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A Cooper & Quinn Mystery #6
Dark Country
Someone’s killing farmers.
Anna Walsh is fed up with country life. Raised by one farming family, and married into another, she is one of Riverhaven’s favourite daughters. And she hates it. Anna and her husband have secret plans to escape the life they inherited but never wanted.
Then murder comes to town.
A poultry farmer is found strung up by his feet, electrocuted, his throat slashed. Murdered in the same brutal fashion as thousands of chickens on his farm every day.
The close-knit locals are horrified, and all fingers point to the new arrivals in town – animal activists. The group had seemed peaceful enough when they breezed in and set up camp by the river. But suspicions grow as more acts of violence plague the once peaceful rural community.
Their escape now on hold, Anna and her husband fear for her missing father-in-law. Locals assume he went bush to get over the sudden death of his wife. But with the new level of violence in town, Anna isn’t so sure anymore.
Has the animal rights group taken their fight against cruelty to a murderous level? Or is this sleepy rural paradise hiding a darker secret?
Join Detectives Cooper and Quinn as they head to the country for the sixth book in the disturbing yet deeply satisfying Dark Series.
Anna Walsh is fed up with country life. Raised by one farming family, and married into another, she is one of Riverhaven’s favourite daughters. And she hates it. Anna and her husband have secret plans to escape the life they inherited but never wanted.
Then murder comes to town.
A poultry farmer is found strung up by his feet, electrocuted, his throat slashed. Murdered in the same brutal fashion as thousands of chickens on his farm every day.
The close-knit locals are horrified, and all fingers point to the new arrivals in town – animal activists. The group had seemed peaceful enough when they breezed in and set up camp by the river. But suspicions grow as more acts of violence plague the once peaceful rural community.
Their escape now on hold, Anna and her husband fear for her missing father-in-law. Locals assume he went bush to get over the sudden death of his wife. But with the new level of violence in town, Anna isn’t so sure anymore.
Has the animal rights group taken their fight against cruelty to a murderous level? Or is this sleepy rural paradise hiding a darker secret?
Join Detectives Cooper and Quinn as they head to the country for the sixth book in the disturbing yet deeply satisfying Dark Series.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2018
66 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Lee
26 books91 followersAustralian author of fast-paced, mostly clean, crime fiction.
The Detective Charlie Cooper Mysteries tackle some topical issues with crimes at their heart, set in Sydney, Australia.
The Getaway Bay Cozy Mysteries feature a charming collection of eccentric locals and visitors working their way through the alphabet of cozy crimes.
Missing, featuring Detective Bonnie Hunter, picks up where Charlie Cooper left off.
The Detective Charlie Cooper Mysteries tackle some topical issues with crimes at their heart, set in Sydney, Australia.
The Getaway Bay Cozy Mysteries feature a charming collection of eccentric locals and visitors working their way through the alphabet of cozy crimes.
Missing, featuring Detective Bonnie Hunter, picks up where Charlie Cooper left off.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 20, 2018
Book 6 in this very entertaining series.
Catherine Lee centres each one of her books around a social issue and in Dark Country it is animal farming and some of the awful things that are done to make putting meat on our tables a more profitable business. It was enough to make me think seriously about what I buy in future!
Cooper and Quinn are away from home for this one so there are no little domestic dramas, just lots and lots of good police work. Oh and lots of murders too. The murderer is hard to spot until the latter part of the book and then I made an educated guess and was correct. By then we were running out of suspects anyway because most of them were dead.
I like this series very much. The books are short, full of action and the mysteries are always interesting. Keep them coming Ms Lee!
Catherine Lee centres each one of her books around a social issue and in Dark Country it is animal farming and some of the awful things that are done to make putting meat on our tables a more profitable business. It was enough to make me think seriously about what I buy in future!
Cooper and Quinn are away from home for this one so there are no little domestic dramas, just lots and lots of good police work. Oh and lots of murders too. The murderer is hard to spot until the latter part of the book and then I made an educated guess and was correct. By then we were running out of suspects anyway because most of them were dead.
I like this series very much. The books are short, full of action and the mysteries are always interesting. Keep them coming Ms Lee!
May 12, 2018
Detectives Cooper and Quinn were called to a small rural community of farmers a few hours northwest of Sydney. A chicken farmer had been murdered in what looked like a replication of the chicken’s journey to the customer’s plate – horrifying to everyone who saw the inside of the shed the chickens were housed in.
Anna Walsh was eight months pregnant and a veterinarian; married to Will their cottage was on his parent’s pig farm, with pig farming having been in the family, passing down to the first-born son for generations. But Anna and Will had a goal to leave the district – a dream, but one they hoped to fulfil.
