The Long Game (Detective Zoe Mayer #1) in Aussie Readers

Jul 28, 2021 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, crime, thriller, own-read, 2021-release, net-galley, aussie-authors, 5000-2021, mystery, read-on-kindle

Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer and her service dog, golden labrador Harry, were called to the site of a murder on a Sunday afternoon. Zoe had just returned from leave after a particularly traumatic experience and her case worker had deemed her ready for work. Surfer Ray Carlson had been stabbed in his home not far from the Portsea beach. During the investigation, her partner Charlie was keen to make a quick arrest. But Zoe’s intuition said it was too easy, too open and shut. And when Zoe did some ...more

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Dec 01, 2023 PattyMacDotComma rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-only, australian-author, fiction, mystery-crime-thriller, chcc-e-book-or-audio

4★
“Out beyond the break. teenagers sat on surfboards, laughing and calling to one another. He'd been parked for ten minutes, watching them ignore one perfect wave after another. He knew what they were thinking: that there were plenty of waves, and there always would be. He remembered thinking the same thing. That everything lasts forever.

As a wave broke to his left, he traced his knife through the air, following the slice of white water across the deep blue.
. . .
It was time.”

The next time the k ...more

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Aug 13, 2021 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-are, netgalley-reviews, aussie-author

After racing through The Long Game, I’m hoping it is the start of a new crime fiction series from South Australian author Simon Rowell.

The first homicide Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer is assigned on her return to work seems to be open and shut with the evidence clearly pointing towards Dwayne Harley stabbing his best friend, Ray Carlson, after discovering he was sleeping with his wife. Zoe’s partner, Charlie, is happy with the easy solve but something doesn’t sit right with Zoe. With her colleagu After racing through The Long Game, I’m hoping it is the start of a new crime fiction series from South Australian author Simon Rowell.

The first homicide Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer is assigned on her return to work seems to be open and shut with the evidence clearly pointing towards Dwayne Harley stabbing his best friend, Ray Carlson, after discovering he was sleeping with his wife. Zoe’s partner, Charlie, is happy with the easy solve but something doesn’t sit right with Zoe. With her colleagues wary of her instincts given her recent extended absence, she has no choice but to investigate with only her service dog, Harry as back up.

I found myself totally invested in the fast paced, suspenseful plot of The Long Game. The motivation for the crimes are believable, and their execution is clever and original. I could easily believe that the murderer could have got away with it if Zoe hadn’t been so observant, and determined. I appreciated the procedural details that leant the police investigation authenticity, and enjoyed the action of confrontations and near misses.

The mystery behind Zoe’s extended leave adds further interest to the story. It’s obvious that she experienced something traumatic, and she’s still vulnerable to particular triggers, which is where Harry, a golden retriever, comes in. As a service dog, Harry provides support when Zoe experiences vivid flashbacks that cause her to lose awareness, but his emotional intuition also proves to be a useful investigative tool.

Zoe seems to be a determined investigator, with great instincts. I like that she is willing to back herself, though I’m not overly fond of protagonists that go it alone, I understood her need to prove herself. I thought Zoe’s partner, Charlie, was a little bland, but I liked the analyst, Anjali. Zoe has a romantic relationship with a lawyer, which seems to be fairly stable but there a sense of underlying tension which may be explored if there is a sequel.

The Long Game played just right for me with its smart plot, appealing characters and compelling pace. ...more

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Aug 02, 2021 Tien rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian-author, for-review, crime, australia, net-galley, kindle

The Long Game is a solid police procedural featuring a much likeable detective protagonist and her clever service dog, Harry. On Detective Zoe Mayer's first day back to work, she caught a homicide case which appear to be an open and shut case but a tip and her instinct led her to believe that there is much more to this case than what's obvious. This, in turn, made her unpopular with her colleagues and a target.

Many crime novels these days feature protagonists who are broken and most have either ...more

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Aug 22, 2021 Kathy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australia

4.5 stars.

The Long Game by Simon Rowell is a cunning mystery with a marvelous lead protagonist.

Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer has been on leave for the last several months and she is eager to get back to work. Her first case is the murder of thirty-nine-year-old Ray Carlson who everyone says was a great guy. He is recently separated from his soon to be ex-wife, Donna and he enjoys surfing with his childhood friend Dwayne Harley. With her service dog Harry at her side, Zoe and her partner Detective ...more

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Mar 14, 2022 Catsalive rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2022, amw

4.5*
Zoe Mayer has just returned to work as a homicide detective in the Victorian police force after an enforced leave of absence. Due to the traumatic nature of her last work experience she now has a service dog as a companion. Harry is absolutely delightful & keeps Zoe grounded when anxiety from PTSD rears its ugly head.

With everybody watching her closely to see if she'd be able to cope with being back at work, Zoe has a bit of an uphill job, & having doubts about a cut & dried homicide case d ...more

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