Rating: 3 out of 5.

This is an ok mystery set in Australia. The story moves slowly and there are irrelevant storylines that detract from the main mystery. This is the third book in the series, but it’s a stand alone mystery so you can read this book without having read the other two.

Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) is a constable in a tiny town in Australia. He slogs along making the rounds of his patrol area, checking in on residents. Then, he gets calls to investigate several issues at once. Someone has been stealing underwear and bras from elderly ladies and Hirsch knows to take it seriously less the crime escalates. He gets a call from the school about a young child that may be neglected. He gets a call from a different school to calm down an enraged father concerned about the treatment of his daughter. On top of this add a stalker, an elderly lady that may be the victim of a financial crime, a violent duo on the run, and a prominent citizen that may be swindling everyone.

Instead of focusing on one mystery and doing it well, the author throws a lot of different crimes and victims into the mix and it’s just a bit much. It would be one thing if the various crimes ended up being related to the big major mystery, but not all of them are. Hirsch seems to be beaten down by life and it was hard to root for him. Even his romantic interest in a woman and her daughter fell flat. I didn’t feel any spark or emotion in the relationship. The pace of the book is really slow and it just seemed to bog down in the middle. The ending was really odd and very abrupt.

Overall, the book was written well, but it was just too slow and jumbled for me. However, I think a lot of other people would really enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.