But when murder came to Riverhaven, all thoughts of anything but catching a killer went from the community’s minds. Were the group of animal activists camped by the river responsible? And where was John Walsh, Anna’s father-in-law? He’d been missing for a week and it was important to find him.
Cooper and Quinn, along with the local police department were frustrated by the lack of clues. As more bodies were found, they knew they were racing against the clock. They needed to find a serial killer – fast…
Dark Country is the 6th in the Cooper & Quinn Mystery series by Aussie author Catherine Lee, and it was brilliant! Fast paced, twists and turns, horrific murders – and the city team of detectives out of their comfort zones and in the country. I’m loving this series and hope it doesn’t end any time soon! Highly recommended.
Anna Walsh was eight months pregnant and a veterinarian; married to Will their cottage was on his parent’s pig farm, with pig farming having been in the family, passing down to the first-born son for generations. But Anna and Will had a goal to leave the district – a dream, but one they hoped to fulfil.
But when murder came to Riverhaven, all thoughts of anything but catching a killer went from the community’s minds. Were the group of animal activists camped by the river responsible? And where was John Walsh, Anna’s father-in-law? He’d been missing for a week and it was important to find him.
Cooper and Quinn, along with the local police department were frustrated by the lack of clues. As more bodies were found, they knew they were racing against the clock. They needed to find a serial killer – fast…
Dark Country is the 6th in the Cooper & Quinn Mystery series by Aussie author Catherine Lee, and it was brilliant! Fast paced, twists and turns, horrific murders – and the city team of detectives out of their comfort zones and in the country. I’m loving this series and hope it doesn’t end any time soon! Highly recommended.
December 14, 2020
In this sixth book of this well written murder mystery series, Sydney Homicide Detectives Cooper and Quinn find themselves sent to western New South Wales to investigate a particularly gruesome murder. A chicken farmer has been tasered repeatedly, strung up be his ankles and had his throat cut, mimicking the manner in which his chickens are killed at the abattoir. Riverhaven is a quiet rural town of tough farmers struggling with the drought, where everyone knows each other and murders just don't happen. But soon there are further gruesome murders and Cooper and Quinn now have a serial murderer to catch.
At first it's not clear who the murderer could be. A group of greenies are camping on the outskirts of town and are up to something, but is it murder? Or is there something simmering below the surface of the friendly town that would cause someone to commit murder? Cooper & Quinn will have their work cut out to find the culprit before further deaths occur.
This was a quick, enjoyable read, despite the fact that it may put me off buying chicken for a while. It was fun seeing Cooper and Quinn out of their comfort zone in the country. It was difficult to spot the killer until late in the book and the climax had all the drama you could want.
At first it's not clear who the murderer could be. A group of greenies are camping on the outskirts of town and are up to something, but is it murder? Or is there something simmering below the surface of the friendly town that would cause someone to commit murder? Cooper & Quinn will have their work cut out to find the culprit before further deaths occur.
This was a quick, enjoyable read, despite the fact that it may put me off buying chicken for a while. It was fun seeing Cooper and Quinn out of their comfort zone in the country. It was difficult to spot the killer until late in the book and the climax had all the drama you could want.
March 3, 2018
‘You’re not going to hurt them anymore.’
Anna Walsh is a country vet, expecting her first child with her husband Will. Both Anna and Will are from farming families to the west of Sydney, and they’ve talked about leaving. Life can be tough in the country, hard work for often little return and many younger people dream of leaving it behind. Others can’t imagine themselves living anywhere else. Riverhaven is a tightly knit community: everyone knows everyone else, their problems and plans.
A poultry farmer is found dead, murdered in much the same way as the chickens are slaughtered on his farm. The locals are horrified. Detectives Cooper and Quinn are called from Sydney to help with the investigation. But this murder is just the beginning: another chicken farmer is murdered the next night, then a greyhound trainer. And Will Walsh’s father is missing. Will and his brother Alex haven’t worried too much about their father to this stage: he’s gone bush before, and his wife has recently (and suddenly) died.
Who is murdering these people, and why? Many are suspicious of four young people, apparently animal activists, who are new to town. They are camped down by the river, and mostly keep to themselves. Charlie Cooper and Joe Quinn have their work cut out. Three gruesome murders in a small community has everyone on edge, and some want the four strangers arrested immediately.
This is the sixth novel in the Dark series featuring Charlie Cooper and Joe Quinn. Like the five novels before it, Ms Lee’s crime fiction touches on some topical issues. Those issues include mental health issues as well as farming practices and animal welfare.
