the city is brought in to bring an outsider's perspective to bear. Naturally there is resistance and the case is difficult to crack. The writing is impressive, the characters interesting and I look forward to more from SR White.

Detective Dana Russo, travels to a new town to investigate two bizarre murders. Set in the very remote norther town of Unamurra, this book is as much about the place,the people and their attitudes as it is about the crime.
It is gripping, interesting and set in an unusual town which adds to the darkness of the story.

'Red Dirt Road' by S. R. White follows Detective Dana Russo as she attempts to solve two murders. In a dry desert town of Australia two men have been killed. They have then been strung up on frames to resemble the Angels placed around town by artist Axel Dubois, in a government supported project to attract tourists to the ailing town. He has since fled into the desert, and the towns people are in no hurry to solve the crimes. A past investigation was also suspiciously inept and for some reason didn't involve Able Barrilo the local police officer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is the first of S.R White's that I've read, and I will certainly be looking out others. Throughout there was a strong sense of location and of its impact upon the towns inhabitants. I also liked Dana's character and colomboesque thinking. My only criticism was that there was quite a bit of exposition at the very end that could have been cut. Nonetheless this was a really enjoyable read that I'd definitely recommend.

A strange pair of murders in a small outback town that have been summarily investigated once and deemed unsolvable but a new to the case detective Dana Russo is given two days to solve it. This extremely detailed tale is two thirds vey slow burner one third valediction of Russo’s method as she solves the mystery. Beautifully atmospheric this is at times a difficult read but more than worth it in the end. Recommended.

Dana Russo is sent to the remote town of Unawarra to revisit the investigation of two murders that were staged in a unique way. The town is 200km from the nearest town with limited internet and phone signal. The message she has been sent with is that you will probably fail. This is more to do with politics at Central where she is normally based. When she arrives at Dutton, the town nearest to Unawarra, she gets the same message from Judge Trent there, but an oblique message from the area commander. Cronin.
In Unawarra she witnesses the local peoples' aquicescent attitude to the pub landlady who seems to call shots on most things. The general message is that the town doesn't want her to find the killer.
Slowly, in her own unique way, she nibbles at the facts from a different angle and forms her own theories. She isn't 100% sure about the local police officer, who has been assigned to help her either.
This is an interesting read, it's not just about the dry, but about the subjugation of people and what people are willing to forgo to be safe.
Enjoy.