Your Preview Verdict: Burning Mountain by Darcy Tindale

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Having thoroughly enjoyed Australian author Darcy Tindale’s debut novel The Fall Between,  Set in the region of the Upper Hunter in New South Wales and paralleling the scene set at Mount Wingen when the bones of a teenage boy are discovered, like a dog with a bone, Burning Mountain (a real place in the Hunter Valley where an underground coal seam has been burning for thousands of years) sees Detective Rebecca Giles dive deep into a missing persons case which has haunted her rural town for twenty years when in April 2006, fifteen-year-old Oliver went hiking to the lookout on Burning Mountain – and vanished without trace. Now Giles is convinced they have finally found the missing boy, and that his four friends – now in their mid-thirties – have always known much more than they revealed. However, when Giles has a discussion with her father, retired Superintendent Benjamin Giles, another suspect is thrown into the mix. One that for Giles is uncomfortably close to home. The interweaving into the investigation of the missing boy of several linked sub-plot tales added to the diverse cast of local characters, Burning Mountain brings everything together for a tense finale which, once dealt with, allows for one final twist. As a former resident of Muswellbrook able to attest to the accuracy of the portrayal of the picturesque locations, Darcy Tindale enables the reader to transcend through the novel pages into the realm of Rebecca Giles and feel they are a local watching these events unfold as if they were seeing the story in real life. I most definitely recommend Burning Mountain to any reader who thoroughly enjoys a gripping thriller which takes them through plot twists until the story revelation at the very end. Darcy Tindale has certainly left me eagerly awaiting the next case featuring Detective Rebecca Giles. Helen, NSW, 5 stars

Rebecca Giles is a police detective in a New South Wales Upper Hunter country town. She’d returned from Sydney to be closer to her father, who was previously a highly-regarded detective himself. A long-buried skull has been discovered in bushland out of town, which revitalises a decades-old missing person case. Four townspeople are back in the spotlight. Giles calls on her father to help, as he worked on the initial investigation. A suspect he’d always considered connected has also recently resurfaced, causing waves of discontent through the town. There is a wonderful analogy running through this excellent novel. A person of interest pops a blister without cleaning it. As the days go by, his hand starts to show signs of infection until he ends up becoming sick with sepsis. This reflects the ongoing unravelling of his life during this time until the ultimate events. Darcy Tindale has created an incredibly articulate description of the beautiful Upper Hunter region of NSW. The characters are brilliantly rendered. I love stories that pull me into its scenes, and “Burning Mountain” is a remarkable example. I thoroughly recommend this book! Christine, VIC, 5 stars

This is the second novel for Darcy Tindale and again features Detective Rebecca Giles as the investigator, set in the Hunter region of New South Wales. This was a terrific Australian Crime/Suspense novel. I haven’t read Darcy’s first novel but this didn’t matter. I really enjoyed this novel. It was engaging from the beginning, and I was kept guessing right to the end. There are a few sub-plots within the gripping story and this added to the suspense. Some of the characters were very unlikable, but this added to the mystery. I now want to read Darcy’s first novel, and look forward to the next.  Michelle, QLD, 5 stars

An unsolved mystery, fantastic law enforcement, varied characters..the past is dragged to the present when a skull is found by a dog. The characters are nicely portrayed and all their insecurities, regrets and dreams are interwined as the mystery of the skull begings to unfold. The story reflects interconnectedness , it takes many twists and turns that keeps you guessing. With diverse characters, a great main lead, realistic setting and a very engaing storyline this book is a fantastic read Andreea, ACT, 5 stars

Five went up. Only four came down… In April 2006, fifteen year old Oliver went hiking to the lookout on Burning Mountain – and vanished without a trace. Almost twenty years later, Detective Rebecca Giles is called to bushland and the discovery of a skull. This was wonderful, an unsolvable mystery to ponder, relatable characters and good old fashioned policing to crack the case open. Nadine, NSW, 5 stars

Set in the upper Hunter region of NSW, the story has a genuine rural, small town feel, from the characters and personalities to the cold case mysteria, to the complexities and challenges faced by various people in the town. Detective Rebecca Giles is investigating the disappearance of a teenage boy 20 years ago. She isn’t your typical small town hero, she has her quirks and we get a glimpse into some of her vulnerabilities. A well paced story that slowly teases out the truth of what happened 20 years ago, and the far reaching ramifications of what happened that day for the people involved. An engaging read, kept me guessing and was a hard one to put down. Bree, NSW, 5 stars

