Where the Dead Go (Gemma Woodstock #3) (2024)

I hadn't read any of Sarah Bailey's previous works in this series, so wasn't sure what to expect, but I had read good reviews, and happily this book lived up to them. I did feel I was missing out a bit without having the previous character development, but in the end this didn't detract from the story too much.

We have a fifteen year old girl going missing from a small town in northern New South Wales, then the next day her boyfriend is murdered. Enter Detective Gemma Woodstock, fresh from a family tragedy, and with her young son in tow. Gemma needs to get her head around recent personal events, and decides getting stuck into work is the best option (though whether it's the best option for her son seems to be irrelevant to her).

The similarities between this case and one that had tragic consequences seem to haunt Gemma, as she tries to figure out the truth from all the lies she's being told. She forges forward, with the seemingly reluctant help of the local police force, only to find the truth evasive, and an escalating threat to herself and her son.

I did enjoy this book, though the plotlines didn't really feel too realistic to me at times. However the characters made up for it, their interactions showing their flawed personalities well. I enjoyed the journey that Sarah Bailey set for us, slowly unveiling the truth, and it had me turning the pages well into the night. All lovers of intricately woven crime thrillers will like this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

My thanks to Allen & Unwin for an uncorrected proof to read and review. The opinions are entirely my own.

This series just keeps getting better and better.

It's a few years after the events of Into the Night and DS Gemma Woodstock has since relocated to Sydney, where she's got two successful partnerships going, one professional and the other personal. It seems like she's beginning to settle down a little. However, she's haunted by one of her Sydney cases that didn't have a happy ending.

As the story begins, Gemma is back in her hometown of Smithson dealing with the aftermath of a family tragedy. All the old feelings of suffocation come back, multiplied by the weight of decisions needing to be made. So when her old boss receives a phonecall at the end of the funeral, asking him to take on a missing person and homicide case, Gemma jumps at the chance to take her son Ben to Fairhaven, north of Byron Bay, to run the case. Nobody thinks this is a good idea, but this is Gemma we are talking about - she hasn't changed that much.

Arriving in Fairhaven, Gemma goes straight to the murder scene. The victim is the 17yo recently ex-boyfriend of the missing girl, 15yo Abbey Clark. Where is Abbey and who killed Rick? Leading a new team of inexperienced and/or hostile Constables, under the glazed but watchful eye of their indisposed Chief Inspector, and with threats to hers and Ben's safety, Gemma has to work quickly to crack the case.

As with the previous instalments, this is a fast-paced, satisfying whodunnit, and Bailey does not skimp on the perfectly-cooked red herrings that have become her stock in trade. There were so many characters who could have been behind this, I honestly did not know how it was going to play out until it did. While Gemma has matured and mellowed a little, there are still plenty of scenes where she demonstrates the wild spirit and hot-headedness that helped make her the successful detective that she is.

This has become, without doubt, one of my favourite Australian crime series. Roll on #4.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an uncorrected proof to read and review.

All the stars!! I am a big fan of this series by Sarah Bailey and couldn't get hold a copy of this book fast enough. From the very beginning I was hooked and just wanted to keep reading it. This is the third book featuring Gemma Woodstock and I hope to see book 4 sooner rather than later.

In Where The Dead Go Gemma is dealing with a personal tragedy and is very very lost. When the chance to get out of town and work a case in the coastal town of Fairhaven she jumps at the chance. Throwing herself into work and getting away from her new reality is just what she needs. She takes her son Ben with her. The case is very similar to a previous case she worked that unfortunately didn't end well. A 15 year old girl has gone missing after a party one night. The next morning her boyfriend is found murdered in his home. Are the cases connected? Where is the girl? Can Gemma find her alive?

I love the character of Gemma. She is strong, determined and willing to do whatever it takes to solve the case. Her personal life is a mess and she has trust issues. But she loves her son more than anything and wants the best for him. Her job makes being a mother tough but she is not alone. She does struggle with letting people get close to her. I hope that she will find some happiness one day soon, if anybody deserves it she does.

