I requested to review this book after getting into Australian crime fiction with Jane Harper’s The Dry.

Outback will scratch that Aussie itch - the setting of the isolated Outback town is spot on and has that tense and desperate atmosphere we have become used to. Such a localised crime also gives a ‘Whodunit’ vibe - there is only a limited number of characters who could have committed the desperate crime.

Two young backpackers break down on the road and never make it to their next stop. Due to the multiple narrators in the novel, we soon find out what has happened to them - but can they be reached in time to save them from a terrible fate?

At times the novel crossed over a little from a Crime novel to a Horror genre - I found it sat a little uncomfortably between the two styles, part police procedural, part gore-fest. But in the end the story is absolutely gripping and the two mains characters are engaging and likeable.

I liked this one and would like to see a series by this author. I liked DS walker and loved the setting. I will definitely read more by this author. I felt it had a good well paced plot.
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

📚 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 - Outback (Publishes November 8th)⁣⁣⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘗𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢 𝘞𝘰𝘭𝘧⁣⁣⁣
⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (4/5)⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": Two young backpackers, (Berndt and Rita) go missing in the Australian Outback. DS Walker, while on leave and caring for his ailing grandmother, finds himself unofficially on the case. Joined by Barbara (Rita’s older sister/cop from Berlin), the two must hurry to find the missing pair before it's too late.⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: A solid crime fiction read. 👍 This appears to be the first in a potential series of novels involving DS Lucas Walker. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
This story starts a bit slow for my taste, meandering through the investigation and various dead-ends, while occasionally giving us some heart-pumping chapters from the perspective of the kidnapped backpackers (I liked those, just wish there were more)! But the entire story picks up in the back 1/4 of the book with lots of action and suspense until the very last page! ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Thanks to @Netgalley and @Emblabooks for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞 👍: ⁣⁣⁣
- Loved the setting of the Outback. It really played up the danger and time-sensitive nature of being lost and exposed to the elements in such an unforgiving environment.⁣⁣⁣
- The relationship between Walker and his Grandmother was lovely. ❤️⁣⁣⁣
- I also loved the character of Barbara (she's so feisty) and the character of Hippy (I would have loved to see more of him)!⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 👎: ⁣⁣⁣
- The pace at the beginning was just too sluggish for me. ⁣⁣⁣
- The ending was abrupt and left many unanswered questions. I realize there will be additional books involving these characters (so yay!), but in addition to the hasty conclusion, certain relationships were teased and we never got the payoff of seeing those play out in any definitive way. ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You enjoy Criminal Minds and other police dramas. You like pubs, long swims, truck stops, and Australian lingo, mate! ✌️⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: R (for subject matter and moderate language) ⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐟 📖: ⁣⁣⁣
✔️ Will keep for a while, and recommend to those I think will enjoy it.

A very fine example of ‘Australian noir’ although that has to be a misnomer, as the colours of the outback are reds, yellows, oranges and bright whites when the sun bleaches all colour from the settings - this dry aridness is superbly described in this book. The story centres on a pair of German backpackers who disappear without trace on their way to work on a remote farm in the Queensland outback. As the investigations into their disappearance go on they become more and more complex and wide reaching, and the story more involving and riveting. Although Outback begins a bit slowly, it’s worth sticking with it, as it will soon grab you and not let go until you reach the very satisfying conclusion - satisfying, yes, but it left room for a sequel and this reviewer hopes that another book from this fine author will be coming before too long.

I’m very partial to a bit of Outback Noir and this absolutely delivers. The writer evokes the landscape and weather of this part of Australia beautifully, and sets up a cast of characters (particularly DS Walker, and Barbara) I can see appearing in a whole series of novels (I certainly hope so). This was a really compelling read and one I will be recommending.

I am really enjoy more and more Australian fiction and this one took me to the outback where the dust, the heat and the remoteness really shines through. The story of missing backpackers and the investigation which leads down a very dark and mysterious road.

This book drew me in from the first few pages where it set up the story which then picked up the pace and led to a story of mystery, complexity and the since of thrill and suspense. It took me on a journey to places I've never been and don't wish to go to in my real life. It is fast paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I just couldn't put it down!

A great read from an author I hadn't heard of before this book and will be checking out to see what other great reads I can find.

This is a tense gripping police procedural set in the queensland outback, where all properties are remote, tourists out of season are rare and police corruption is rife.
DS Walker, on compassionate leave at his Grandma's is called in to assist in the case of 2 missing backpackers. He uncovers some sinister links between other cold cases of missing women and decides to get to the bottom of it.
Super gripping at the end.

Slow starting but ultimately satisfying tale from Wolf about an undercover agent from Sydney who, after going home to his outback roots to care for a dying grandmother, gets asked to investigate the disappearance of two dating German backpackers. The missing girl's sister is a cop in Munich and travels to the local area to aid in the search. The story drags quite a bit for the first half, with way too much description of the outback and a meandering plot line that can't seem to focus on the investigation properly. The second half, however, picks up nicely and the last seventy-five or so pages really kicks into gear, finishing on a tense and dramatic flourish as our intrepid hero and the sister close in on the guilty party. Recommended for those that like an Australian outback flavor to their adventures and are willing to wait a bit for the story to kick in. 3-3.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well written with a storyline that was engaging and compelled me to keep reading and well developed characters. I loved the setting as the book and it was full of vivid decriptions that made me feel like I was in the Australian Outback, and also feel very glad that I wasn't

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

There are so many 'Australian noir' crime novels being published at the moment - I should know as I have read several of them! - where the scenery/climate is almost a character in its own right. Everything is hot and dry and there is a drought and a constant risk of wildfires. I wonder how the Australian tourism board feels about this genre, because it certainly isn't making me want to visit. There was nothing really wrong with this novel, but it didn't stand out for me in any way. It was slow to get going, and none of the characters drew me in. The ending was satisfactory, I suppose, although the general mood was depressing.

