Black River

by Matthew Spencer

Overview

The elite neighborhoods of Sydney are becoming a serial killer’s hunting ground. But for a city—and a detective—on the edge, not everything is as it seems in a twisting novel of suspense.

During a stifling summer in Sydney, the body of a chaplain’s daughter is found wrapped in black plastic on the deserted grounds of an elite boarding school. Is it the work of the killer who’s been stalking the privileged neighborhoods along the Parramatta River? Gut instinct tells Detective Sergeant Rose Riley something even more devious might be at play.

Eager to find the so-called Blue Moon Killer before he strikes again, Riley forms an uneasy alliance with Adam Bowman, a journalist with a valuable, and unsettling, link to the school’s history. As Riley’s investigation takes her deep into the secret lives of Sydney’s prominent citizens, Bowman delves into the darkest places of his own childhood for answers. When their paths converge, Riley must use every bit of her cunning to stop another murder.

Excavating Bowman’s past might just be the key to unlocking the case. Or it could prove to be Riley’s undoing. Because clue by clue she’s being pulled into the sights of a killer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662510069
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	07/01/2023
Series:	Rose Riley , #1
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Matthew Spencer was a newspaper journalist at The Australian for twenty years. He lives in Sydney with his wife and three children. Black River is his first novel. For more information, visit www.matthewspencer.com.au or follow him on Instagram (@matthewspencerauthor).

Editorial Reviews

Spencer’s fiction debut…features a straightforward detective plot that’s enriched and deepened by touching on issues of class, race, and gender. An engaging police procedural with a little something extra.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Dark, gritty, tense, atmospheric. I loved Black River.” —Candice Fox, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Sharply plotted and relentlessly paced, it kept me guessing until the last page.” —Michael Robotham, New York Times bestselling author of When You Are Mine

“A meticulous thriller with a cast of stand-out characters and an intriguing setting. I could not stop reading it.” —Sarah Bailey, author of The Dark Lake

“Propulsive and intricate. A crime thriller that is absolutely not to be missed.” —Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town

“Black River hooked me and wouldn’t let me go. You’re going to want to read this one with all the lights on.” —Tim Ayliffe, author of The Enemy Within

From the Publisher

2023-04-12
The murder of a third girl in an affluent Sydney suburb brings out an army of police and press.

A young woman is brutally killed on the campus of Prince Albert, a private boys’ boarding school in suburban Sydney. She's assumed to be the latest casualty of the Blue Moon Killer, who’s currently at large. This victim is Marguerite Dunlop, daughter of the school chaplain and a recent graduate of a neighboring girls’ school. Reporter Adam Bowman, an alumnus of Prince Albert, is sent to cover this hot story with orders to stay out of the way of his brash colleague “Beat-Up” Benny Diamond, who’s already reporting on BMK for their newspaper. Meanwhile, the investigation by DCI Steve O’Neil and DS Rose Riley is underway. A police team dubbed Strike Force Satyr that’s also investigating BMK is on the scene as well. Riley and O’Neil’s methodical gathering of forensic evidence and questioning of witnesses alternates with Bowman’s more personal reminiscences and interviews. An additional perspective is provided by DC Priya Patel, a young officer with a justifiable chip on her shoulder over “a lifetime of explaining yourself to dumb fucks.” Spencer’s fiction debut, the first installment in a planned Rose Riley series, features a straightforward detective plot that’s enriched and deepened by touching on issues of class, race, and gender.

An engaging police procedural with a little something extra.

Kirkus Reviews