The Torrent: An unputdownable Australian crime thriller (Detective Kate Miles Book 1)

Decent read, good story and will read more or her stuff

This is the first in an Aussie crime series from Dinuka McKenzie set in north NSW in the small town of Esserton. It features a heavily pregnant DS Kathryn 'Kate' Miles, of Sri Lankan heritage, her father, retired ex-Chief Inspector Arthur Grayling, her team including Constables Vickie Harris and Greg Darnley. Her partner is recent arrival Josh Ellis, set to take over from her when she goes on maternity leave in a week. Kate should be easing off and giving a greater role to Josh, but she just can't bring herself to do that with a restaurant hold up by 3 teenage assailants wearing super hero masks ending up with a brutal attack on 16 year old Josephine leaves her hospitalised, her father the vocal local councillor Roman Allen.Furthermore, her boss DCI Andrew Skinner pushes onto her plate a review of the death of Joel Marshall during the horrifying recent floodings, his beautiful wife Gaby managing to survive after being rescued. There is nothing new to challenge the coroner's findings of it being a unfortunate tragedy, but Joel's bitter grieving mother, Annette, with her connections to the Assistant Commissioner has managed to secure a review, certain that Gaby played a nefarious part in his death. Ostensibly this should have been a straightforward review, a formality which rubber stamped the original police investigation, but matters turn out to be a trifle more complicated than anticipated. Kate being a conscientious police officer, insists on taking the lead on both cases, despite the physical toll it takes, and Josh's resentment.I have to say I was really worried for Kate, she is married to the wonderful Geoff, an architect and excellent father who has taken on most of the responsibility of looking after their over active 4 year old son, Archie. With this pregnancy, Kate takes her health for granted, even where there are clear physical indications she should be taking better care of herself. Additionally, there are family complications, her brother Luke is refusing to communicate with their father, and she is becoming more aware of her father's sadness and the circumstances of her parents marriage. This is a great Aussie crime debut from the author, I loved the protagonist and look forward to reading the next in this series. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

The adventures of. Quite a good read. Stretched emancipation and what a female in stages of advanced pregnancy, ot popping should be.

I really enjoyed this story of small-town Australia, where a heavily pregnant police officer is tasked to unravel what seemed to be a tragic accident but might be something else. Her interactions with her colleagues, the petty jealousies thrashed out as she desperately tries to clear her desk before starting her maternity leave, and juggling her home life, all make this book thoroughly believable and a cracking read. Read it in one sitting. Loved it. Highly recommended.

Dinuka McKenzie is a brand new author to me but I have heard great things from other book reviewers. I have to say my first experience, did not disappoint. I haven’t read many books set in Australia and I really liked that aspect of the book. I felt like I got a real sense of what it would be like to live in this Australian town and I think the scene setting was written really well. The story was intriguing and I found it kept me guessing until the reveal. It’s a gripping story and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep  me interested all the way through. One of the main things I loved about this book though was the main character, Kate – she is everything I like in a female main character; intelligent, strong, stubborn and determined. She was not going to let this go and despite having a really busy life, she was determined to see this through. I really enjoyed reading about her and I think she sounds like just the sort of person I’d like to work with in real life. I felt like you got to see some real investigation in this book which is always the sign of a good crime novel in my view. I really enjoyed this and I will be picking up more books from this author in the future.

Always moving, the storyline gathering pace and intricate weaving until the end. I loved it a d the characters in it!

Book 1 in the Detective Miles series is set in Australia.This is my first time reading this author and will definitely not be my last.It was refreshing to read a crime book set in Australia. It gave it a completely different feel to the whole story.A story that was well written and interesting. I felt a great deal of familiarity with the whole pregnancy vibe. I feel the need for dry roasted peanut cheesecake with strawberries and a a cushion for my back.Anyway I digress 😂The plot wasn't all gloss and no filler. It was subtle and built up well, with both the story and characters not only holding my interest but urging me to turn the page quickly to find out the who's and the why's, it was written with a real flare of authenticity about it which captured my imagination in the belief that now I too can be a kick ass detective!I will definitely be reading more books from this author.

It was a book and I enjoyed the story

I’ve only recently started reading Australian crime/detective stories, and been pleasantly surprised by how good they are. This story has an interesting plot. Though it could have moved faster. The protagonist is solid and interesting, some of the supporting characters could be a little more ‘fleshed out’. This is a book certainly worth reading.

I was hooked from the first page: possibly because I've lived through a few northern NSW floods but more likely because of the calibre of the writing, and then, reading on, to see Yamba mentioned (where I spent formative years) - and I kept reading, quite late into the night/early morning.I was pleasantly surprised to see the lead character, DI Kate Miles was happily married, with a toddler and a baby about to arrive and good at her job. A few of the other officers did the 'flawed' character thing, and for me, that worked well.The several threads that developed quickly gradually came together, all strengthened by the great characters - good and bad. A great read, and I look forward to the next Kate Miles outing.

Thoroughly enjoyed this first book by a new author to me. I look forward to more in the future. The Aussie bush area and interesting characters a very well done In this storyline.

I’m so glad I took a chance and bought this book! I love the characters and the setting and hope this is the first in a long series. Thank you Dinuka for great entertainment.

(3.5 stars)"It didn’t matter that it had been raining for weeks or that the entire Northern Rivers region of the state was the subject of rising creeks and flood warnings. People still took no heed, risking their lives in floodwaters for all sorts of inadequate reasons, like being in a hurry." While not quite a page-turner, The Torrent is a fast and enjoyable read that explores the crime opportunities presented by large-scale flooding. It's set in Esserton, a fictitious town in Bundjalung Country, the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, an area beset with numerous flooding events.Author Dinuka McKenzie weaves in the racism prevalent in Australia through her lead character, Detective Kate Miles, referring to her as a "diversity hire" and explaining: "It wasn’t the first time her mixed heritage, that distinctive shading she had inherited from her South Asian mother, had been used by Skinner for optics and internal politics." The book also has a rural focus: "At its heart, Esserton remained an overgrown regional town" and is sensitive to the small-minded differences you can find in such locations, like everyone being in your business.The crimes in the book felt plausible, and the people's actions were reasonable and proportionate, including "the overwhelming desire to protect a child – your flesh and blood – from the dangers of the world". While not earth-shattering, The Torrent bubbled along well enough for me to pick up the next book in this series.