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. Eager to find the so-called Blue Moon Killer before he strikes again, Detective Sergeant Rose 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.

I did not care for this book at all. There were too much setting and character descriptions. Also, I did not understand the Australian slang. Riley was always taking panadol and after seeing the word 4 times I went to Wikipedia to find out what it was. It's Tylenol. The book is advertised as "dark, gritty, tense and atmospheric." I see the dark part but not the tension. It was boring.

I am sad to have to give a low rating of 1 out of 5 stars. The author spent alot of time writing the story but it just didn't suit me. ( )

I think I’m giving it 5 stars because of its geographical setting - all very familiar.
Good holiday read.
( )

Black River by Matthew Spencer
Rose Riley #1

Riveting read that captured my attention immediately and didn’t let me go till the last page!

What I liked:
* Detective Sergeant Rose Riley: committed, driven, competent, strong, determined, believes in her training and her instincts, team player, insomniac, a woman I am curious about and hope to learn more about
* Steve O’Neill: homicide detective, top person in the department, alpha, intense, driven, divorced, great leader, able to take power naps at the drop of a hat, team leader who knows the strengths of the people he works with, would like to know more about him
* Adam Bowman: newspaper reporter, works night shift, alcohol dependent, had a difficult childhood, capable, alone but enjoys being with others, another character I am curious about – almost liked him best of the characters met in this book
* Dr. Wayne Farquhar: psychiatrist working with the homicide team, knows his business, insightful, not always 100% correct…maybe
* Priya Patel: younger member of the team, bright, motivated, eager, strengths that will be good in the future
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* The police procedural aspects and how the team worked to uncover whether or not the two murder sites were related and who the killer(s) were
* That I felt a part of the story
* The twists and turns and tidbits that were shared
* The part the river played in the story
* That there will be another book in this series

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about those who commit crimes and murder, the nature vs nurture aspect of serial killers, and also about the loss and pain and grief experienced by those left behind when someone is murdered

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars ( )

Sterile procedural, wooden characters; interesting for Australian location only.

As a first novel, it's quite an achievement with so many characters for the author to follow and develop in so many different directions. Interesting that this is supposedly a first in a Rose Riley potential series. I sort of hope that Bowman will also reappear because he was such a good part of the story as the journalist.The fact that it was happening in Australia added different terminology to the story for those of us who don't live there. What will Riley do next? It would be great if some of the same characters reappear. ( )