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Dead Heat

by Bronwyn Parry (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 87 ratings · 24 reviews

National Parks Ranger Jo Lockwood is often alone in the wilderness, and she likes it that way – until she discovers the body of a man, brutally murdered.

Detective Nick Matheson’s new posting to the north-west of New South Wales is supposed to be an uneventful return to normal duties and a normal life. He knows organised crime from the inside out and suspects that the victi...more

Paperback, First, 352 pages

Published March 27th 2012 by Hachette Australia

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Community Reviews

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Apr 23, 2012 Sally906 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, mystery, romance

Bronwyn Parry is fast becoming one of my must buy authors.

I am very reluctant to call this book a romance. Sure there is attraction between the two main characters but the focus is on suspense and murder with the opening murder being a grizzly one indeed. National Parks ranger Jo Lockwood stumbles across a mutilated body in an isolated park in north-west region of New South Wales while on a routine inspection of camping grounds. The victim had been tortured before his death and a stash of drugs...more

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May 03, 2012 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, aww2012, crime, library-reads, mystery, romance, rural-lit

Jo Lockwood is a National Parks Ranger who has recently taken up a new job at a newly-declared State Forest in north-western NSW. The solitary life doesn’t much bother her, she enjoys her own company and the peacefulness that comes from working with nature. That peace is shattered when she discovers the dead body of a man who has been brutally tortured not far off a walking track.

Detective Nick Matheson is also starting a new job. He’s a former undercover officer who was involved in a scandal wh...more Jo Lockwood is a National Parks Ranger who has recently taken up a new job at a newly-declared State Forest in north-western NSW. The solitary life doesn’t much bother her, she enjoys her own company and the peacefulness that comes from working with nature. That peace is shattered when she discovers the dead body of a man who has been brutally tortured not far off a walking track.

Detective Nick Matheson is also starting a new job. He’s a former undercover officer who was involved in a scandal when an operation went wrong and now he finds himself in a supposedly quiet area in northern NSW where the peace is disrupted by Jo’s discovery of a body. Nick is immediately suspicious about certain things about the murder and crime scene – to him this doesn’t look like a once off. It isn’t long before they dig up some links to an unsolved murder on the Mid North Coast of NSW and some whispers of an infiltrating overseas group.

Jo and Nick realise before long that it seems Jo may have inadvertently spoken to the leader of this organisation and because of that, could identify him. Her life is now in great danger and Nick wants to protect her. Jo is determined not to leave the area though, consenting to police protection in her own house but the bodies keep coming and before long Jo realises that this danger is not going to go away until one of them – her or the leader – is dead.

Dead Heat is the latest novel from Bronwyn Parry and it had been on my radar for a little while. I’d seen some good reviews and I do love a good suspenseful mystery. When I finally got my hands on it by way of my local library, I was definitely not disappointed. Dead Heat opens with a bang with Jo discovering the body of a dead man that, they later discover, has been tortured horribly before finally being shot.

I’ve been reading a lot of rural lit lately, a genre that I have mentioned before on the blog as gaining a lot in popularity in recent times. Usually they’re set on farms and although I’d include this in the broad spectrum of rural lit there are a few differences. The setting is undeniably rural, deep in north-western NSW in a made-up town that sounds suspiciously like a couple of real towns, name-wise. A large area has just been given over to official National Park status and it’s Jo’s job to keep law and order around the various camp grounds, walking tracks and also to supervise backburning and/or the putting out of deliberately or accidentally lit fires with the support of the CFA (Country Fire Authority). There’s a lot of appreciation for the land in this book, Jo in particular has a real affinity for it and it’s clear she loves her job. She suffered a trauma in recent times and she’s moved location to perhaps escape the memories. She seems very comfortable in her own company either at home or out in the bush, alone out there with only her camera.

In terms of characterisation, I felt that both Nick and Jo were very strong. Nick comes from a very poor and violent background, dragged himself out of it and made detective in the police force, going into some very dangerous undercover operations. He has an inner strength and discipline that is necessary for his job, that has allowed him to do things for his work. He has played many roles and sometimes feels as though it is hard to be just ‘Nick’ and that people are wary of him because of the rumours and scandal that has surrounded him.

