Fleur McDonald Archives

Book review: The Missing by Fleur McDonald

January 22, 20262 min read

The Missing by Fleur McDonald is the second in a loosely linked series based in Kalgoorlie. I don’t tend to get review books from McDonald’s new publisher so only belatedly read both only weeks apart. We met a few of the characters here in The Prospect though I really only remembered Jack, a police officer who (grudgingly) took a demotion to accompany his journalist partner to a new job. Interestingly she is still recovering from injuries sustained from events in that book and back in the city, whereas Jack has opted to stay in Kalgoorlie. Here McDonald also introduces the very likeable Angie who’s recently moved there to take up a promotion, here leading the case of a teenager who disappeared after a party.

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Book review: The Prospect by Fleur McDonald

December 15, 20252 min read

The Prospect by Fleur McDonald is a newish direction for the West Australian author. Her two Dave Burrows series’ were go-tos for me but she moved publishers to one whose books I don’t seem to get for review so I missed this one until I came across it in a second-hand bookstore. It does however feature characters we’ve met in her previous series (though I didn’t remember anything specific about them). And here, when we’re first (re)introduced to Zara and Jack they’ve recently moved to Kalgoorlie following journalist Zara inadvertently revealing details of a source and tanking her career and meaning Jack – previously a police detective back in South Australia – having to return to uniform duties and trying not to resent Zara as a result.

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Book review: Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald

October 26, 20242 min read

Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald is the latest in the loosely linked series featuring Detective Dave Burrows. We met Constable Mia Worth in the previous book in this contemporary series (McDonald has also penned a series featuring a younger Dave Burrows) and she’s front and centre here as well. And her doggedness and sense of unease pays off ensuring a killer doesn’t get away with murders written-off as accidents.

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Book review: Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald

April 4, 20242 min read

Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald is the latest book in the ‘young’ Detective Dave Burrows series. He also features as a second character in a present day series and I suspect this one must be getting close to catching up to that as I note he first appeared in 2009.

Here his mentor and boss Bob has been undergoing cancer treatment and is off work. Despite that (and because Bob is bored) Dave involves him on a work trip checking stock but enroute they get waylaid after hearing about an explosion at council offices.

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Book review: Into the Night by Fleur McDonald

April 6, 20233 min read

Into the Night by Fleur McDonald is the latest in the young(er) Dave Burrows series. I’ve explained in the past that McDonald has two series on the go featuring the likeable rural crime squad detective – one early in his career, and one…. well, later. I love both and it’s fascinating to see how much older Dave has been influenced by mentors we meet earlier in his life.

Another thing I always comment on when reading McDonald’s books is how effortlessly she is able to place readers in their rural settings and relay complex details about agriculture, farming and life on the land in a way that is palatable and relatable to a non-lover of rural life (or being outside in general!) like moi.*

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Book review: Broad River Station by Fleur McDonald

November 1, 20223 min read

Broad River Station by Fleur McDonald is the latest release in the interrelated series featuring Detective Dave Burrows who heads up Barker Police Station. McDonald tends to keep the focus on outback / farming related crimes and I like that about these books and her young Dave Burrows series. It very much sets them apart from other outback or rural (Oz) crime fiction. I know nothing about farms or rural life but thanks to her own knowledge and experience, McDonald manages to effortlessly engage readers in the unfolding plot – giving us enough detail that we understand the context (and receive a smidge of education at the same time) – but aren’t overwhelmed with superfluous complex information.

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Book review: Rising Dust by Fleur McDonald

March 31, 20222 min read

Western Australian-based author Fleur McDonald includes a note at the start of this novel, commenting on how this series – featuring a young Detective Dave Burrows ultimately connects to her other (contemporary) series – featuring an older Dave. It’s meant all along those who’ve read both series know about the demise of Dave’s first marriage but McDonald expertly eked that storyline out… until now.

The events of the previous book in this series, Something to Hide, were fairly catastrophic and something from which there’s no going back. McDonald’s latest, features Dave in the aftermath of that, grappling with his future and potentially the loss of his family. Amidst some good old outback crime of course.

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Book review: Deception Creek by Fleur McDonald

November 2, 20212 min read

Every time I review one of Fleur McDonald’s Detective Dave Burrows books I feel compelled to mention there are TWO series featuring Burrows. A contemporary series in which he appears but the lead character is often loosely linked to one from the previous book in the series. And then there’s the young Dave Burrows series, set a decade or two earlier, when he first becomes a police officer.

I also always comment on the authenticity McDonald’s own background as a farmer lends to her work. Not only does she effortlessly drop in details about farming life (stuff about cattle or crops and prices or new technology) but many of her characters promote the role of women in agriculture and which the author herself does as well.

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