A modern crime thriller that starts with a bushwalker enjoying the Hunter Valley’s Burning Mountain track accidentally unearthing the beginnings of a cold-case linked to the local communities. ‘Burning Mountain’ is the second in the Detective Rebecca Giles series, but I read it as a stand-alone book and happily didn’t feel like there was any missing back story. I will certainly be reading Darcy Tindale’s first of the series ‘The Fall Between’ as I enjoyed this author’s writing so much! This story reflects the interconnectedness of larger rural communities, where there are still many links between people and events, where local history and behaviour is remembered, and where past choices may come back to either haunt you or support you. Storylines in this crime thriller are not linear. They take many twists and turns and keep you guessing which is the right path and how it will all align. The very satisfying conclusion allows the reader to reflect on overarching themes of families, parenting, sacrifices and the results of our choices over time. With diverse characters, a great lead, realistic settings and engaging storylines this is definitely a book worth reading!! Lisa, QLD, 5 stars

In Burning Mountain, Detective Rebecca Giles is called in on her day off when a skull is discovered in bushland near Mount Wingen. The skull appears to belong to a teenager. As Rebecca confers with her father, retired Superintendent Benjamin Giles, the name of a missing boy surfaces, 15 year old Oliver, who disappeared after hiking with school friends. As the investigation progresses, a suspect is mentioned, but questions arise about Oliver’s friends and whether there’s more to their stories than they’re letting on. The novel introduces a cast of country town folk, some instantly likable and others suspicious, all brought to life through vivid, well-crafted descriptions. Tindale creates a strong sense of place, with the eerie, ever-burning Mount Wingen in the background of a town full of secrets. Detective Rebecca Giles is a relatable and engaging lead, and the story is filled with twists and surprises that kept me guessing. The ending is surprising catching me off guard. The pace occasionally slowed during historical flashbacks, though these added depth to the story in the long run. I would recommend Burning Mountain to anyone who enjoys Australian crime fiction, mysteries with small town secrets, and stories with clever, surprising endings. It’s a layered, atmospheric read that delivers both in character and plot. Mary, TAS, 5 stars

Detective Rebecca Giles is back in her home town, and is leading detective in a police investigation to re-open a 20 year old missing person case, that still haunts the town. The case was originally started by her police detective father now retired but unable to be solved. Five teenagers went up a mountain and only four came back. No-one seems to know what happened to Oliver or do they? What secrets are being held by the local townspeople? Can Rebecca crack the case? After a skull surfaces, Rebecca soon discovers key players are hiding many secrets, as she attempts to find out what happened to Oliver in this 20 year old mystery. There is a reason why rural Aussie crime/mystery stories are so popular. This story has it all. A mystery to solve, interesting characters and a perfect rural setting. Has you turning the pages and guessing right up till the very end. Melissa, VIC, 5 stars

An engaging missing persons read, scenic locations all whilst trying to solve a twenty year old murder.Rebecca has a lot to keep her busy as a police officer, resolving clues after speaking with her father, engrossing and page turning read from beginning to end. Julie, NSW, 5 stars

What a ride! I simply could not put down Burning Mountain. I was hooked from the beginning and gobsmacked right to the end with all the twists and turns. A detective who done it set in Australia that includes all the good aussie slang that left me having a good chuckle. Darcy Tindale knows how to really set the scene giving you a good insight on how it feels to be a detective, you feel as though you really want to jump in and be part of the investigations. Totally recommend this. Hellen, VIC, 5 stars

This was the first book I’ve read by Darcy, but it certainly won’t be the last. I will be looking for future books and checking out her back catalogue. I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, with twists and turns that kept me guessing right until the end. Nothing about this mystery was straight forward. 5 kids trek up a mountain and only 4 return. How can a disappearance like this go unsolved for 18 years? Unfortunately, it happens all too often, so this story was totally believable. The characters, descriptions of the site, case files etc were all very well developed. I felt like I was part of the investigation team, unearthing clues one by one, trying to piece everything together like a jigsaw puzzle. I really liked how the book was broken into sections such as Day 1, Day 2 etc, the days since the discovery of the skull. The chapters were also a good length, encouraging me to keep reading on into the small hours. Maree, QLD, 5 stars

