The Falls pulls you straight in with adrenaline pumping action as adventurers Dylan and Aroha first find footprints in a desolate location then discover the body of a young woman. They soon realise they are not alone.

After a gripping start the story soon settles to more of an intriguing murder mystery with surges of thrills and suspense.

Radburn has a colourful cast of characters including a demoted Detective, a traumatised Park Ranger and an ex Golf war pilot and each lend a real Australian flavour to the story.

It was hard to tell who the true protagonist was as different characters take on the lead role at different times in the story. Bridges takes a bit of a back seat coming to the fore towards the end of the novel.

Radburn has a fine hold on the plot and he knows how to build tension, slowly revealing snippets of information.

Written around the area of an abandoned goldmine the description of the Australian landscape and devastating fires, combined with Radburn’s poetic prose, delivers a story that captivates the reader and keeps those pages turning.

I was so caught up in this story with its twists and turns that I’ll even forgive the characters for some of the stupid, dangerous decisions they made.

And that ending blew me away!! ( )

Emotion, reaction, damage and recovery are at the core of B Michael Radburn’s dark thrillers. Full review at: Newtown Review of Books ( )

The Falls by Australian author B. Michael Radburn is the second in his Taylor Bridges series although it can easily be read as a stand alone. (The first novel in the series was The Crossing).

Taylor Bridges is a Park Ranger who is drawn into a local missing persons case in country Victoria. The novel is centred around a disused mine (pictured on the cover) and some of the scenes are almost cinematic in quality.

Radburn really knows how to write about the Australian bush, and with a deadly bushfire scorching the earth, I could almost smell the ash at the crime scene and hear the tinkle of the glass apple trees in an orchard not too far away. I also experienced a jolt of recognition at the mention of Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale and appreciated the familiar rural setting.

Taylor makes for a refreshing protagonist and I don't know of any other author who has a Parks Ranger as their main character, but it works. My favourite character though by far was Gordo, the ex-Navy chopper pilot, and his unique expression made me smile every time I saw it on the page. (You'll have to read it to find out, no spoilers here).

Radburn mentions in the Acknowledgements section that his daughter designed the cover of The Falls and I must day she's done an amazing job. The cover has an eerie quality to complement the storyline and the shiny (spot UV) Bendigo Tool Co. logo on the back is a touch of artistic genius.

I recommend The Falls for fans of crime and mystery novels and those looking to discover more Australian authors. Readers in Victoria will enjoy it just a little more owing to the setting.

* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press * ( )