The gold-mining town of Kalana, in rural northern NSW, is hosting a Back to Kalana Week for ex-residents and their families. Among the less welcome guests is Dora Leigh, an opportunistic blonde who sees a chance to make something from the Carrick family, the local gentry. Naturally Dora is bumped off, and local doctor Steve Griffin, who knew her in Sydney, is among the suspects. But what about the man with no nose? And who is sabotaging the celebrations? Inspector Ambrose Mahon, Courtier's series character, is on the spot as an old Kalana boy, but Dr. Griffin is the romantic hero.
There's nothing particularly new in this story of family secrets and young love, and the solution is obtained by looking up old records rather than by deduction. But the setting will be new to most people, as will the vigorous Australian idiom, though this seems to peter out towards the end of the book. Somehow Australian country towns always come across as more attractive in fiction than they do in real life, and balmy, idyllic Kalana is no exception. A knowledge of mining may help the reader too.
Quite readable with a few moments of inspiration. One of the suspects is a sleazy government Minister, a character whom all Australian detective writers seem to have used at one time or another. What does that tell us?
Jon.
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