The Dark Lake

This was a solid debut from a new Australian crime writer. The Dark Lake is a police procedural with a complex plot. I occasionally found it difficult to accept all of the professional screw-ups by our characters but it wasn't enough to warrant more than an eyeroll from me. The character development was superb though, to be honest, the “emotionally damaged detective” trope isn't my favorite. Gemma as a character is rather unlikable and I soon grew tired of hearing about her dumpster fire of a personal life. That being said, the fact that I had such a strong reaction to her says something, even if it wasn't a strong positive reaction. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from Sarah Bailey.