There is an element of romance in this book but it remains mostly in the background. There’s an immediate attraction between Nick and Jo but both of them work hard to suppress it. The story of the murders and who is behind them is always first and the most important part of the book. Parry takes a long time to build her story, carefully fleshing out details and weaving an intricate crime web that is quite impressive! Nick and Jo spend a lot of time together under the guise of Nick protecting Jo from a very real danger and I appreciated that – they get to know each other with Nick being able to relax himself just a bit and actually talk to someone as his own person, rather than just a character he has undertaken in order to complete a job. Both of them have had some pain in their past and they aren’t sure they can see a future together, given Nick’s job. They talk about things, primarily the case and I thought that Nick sharing things with her and Jo sharing things that she finds out, was very refreshing. All too often I read mystery/crime novels where the characters all keep secrets from each other, presumably to draw out the suspense and lengthen the time until things are solved which usually only serves to frustrate me! I appreciated this novel because the criminal is identified early on into the story and the book then revolves around actually catching him.

Dead Heat was a wonderful read – it drew me in right from the beginning and kept me intrigued all the way. It’s Bronwyn Parry’s third novel and I’ll definitely be tracking down her previous two to read as well because I very much enjoyed the way she writes. I also enjoyed the unique setting, showcasing the lovely natural bush that can be found in much of the north of my home state.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012, aussie-author, romantic-suspense, romance, rural-lit

Bronwyn Parry is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and alongside a handful of other Australian authors has also made me fall in love with the romantic suspense crime genre.

Dead Heat is an action packed, suspenseful story set in the wilderness of the north-west region of New South Wales. Jo Lockwood is a woman passionate about nature and takes her job as a National Parks Ranger, very seriously. When she stumbles across the mutilated dead body of a man in her beloved parklands she is de...more Bronwyn Parry is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and alongside a handful of other Australian authors has also made me fall in love with the romantic suspense crime genre.

Dead Heat is an action packed, suspenseful story set in the wilderness of the north-west region of New South Wales. Jo Lockwood is a woman passionate about nature and takes her job as a National Parks Ranger, very seriously. When she stumbles across the mutilated dead body of a man in her beloved parklands she is determined to help Detective Nick Matheson in his new position with the local police network to find the killer.

Jo and Nick are intriguing characters who at the outset are distant and detached but actually have many layers of complexities and many defences built up over the years with the aim to protect themselves and those they love. Jo has set her heart aside and focused on her work since the death of her fiancé five years prior while Nick has worked undercover for a decade alongside some of the deadliest criminals in the state. He has played so many roles in his life he is not quite sure he knows who the real Nick is anymore.

Despite the characters controlled demeanours, their analytical mindsets and tendency to continually scan the environment and evaluate each other and anyone else in their paths- I was drawn to them both because Parry provides a delicate insight into the conflicts of Nick and Jo both internally and externally and I really wanted them to break down their barriers and to find happiness not just with each other but to find contentment within themselves. But the risk of letting go and opening up is quite high for them both and in doing so could put each of their lives in danger- Nick has made many enemies during his life in the underworld.

There’s plenty of action in Dead Heat and an intriguing crime plot that has many twists and turns, continues to ramp up the suspense and Parry really puts her (poor!) characters through many, many hurdles to demonstrate their resilience right until the very end. Jo and Nick are tested emotionally, physically and professionally. The moment I picked up this book I didn’t want to put it down and I guarantee I won’t be the only one in that position!

Fans of crime and suspense who want strong, multi-layered characters and a dash of romance set in the Australian wilderness will love Dead Heat.
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Apr 03, 2012 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mainstream, women-s-fiction

Dead Heat is Bronwyn Parry’s third novel, and her confidence as an author veritably hums off the pages: she could be easily likened with romantic suspense stalwart Nora Roberts. With its strong suspense narrative, the novel offers a twist on the rural romance literature I’ve been reading of late, and its rural setting also makes it stand apart from the gritty urban settings so often seen in crime novels. The rural setting is perhaps one of the things I enjoyed most about Dead Heat, and Parry exp...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Engaging read of both romance and suspense.
The suspense is the main element in this read. The romance and attraction between main characters Nick and Jo is mostly emphasized in the way these two people try to shy away from what they are starting to feel for each other.

Story set in Australia Rural scrub.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Matheson is less then a week into his new job, when he gets a call that has him in Goodabri, a small community outside Strathnairn where he is stationed. National P...more Engaging read of both romance and suspense.
The suspense is the main element in this read. The romance and attraction between main characters Nick and Jo is mostly emphasized in the way these two people try to shy away from what they are starting to feel for each other.

