The Blurb (from Goodreads):
After the shocking murder of a high-profile celebrity, Gemma Woodstock must pull back the layers of a gilded cage to discover who among the victim's friends and family can be trusted--and who may be the killer.
Troubled and brilliant, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock finds herself lost and alone after a recent move to Melbourne, brokenhearted by the decisions she's had to make. Her new workplace is a minefield and Detective Sergeant Nick Fleet, the partner she has been assigned, is uncommunicative and often hostile. When a homeless man is murdered and Gemma is put on the case, she can't help feeling a connection with the victim and his lonely, isolated existence.
Then Sterling Wade, an up-and-coming actor filming his breakout performance in a closed-off city street, is murdered in the middle of an action-packed shot, and Gemma and Nick have to put aside their differences to unravel the mysteries surrounding the actor's life and death. Who could commit such a brazen crime? Who stands to profit from it? Far too many people, and none of them can be trusted. Gemma can't imagine a pair of victims with less in common--and yet as Gemma and Fleet soon learn, both men were keeping secrets that may have led to their deaths.
With riveting suspense, razor-sharp writing, and a fascinating cast of characters, INTO THE NIGHT proves Sarah Bailey is a major new talent to watch in the world of literary crime fiction.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed Sarah Bailey’s first crime novel, the atmospheric and brilliantly clever Dark Lake. So I was really looking forward to seeing what Sarah Bailey would come up with next.
Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock has moved to Melbourne to pursue her career, leaving her son Ben with her ex-partner in the small Victorian town where she grew up. She is lonely, but determined. Being a homicide cop is what she’s good at, and she’s determined to make a go of it.
Then a homeless man is brutally murdered in a dark and lonely alleyway. The crime is odd, but nobody sees to care much. It’s a quite different matter when a famous young actor is killed, in daylight, in front of hundreds of witnesses. Amid a media storm, with dozens of potential suspects, Gemma and her partner are feeling the heat. But Gemma can’t get the dead homeless man out of her mind. The two murders could not be more different … and yet …
Although not quite as brilliant as Dark Lake (which, to be honest, would be almost impossible!), Into the Night is a really adroit and intelligent crime thriller that relies on acute psychological insight for its twists and turns. Gemma Woodstock is a great protagonist – tough but still vulnerable, troubled but still believable – and I really hope there will be a lot more books about her in the years to come. Sizzling hot Australian crime!
I also loved The Lost Man by Jane Harper:
https://kateforsyth.com.au/what-katie-read/book-review-the-lost-man-jane-harper
