* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *
Devil Mountain is a debut novel by Inessa Jackson and the author has certainly made an arresting entrance into the somewhat crowded scene of Australian crime fiction.
Based in Sydney, Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown is reeling from an unjust workplace suspension when she's sent to Stony Creek - a small town in NSW - to investigate the murder of a local GP. Pairing up with local Detective Harry Frost, Ana gets a quick run down of the unusual crime scene and seeks to find out more about the victim and why someone would want to kill him.
This police procedural moves quickly and several motives are swiftly identified. I loved this phrase summing up the motives for murder and haven't heard or seen it before:
"It met the criteria for one of the most common motivations for murder: love, lust, loot and loathing." Page 38The mountain of the title overlooks Stony Creek and forms part of the Stony Creek State Forest where lights have been seen and the vengeful spirit of a wronged woman is said to haunt the mountain for eternity. Yikes!
DS Ana Brown is an easy protagonist to cheer for as she tackles misogyny in the workplace, peels back layers of lies in the small town to reveal adultery and addiction, investigates a Wiccan coven and plunges headlong into the forest despite the reported hauntings.
Detective Harry Frost was a highlight and my favourite character and I'd love to see Ana and Harry working together again in the future if this becomes a series.
Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson is an enjoyable Aussie noir crime novel although I wish the supernatural element was more prominent.
Carpe Librum!
