One of Better Reading’s favourite reads last year was the thrilling and chilling Crimson Lake by Candice Fox. The sequel, Redemption Point, is shaping up to be even better than the first.
Crimson Lake introduced us to former police detective Ted Conkaffey. He’s been accused of kidnapping and abusing a thirteen-year old girl. Though never convicted, Ted is shamed and pushed out of his job and his home. He finds refuge in the Queensland rural town of Crimson Lake, but even here the locals are suspicious of the man thought to have committed a terrible crime. It’s only Amanda Pharrell – a clever, shrewd woman accused of murdering her friend years ago – who is willing to talk to him.
You can take the job away from the cop, but deep-down, he’s still a cop so it’s no surprise when Ted is drawn into a strange mystery surrounding a missing writer. With Amanda helping him, the two are drawn into a murderous mystery that shakes the very foundations of the sleepy town. The tension rises in Redemption Point.
Ted’s still living in quiet Crimson Lake, but after what happened it’s not such a secret. Dale Bingley, the father of the girl he was accused of abducting, has found out where Ted is – and he’s still convinced of his guilt. A diabolical revenge plan is hatched, and if Ted doesn’t find the man who really did it, his life is in danger.
Meanwhile, when two bodies are found at a local pub, Amanda Pharrell uses her new private detective skills to work on the case and she’s determined to find out who committed the crime. But the search for truth for both Amanda and Ted might not be as easy as it seems, and it’s certainly not safe.
Redemption Point is a deeply gripping, very clever thriller. Already attached to Ted and Amanda from Crimson Lake, every twist and turn and threat to their lives has your heart pumping. Amanda in particular is a compelling character, with her past rising up to haunt her at every turn. Candice Fox poses the interesting question: how long do you have to torture yourself to be absolved from guilt? And what does redemption cost?
It’s no wonder that Candice Fox is carving herself a sizeable space in contemporary crime fiction. With collaborations with James Patterson under her belt, and a plethora of acclaimed standalone novels, the world of Crimson Lake continues to draw you back for more. We’re already eager for our next adventure with Ted and Amanda, our favourite private investigator duo.
About the Author
Hades, Candice Fox’s first novel, won the Ned Kelly Award for best debut in 2014 from the Australian Crime Writers Association. The sequel, Eden, won the Ned Kelly Award for best crime novel in 2015, making Candice only the second author to win these accolades back to back. Her third novel, Fall, was shortlisted for the 2016 Ned Kelly and Davitt awards. She is also the author of the bestselling Crimson Lake, which introduces a new series character, Ted Conkaffey.
In 2015 Candice began collaborating with James Patterson. Their first novel together, Never Never, set in the vast Australian outback, was a huge bestseller in Australia and went straight to number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list in the US and also to the top of the charts in the UK. Its sequel, Fifty Fifty, was released in August 2017 and she is currently working on their third collaboration. They have also co-written a prequel novella, Black & Blue, as part of the James Patterson BookShots series.
Bankstown born and bred, Candice lives in Sydney.
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