It's so good to be back with DS Gemma Woodstock. She's come a long way since her debut some years ago in The Dark Lake, both in her personal and professional life. She's moved to Sydney and established a reputation there as a good detective, she's reconciled herself to her son Ben living with his father Scott and his new wife and baby in her home town of Smithson. She's also in a good relationship herself with a good man but not sure if she's ready to commit to a life with him. But now Scott has died and she has returned to Smithson for the funeral and to comfort Ben. She feels claustrophobic being back home with all the expectations this entails, so when her old boss needs a volunteer to travel to a coastal town near Byron Bay to take over an investigation into a missing girl and the murder of her boyfriend, Gemma and Ben are on the plane within hours.

Gemma has her work cut out working with a young, inexperienced team and a difficult case where there are not too many clues about why 15 year old Abbey disappeared on her way home from a party and her boyfriend bashed and murdered the next day. She is also haunted by her last case involving a missing girl who was found too late to save her and concerned about a previous cold case in the area where a young couple disappeared and were never found. There are plenty of false leads, dead ends and threats to Gemma to leave well alone. But Gemma is resilient and tenacious and will keep on picking at loose threads until something unravels and the truth spills out.

In Gemma Woodstock, Sarah Bailey has created not only a dedicated, insightful detective but also a complex woman, flawed and a little wild and reckless, all of which contributes to her insight into those she is investigating. The small town settings of Smithson and Fairhaven have a uniquely Australian feel, as do the characters who inhabit those places. The plot is skillfully built up steadily layer by layer as Gemma begins to understand the town and its people and sense what has been going on. It's masterful and carefully controlled to build up a slow burning suspense, with the threat to Gemma and her son Ben hiding not too far away in the shadows. The climax when it arrives is shocking and unexpected with revelations unspooling rapidly and the tension ramping up to maximum setting. So good! 4.5★

With many thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC of this book to read

This is book 3 in a series, I have not read the first 2 books but still enjoyed it!
Gemma the main character is dealing with a lot (probably not really appreciated at first having not read the other books) and on a whim takes on a case to get away from her partner and family.
She finds herself in a NSW coastal town where a young teen has disappeared and her boyfriend has been murdered. Gemma finds herself in a situation where she doesn't know who she can trust as she finds her police colleagues keeping information from her and giving her a hard time.
There is also domestic violence, drug dealing and some questionable backpackers thrown in to muddy the waters for her.
I recommend this and am now keen to read the first two books, even though there are spoilers in this book as to their outcome.
Thank you Allen & Unwin for this paperback ARC.

4.5★s
Where The Dead Go is the third book in the Gemma Woodstock series by award-winning Australian author, Sarah Bailey. After some months working in Sydney, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock is back in her hometown of Smithson to bury her ex-husband. Neither she nor her eight-year-old son, Ben wants to stay in the town with Scott gone, so Gemma impulsively grabs at the opportunity to take on a missing person/murder case at a coastal town near Byron Bay.

Fifteen-year-old Abbey Clark was last seen after leaving a party late on Saturday night. Her father immediately confronted Rick Fletcher, the young man with whom she’d only days earlier broken up. They’d argued loudly at the party, and words had been said. Rick didn’t know where Abbey was, but he was worried about her. On Monday morning, however, Rick’s body was found in his garage.

Gemma takes on the case at this stage because the Chief Inspector at Fairhaven had been injured in a car accident. Her lover back in Sydney is not convinced this is a good move for Gemma: a break to deal with the death of Ben’s main carer is needed, but Mac feels the case is too similar to one they’d failed to satisfactorily resolve in Sydney. It seems that many in the town are blaming Abbey’s violent father, Daniel, scorning the alibi her mother has given him, although a certain British backpacker may also be a suspect.

Setting aside her personal turmoil, Gemma finds her detective skills are challenged by this intriguing case and the lack of evidence. Her work is not made any easier by the fact that the injured Chief Inspector for whom she is standing in is critical of her methods; some of his team display a hostile attitude; a persistent journalist insists she needs to look into certain other matters; and there are threats, some subtle and some less so. Gemma learns that a missing persons case from ten years earlier bears some similarities to this one, and is convinced that illegal drugs are part of the picture.

With each piece of evidence or information uncovered, the team engages in a round of guesswork as they try to apply their new knowledge to the questions they need to answer: Who murdered Rick Fletcher and why? Where is Abbey Clark, and are they searching for a runaway, a captive or a corpse? And are the two cases connected?

Certainly, Gemma Woodstock has matured quite a bit since the reader first encountered her at Smithson in The Dark Lake. She’s no longer indulging in risky personal behaviour, is still conflicted about long-term relationships but is more likeable, and seems to be accepting the position of responsibility as Ben’s primary carer.

Bailey’s depiction of the coastal small town is quite authentic. Fairhaven is filled with secrets and lies and there are a lot of red herrings and distractions in the story resulting in rather too many instances of theorising about who did what to whom and why, some of which might have been condensed for a tighter plot. Despite this, Bailey’s third novel is an excellent piece of Australian crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.

I had mixed feelings about this novel. I loved the writing, it was exceptional and well crafted, however I felt the story lacked pace and excitement to keep me turning pages. I found it took until 75 percent the way through before it took a hold of me and I wanted to consume more.

I understand having characters with interest and baggage, but I found it odd and perhaps implausible that the main character, fresh from burying her estranged husband, arrives at a regional Australian town with her young son and takes the lead detective role in a suspected murder and kidnapping. Would this truly happen in reality? And on top of all this she is harbouring guilt about a similar crime that she didn't solve in time. Plus she is also suffering the onset of early pregnancy!

I would recommend this book, I loved Sarah Bailey's writing skills - I'll be looking to read more of her novels. It was the 3rd novel in a Gemma Woodstock series, but it read like a stand alone novel.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an ARC for an honest review.

*thank you to Allen & Unwin for an ARC of this book*

2.5 stars (but I'm rounding it up to 3 stars since Goodreads doesn't do half star ratings.)

I was pretty confuses at the beginning of this story. I realised that it was probably because this is book three in the series and I had not read the first two. It took me quite a while to figure out who was who and establish a connection with each character. I did have to re-read a lot of the first few chapters as parts didn't make sense to me. But once I got further into the story, characters and events fell into place a bit more and it became an easier read. I believe that if you are wanting to read this book, then reading the first two first, would be best, if not important, as this book seems to start already in the middle of events.

Because of this lack of connection to the characters, that held on throughout the whole book and made it very hard to really get into the story as deeply as I am use to. I struggled through it for this reason but I could still tell that if I had of read the first two books, then this would have been given more stars from me. Maybe someday I'll go back and read this whole series from start to finish. It is not really, in my opinion, a series that seems to be able to jump in with at any stage like some series you are able to. But I am trying to put all of that aside and focus on the other points of this book.

I felt that the ending wasn't such a surprise for me. It felt a bit flat. I had a gut feeling from near the start of the story, who to focus on as the real suspect. While there were a couple obvious clues, there was still some I hadn't thought of. I still did like the path the author, Sarah Bailey, took us down. I liked Ben probably the most. He is DS Gemma Woodstock's son. The other characters I could give or take but I would like to read another book about Gemma as I did like her too.

I am definitely in the minority with this book. So obviously it's more that this wasn't for me than this being a bad story. Because it's really not bad. I just made the mistake of thinking it was one I could jump into and have the characters background and history explained to me a bit more than it was. So for that reason, I would recommend this but I would have to say that you really do need to read the first books in this series before starting this one. I also have to add that I really like the cover for this. The colours are spot on and the illustrations and placing of the words are eye catching.

I wish this book all the best.

More book reviews at: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
As Into the Night wasn't a big hit with me I was eager to read the next Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock novel. Can Sarah Bailey recreate the atmosphere and suspense from The Dark Lake? Well that was a resounding Yes! I could not put this book down! I read it in two days picking it up every spare minute I had.

Where the Dead Go hooked me right from the prologue. A young teen out late at night after a fight with her boyfriend disappears without a trace.

In Into the Night Gemma was living in Melbourne and we find out she has since been living in Sydney with a new love interest, Mac. She is visiting her hometown of Smithson when a report of a murder and a missing teen, in a small town just north of Byron Bay, comes through. Gemma is keen to take the case and get away for a while.

Gemma is still full of self-doubt and crippling anxiety and has flash-backs of another missing teen case that didn't end well.
I love how Sarah Bailey portrayed the small seaside town of Fairhaven where everyone knew each other but there was still the underlying feeling that people were being evasive and secretive. I was quick to think many of the characters were a bit suspect and that Gemma shouldn't trust anyone.

Where the Dead Go was well plotted with plenty of drama that kept me turning the pages.
The story ends with a bombshell from Gemma which I am sure will be played out in the next book.

A good mystery but really not helped by the annoying main character. Why do authors feel the need to make their detectives so complicated and close to breaking down. It's a distraction from the mystery.

Where the Dead Go by Sarah Bailey is the third book in the Gemma Woodstock series by this talented Australian author. Gemma is a Detective Sergeant and when we catch up with her she's living in Sydney and in a relationship with former work colleague Mac.

This all changes when she's drawn back to Smithson and faced with a personal tragedy. Gemma is quick to volunteer to investigate the disappearance of a 15yo girl and the murder of her boyfriend in the NSW coastal town of Fairhaven and takes her son Ben with her on the case to buy some thinking time. While I didn't agree with Gemma's decision to take a case in order to escape her grief and problems (how does this best serve the relatives of the missing and murdered?) neither did any of her family members. Making a decision like that on the day of the funeral and wrenching your son away from all he knows seemed reckless, selfish and irresponsible.

Despite this, I was relieved to discover Gemma had matured quite a lot since the series began with The Dark Lake - and continued with Into the Night - and didn't ruffle my feathers as often as she did early on.

Fairhaven has its fair share of nefarious activities past and present and Gemma doesn't waste any time digging into everybody and everything. The local characters were engaging and the crimes held my interest.

Where the Dead Go can be read as a standalone and is the best book of the series so far in my opinion. Highly recommended. You can read the opening chapters on the publisher's website.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

‘Scott slipped away to wherever the dead go in the early hours of Wednesday morning.’

We come to the end of the road in the Gemma Woodstock crime thriller trilogy, penned by Australian author Sarah Bailey. In this keenly observed police procedural and mystery novel, a convoluted tale of murder runs alongside a missing person’s case. Where the Dead Go is intriguing, magnetic and absorbing. Sarah’s Bailey’s final offering of her top notch crime series goes out with a bang.

Where the Dead Go welcomes back detective Gemma Woodstock for a third and final crime encounter. This time Gemma must face up to some serious personal issues, following a very personal loss that threatens to upend Gemma’s life. With her son now in her full time care, Gemma must tackle increased parental responsibilities and offer emotional support to her young son, while dealing with a complex murder investigation. The small coastal town of Fairhaven is the site of Gemma’s latest case, which sees the dogged detective face up to a complicated investigation. With plenty of tension, mystery and secrets surrounding Where the Dead Go, Gemma Woodstock is tested to her very limits in this final instalment of the series.

Gemma Woodstock, boy is she is force to be reckoned with! Bailey situates her enigmatic lead in a different time and place to when we last connected with this colourful detective. Time has moved forward a few years and Bailey pits her lead against some interesting scenarios. Gemma is dealing with increased care of her son following the loss of his father. It is a big call for the work focused detective, but we see her vulnerable side and Gemma’s shortcomings. Gemma is a very human character and Bailey continues to do an excellent job of shaping her lead to perfection in this last issue of the series. Where the Dead Go manages to evenly spread Gemma’s personal issues with her work problems, while also integrating a rather elaborate case within the narrative. I’m sure it is quite hard to achieve this narrative balance, but Bailey takes it in her stride and I think this novel is a success.

For those who are new to the work of Gemma Woodstock and the writing of Sarah Bailey, I thought Where the Dead Go managed to stand on its own two feet and it seemed to read independently of the previous two novels in the series. I would point newcomers to this series to the first novel penned by Bailey in order to enhance the overall reading experience of these truly great crime novels. For those who are old hats to the series, I’m sure these readers will be impressed with Bailey’s treatment of the lead and the fresh cases.

Sarah Bailey has an aptitude for police mechanics and the procedural aspects of her novels are always completely credible. This was very much the case for Where the Dead Go, I really enjoyed getting into the finer details of the police investigation side of things and no matter how hard I tried to trump the lead, I failed! Bailey is certainly on point in this novel, delivering a good share of plot twists, diversions, blocks, tension and speculation. I think all readers will gain plenty of positive enjoyment out of this novel.

A quick mention of the setting, Bailey shines yet again in this department. I love a good small town Australian crime based novel. Where the Dead Go is dripping in apprehension, discomfort and hostility. It definitely made me feel a little jittery! Much praise to Sarah Bailey for this edgy crime offering.

*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

Where the Dead Go is book #75 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge

‘The girl pushes blindly through the wall of trees, tripping over her feet.’

DS Gemma Woodstock, now living in Sydney, has just returned home to Smithson to attend the funeral of her son Ben’s father Scott. She’s in a new relationship, but not yet sure how committed she is. She’s restless, claustrophobic and wants to do the right thing by Ben.

In the Australian coastal town of Fairhaven in NSW, a fifteen-year-old girl, Abby, goes missing. The following morning, her boyfriend is found murdered. The police in the area need help, her old boss is approached, and Gemma volunteers. Within hours, she and Ben are on their way to Fairhaven.

Gemma has a young, inexperienced team to work with. Everyone knows everyone else in this small town, and there’s no shortage of speculation about who might be responsible for the murder. But where is Abby?

This is a case with plenty of twists. Gemma learns of another missing person case in the area: a young couple who disappeared and were never found. And there are secrets being held which may have an impact on the investigation. Gemma herself has some personal issues to resolve as she tries to juggle parenting Ben with the demands of the case.

Gemma Woodstock is a complex character: dedicated, insightful, and flawed. Her tenacity enables her to work through the information (and disinformation) received. I enjoyed this novel. I did work out some elements before the end, but not all.

This is the third Gemma Woodstock novel. I wonder what Ms Bailey will write next?

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Heel sterk boek. Kon het bijna niet wegleggen. De hoofdpersoon van rechercheur Gemma boeit enorm, en de vermissing van het meisje Abbey zet een aantal zaken in gang in een klein kustplaatsje.Gemma merkt al gauw dat er dingen niet kloppen in Fairbanks en ze ondervindt al snel dat haar aanwezigheid niet op prijs wordt gesteld.
Een rollercoaster is het, pas op het laatst begreep ik hoe alles in elkaar stak. Aanrader, kijk uit naar het volgende boek.

“My relationship with death is solid. We go way back.”

They say all good things must come to an end but I must say, a trilogy seems just a bit too short when it comes to Detective Gemma Woodstock. A series seems more fitting. Maybe when we get to book fifteen you can think of winding it up Sarah, but until then, we’re not quite ready to let go. I’ll just leave that with you for now and you can get back to me with a date for book four.

Well, where do I begin? What a book! It seemed a tad longer than the previous two, but wow! Every page mattered. Where the Dead Go is next level crime fiction, and I’ve said it twice already, but seriously, police procedural at its finest. There’s a four year gap between Into the Night and Where the Dead Go. At first, I felt this gap a bit. Gemma was in a different place with different people and being haunted by a case I knew nothing about. Once the pieces began to slide into place, and the picture began to form, all was good, but it reminded me how interlocked these books are – definitely better read as a set, preferably close together.

We’ve seen Gemma grow throughout this trilogy. She’s gone from bad to worse and back again several times but this time, I feel she was at her best. This doesn’t make much sense when you consider that she was largely an emotional wreck for 98% of the novel, but that’s not really what I’m talking about. I mean, her character growth had driven her to this point of brilliance inside her career, possessing more self-control than what I’ve ever seen before, determined, sharp, and stepping up to her maternal yearning for Ben. With Scott gone, as well as being removed from Smithson, Gemma was able to be Ben’s mother without interference. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the two of them getting by.

Whilst investigating two cases side by side, which may or may not have been related, Gemma is haunted by the case of another missing girl – the one she didn’t solve in time. It’s a harrowing cross to bear and she’s determined all the way through this current investigation to not mirror her ‘mistakes’ from before – even though there was nothing at all she could have done to alter the outcome of the previous case. I really like how the author unwrapped this for us, layer by layer as the tension mounted with the current case. It was skilfully done, heightening our awareness of the short distance from missing to dead. I kept thinking, as the pieces all slotted together, of innocent bystanders. The far reaching grip of evil when the circle of crime widens beyond control.
Where the Dead Go is compelling reading. Gritty, realistic, atmospheric and chilling. An absolute cracker of a read that I can’t even begin to recommend highly enough.

“As a detective I’ve touched death with my bare hands. I’ve circled it, smelled it and looked it straight in the eye. I know it’s never far away. I spend a lot of my life thinking about it, talking about it, even expecting it – and when you confront something over and over, your brain eventually relaxes around it.”

Thanks is extended toAllen & Unwinfor providing me with a copy of Where the Dead Go for review.

I enjoyed the story, and I like the characters, however - at the beginning, at least - I felt that I was missing a chunk of knowledge. Was there a book I missed reading? No! But when did Gemma move to Sydney? In the previous book she was in Melbs - it felt disjointed.

The most perfect thing to do is read all three books in this series one after the other. I do hope there is a book 4?

I thoroughly enjoyed this third instalment in the DI Gemma Woodstock series, and feel that Bailey's writing is improving with each new book. Where the Dead Go features a cast of complex characters, twisty plot and an evocative portrayal of a coastal Australian town - I had in mind Brunswick Heads, although it's probably located too close to the southern tentacles of Tweed Heads to have the level of relative isolation Bailey describes of the fictional Fairhaven.
The central character, Gemma Woodstock, continues to make somewhat bewildering decisions in her private life, although if it were a male detective prioritising career over family I doubt readers would find it as jarring. She is a well-drawn and multi-layered character and I hope Bailey will continue to develop her story in future books.

DS Gemma Woodstock is left to pick up the pieces of her life after a personal tragedy and when she hears of the opening to investigate a brutal murder in a coastal town away from her life, she grabs it with both hands. She takes her son Ben with her, hoping the change will help them both. Gemma leads the investigation, while dealing with both her and her son's grief and navigating a hostile new team of colleagues.

What I always love about the Gemma Woodstock series is that her life is messy and she is flawed and relatable. She isn't sure about every decision she makes, but she is a strong character and pushes ahead anyway, just doing the best she can. The investigative and police procedural side is obviously a big hit with me and the family relationships intertwined makes it all the more compelling. I also love the Australian references.

Absolutely LOVED this one and I look forward to what Bailey has in store for us next.

Thank you so much to Allen and Unwin for this gifted copy. Highly recommend.

This was my first by Sarah Bailey and as it is Book #3 in a series I felt as though I was missing a bit of the back story. I had a bit of trouble keeping track of the characters and Gemma's problems got a bit annoying.

Australia is blessed at present with a growing band of really talented crime writers. From the old favourites like Michael Robotham and Garry Disher to exciting new comers such as Jane Harper, Dervla McTiernan and Chris Hammer, there is a wealth of talent across the whole spectrum of crime fiction writing. Another name you can add to that list is Sarah Bailey, whose Where The Dead Go is a really impressive police detective novel with a terrific central character in the form of DS Gemma Woodstock
Sarah's debut crime novel about Gemma Woodstock, The Dark Lake, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime novel and her follow-up book, Into The Night, was also published to much acclaim. Now with Where The Dead Go she completes her trilogy about Detective Woodstock.
Set four years after the events of Into The Night, Where The Dead Go finds Gemma accepting an urgent, short term posting to the small New South Wales coastal town of Fairhaven. A fifteen-year-old girl, Abbey, has gone missing after a late night party and a day later her boyfriend is found brutally murdered in his home. Is the missing girl another victim or the killer? When the local detective in charge of the case is badly injured in a car crash Gemma is asked to head up the investigation.
Where The Dead Go is a very well constructed crime novel that juxtaposes Gemma's search for the missing girl and a killer, with her own search for a way through the personal problems besetting her and her son.
I really enjoyed Where The Dead Go. The local characters and the descriptions of Fairhaven ring true and the plot has some good twists and turns. Bailey is good at casting out red herrings and the identity of the killer is nicely hidden till the end. In the past Bailey has been accused of overburdening her books with too much personal detail about Gemma and her problems, but in Where The Dead Go she seems to have gotten the balance right.
Fans of Jane Harper and Australian small town crime fiction will love this one
Full review at: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

4.5 ★
I think this one is Sarah Bailey's best yet! I liked her first, The Dark Lake, more than the second, Into the Night, but this one is better than both. I felt that the main character, Gemma, was more likeable in this book than in either of the first two.

