Paradise: A totally addictive crime thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists

i really enjoyed the first book and looked forward to starting this one however i was a bit diappointed. The story was slow and the murder, while a promising read, fizzled out jumping to the drug story which lacked authenticity...the ending was too pat and frankly the mix of dramas..at least three..did not sit well and diluted the engagement of the reader with each storyline. I will give the third book a go in a while hoping the writer plays to his strengths like the wonderful evocation of the bush..the sense of place..as well as the internal world of Walker as it relates to the bush. Book 2 had the feel of knocking a second book out..

Paradise was an excellent number two in what has been an excellent series to date. In comparison to Outback and Opal, it was perhaps my least favourite, but that's probably because the city setting felt less nostalgic, but the plot line was still exciting and interesting, Luke Walker is a likeable character with integrity and I'm looking forward to the 4th book.

The story is pretty good, engaging, and the characters fairly well developed, but I struggle with the slang language; Australians don't use the "nah, yeah", and "yeah, nahs" that often, especially in professional settings. It's off-putting and detracts from the storyline. The distances between locations are slightly off also.