Crimson Lake by Candace Fox

Ted Conkaffey has left Sydney, hoping to find anonymity in far north Queensland after being accused of kidnapping a girl (he was released due to a lack of evidence). Isolated from his family and friends, and with the loss of his job as a cop in the city, Ted, on the advice of his lawyer, decides to partner with local private investigator Amanda Pharrell. Amanda has her own demons, the biggest being having served eight years in prison for murder. Together, they are trying to discover what happened to best-selling writer Jake Scully. With a descriptive sense of place and interesting characters, Fox is off to a promising start with this first book in the series. Perfect for fans of Jane Harper's The Dry.