Story set in Australia Rural scrub.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Matheson is less then a week into his new job, when he gets a call that has him in Goodabri, a small community outside Strathnairn where he is stationed. National Park Ranger Jo Lockwood has discovered the body of a young man, brutally tortured and murdered with drugs found near the scene. When on elderly coupled are murdered, Jo's life is in danger as she can recognize a man she seen at the park who obviously is eliminating anyone who can place him there.
Two Homicide Detectives from Sidney are called in. Hugh Dalton who Nick has known since they were teenagers. They were like brothers until a tragedy in their past but some distance between them. Hugh is acting very erratic, which has Nick concerned. Nick has spend last ten years working undercover. He worked in organized crime. All he wants is to live a normal life and try to get back to being who he really is.
Jo is very passionate about her work and there is no place she would rather be then in the outback. The author paints a idyll picture of the wilderness and refers to the possum's and kangaroo's often. It keeps you rooted to the area this story is set in. Jo lost her fiance five years prior during a search and rescue when he fell from a cliff. She starts to get close to Nick and takes a major part in helping with the investigation.The last thing she wants is to get involved with another guy who works in a risky job. Nick is determined to keep her safe and protected as best he can.

There is a lot happening in this book and the action through out never lets up. Drug Gangs, a mafia drug boss and corruption within the police force and bush fires in which Rangers are caught between the fire and a sniper trying to take them out.

I couldn't help but feel a heavy sadness for Nick and Jo. Nick who was brought up in a rough environment and suffered a tragedy that befell his family which had him separating himself from his sister in order to see no harm come to her. He keeps his emotions tightly guarded. Jo, seemed to me to be so alone. She had her friends, yet when she had to grief with everything happing around her. She did it alone. I wanted to see some other emotion besides the controlled front these two people carried. There is one out bust towards end of book when Nick lashes out at those he works with, pity didn't see more of it through out book.

A fast intense read that I would have liked to have seen some happy moments because the book was weighted down with sadness. Also wasn't much given away about Jo's history. I think what happened to Hugh and his downfall could have been given more dept. He was apart of Nick's family.

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Apr 17, 2012 Deb Bodinnar rated it 5 of 5 stars

After reading some of the other reviews, I feel my comments/review on the books I read sound a little "ordinary and unprofessional", but they are heartfelt and real!!
That said... I enjoyed Bronwyn's third novel amazing and did not want to put it down but sleep and work made me. The setting of the NSW outback is a nice change from the main streets of big cities and is one I can relate to, having lived in the bush myself. The relationships of the people who live in these areas is captured by Bronw...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-author

Set in Australia's rural scrub, Dead Heat is an thrilling story of suspense and romance. National Parks ranger Jo Lockwood stumbles across a body at an isolated picnic ground, the young man had been tortured before his death and drugs are found at the scene. Detective Nick Matheson is brought in to investigate and with his past experience as an undercover officer, recognises that Jo is at risk from the assassin, especially as the body count rises and it becomes clear there is a leak in the task...more Set in Australia's rural scrub, Dead Heat is an thrilling story of suspense and romance. National Parks ranger Jo Lockwood stumbles across a body at an isolated picnic ground, the young man had been tortured before his death and drugs are found at the scene. Detective Nick Matheson is brought in to investigate and with his past experience as an undercover officer, recognises that Jo is at risk from the assassin, especially as the body count rises and it becomes clear there is a leak in the task force. Threatened by police corruption, bush fire and a ruthless gang of drug crazed killers, Jo and Nick are forced to fight for their lives.

With its somewhat grisly opening, it quickly becomes clear that Dead Heat places the emphasis on the suspense elements of the book. The country is often viewed as an idyllic setting free from the crime that plagues urban centers but Parry demonstrates it is also an ideal setting for illegal activity given its isolation. This is a strongly plotted novel that incorporates organised crime, police corruption, gang activity and murder in a fast paced and exciting story. I reluctantly put it aside only to attend to my family's pleas for a meal. The threat from a sniper keeps the tension wound tight as does the brutality of the deaths of those connected with the case, the violence is not gratuitous but is fairly explicit. There are some great twists, a conscienceless killer means his moves are unpredictable, and while not all of the elements of the plot are credible, the action keeps the pages turning.
I had expected that Jo would be the key protagonist of Dead Heat but she shares the role with Nick and the third person perspective means we know what they are both thinking and feeling. I liked Jo but her characters reserve prevented me from identifying strongly with her. I didn't feel I learnt as much about her, apart from her love for the job and her grief at the loss of her fiance, as I would have liked. Nick's history helps to flesh out his character, his tragic childhood plays a part in the drama of Dead Heat as does his complicated immediate past as an undercover officer.
The romantic relationship between Jo and Nick relies on a physical attraction that is intensified by the tense circumstances they find themselves in. Both are shy of commitment, Jo's fiance died in a search and rescue incident and Nick has avoided relationships for years due to the dangerous nature of his undercover work. Though accelerated, their connection that doesn't feel forced and sensibly, Parry doesn't insist they declare undying love for each other but makes the potential of the relationship clear.