I kept reading, trying to work out who the murderer was. And while I worked it out just a page or two before Ms Lee revealed it, I was kept speculating until then. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Ms Lee’s novels is that there is usually more than one plausible suspect. Working out who, and why, is always satisfying but never straightforward.
I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to the next instalment. If you are new to this series, you can read this novel as a standalone, but I’d strongly recommend reading the series in order.
Note: my thanks to Ms Lee for providing me with a free advance reading copy of this novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Anna Walsh is a country vet, expecting her first child with her husband Will. Both Anna and Will are from farming families to the west of Sydney, and they’ve talked about leaving. Life can be tough in the country, hard work for often little return and many younger people dream of leaving it behind. Others can’t imagine themselves living anywhere else. Riverhaven is a tightly knit community: everyone knows everyone else, their problems and plans.
A poultry farmer is found dead, murdered in much the same way as the chickens are slaughtered on his farm. The locals are horrified. Detectives Cooper and Quinn are called from Sydney to help with the investigation. But this murder is just the beginning: another chicken farmer is murdered the next night, then a greyhound trainer. And Will Walsh’s father is missing. Will and his brother Alex haven’t worried too much about their father to this stage: he’s gone bush before, and his wife has recently (and suddenly) died.
Who is murdering these people, and why? Many are suspicious of four young people, apparently animal activists, who are new to town. They are camped down by the river, and mostly keep to themselves. Charlie Cooper and Joe Quinn have their work cut out. Three gruesome murders in a small community has everyone on edge, and some want the four strangers arrested immediately.
This is the sixth novel in the Dark series featuring Charlie Cooper and Joe Quinn. Like the five novels before it, Ms Lee’s crime fiction touches on some topical issues. Those issues include mental health issues as well as farming practices and animal welfare.
I kept reading, trying to work out who the murderer was. And while I worked it out just a page or two before Ms Lee revealed it, I was kept speculating until then. One of the most enjoyable aspects of Ms Lee’s novels is that there is usually more than one plausible suspect. Working out who, and why, is always satisfying but never straightforward.
I enjoyed this novel, and I’m looking forward to the next instalment. If you are new to this series, you can read this novel as a standalone, but I’d strongly recommend reading the series in order.
Note: my thanks to Ms Lee for providing me with a free advance reading copy of this novel for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 5, 2018
Cooper and Quinn are the reader's friends by now and we find them this time in a small farmer village in rural Australia.
Catherine Lee combines problems of farmers with of animal rights with the murders by a serial killer. Her characters have depth, there are enough suspect to keep the reader guessing.
Caution: You might not like to eat meat after reading.
Catherine Lee combines problems of farmers with of animal rights with the murders by a serial killer. Her characters have depth, there are enough suspect to keep the reader guessing.
Caution: You might not like to eat meat after reading.
August 9, 2021
Dark Country is book six in the A Cooper & Quinn Mystery by Catherine Lee. Anna Walsh and her husband had enough of country life and was making plans to escape. However, before they could execute their strategies, murder came to their rural community. Detective Sergeant Cooper and Detective Senior Constable Quinn caught the case of the poultry farmer executed in the same way as his chickens. However, the farmer was only the first, and they had to race to stop the killing spread. The readers of Dark Country will continue to follow Detective Sergeant Cooper and Detective Senior Constable Quinn investigation to find out what happens.
Dark Country is another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I love the covers of the books in this series, and Dark Country did not disappoint. I engaged with the plot of this book from the first page. I love Catherine Lee portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Dark Country was well written and researched by Catherine Lee. I like Catherine Lee's description of Dark Country's settings that allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Dark Country will learn about being a small town Vet. Also, the readers will learn about animal cruelty in rural communities.
I recommend this book.
Dark Country is another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I love the covers of the books in this series, and Dark Country did not disappoint. I engaged with the plot of this book from the first page. I love Catherine Lee portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other throughout this book. Dark Country was well written and researched by Catherine Lee. I like Catherine Lee's description of Dark Country's settings that allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
The readers of Dark Country will learn about being a small town Vet. Also, the readers will learn about animal cruelty in rural communities.
I recommend this book.
May 20, 2020
Rural life isn't always picturesque.
Things to know: This is the sixth book in an ongoing series. Reading previous books (in order) will keep you from some spoilers as well as give you a better background on the main characters. There is violence, some adult language, and mention of drug usage.
The Australian state of New South Wales sometimes provides the services of Sydney police detectives to their smaller towns. That's how Detectives Cooper and Quinn become involved in a series of murders in the rural farming community of Riverhaven. During their investigation they learn more than they ever wanted to know about how their food goes from farm to supermarket. Will all this information help them solve the case before there is another victim?