We are very fortunate in Australia to have some fine writers in the detective fiction genre and Darcy Tindale is one of them. Her work is definitely up there with Margaret Hickey, Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Shelley Burr! But unlike most Aussie authors who set their novels in fictional places, although based in Australia, Tindale places her story firmly in the NSW Hunter Valley and surrounds. Even the title of the book Burning Mountain is a real place. If you’re like me and enjoy following the action on Google Maps while you read, this was a big plus in getting a feel for the story as it unfolded. Burning Mountain centres on a cold case about a teenage boy who disappears while hiking with some friends around 20 years before this story unfolds. It focuses on the efforts of Detective Constable Rebecca Giles who is determined to solve the case for her father, a former officer who is now in the later years of his life, and who was unable to solve it himself. That resolution is totally unexpected but very satisfying making Burning Mountain a brilliant read and very highly recommended! Chris, QLD, 5 stars

15 year old Oliver goes missing whist on a day trip with four friends to Burning Mountain. 19 years later, the case of the missing boy is revisited when a bush walker’s dog discovers a human skull. Could it belong to young Oliver? Detective Rebecca Giles, whose father worked on Oliver’s case is now responsible for putting the pieces together to try and solve the mystery of who the skull belongs to. When she talks to her father about the case, it eventually brings out memories she had locked away as a child as an individual not in Oliver’s friend group is thrown into the mix of potential suspects. The book had me guessing throughout as to who dun it. Seeing all the different sides to one story is always interesting and provides more context around the plot and characters. I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I’m definitely going to read more from Darcy Tindale. Francis, NSW, 5 stars

I always love to discover an author I haven’t read before so was keen to get into Burning Mountain. Set in the backdrop of an Australian country town, full of characters and distinctly Aussie scenarios we have probably all come across in our lives. The author sets up all of the main characters well and gets you involved in their past and present quickly. The description of the various landscapes was vivid and made me feel like I was there experiencing it myself. The plot developed well and all of the various tentacles of the individual characters came together well. I was keen to come back to the book each time to see what was going to happen next. While the book is essentially in the crime genre, I felt that it had a lot of other interesting facets of contemporary fiction within the story lines. A great book and I’m now keen to get hold of a copy of Darcy’s first book “The Fall Between” which somehow up until now has eluded my grasp. Susanne, WA, 4 stars

Real locations combined with an excellent diverse mix of characters, sprinkled in with many separate threads bought together to a tense crescendo made this a fabulous read. A cast of aside players added so much variety to this that I was hooked, drawn in and captivated. Excellent! Suzanne, NSW, 4 stars

This book is a great example of a genre I like to call ‘outback noir’. Heaps of fantastic Aussie authors currently penning fantastic crime novels set in the outback, and this one a great addition to the ranks. The book is a bit of a slow burn to begin with but builds up to an almighty crescendo with an ending I did not see coming. Love it when a book takes me by surprise like that! Well written and plot twists galore. You’ll read it in one sitting. Wendi, VIC, 4 stars

A group of teenagers goes for a hike and one of them doesn’t come back. The discovery of a skeleton twenty years later leads to an investigation that looks at the original case and to newer evidence. The protagonists all have their quirks and the author does a great job developing their characters. A good read. Anne, NSW, 4 stars

Burning Mountain by Darcy Tindale is set in the Hunter Valley region where the actual Burning Mountain is located. Known for its smouldering coal seam, the mountain is a perfect metaphor for the themes that run throughout this novel. Secrets bubble and simmer, igniting past feuds, as well as deep hurts and regrets. The discovery of bones, suspected to be that of 15 year old Oliver Lavine, throws open an investigation into a cold case from almost 20 years ago when five friends went up the mountain but only four returned. Detective Rebecca Giles, whose father was the original investigating detective, begins again the task of finding answers to events that led to Oliver’s disappearance and perhaps his death. The jigsaw of clues Giles uncovers, veers in many directions and at times, the reader may wonder where and how these threads can successfully merge together. But they do through excellent policing by Giles and her team, a credit to a well developed plot line by Tindale. This is the second novel featuring Detective Rebecca Giles and continues to give us insight into her life and relationship with her father. Just like the cold case, new facts and new understandings between father and daughter emerge. Parent/child relationships feature heavily within the story and are handled beautifully by Tindale’s insightful writing. An enjoyable read that holds the reader’s interest throughout and keeps one guessing till the end. Louise, QLD, 4 stars

The rather bland but peaceful scene on the cover of Darcy Tindale’s ‘Burning Mountain’ gives no hint of the violence and drama about to be unleashed in the small outback town of Denman. The second book featuring Detective Rebecca Giles opens with the discovery of a skull which reignites the mystery of a teenage boy who disappeared without a trace in the area almost twenty years before. The unsolved case had continued to haunt Rebecca’s father, the lead investigator at the time. Rebecca believes the four friends who had been hiking with the missing boy on the day of his disappearance have always concealed the true story of events on the mountain and the townspeople are quickly caught up in the new investigation as old memories and suspicions resurface. There are a number of side stories which come together in a bold and brutal finale. I am looking forward to reading Tindale’s debut novel ‘The Fall Between’ which introduced the tough yet vulnerable Detective Giles. Dianne, QLD, 4 stars