Bronwyn Parry is another author I have discovered thanks to the Australian Women Writers challenge, this is her third book and I have every intention of reading the first two, As Darkness Falls and Dark Country. Dead Heat is an exciting and engaging blend of crime, suspense and romantic fiction, with interesting characters and a fast paced story in an uniquely Australia setting.(less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Jess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-authors, aww-2013, own-read, could-not-put-down

I have a slight confession to make, until recently I had never heard of Bronwyn Parry and thus never read of any her work. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure what drew me to her novel in the first place, but boy am I glad that the universe had other plans for me. Just wish I'd read it sooner :) Read as part of the Australian Women's Writers Challenge 2013.

Set within rural NSW, Dead Heat is the story of Jo Lockwood, a National Park Ranger, who despite having been in town for a couple o...more I have a slight confession to make, until recently I had never heard of Bronwyn Parry and thus never read of any her work. And to be perfectly honest, I’m not even sure what drew me to her novel in the first place, but boy am I glad that the universe had other plans for me. Just wish I'd read it sooner :) Read as part of the Australian Women's Writers Challenge 2013.

Set within rural NSW, Dead Heat is the story of Jo Lockwood, a National Park Ranger, who despite having been in town for a couple of months, prefers to be alone in the outdoors. She thrives on it in fact. That is until one day while making her rounds in the newly opened National Park she stumbles across the discovery of a brutally murdered body and her world is thrown into chaos. Cue Detective Nick Matheson, who’s recent posting in the area is meant to be his quite return to ‘normal duties’ following some ten years as an undercover officer. Matheson quickly discovers Lockwood to be not only an asset to the case in terms of her local knowledge of the area (remember she works virtually non-stop in the bush), but is also quick to establish that while Lockwood holds the case’s key to being solved, after all she has potential met and seen the killers face already. Within a short time a second body is discovered, and then a third, turning Lockwood’s idyllic country town into a criminal playground with gun running, police corruption, snipers and the discovery of drugs pointing towards the establishment of a new criminal cartel. None of which bodes well for poor Jo Lockwood with evidence quickly emerging to suggest she may be the next target. So together, Lockwood and Matheson are thrown together on one hell of a rollarcoaster ride to not only solve the initial crime, but to stop the criminal master minds from hurting anybody else – especially where Jo Lockwood may be concerned.

From the get go, Dead Heat is one hell of a page turner, so much so that I found myself reluctant to put the book down for even a second, little know to get some sleep and go to work. The story is a captivating mix of suspense and romance, where refreshingly enough, nothing seems too forced. A point I think is helped through the dual protagonist’s nature of the story, whereby Parry uses third person narration to give the reader beter insight into both Jo and Nick’s thought process', feelings and actions. The characters themselves are for the most part well rounded, both characters revealing certain strengths and weakness as the story develops, and their romance is neither forced nor rushed. In fact, for most of the book it sort of just dangles there, slightly out of reach for both characters, and although the strength of their connection is illustrated, Parry wisely distances herself from forcing the characters into a relationship too quickly and too conveniently. Instead, she allows their connection, and emotions, to develop naturally over time, creating a well rounded set of characters and novel (she has the same natural progression with the story itself). While I understand that Parry had a lot more to work with Nick Matheson’s character with his troubled past and the problems associated with being undercover for so long, I still feel that I would have liked to see Jo Lockwood’s character develop a bit more, especially in terms of her back story. Don’t get me wrong, her character is by no means stunted or one dimensional, its just we never seemed to move further into her past other than to acknowledge the loss of her fiancé some years before.

