The torrent by Dinuka McKenzie

Winner of the 2020 Banjo Prize, shortlisted for the 2023 Davitt Awards and 2023 Danger Awards, The torrent is Dinuka McKenzie’s debut novel. Set in northern New South Wales after devastating floods, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is investigating a hold up at a fast-food outlet where a young girl has been injured. She is looking forward to her maternity leave when she is given a sensitive case to review: a distraught mother is convinced that her son was not drowned in the recent floods but was murdered by his wife. Kate’s investigations are not straight forward and there are complications as she and her team follow leads. Can she just dismiss the drowning case even if her gut tells her that there may be more to the initial finding? And how can the youths involved in the hold-up be identified?

It is fascinating to follow Detective Sergeant Kate Miles during the late stages of her pregnancy. Her body may be unwieldy but her mind is very alert and she follows clues leading to the resolution of both cases. McKenzie’s portrayal of one of the youths who committed the hold-up is sensitively drawn and the reader gains much insight into both cases through his thoughts and actions. Her sympathetic depiction of autism also added depth to her story.

Fans of mysteries that show police procedures will follow with interest the forensics that help the team to solve the violent hold up, while clever interviews and flashes of brilliance will hold the reader’s attention as the case of the drowning unfolds. Dinuka McKenzie’s book would be enjoyed by people who like Australian noir by authors like Jane Harper and Chris Hammer. I look forward to reading more novels with Detective Sergeant Kate Miles as the main protagonist.

Themes: Detectives, Theft, Floods.

Pat Pledger