Book review: Click by Sarah Bailey

Click by Sarah Bailey is a sequel to her 2021 book The Housemate where we first met Olive (Oli) Groves. Apparently I wasn’t alone in wanting to see more of the tenacious but likeable journalist as Bailey has resurrected that character in her new thriller.

About this book

Melbourne is gripped by fear after a backpacker's body is found with a cryptic note, and two more women vanish without trace. When photographs begin to arrive in the inboxes of the media and police, it's clear the killer isn't hiding - they are performing.

Journalist Oli Groves, founder of a fledgling digital news site, knows the story could make or break her. Rookie detective Penelope Kibbs, still trying to prove herself, is desperate to stop the violence before more women are lost. But they soon realise the danger runs deeper than one killer - and closer than they want to believe.

My thoughts

Bailey offers a lot of commentary here on domestic and family violence, social media (and the dark web and increased prevalence of deep fakes)  and politics, but does it in a way that isn’t preachy. It opens five years after the events of The Housemate and Oli’s partnering with an old foe running their own online news platform. It’s set in the months before COVID-19, when it’s a threat looming, currently quarantined to China… but has people on edge nonetheless.

It also opens in the shadow of the disappearance of a mother… the husband being the obvious suspect. But that investigation is pushed aside with the disappearance of a young woman, seemingly the victim of what we learn to be, a serial killer with a penchant for photographing his victims and presenting them to media outlets.

In addition to Oli as a narrator, we spend time with Detective Constable Penelope Kibbs who’s worried the young mother’s disappearance will take a backseat to a series of more salacious events.

Bailey touches briefly on Pen’s ‘secret’ life which I assume would be revealed as the case progresses, (albeit) in less-than-pleasant ways… but didn’t. As a result I perhaps would have liked a little more context around that, given that (on the whole) Pen goes to great efforts on dating apps and the like to not reveal her profession or too much of herself.

What I really liked about Pen is how real Bailey paints her. She’s all for law and order but at the same time disillusioned and pondering the ‘impotence’ of police and policing. We spend a lot of time with Pen, her partner DI Barnes as well as Oli’s ex Rusty Frost so are privy to the minute of the investigation.

At the same time Bailey takes us behind the scenes in Oli’s world of online news and media–the need to feed the hungry public and the importance of subscribers, website visitors and podcast audiences. In parallel to her investigation into the murders Oli’s working on a side-piece aimed to amplify the impacts of online bullying and malignant misogynism, hoping to use her online platform to make a real difference.

Bailey bestows on Oli a personal crisis here, and though denialism is tempting, it means Oli reflects on her family, and I recall I commented in my review of The Housemate that there seems to be some backstory involving an abusive father but I wasn’t able to recall if we learned the details at the time.

I loved the ‘real time’ approach adopted by Bailey here… like the TV show 24. It keeps the pace moving without slowing or careening to a conclusion, ensuring this is another enjoyable read. We’re also at a turning point of sorts of Oli so I’m keen to know what’s next.

Click by Sarah Bailey was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin.

I received a copy of this from the publisher for review purposes.