And fire came down

You'd think that a dead partner and an estranged wife would be enough to discourage Australian PI Caleb Zelic from investigating another murder. But you'd be wrong. A young woman uses what is apparently hastily learned sign language to ask Caleb to help her moments before she is run over by a van. The police and the woman's wealthy father say it was an accident. Caleb's gut tells him she was murdered to keep her from talking to him ironic as Caleb lost most of his hearing as a child. Caleb's search for answers takes him back to Resurrection Bay, where his brother, Ant, is managing his newfound sobriety and Caleb's wife, Kat, has recently returned. Kat is Caleb's bridge to the aboriginal Koori community, which appears to be the target of a series of arsons. As Caleb learns more about the victim, he sees a link between her death and the troubles in his hometown. Caleb's second outing (following Resurrection Bay, 2018) establishes him as a sensitive protagonist in a harsh world. Hard-boiled crime fiction is thriving in Australia, and Viskic is one of the reasons why.--Karen Keefe Copyright 2018 Booklist

Ned Kelly Award-winner Viskic combines nuanced characters and thoughtful plotting in her impressive sequel to Resurrection Bay, which introduced hearing-impaired Australian PI Caleb Zelic. In the wake of the previous book's murderous events, the investigator has been reduced to doing small-time jobs out of an office in his Melbourne home. One day, a stranger stops Caleb near his apartment and shows him a note written in lipstick with his name and address. He follows the man to a dim alleyway, where a woman emerges from the shadows and signs the word help. Shortly thereafter, a muscle-bound thug grabs the woman, who escapes with Caleb's help only to stumble backward into the street, where she's fatally struck by a van. Determined to find out what led to the tragedy, Caleb doggedly follows thin leads back to his hometown of Resurrection Bay, where he's attacked in his brother Ant's home by a man and woman who warn him not to go to the police. Caleb, whose life is described by Ant as "a wasteland of shattered people," is a brilliantly realized flawed lead. Fans of Michael Koryta's broken protagonists will be well satisfied. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.