This was a twisty turny one, for sure. Like all good whodunnits, there are a variety of suspects with a variety of believable motives and a lot going on. This felt like it could be turned into an entire season of a TV show as the characters all had stuff going on and there was a lot of history and backstory to work through. There were a couple of odd passages where characters made broad leaps that I had to read and re-read to try and catch references and a few very odd passages which seemed to contradict each other. A character who didn’t know the word osteology on one page was able to identify an exposed coronial where the sutures connected. “The only thing that had improved the value or appearance of the car was a wash” followed immediately by “he’d added a tow and a new set of tyres” – without improving the value or appearance? All in all, definitely worth the thrill ride, kept me guessing and suspecting everyone and the adrenaline really kicked in towards the end. Richard, VIC, 4 stars

Love a local author and someone new to read and Darcy did not disappoint. Love the interwoven stories threading this book together and the unknowns along the way that kept you guessing until the very end. Woven the different themes into the story well to help capture your interest and keep you hooked into the story. Looking forward to reading her previous book now to stay on the Darcy journey a little longer and also can’t wait for the new Detective Giles story to come along. Got to love a strong woman lead. Tracy, WA, 4 stars

Burning Mountain follows Detective Rebecca Giles and her team after the discovery of human bones in a rural town, linked to a teenager who went missing in 2006. The narrative switches between Rebecca, the missing boy’s school friends and a present-day storyline relating to the key suspect in the case. I engaged quickly with the setting and townspeople and really enjoyed how Tindale weaved the different story elements together and unravelled the circumstances behind the boy’s disappearance. I found the information about Rebecca’s past intriguing but I didn’t get much feeling for her colleagues or for the relationships within the team. I thought the pacing through most of the book was great but it stalled in the last quarter – and then the climatic ending felt rushed and didn’t quite ring true for me. However it was a solid mystery and I am keen to read more from this author. This was the second book featuring this detective and although it did stand alone I might have engaged more with the characters if I had read the first book. Chloe, VIC, 3 stars

I was not enamoured with this book in the beginning but as the characters developed, I became more interested. The story seems familiar as through I had read similar stories or it had been in the news. I liked the development of the characters especially Giles, although I did think they were a bit too Aussie. I have not previously read any book by this author and I am not sure I would read any of his other novels. I have visited the area that the book is based around and I feel the author has a true idea of the region and it feels realistic. The investigation showed some narrow focusing of the original police team, which I felt the author showed how this can hinder the outcome of the case in the initial investigation. The new investigation of the old case still had some influence of the original case but with deeper thought it was shown there were two separate cases. The finding of the missing boy and the death of Nestor, neither linked in the end. The ending was well developed, leading to a surprise ending for both cases. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this novel. Charlotte, VIC, 3 stars

Burning Mountain by Darcy Tindale, Five teenagers go up a mountain on a day hike, only four return home. After 17 years, a dog digs up a human Skeleton. Could this be that of 15 year old Oliver Lavine. Detective Rebecca Giles father, retired Superintendent father tells his daughter he had a suspect in mind attempting time, but could not prove it. A cold case remains to this day. Will the statements taken almost 20 years ago be different when the suspects are reinterviewed. Detective Giles character is believable policewoman. However l would have preferred her first name to have been used. Difficult sometimes with so many characters to sort of their gender. This bookwould be best read in one sitting as lfound the chapters carrying the story distanced plus the second thread of a burglary interwoven made if difficult to hold the theme. The dialogue was fair paced, however and builds each character so you can almost smell them. Readers will not guess the ending. I purchased Darcy’s debut book The Fall Between to see if l am going to read her third book or not. Yvonne, NSW, 3 stars

This book is about an 18yrs Cold case that is reopened about 5 students who when for a hike up Burning Mt lookout but only 4 students return at the bottom of this Burning Mt. The Cold case was opened when a hiker and his dog find a human skull. Detective Rebecca Giles was determined to find out whether this skull was from the student that did not return. She interview the other students who was involved in this hike 18yrs ago. It leads her in many different directions until she discover who killed this student 18yrs perversity. It will keep you guessing who the skull belongs to and who committed the murder. You will find it hard to put down. it is a well written book by Darcy Tindale. Lyn, VIC, 1 star

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