Set in Melbourne, "Where the Truth Lies" was a crime fiction that had a number of twists and turns that kept me reading. However, I found the plot slow and the dialogue lengthy.

Chrissie was a flawed protagonist with a lot of emotional baggage which prevented her from moving forward. I did enjoy following the dispute between the dockworkers' union and their employer, and the newspapers's involvement but the ending was too obvious and lack-lustre for my liking. An okay read. ( )

Shortlisted for the Unpublished Manuscript Award in the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, Karina Kilmore’s debut has got a lot of Australian crime fiction fans talking. Full Review at Newtown Review of Books ( )

One year ago, Chrissie O’Brian packed her bags and moved away from her failed life in rural New Zealand to take up a position with The Argus newspaper in Melbourne, Australia. She is struggling to fit in with the office crowd, is a loggerheads with her boss, blocking any attempt to allow herself to examine the tragic car accident where she lost her husband and unborn child, and is refusing to acknowledge the depths of her alcoholism.

After being sent to do a fluff piece on a female crane operator at a Melbourne shipping terminal, O’Brian uncovers a number of workplace health and safety issues that have resulted in a series of suspicious, poorly reported accidents and deaths. She becomes convinced that there is more to the story than union powerplays and employee negligence and undertakes an investigation to uncover the truth. But her efforts are hampered by issues at the paper. There are redundancies looming large, she’s uncertain if she can trust her police contacts, someone on staff seems to be leaking her findings to the shipping company management, and just when she starts getting traction on the story, she is moved off the news desk and into the Obituaries department.

“Where the Truth Lies” has a real Melbourne/Nordic Noir feel about it. I suspect this is partly due to the seasonal descriptions of Melbourne and the grungier suburbs featured (mainly Fitzroy and the docks areas), or perhaps it’s my recollections of the now abandoned Argus building in Elizabeth Street.

Chrissy O’Brian is a fantastically flawed heroine, whose every pain is etched deeply into the pages of the story. The other players are a fascinating and mixed bunch with varying levels of character development. The plot builds smoothly, enticing the reader to keep pushing until the end. It is a hard one to put down.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and consider it an excellent debut novel. Kilmore’s experience as a journalist shines through in every part of the tale. It’s well written with believable and flawed characters. My only criticism is that I worked out who the snitch was pretty early in the piece – but I do read a lot of crime fiction.

If you’re fond of the works of Peter Temple, Garry Disher and Jane Harper, you will love “Where the Truth Lies” by Karina Kilmore.

I received a free copy of this book through Sisters in Crime - Australia, in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )