Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A big crime fan here and there has been booked where they explain and it feels like highs and lows but this is just a fast paced book and throughly enjoyed it.

The character was easy to understand and the setting of the book was perfect!

I’ve been on a bit of fantasy kick lately so it was refreshing to read a murder mystery. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. This book is gory, gruesome and downright wrong in terms of the crimes that are committed over the course of the novel. Yet it captivated me and the plot and mystery really dig into you. I had to know what was going on, and I finished it within a day. I was desperate to know the outcome, and whether my suspicions were correct. I lapped up every little breadcrumb threaded throughout the novel and I was thoroughly invested until the very end.
Damn. What an ending. I had kind of pieced bits together but to know the true extent of what was going on. I couldn’t have even suspected some of the truths that unfolded in the novel’s conclusion. What a murder mystery. I had no words when details were unravelled, and the perpetrators were revealed. It was such an incredibly sad and awful story that was explored, but the mystery was just brilliantly woven.
This book wasn’t completely perfect, as I had some issues with the way certain sections were written, so I could only give this book 4 stars. I really liked the book and the plot and I think for others, this could be a near 5 star read. I would recommend this book to readers who love the genre of mystery or murder mystery. However, this book is not for the faint of heart and I will say that a trigger warning is required before starting this novel. There are topics and situations discussed and presented that could be potential triggers for readers.

What a jewel this read turned out to be!

When I read a friend's review of this book I just knew I had to read it. I mean, it's not often I come across an Australian crime thriller - new or old - but when I do, I am eager to check it out. And boy, am I glad I did! I certainly hope that THE GREAT DIVIDE is the beginning of what promises to be fantastic new series.

When Detective Jake Hunter transferred from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne to the remote town of Dunton in rural Tasmania, he expects it to be a quiet secondment for his duration. After all, not much happens in a small town, does it? But within the week, what begins as a missing boy ends up being a full blown murder investigation.

It is early morning when 10 year old Jamie Taylor quietly unzips the family tent and deftly makes his way through the bush and the fog to an old vineyard, where he can run and run and run. But all of a sudden he sees something big and black looming in front of him, growling. In blind panic, he tries to escape the "monster" chasing him but he can't find his way back through the fog. And then he trips. When he turns for a closer look at the obstruction that caused him to fall, he sees a bloodied hand...and he screams.

When Jake finds Jamie huddled beneath the bushes on the outskirts of the derelict vineyard, the boy is so frightened Jake wonders why. It isn't long before he is standing over a mutilated body amidst the gnarled old grape vines. The victim is Ava O'Brien who ran a local "bad" girls' home for several years before it shut down a decade earlier.

Jake and his constable, Murphy, begin to dig into the secrets that surround the home as well as those of Ava O'Brien herself. The only family Ava had was her brother Liam who also lived in the town, both of whom had moved from the mainland some thirty years ago. Liam is a quiet man who keeps himself to himself, but is there a more sinister reason why?

And what of the home? What happened to the girls that lived there? Apparently wards of the state, the children were to be cared for until adoption, but Jake can find no records of the children or their adoptions. So what happened to them? Two of the girls were adopted locally but the others are proving difficult to track down. The deeper Jake digs, the more he suspects that something strange and disturbing had been at play within the home. Secrets long since buried that were only now hovering beneath the surface.

And then there is his Senior Sergeant - Aiden Kelly - who seems more intent on keeping the locals happy by indulging their sensitivities than actually solving the crime. After watching Jake and his interview techniques, he decides to sit in on most of the other interviews, cutting them short before Jake could ask the hard questions. And what about Constable Patrick Murphy? His reports indicate he is barely literate, that Jake seems to spend more time re-doing than Murphy spends on writing them, not to mention his loose interpretation of the law. How did he even pass training to become a police officer in the beginning? And why, if he has such a blatant disregard for the law? Then there is the added complication of Evelyn Kelly, his boss' daughter and local Victims of Crime services counsellor, who appears to show up at every crime scene and every interview to sit in on. And yet Jake is shocked by her unprofessional behaviour on more than one occasion that he finds himself questioning her qualifications. What is it that Ms Kelly is hiding?

Despite the haphazardness of the police in Dunton, Jake is grateful to find at least one ally in forensic pathologist, Dr Meena Gill. She too is what the locals call "a blow-in" and isn't swayed by the sensitivities of the local's proclivities.

Over the days that follow, Jake continues to dig deeper with the investigation leading him back to Melbourne. And with it, some shocking revelations. As the secrets surrounding the home and Ava's murder come to light, the horror of what really went on within those walls are ultimately exposed as the suspects and bodycount rises. Who is behind these abhorrent atrocities? And how far will they go to keep the enormity of their barbaric actions secret?

The twist is the gruesome trophy that Jake uncovers at the end has to be one of the most sinister and twisted things I have come across throughout this genre. But it is well-played.

THE GREAT DIVIDE is a complex tale of secrets, duplicity and murder offering a sense of bleak and dismal foreboding that is so claustrophobic it is almost chilling. It is hard not to use the word "atmospheric" when writing about it because that is exactly what it is - in both plot and setting.

An exciting addition to the genre of crime fiction noir, THE GREAT DIVIDE is well-paced and intriguing that I devoured it within one evening. I loved everything about it, even those I loved to hate, in this remote town shrouded in fog and lies. I hope it is just the beginning and would love to see a sequel as Jake finds his feet in the small isolated town.

I would like to thank #LJMOwen, #NetGalley and #BonnierBooksUK for an ARC of #TheGreatDivide in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up 4.

The story is set in Tasmania. Detective Jake Hunter has not been staying London in the small rural town. He left his complicated life back in Melbourne. A little boy has went missing from a camp site. Thankfully he is found safe and well but he claims to have seen a dead body. Jake goes back to take a look at where they found the boy, and sure enough, he discovers the body of a woman.

This story has everything to draw you in: atmosphere, terrific setting, mystery, murder and a new detective. The story is a little bit predictable but it's still intriguing. The victim had been the matron at the local bad girls home which had closed down years ago. The plot line is quite complex but I did guess correctly who the culprit was. Some sinister secrets are uncovered during the investigation. This is a dark and gritty read. I quite enjoyed this quick read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bonnier Books UK and the author L.J.M. Owen for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am on the fence with this book. On one side, it's good at setting, atmosphere, criminal secrets and god awful crimes but on the other side, the policeman at the centre of the case seemed a bit 'unsuitable for the job' to put it nicely.

It's a grim case and one I didn't fully realise going into the novel, so that's my fault, but the grim factor never lets up and it got me a bit down.The setting on a wider scale however was brilliant - foggy, remote, claustrophobic and down right chilling.

Dunton is fictional thank goodness as I would never want to go there for real, but I will return to this author book two. There's something there that I would like to read more of.

* I very much enjoyed the setting of small town Tasmania,where the local cop knows everyone,and knows what they're likely to be doing.
The weather,with the rain and fog and freezing added a lot of atmosphere.
There was a lot that was predictable in this book,but also a few things that not quite predicted,but not actually surprising.
The crimes themselves when uncovered just became more horrible...
Overall a decent paced book,and I'll look out for more from the author.

This didn't take me long to read it is written with that style that means you bang through it. Overall I had a love hate relationship with it.

The setting is fantastic, I really engaged with the atmosphere and the mystery element was intriguing if a little path of least resistance. Pretty predictable which actually didn't matter as much you still had that edge of uncertainty. Not about the villain of the piece I picked that person pretty much immediately but to what level and why was cleverly managed.

I just didn't get on well with the main protagonist Jake. He skipped between being way too clever or way too stupid and let so much go that would have lead him to the answer within a few chapters that you kind of wanted to pat him on the head and say there there never mind pet.

Overall though this was well written and entertaining enough. Feels a little like an author finding their literary sea legs. I'll definitely read the next one.