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Lee Christine

Autor(a) de Charlotte Pass

12 Works 42 Membros 4 Reviews

Obras de Lee Christine

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Lee Christine has moved from the NSW southern highlands to the mid coast for the setting of her newest novel, Glenrock.

After Justice Maurice Tempest is found shot dead in Glenrock State Conservation Park, Senior Sergeant Callan O'Connor and his partner suspect organised crime involvement, especially when the body of a known enforcer is later found nearby, but something isn’t adding up.

There is a lot happening in Glenrock but Christine manages the multiple threads skilfully, connecting seemingly disparate events in a manner that is both clever and credible. Several red herrings contribute to the intrigue, and though most of the action comes nearer the end, there is a good amount of tension throughout. I raced through Glenrock in an afternoon, absorbed in the unfolding mystery.

I like the character of Callan who is a good cop, and a good man. Though his life is not uncomplicated, he isn’t the jaded, hard-drinking loner that is so common in the genre. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between Callan and journalist Angela. Angela is smart and independent, and her background contributes another layer of interest to the plot.

As my children have been to a couple of scout camps at Glenrock (in Newcastle, NSW), I’m familiar with the novel’s setting, which is a bonus. Christine’s descriptions deftly evoke the area and its surrounds.

With a compelling, well crafted mystery and appealing characters, Glenrock is another excellent novel from Lee Christine, and I’m already looking forward to her next.
… (mais)
½
 
Marcado
shelleyraec | Jan 31, 2024 |
Following the success of Lee Christine’s Charlotte’s Pass, and Crackenback, Dead Horse Gap is the third engaging crime novel set in the NSW southern highlands.

In this instalment, while Homicide Squad Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder and his colleague, Detective Constable Mitchell Flowers, are drawn back to the Snowy Mountains into the midst of a family feud when a light plane collides with a deliberately placed tractor, killing the pilot, Detective Constable Nerida Sterling is working her first undercover assignment as a waitress at a ski field bar, tasked with getting a lead on the violent drug ring operating in the mountains.

Though one investigation seems to have nothing to do with the other, it’s not long before the officers suspect there may be some overlap. I thought the cases balanced out well, Ryder and Flowers are kept busy chasing rumours and paperwork, and while the team remain in touch with one another, Nerida has to rely on herself in an increasingly tense situation after she takes a chance on creating a lead.

While Dead Horse Gap can be read as a standalone, there are character issues in this story that play though from the early books, including Ryder’s imminent move with his girlfriend, Vanessa, and the romantic tension between Mitchell and Nerida. These suggest that this will be the last book to feature this particular team, though there is scope for Christine to recenter one member.

No matter the direction she takes, I hope that Christine keeps to the alpine setting though as it’s often overlooked in Australian fiction. I enjoyed the little piece of Snowy River history Christine shared related to the stockmans huts dotted around the Kosciuszko National Park here, adding interest to the story.

Well paced with a satisfying blend of suspense, action and romance, Dead Horse Gap is an entertaining read.
… (mais)
½
 
Marcado
shelleyraec | Feb 20, 2022 |
Crakenback follows Lee Christine’s debut, Charlotte’s Pass, featuring NSW Homicide Squad Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder. It’s not necessary to have read the former however, as I found this story works very well as a stand-alone.

With the start of the ski season still a few weeks away, Golden Wattle Lodge proprietor Eva Bell is alone with her three year old, Poppy, when Jack Walker, bruised and bleeding, bursts through the door. Eva is terrified as he strips her of her phone and keys, irrationally convinced he has come for his daughter. Learning that Jack has instead come to protect them from a killer bent on revenge gives her only the smallest sense of relief.
Meanwhile DS Ryder and his small task force are searching for a new lead in the hunt for Gavin Hutton who is suspected of beating two men to death. Joined by Detective ‘Daisy’ Flowers, and new team member, Nerida Sterling, the investigation takes them from Sydney, south to Jervis Bay, north to the Central Coast and west to the Snowy Mountains, where their quarry is finally in sight.

Christine immediately captures the reader’s attention in Crackenback with a dramatic prologue, the relevance of which is revealed later in the story, but there’s plenty of action and tension to follow in this tightly plotted, exciting story.

I was as interested in the progress Ryder and his team were making in the search for their fugitive, as I was in Jack and Eva’s nervous wait for their attacker, though it quickly becomes clear they are one and the same. Both perspectives advance the plot and are neatly complimentary while building suspense. I thought the pacing of the story was very good, and I read it easily in one sitting.

Both Eva and Jack were appealing characters. I admired Eva’s determination to protect her daughter and her practical, sensible way of coping with the frightening situation she was thrust into. Jack has an interesting background, and he is obviously capable and resourceful. Though their relationship, which resulted in Poppy, was not much more than a one night stand, it’s obvious the pair are still attracted to each other, though Christine plays down the romance angle in favour of the action.
Unfortunately I hadn’t the opportunity to read Charlotte’s Pass so I’m not terribly familiar with Ryder, but I liked what I saw of him. It was his girlfriend Vanessa, who is also Eva’s sister, who had a larger role in that story. It seems likely to me that the third book will feature one of Ryder’s team.

While the main action takes place at the Lodge in Thredbo, and the deepening snow plays beautifully into the action, one of things I liked was the way in which Christine’s characters moved within the state of NSW. I was particularly delighted that my town of Taree even got a mention (though it wasn’t very flattering and, as far as I know, not true, given the Officer in Charge of our station is a woman).

With an intriguing storyline, fast paced action, and strong characterisation, I thought Crackenback was a great book, and I’ll definitely be reading Christine Lee’s next.
… (mais)
½
 
Marcado
shelleyraec | Feb 10, 2021 |
My Lee Christine collection is growing. I thanked the grey, wintry weather and my RDO for the opportunity to lie in and finish Ms Christine's latest masterpiece. Romantic Suspense has long been my favorite genre and Lee Christine is shaping up nicely as a collector's item.

When a cyber criminal threatens Dean Logan's yacht designs and places his company in jeopardy, his focus is placed on the lovely Marina Wentworth whom he suspects is an accomplice in the theft of a USB containing his latest blueprints. It doesn't take long for him to realize that Marina is as much a victim as he is. Together they must track down a blackmailer and solve the mystery surrounding the real reason the designs are so important that they are being held for ransom. But being a high profile case, Dean soon learns that Marina has secrets of her own that need to be protected, secrets she can't afford risking becoming public knowledge.

A journey of trials and risky situations that will keep you entertained to the end.
… (mais)
 
Marcado
juanita.kees | Feb 19, 2020 |

Estatísticas

Obras
12
Membros
42
Popularidade
#357,757
Avaliação
4.0
Resenhas
4
ISBNs
37
Idiomas
1