On a more personal note, having recently travelled through many of the places in which Parry’s novel is set, I frequently caught myself smiling whilst reading. The likeness to the places, and the people, were captured so perfectly that I could help but nod my head in agreement at some of the remarks throughout the novel. At times, I even found myself in awe almost at the way in which Parry not only represented these towns, their communities and the landscape, but the way in which each and everyone of them were utilised almost as characters themselves. When thinking back to the times that I’ve heard people – mainly Professors at Uni – speaking about Australian fiction and literature (which in itself is such a rare thing to be hear) everyone almost always feels the end to mention the fiction itself in regard to place – both in name and setting – and until now I’ve never really understood the preoccupation that people have with it. I mean at times, it simply felt as though once could only discuss Australian fiction if they were discussing it terms of the landscape, because nothing else ever really mattered and you could never rate a piece of work based on anything else for it, nor could you talk about Australian writing (or so it seemed) if you did not highlight and talk exclusively about place, the landscape etc.. Now, having travelled rurally around the country, I understand a bit of the concept in terms of how the place and landscape makes the people who they are in an exclusively Australian setting. And in Parry’s novel you can see the way in place and the landscape, in fact the country-ness and rural-ness is not only explored in terms of the setting, but through characters, the plot, and almost used as a character itself, and while Parry does a marvellous job at this, I still think there is so much more going on in the novel that Parry and other Australian writers need to be credited for that has absolutely nothing to do with place, that can be uniquely Australian in feel presentation or representation. And frankly I feel that the way that Parry does this in this particular novel is through the representation of the crime and the legal processes and difficulties that within Australia aren’t recognised or really thought of. Take for instance, Lockwood and her outlook of the country as this beautiful being, who is honest and dangerous, although not there to hurt you; its small, it’s quiet and its idyllic and somewhat romantic. Parry takes this setting and infuses it with both the ease in which a criminal cartel could establish itself within such a quiet and isolated aspect of society and place, which also establishing some pretty big hurdles for not only the crims (they don’t know the area, they don’t know the land or the way in which things run) but for the authorities as well (having to wait for hours for resources and people – being ill equipped for something on this magnitude – and the simply fact that things could simply slip through so much easier. The initial murder may never have been discovered because people the country is so vast and isoalted ). Its this twist on what known and often stereotypical (the land as one, quiet, beautiful and isolated) that really works for Parry and makes the story and the writing stand out so much more.

As mentioned earlier, this is the first work of Bronwyn Parry’s that I’ve read, and it was such a gem of a book to find that I'm looking forward to reading her other two novels now. I’m glad that for whatever reason, I stumbled across Dead Heat, as its not only widened my reading pool, but introduced me to another new voice and face on the Australian writing front, while opened my eyes a bit more to the diversity within not only female writing (I’ve read this book as part of the Australian Women’s Writer’s challenge for 2013), but for rural and romantic suspense type novels.
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Oct 30, 2012 Marcia - Book Muster Down Under rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-romantic-suspense, aussie-authors

“National Parks Ranger Jo Lockwood is often alone in the wilderness, and she likes it that way – until she discovers the body of a man, brutally murdered.

Detective Nick Matheson’s new posting to the north-west of New South Wales is supposed to be an uneventful return to normal duties and a normal life. He knows organised crime from the inside out and suspects that the victim in the camping ground is not an isolated murder.

Jo is committed to helping the investigation but she has seen the killer’s...more

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May 15, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-authors, own-read

Jo Lockwood has only been in her new job for a few months, and she loves it. She’s a National Parks Ranger, often alone with her thoughts in the bush of New South Wales, at peace with nature and the wildlife surrounding her. But one day, after coming across a campsite which had been recently vandalized, she saw a wild dingo, and to her horror, it appeared to have a HAND in it’s mouth! Shuddering, but knowing she had to do it, she followed the dingo’s track into the bush, where she came across th...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Livia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own-a-copy

Fast-paced crime/suspence novel revolving around Jo Lockwood, National Parks Ranger, and Nick Mathieson, a city cop with a new job in country NSW. These two are thrown together after Jo finds a body on National Park land. I won't go into any more detail, because, frankly, you can read any of the other reviews here to get more info about it!
It's my first time reading a Bronwyn Parry novel, and I think she did a fantastic job with "Dead Heat"! Would love to read anything else by her!

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Mar 31, 2012 Helen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is such a great story Nick and Jo are such tortured people with a lot to overcome before they can learn to trust and what they go through in this edge of your seat suspense wil have you up late and turning the pages.