I received this ARC at no cost from NEtgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This appears to be the first novel from this author, as I could not find any other books by her. I beleive this is a good start to a possibly great series, or even stand-alone novels, based on our main character here. The setting is in Austrailia, so some phrases are new to me, though if I recall, some were explained in an easy way. Obviously it takes place in what they call the outback, which at the time of the year in the story, is drought-ridden and especially hot that summer, as two international hikers go missing enroute to a job they needed to work to extend their visas. Our main character is on leave near where the events happened, and I'm not saying much more about that.

The story kept me interested each time I picked up the story. It wasn't like a regular police thriller, and all the procedures where new and somewhat different to me (as I am in the US) it brought out some local flair. The actual storyline had me guessing as to what was going to happen next - would there be another abduction? Is the 'bad guy' going to show himself, and when? Or is it a 'bad girl' All in all I really enjoyed this read and look forward to more books with this character, or of a similar style. One of the best books I have read this year!

Australian Federal Police officer Lucas Walker is taking time away from work to be with his dying grand mother in the outback country town of Caloodie when he is asked to look into the disappearance of two German backpackers last seen in the `town and heading to a farm 200 km away for work.
The characters in general are well rounded and the storyline is strong. The description of the area and the temperature brings the locality `to life and describes+ the harshness of the conditions very well..
Overall a very enjoyable book. I would definitely be interested in reading more about DS Walker if the author turns this into à series.

This was an excellent read! I was transported and totally immersed in the outback of Australia. The descriptions of the land and the sky and the extreme heat made me feel as though I were there. The characters seemed to come alive in their various roles as victims, perpetrators, crime detectives as well as members of families. When two young people go missing while on an adventure trip through Australia, theories of what happened abound. The author does a great job of exploring each characters's viewpoint as it relates to how Rita and Berndt could have disappeared so completely. And the ending is very satisfying.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing this advance copy for me to read and review.

Two German tourists go missing in the Queensland outback. Lucas Walker, a DS in Sydney, is on compassionate leave in his hometown Caloodie; his grandmother is terminally ill; when his superiors ask him to act as family liaison on the case. Barbara Guerra is a detective in Berlin CID and her younger sister Rita is one of the missing tourists. She flies out to Caloodie to help in the search for Rita and her boyfriend Berndt. Walker is worried that the local officer, Grogan, is not making enough of an effort with the case and that there is more going on the town with regards to drugs. Barbara is convinced that her sister is still alive and thinks that a serial killer may be operating in the area and that he has Rita and Berndt.

The book was a bit of a slow burner but the pace picked up from about halfway through and led to an exciting climax. An enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Embla Books and Patricia Wolf for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I'm in love with Aussie fiction at the moment, anything set in the Outback I jump on immediately and this novel is CALLED Outback - Sold!

I loved this too so it delivered on the promise of its title- the setting is beautifully described so you get immersed into it and the characters are strong and hugely engaging.

This is a "what will happen" read rather than a whodunit, from several viewpoints we watch as a pair of missing backpackers connect to a wider story. It was terrific to read.

The writing is excellent, the plotting addictive and I'll be following this author. Recommended.

I’m a huge fan of Australian noir so I couldn’t resist Outback. Two backpackers Rita and Berndt vanish in the outback. Sound familiar? The subject may be one that’s been written about countless times, but the plot’s original! Patrica Wolf has created a story that’s complex, tense and thrilling. DS Lucas Walker is on leave in his hometown of Caloodie. He unofficially investigates the case of two missing backpackers, Rita and Berndt. Rita’s sister, Barbara Guerra helps Walker with the investigation.

The investigation leads Walker and Guerra down a dark and dangerous path, which explores the growing drug trade in Australia’s rural communities. The weather, remoteness, and sense of solitude that the Australian landscape provides amplifies the trials and tribulations of the investigation. There’s a sense of foreboding that stays with the reader throughout Outback. Walker and Guerra make a good pairing. It makes a refreshing change not to get bogged down in the main characters’ personal lives, as this can sometimes distract from the main plot.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is the case is challenging and far more complex than it first seems. A community that harbours secrets, organised crime, drug crimes and missing tourists, what more could a crime thriller addict wish for? As the plot progresses, a sense of urgency radiates from the pages and I raced through Outback. The pace of the book, a compelling plot and the vivid descriptions certainly made this book such an addictive reading. Highly recommended.

Brilliant writing - brilliant story. An outstanding debut for Australian author Patricia Wolf. Read in two sittings - just so hard to put down. You could sense the unrelenting heat, the dust, the dry and the isolation of outback Australia as you turned the pages in this remarkable crime thriller. Cannot wait for the next novel featuring DS Lucas Walker. Well worth the highest score of five stars.

Good book! Wow! This one was a heart pumper!! It had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, serial killer, and great police work!! Also a great who done it! I definitely enjoyed reading this book! The storyline was very interesting and had me glued to my Kindle! I highly recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I DO like a story set in the Outback.
The scenery and conditions are a different world to what I know , the sheer scale of it all, and the distances between anything.
This is all beautifully written about in this book.
I think you could call it a slow burn book, it feels like not much happens for a lot of the book, because there's nothing to work with, no clues, no sightings..
Luckily we have a couple of characters who chip away at the slightest thing, which ramps up the action for the final part of the book, when it's all going on.
Very enjoyable.