Crimson Lake by Candace Fox

Maybe I’m just late to the party, but there is a lot of great fiction coming from Australia lately. Crimson Lake by Candace Fox is a recent example. Crimson Lake is the story of Ted Conkaffey, a Sydney detective accused of rape and attempted murder of a 13-year-old girl. The case against him is stopped halfway through the trial once it is determined that the evidence is not strong enough to convince a jury. By this time, Ted’s life is pretty much over. He’s lost his job, his wife has left him, he’s guilty in the eyes of the public and the charges against him can be reinstated at any time. Ted works his way across Australia, trying unsuccessfully to outrun his notoriety. He settles in Crimson Lake in northern Queensland.

One night, Ted rescues a wounded goose and her young goslings. The next day, Ted’s lawyer convinces him to go see Amanda Pharrell, herself a convicted killer turned private investigator. Amanda’s crime is almost as notorious as Ted’s, at least locally. Ted reluctantly agrees to partner with Amanda on a case involving a missing author. While looking into the case, Ted has to deal with local vigilantes, a relentless reporter, and local cops who don’t hold Ted in very high regard.

Fox has created two fascinating characters. Ted splits his time between looking for the missing author and looking into Amanda’s crime. Amanda is likewise interested in Ted’s case. Amanda, while young and lacking Ted’s police experience, proves to be a gifted and insightful detective. The setting in northern Australia is literally crawling with crocodiles. As the two delve deeper into the missing author and as Ted delves deeper into Amanda’s case, things become increasingly strange.

All of the cases are fascinating and tend to uncover shocking secrets as you might expect. But the cases take backseat to the wonderful characters. What really happened to Ted and Amanda and how it turned them into the quirky characters they are is a fun study. Even the goose turns into a great character as well as, perhaps, Ted’s savior. It also led me down a great rabbit hole to find out more information about the history of guard gooses.

Crimson Lake is a great story and introduces two great characters. I look forward to reading more stories with them.

The audiobook is read by Euan Morton. He does a great job breathing the characters to life. His distinction between the more urban and rural characters underscores the tension that exists. His pacing and descriptions really make the landscape come alive and convey the danger lurking around every corner. Excellent job. Highly recommended book.

I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher.

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