The Angels Wept

‘The Angels Wept’ is the first instalment of the Jarrod O’Connor detective series and Roney’s debut novel. As a lover of crime thrillers, it is a fantastic, accomplished read and I look forward to the sequels.
Unlike many flawed and jaded detectives, Roney’s protagonist, Detective Sergeant O’Connor, is a hard-working professional who somehow balances working in the Child Protection Unit of a country town, with his own stable family life. He and his colleagues become involved in this gritty drama, when the parents of three young children are murdered, leading him and the team to a dangerous killer. With the children in constant danger and O’Connor’s thoughts filled with not only their plight but images of his own family, there is tension, realism and pace. The antagonist, Vincent Miles, embodies the kind of twisted motivations that defy all reason, adding to the sense of urgency in solving the case and bringing the perpetrator to justice.
The supporting cast are rounded; Roney’s background as a police officer means the procedural aspects of the action are believable and the Australian landscape is beautifully described, whether in a town or country setting. Highly recommended.

Review by Diane Clarke

The Ghost Train and the Scarlet Moon

‘The Ghost Train and the Scarlet Moon' cleverly melds the real and horrific events of a Queensland disaster with bends in time, alongside the enduring friendship between three boys. Whilst the majority of the book is grounded in the reality of 2017, I was happily persuaded to believe in the possibility of parallel lives brought about by catastrophe and strange lunar events. The story is told by Toby McIntyre who, when confronted with the mysterious disappearance of his old friend Dan, begins a journey to unravel not only what happened to Dan but to another friend, Jimmy, who he hasn't seen for thirty five years. Along the way, we discover much about the Camp Mountain train crash in 1947 and the intermittent appearance of a blue, blood moon. Both are well researched, adding authority and credence to this fantastic tale. Yet, for me, the story was about the friendships between the boys who we meet, first, in 1982 when they are all twelve years old. The interactions between them are beautifully and authentically evoked, rendering their efforts to help each other, always with enormous sacrifice, entirely believable.

Review by Diane Clarke