Cutters End by Margaret Hickey

Detective Mark Ariti travels from Adelaide to the outback because a colleague wants him to look into the case of Michael Denby. Denby died thirty years ago and the death was considered suspicious, but no one was ever charged. Mark grew up with two young women, Ingrid and Joanne, who were in the area around the time of Denby's death and it's figured that a personal connection might help get answers about what happened to Denby. Mark also has the help of local constable Jagdeep Kaur. In Cutters End, Hickey creates a great sense of place for the desolate and harsh landscape in addition to creating interesting characters and story. A fabulous addition to Australian crime literature. I can't wait for the next book in the series!