This was a fast-paced, quick read that offered several twists and left me feeling uncertain right up until the last minute. Even in the end, I wasn’t totally sure we knew all the answers, and considering that’s how life is sometimes, I was okay with it.

About the Book

What deadly secrets have been swept away by the flood?

In Northern New South Wales, heavily pregnant and a week away from maternity leave, Detective Sergeant Kate Miles is exhausted and counting down the days. But a violent hold-up at a local fast-food restaurant with unsettling connections to her own past means that her final days will be anything but straightforward.

When a second case is dumped on her lap, the closed case of a man drowned in recent summer floods, what begins as a simple informal review quickly grows into something more complicated. Kate can either write the report that’s expected of her or investigate the case the way she wants to.

As secrets and betrayals pile up, and the needs of her own family intervene, how far is Kate prepared to push to discover the truth?

The Torrent is tense and atmospheric Australian crime at its best. Perfect for fans of Jane Harper and Chris Hammer.

My Thoughts

This was one of those super messy thrillers with false leads and surprise turns that made for a super interesting and fast read. I read it in a single day and enjoyed every second. As a queer neurodivergent mom of an autistic daughter, I was incredibly excited to see the multiple levels of representation in this book!

I really like the characters in this book – both main and supporting. The main detectives Miles and Josh were a great pair. The book, and the pairing, reminded me a lot of another book I read recently with a pregnant detective super close to popping and solving a cold case that happens to line up with a current case. That is where the similarities end, though. But it was so intersting to see two such books so close together. I really enjoy the powerful career woman, having families and getting work done. But both books also showed how it affects their family and relationships. And I appreciate that. Because the reality is that perpetuating this myth of superwomen is harmful to us! It gets messy y’all! Thanks for acknowledging it!

Even as short and quick as the book is it is well developed, the character arcs are solid, and the descriptions are wonderful. This is a wonderful first book in a series, and definitely makes me want to read more. The first book in a series always needs to set up strong main characters that make me want to follow them, and this has done that. I want to see these detectives solve more cases, and I want to know more about this Australian town they’re living in – as well as continue learning how it is similar and different from my own. That’s one thing I love about reading about foreign places.

I very much appreciated the author’s ability to write morally questionable characters, leaving us questioning their motives. In the end, reasons for many of their actions are unclear – and there is a level of discomfort around judging their “bad” behavior. Some actions might be the same as those we would take in the same situation. I really enjoyed reading this and will definitey check out the next book in the series. I am so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me in this tour.

Who’s It For

If you enjoy morally questionable characters, atmospheric mysteries, and twisty, fast-paced thrillers, you will love this book. The main character is heavily pregnant the entire time though, so if that is something that is triggering for you, you may need to skip this one.

Content Warnings: Drowning death, flooding, murder, pregnancy, pregnancy complications, violence, adult situations, adult language, hospital, missing child, and more

About the Author

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer and the author of the Detective Kate Miles crime series published in Australia and the UK. She is the winner of the 2020 HarperCollins Australia Banjo Prize. Her writing has been shortlisted for the Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards, the Bad Sydney Crime Danger Awards, longlisted for the Richell Prize, and highly commended in the Australian Crime Writers Association, Louie Award. Her short fiction has appeared in the 2022 Dark Deeds Down Under Crime and Thriller Anthology. Dinuka lives in Southern Sydney on Dharawal country with her husband, two kids, and their pet chicken.

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