The pacing was cleverly done - the story moseyed along, with the investigation only slowly gathering evidence and with a chain of events that it's hard to work out how they could be connected, or whether they are actually just separate occurrences, and with the detectives asking themselves more questions that they can't answer. And then, with about 100 pages to go, something changes, and the story ramps up and races on towards the end.

Hopefully there will be further installments of Gemma's story, which I look forward to reading!

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for the ARC they sent me to read and review.

Set in a fictional town north of Byron Bay, this is about the investigation into a missing girl and the murder of her on again-off again boyfriend. Gemma Woodstock is brought in as a stand-in detective to lead the investigation after the local inspector is involved in a car accident. She finds a town full of secrets, very Broadchurch in feel.

This is the third book featuring detective Gemma Woodstock and while there is some back story, it can be read as a standalone. Each of the books has been set in a different location and some time apart. She is a flawed character and I am finding her somewhat too flawed, to the point where she makes irrational and annoying decisions to, I don't know, make her more interesting to the reader. The mystery is convoluted but the book has good momentum and kept me interested throughout.

The setting bothered me. I've visited that part of Australia a few times and it didn't feel realistic to me. It seemed like the author was trying to make it seem far more remote than it is. It would have been just outside Tweed Heads and the sprawl of the Gold Coast but it's like those places didn't exist. Setting it south of Byron Bay would have made more sense to me.

This was very readable but not memorable.

2.5
I seem to be in the minority here, I just could not get/maintain interest. I listened to the audio, rewound and replayed parts as my mind was wandering all over the place. I found the first 2/3 of the story so drawn out and well, sorry, boring. The main problem I found was there was not enough show and too much tell, there was so much dialogue it didn't always feel natural to me. The last part of the book was fast paced and tied it all together, but for this reader it was too late, I was already thinking about what I'd be reading next. Can't win them all.

My first read for the year and it’s a good one!
I had never heard of this author previously, but I would definitely read her again.
Interesting thriller set in a small country town in Australia. I feel like I have met some of these characters. The actual mystery was good too.

3.5 stars

After following Gemma Woodstock for 3 books I wish we had gotten a little more closure as to where she ends up in her personal life, given that this appears to be the final book following her character.

An enjoyable Australian crime thriller though.

I quite enjoyed this but found it a bit too entangled with past cases. Murdered young men, missing young women, copper with too much going on in her emotional life. Modern day small town Australia.

Deze recensie werd eerder gepubliceerd op mijn blog.

Nadat de vijftienjarige Abbey tegen middernacht een feest verlaat verdwijnt ze spoorloos. Haar vriendje wordt de volgende ochtend vriendje dood aangetroffen, hij is op brute wijze vermoord. Wie heeft dit gedaan? Is Abbey de dader, of is zij zelf ook slachtoffer? Er zijn zoveel vraagtekens en nog zo weinig antwoorden.

Na het plotseling overlijden van haar ex laat rechercheur Gemma Woodstock zich tijdelijk overplaatsen naar Fairhaven. Ze verhuist samen met haar zoontje Ben naar dit kuststadje. Omdat ze geen tijd wil hebben om te piekeren hoe het nu verder moet in haar leven heeft ze aangeboden om het moordonderzoek naar Abbeys vriendje te leiden zodat ze zich in haar werk kan begraven. Ze heeft deze tijd hard nodig om een beslissing te nemen over de zorg voor haar zoontje.

Alsof het nog niet erg genoeg is wat ze tegenkomt als ze zich verder verdiept in het mysterie rond Abbeys verdwijning, krijgt ze steeds meer het gevoel dat deze zaak frappante overeenkomsten vertoont met een van haar recente vermissingszaken. Zit hier een lijn in?