Bronwyn writes such deatailed and amazing stories and I loved this one and fell into it from the first chapter Nick is such a fantastic hero and Jo so strong and amazing. The other characters in the story add so much to this one.

Highly recomend thanks Bronwyn for hours of readin...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am fast becoming a fan of Australian author Bronwyn Parry. Dead Heat is a fast-paced suspenseful book with a touch of romance thrown in also. Initially, I just plodded along with the first 1/3 of the book, but after that I was in for the ride and couldn’t put it down until the very exciting ending. Gruesome murders, drug dealers, snipers, police corruption, bush fires – you name it, it’s in there – all set in rural Australia….a great read ……

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May 06, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Once I made the start that was the end of me and now here I am, an hour after I got prepared to call it a night with quite a chunk to read in the morning and I got handcuffed to the book, I swear I did, with my eyes propped open so I couldn’t look away. It doesn’t really matter why I’m still up, but the book is finished and it’s time to share my thoughts.

My complete thoughts can be found over at Beauty and Lace at: bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/book-club-...

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Jul 18, 2012 Bobbi-Jo Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

First time ready Bronwyn Parry and I must say I really enjoyed it. The intense of the murders, the chases and romance was riverting! That i couldnt put it down. Note: I have an unedited proof so I think i missed some important bits that may have been in the final published edition. That is the main reason I gave it four stars

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Jun 08, 2012 Jenny Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, authors-i-know, aww2012, mystery, romance, romantic-suspense

Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry is a gem. This is first class romantic suspense with well-developed main characters, no shying away from hard choices and hard lives, and high tension with believable and dramatic action. But what really sold me was the vividly Australian setting. The little details made both place and characters come alive.

The writing was crisp and strong (matching the storyline and hero/heroine).

Having started the book, I read it in one gulp. I won a copy of “Dead Heat” which pushed...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Joanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

The theme is okay, but the plot and ending is pretty much expected from B.P. Nothing beyond my expectation, which means, its kind of repeating the theme on the Dark Country, with complexity and in a greater scale. Would expect something different from BP. She becomes rather predictable with her writing. With a couple of name change, and the place change, this could be one of the latest book for the Dark Trio Series that BP is writing. I rather she keeps the Dark Trio Series, rather than creating...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, read2012

Solid, suspensful crime with some nail biting moments. I really liked the rural setting and the realistic feel to the policing in a fairly remote area.

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Jan 29, 2013 Davida N rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved it loved it loved it. What a great Aussie author, her imagery of the bush was awesome and a great storyline to go with it.

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Feb 12, 2013 Amelia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, favorites

A good book, full of suspense, action, love. Easy to read, to follow, this book is a great way to relax.The book presents the love story between the two main characters,the down to earth park ranger Jo Lockwood and determined detective Nick Matheson. Yet, the story is full of suspense,mystery and action.
"The land has never scared me.Landscape isn't good or bad or evil or confused,it just is.(...)People scare me sometimes, but most astound me with their resilience and hope and their ability to dr...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Wellington City Libraries added it

Shelves: readers-choice

Very readable. Mills & Boons meets J.A Jance, or an author with more violence.

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Jul 28, 2012 Bronwyn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Good light reading, set in Australia, a relaxing thriller.

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May 21, 2012 Jaye rated it 5 of 5 stars

thrilling

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Jun 22, 2012 Tarnia Patton rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a breath of fresh air! Set in the Aussie outback was a great change. I was waiting for the standard American setting, and being so used to it, i was surprised when they started talking about Tamworth and Uralla and other surrounding towns to my home town of armidale! Great story! Thanks!

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Apr 24, 2012 Di rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: loved-it

Absolutely loved it.

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Mar 29, 2012 Helene Young rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it - review to come.

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May 22, 2013 Nicky Morrell marked it as to-read

May 21, 2013 Mariko marked it as to-read

May 19, 2013 Anne-claire marked it as to-read

May 17, 2013 Claire marked it as to-read

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Australian Women ...: 3 copies of Dead Heat- giveaway!	1	7	May 24, 2012 10:08pm
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by Monica McInerney

About Bronwyn Parry

I grew up surrounded by books, and have a love of reading and stories. Commercial fiction, literary fiction, children’s literature, history – my bookshelves are forever overflowing!

I write gritty romantic suspense, set in Australia's wild places. My first two books, As Darkness Falls and Dark Country are both available in Australia, NZ and the UK, and As Darkness Falls, published as Schwarze Dorn...more

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