The Torrent
Title: The Torrent
Mrs B’s Book Reviews
Book reviews and recommendations from a self confessed book geek
Book Review: The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie
Title: The Torrent
Author: Dinuka McKenzie
Published: February 2nd 2022
Publisher: Harper Collins – AU
Pages: 352
Genres: Fiction, Mystery
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 4 stars
A loving husband lost to devastating summer floods. A teenage girl injured during a robbery. Two seemingly unconnected cases that will push a detective to the brink.
An atmospheric, compelling new voice in Australian crime fiction.
‘Such a good read’ Val McDermid
In Northern New South Wales, heavily pregnant and a week away from maternity leave, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is exhausted and counting down the days. But a violent hold-up at a local fast-food restaurant with unsettling connections to her own past, means that her final days will be anything but straightforward.
When a second case is dumped on her lap, the closed case of a man drowned in recent summer floods, what begins as a simple informal review quickly grows into something more complicated. Kate can either write the report that’s expected of her or investigate the case the way she wants to.
As secrets and betrayals pile up, and the needs of her own family intervene, how far is Kate prepared to push to discover the truth?
Review:
The recipient of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize, The Torrent was published in February 2022. Dinuka McKenzie’s first novel is an evocative and intelligent mystery novel. Full of secrets, betrayals and lies, this intriguing debut definitely set my world on fire.
Taking the reader to Northern NSW, The Torrent follows heavily pregnant Detective Sergeant Kate Miles. Kate is on the cusp of commencing her maternity leave when a brutal hold up at a local take away restaurant brings up a connection to the past. Even though she is counting down the days until her maternity leave, Kate is now preoccupied by this challenging new case. In a sudden change in circumstances, Kate is issued with second case. The investigation into a drowning, which appears to be linked to the recent seasonal floods, tests Kate to her very limits. It would be much easier to simply sign this drowning case off, but Kate is compelled to dig further into this strange case. With problems coming from both her personal and professional sides of life, Kate must weigh up how important it is to conduct a thorough investigation into both cases. Can Kate solve both these cases before her little one arrives?
I feel as though I have done a disservice to Dinka McKenzie. I have had The Torrent lingering for far too long on my review shelves. After seeing a few reviews for Dinuka McKenzie’s debut pop up on my Instagram feed lately, I decided I needed to ignore the brand-new book pile and go for this 2022 release. The Torrent was a cracking read and I can see why it has gained such a positive following.
It was a refreshing change to be presented with a lead female detective. It isn’t often that we have a detective figure that is female and heavily pregnant. I loved this combination and it definitely squashed the traditional male detective character construction that we encounter in many crime fiction novels. It was easy to connect with Kate and I instantly felt a sense of respect for her line of work. I also admired Kate’s determination, work ethic and professionalism. It is hard to imagine being involved in not one but two complex crime cases so close to giving birth! Kate takes everything in her stride and I desperately wanted her to succeed.
McKenzie has excelled at delivering a gritty and atmospheric setting, thanks to her northern New South Wales base for her novel. The authentic Australian landscape is illuminated via the rich and inviting writing of Dinuka McKenzie. It is hard to believe at times that this is McKenzie’s first novel. An interesting plot line, some diverting plot twists and a perplexing double investigation rounds this one off perfectly. The end was pretty eruptive and I admit that I got sucked right in.
The Australian fiction scene just got a whole lot more exciting with the release of The Torrent, Dinuka McKenzie is a great new talent.
The Torrent by Dinuka McKenzie was published on 2nd February 2022 by HarperCollins – AU. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Torrent, Dinuka McKenzie, visit here.
*Thanks extended to HarperCollins Books Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
The Torrent
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