De personages zijn zo goed uitgewerkt dat het me geen moeite kostte om ze voor mijn ogen tot leven te zien komen. Vooral de hoofdpersoon werd een vrouw van vlees en bloed. Een vrouw met veel vragen en twijfels over het leven van haarzelf en haar zoontje.

“Ik blijf buiten treuzelen en loop een rondje om het bureau om te overdenken wat Janet allemaal heeft gezegd. Het zoemen in mijn hoofd begint weer wanneer de gebeurtenissen van die fatale avond, tien jaar geleden, zich voegen bij wat ik van afgelopen zaterdag weet. Ik doe nog een rondje, want ik wil in beweging blijven. Het zonlicht kaatst wit terug van de ramen, de auto’s en de de golfplaten schuurdaken.”

Dit was een eerste kennismaking met het werk van deze auteur en ik durf te zeggen dat ik opgetogen ben.
Het verhaal begint met een spannende proloog, waarin je goed de angst van Abbey kunt voelen als ze wegvlucht van iemand die ze kent. Ze heeft iets gezien…

‘Het spoor van de doden’ is onderverdeeld in 9 delen, waarvan de titel aangeeft hoeveel dagen de vermissing een feit is.
Vooral in de eerste delen leer je veel over Gemma Woodstock; ze is een vrouw voor wie niet alles in het leven vanzelfsprekend is.

De auteur geeft de omgeving waarin het een en ander zich afspeelt, duidelijk weer in haar mooie beschrijvingen.
“Ik bekijk het rustieke, plankhouten huis. Bloemen en boomtakken lijken zich ernaar uit te strekken, alsof ze het huis voor de natuur willen terugwinnen. Rechts van de wijd openstaande voordeur staat een lange houten bank met een gehaakt kussen erop, links ervan een rij boompjes in elegante plantenbakken. Ik hijs mezelf uit de auto en word vrijwel meteen besprongen door een grote, terracottakleurige hond, de tanden ontbloot en een tong als een slobberende vlag.”

Het is geen snelle thriller, maar is zeker spannend genoeg om de nieuwsgierigheid keer op keer te triggeren. De hoofdstukken zijn lekker kort en er worden goede dialogen neergezet. Het is moeilijk om dit boek weg te leggen; het is tot op de laatste bladzijde spannend en zeker ook sfeervol.

De ontwikkeling van de plot is enorm verrassend: dit had ik niet verwacht!

This is the third book in Gemma Woodstock series and I have enjoyed this as much as the first two. I am looking forward to book 4, hopefully there will be a book 4. Detective Gemma Woodstock is such a great character, she is interesting and I find her intriguing and I want to know more about her. In this one, Gemma is dealing with the passing of a loved one and needs to get out of town to get her thoughts in order. She accepts a case in a small coastal town, and with her son, she throws herself into work. The case she accepts is about a 15 year old girl who has gone missing after a party. The next morning her boyfriend is found murdered. I love how the story unravels. I read this in a day, I just couldn’t put it down.

“As a detective I’ve touched death with my bare hands. I’ve circled it, smelled it and looked it straight in the eye. I know it’s never far away. I spend a lot of my life thinking about it, talking about it, even expecting it – and when you confront something over and over, your brain eventually relaxes around it.”

When a fifteen year old girl goes missing after a party in a small coastal town Detective Gemma Woodstock is sent to investigate. She is keen to escape her very recent family tragedy and not have to deal with her grief, although with her young son Ben accompanying her that wont be so easy.
When the missing girl's boyfriend is found murdered the next day the mystery deepens and Gemma must navigate her way through the small town attitudes and secrets, and the reluctance of many of the residents to share what they may know.
She is hampered by new colleagues who are less than forthcoming with support and help, and the constant shadow of her own grief and personal problems hanging over her, and a previous case that bears a resemblance to this one haunts Emma and causes her, and others, to question her suitability for the job.
This is the third in the DS Gemma Woodstock series by Sarah Bailey and despite not having read the first 2 novels this one was perfectly suited to be read as a stand-alone - there were some character development nuances that I missed by not having read the previous books, but nothing that impacted hugely on the story.
A multi faceted plot, great characters and enough twists to keep this one interesting right to the end.