Ms. Lee does a great job of balancing and intertwining the controversial issues related to ranching/farming methods throughout the story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book in the series.
Things to know: This is the sixth book in an ongoing series. Reading previous books (in order) will keep you from some spoilers as well as give you a better background on the main characters. There is violence, some adult language, and mention of drug usage.
The Australian state of New South Wales sometimes provides the services of Sydney police detectives to their smaller towns. That's how Detectives Cooper and Quinn become involved in a series of murders in the rural farming community of Riverhaven. During their investigation they learn more than they ever wanted to know about how their food goes from farm to supermarket. Will all this information help them solve the case before there is another victim?
Ms. Lee does a great job of balancing and intertwining the controversial issues related to ranching/farming methods throughout the story. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book in the series.
February 27, 2018
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy supplied at no charge by the publisher/author.
This is the newest book in Catherine Lee’s Dark series.
Rural Australia. Farming is a hard life where suicide rates are extremely high & in country towns people keep their business & their concerns to themselves. It is into this environment that Cooper & Quinn find themselves after being called in to help solve the murder of a chicken farmer. The farmer has been murdered in a similar way to which chickens are made ready for market. The first people that come to mind are the 4 young people who are camped on the river. The next night another chicken farmer is murdered in the same way & the night after a greyhound trainer is treated as a greyhound no longer fit to race. Surely these have been done by animal activists, but what is the real reason behind the murders.
Congratulations Catherine on your research into such a volatile subject. I highly recommend this to all who enjoy a good thriller.
This is the newest book in Catherine Lee’s Dark series.
Rural Australia. Farming is a hard life where suicide rates are extremely high & in country towns people keep their business & their concerns to themselves. It is into this environment that Cooper & Quinn find themselves after being called in to help solve the murder of a chicken farmer. The farmer has been murdered in a similar way to which chickens are made ready for market. The first people that come to mind are the 4 young people who are camped on the river. The next night another chicken farmer is murdered in the same way & the night after a greyhound trainer is treated as a greyhound no longer fit to race. Surely these have been done by animal activists, but what is the real reason behind the murders.
Congratulations Catherine on your research into such a volatile subject. I highly recommend this to all who enjoy a good thriller.
March 12, 2018
I stayed up well past my bedtime to read this book. The book contained strong, well-developed characters and an intense storyline. The book gives the reader a may-not-want-to-know picture of factory animal farming (but one that has you walking away thinking about future choices regarding meat consumption). Catherine Lee does an excellent job of writing a solid mystery surrounded by intriguing sub-plots. I especially like Cooper and Quinn, both as detective partners and individual characters. This was a good, solid mystery and suspense novel. Well Done!
March 7, 2019
Dark County
This is the first novel that I didn't like. Because I was able to figure out who the killer was . Which I usually can't do. No twists or turns but that's ok because I love the work that Lee does. I am a true reader I give all of my favorite writer's that one time that I don't like a novel.
This is the first novel that I didn't like. Because I was able to figure out who the killer was . Which I usually can't do. No twists or turns but that's ok because I love the work that Lee does. I am a true reader I give all of my favorite writer's that one time that I don't like a novel.
March 21, 2021
Different scenery for Cooper and Quin
Different scenery but still fast pacing and unputdownable!
Fast pacing ,roller coaster read but very very enjoyable. Well
worth reading as usual.
Different scenery but still fast pacing and unputdownable!
Fast pacing ,roller coaster read but very very enjoyable. Well
worth reading as usual.
March 11, 2025
4.5 stars
A very good book. It’s a very interesting story right from the jump and it hooks you in. There are very subtle clues throughout that suggest the ending but you’re not 100% until about 85% through, but I liked that about it. Would recommend
A very good book. It’s a very interesting story right from the jump and it hooks you in. There are very subtle clues throughout that suggest the ending but you’re not 100% until about 85% through, but I liked that about it. Would recommend
March 1, 2018
Great series!
I love this series. Great, well rounded characters. You need to read them all and I am anxiously awaiting the next book!
I love this series. Great, well rounded characters. You need to read them all and I am anxiously awaiting the next book!
June 6, 2021
I felt this was on of the better books in this series. Lots going on, lots of murder and twists. Looking forward to the final book in the series.
February 15, 2025
Dark Country
Really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend that you read it as well. When I finish reading a book and feel like I need more I know it was good.
Really enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend that you read it as well. When I finish reading a book and feel like I need more I know it was good.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews