Black River by Matthew Spencer

Lovers of Australian crime novels will welcome this thriller from Matthew Spencer, a former journalist for many years. And those who are familiar with the Parramatta River and Sydney suburbs will revel in the familiarity of the setting. The body of a young woman has been found in the grounds of an elite boarding school and Adam Bowman, once a student at Prince Albert College, is tasked by his editor to get exclusive pictures of the crime scene. He knows secret ways in and out of the grounds used by the boarders and can get close. Meanwhile Detective Sergeant Rose Riley, already on the trail of the Blue Moon Killer who has killed two young women near the river, is trying to find any links of this murder to the serial killer.

Part police procedural and part psychological thriller, Black River is a riveting read. Adam Bowman is forced to delve into his childhood growing up on the grounds of the school, as the police team uses him to deliver snippets of information to his newspaper. Gradually different motives are uncovered, and questions posed for the reader. What is the role of the headmaster, and is organised crime involved? Why is the old boy, now politician, involved and pulling strings behind the scenes? What really happened to Adam’s brother who died when he was a child? Is the groundskeeper involved? And who entered the murdered girl’s home?

This is a well-constructed and engrossing story. The setting is detailed and feels authentic, and the characters are all well rounded. It is easy to sympathise with  Adam, unsuccessful and drinking too much, and to cheer Rose along hoping that she is successful in solving the crimes. There are plenty of twists and turns to tantalise the reader and leave some surprise outcomes.

I look forward to future books from this author, and readers who enjoy books by Chris Hammer, Garry Disher and Christian White are likely to enjoy Black River.

Themes: Mystery, Police procedural, Psychological thriller.

Pat Pledger