Your Preview Verdict: The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly

Nail-biting, atmospheric, and unputdownable, the brilliant new thriller for fans of Wimmera and The Dry.

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly was a really enjoyable murder mystery, set in a 1970s rural Queensland town. The closeness of a small town community was well-drawn, and facts about sugarcane growing were woven in carefully which gave me a good understanding without feeling I was being lectured at. At times I found it a little difficult keeping track of all the different characters, but it was great to have a diverse bunch of characters and a wide range of suspects. This was a great read and kept me interested the whole time, and it had a good, satisfying resolution. Helen, VIC, 5 Stars

When reading The Cane the story pulled me in and I could smell the sugar cane burning and hear the crackling of the flames and feel Barbara and Ted’s heartache has they looked for 16 year old Janet who goes missing one Saturday evening while taking a short cut through the cane fields to the Tranter’s place to babysit their girls while they go to an engagement shindig of Cam Tranter’s brother and be back on Sunday morning. Now those fields are about to burn and there are still no answers as to her whereabouts or who took her, but we know this, the person is amongst them. Samantha, QLD, 5 Stars

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly was a brilliant read that kept me intrigued and captivated from the very first moment. It was thrilling and spine-chilling at every turn filling my heart and mind with mysterious atmosphere communicated through perceptive literary artistry and adventure. An excellent read with characters that enriched the story and I would happily recommend to others. A pleasure to preview and thank you for the opportunity. Kylie, QLD, 5 Stars

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly. This is a very well written mystery thriller which kept me reading late into the night and finished in just two sessions. When a teenage girl goes missing in a small rural area everyone is under suspicion – did she meet foul play or just run away to the city? The cane has to be fired but the missing girl might be somewhere amongst the tall canes and her distraught mother is afraid she will be burned completely. I thoroughly recommend this page turner to readers. Elizabeth, NSW, 5 Stars

I enjoyed this book immensely, so much so that I have passed it on to a friend. The characters were believable and the descriptions of places, scenery and growing up amongst the sugar cane in Qld was spot on. The whodunnit was intriguing–I thought I knew who did it very early on (I was right) but it was good to uncover clues as the book continued. All in all, I highly recommend this. Donna, VIC, 5 Stars

Cuskelly’s debut fiction novel is an atmospheric story of a northern Queensland town in the 70s coping with suspicion, and possibly further peril, after a teenage girl goes missing within the local cane fields. As I live in far north Queensland myself, I adored the place setting. Although Quala is a fictional town, it could be one of many near me. Personally I’ve never found cane fields scary or haunting but I did enjoy the added tension the thick crops provided. In fact, they nearly became another character, especially in the heart pounding and dramatic climactic scenes. The story is told from multiple narrators and, I must admit, that I found this a little off putting at first. However, I soon settled into Cuskelly’s pacing and style and became engrossed with the diverse characters and their various viewpoints. The plot was really supported by the time setting — the ultra-conservative political landscape of Queensland, the subtle (and not so subtle) racism and sexism, the authentic Australian slang not yet influenced by the internet. Cuskelly can now be added to the list of Australian authors knocking it out of the park when it comes to rural/outback noir. Highly recommended. Lee-ann, QLD, 5 Stars

Thank you Better Reading for the opportunity to read The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly. This is a great Aussie read! Mystery, suspense and heartbreak make this an awesome story! With a local girl missing for a few weeks everyone is on high alert. Families are keeping a close eye on their kids. Highly recommend. Judy, NSW, 5 Stars

Lookout Jane Harper, you have some serious competition with Maryrose Cuskelly’s debut novel The Cane. I found this book unputdownable as I was transported to Far North Queensland and the cane fields. Whilst I have never been there, the descriptions of the landscape and the people were so vibrant I felt like I was. There are plenty of characters in this book, some you will like and some you won’t but they are all uniquely Australian. I thoroughly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more by Maryrose. Tracey, WA, 5 Stars

What a great read! It ticked all the boxes – real, credible characters, well written dialogue, intrigue and suspense, lovely atmospheric descriptions of the town and canefields. There was an awful lot going on at the end – so many loose ends to tie up – but all believable and satisfying. looking forward to more from Maryrose Cuskelly. Victoria, NSW, 5 Stars

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly is set in North Queensland sugar cane area in a small town. A 16 year old girl has been missing for weeks. Despite prolonged searching by many people, only her bag has been found. The cane harvest has been delayed, with the hope of finding the missing girl before the annual cane burning. The story deals with the parents anguish, the demands of farming, small town prejudices, and plenty of twists along the way. The reader is kept wondering until the end. A thoroughly well written and enjoyable read. Fay, VIC, 5 Stars

Oh, the secrets of a small town. This story is a page turner. You are completely drawn in by the multiple POVs and each gives you a different aspect or understanding of the people in this community and moves the story along. The conversational writing style really helps to immerse you in the story. Having grown up in a small town I felt like I knew a lot of the characters and you will too. Aotea, QLD, 5 Stars

The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly is set in a small north Queensland sugar town in the 1970’s where sixteen-year-old Janet McClymont has gone missing, last seen walking into the cane field next to her home. The police have no leads and the townsfolk are full of fear and mistrust of one another. Told from the perspectives of various members of the town, The Cane is an atmospheric thriller that was hard to put down. The casual racism and sexism throughout may be difficult for some to read, but is very indicative of the times and place in which the story is set. The book was well written and kept me guessing until the end. This book will be sure to please fans of Jane Harper and Chris Hammer where the small town and landscape are as much a part of the story as the characters. Jo, QLD, 5 Stars

A captivating story which finishes with a bang. As a North Queensland local this book came with such familiarity, like peering behind the smoke screen of a community I once knew. It has captured the essence of a cane farming community and muddied the waters with suspicion and gossip. A brilliant read, I highly recommend. Emma, QLD, 5 Stars

Set in the 1970’s in Quala a small North Queensland sugar growing town 16 year old Janet McClymont has disappeared whilst walking through a track between canefields. Janet has been missing for weeks her scattered belongings found by the roadside and the cane crush has been delayed as frantic searching has been underway. Nearly every adult male close to Quala has been grilled. The local children are frightened and the parents uneasy about giving freedom to them. Almost 10 years previously Cathie Creadie was found drowned after being missing several days. Such an exciting book with believable characters, and to say I couldn’t put it down would be an understatement. Interesting, informative and well plotted, it was without a doubt one of my best reads of the year. Gillian, QLD, 5 Stars

The Cane is a bit of a slow burn – totally opposite the vegetation that it takes it’s name from. The story slowly builds to provide the full picture behind the mystery of the missing teen – is this a standalone event or has it happened before? One of the most compelling characters of the story is the Cane itself – it whispers and murmurs throughout the plot, impacting all of those who live their lives around it. I totally recommend this book to anyone who wants a true Aussie experience, packed with secrecy, subtlety and enigma. Lee, ACT, 5 Stars

The reader is in the midst of the committed crime from page 1. A country town in Queensland where the main activities all centre around the cane industry. A young missing girl there are no clues but plenty of rumours. Set in the 1970’s much prejudice abounds the people’s fears only adding to the tensions. Maryrose Cuskelly’s writing is very aware of the existing prejudices of the times. As they wait to light the cane you can feel the tensions in the town racing till it feels like the town will explode with the flames. Characters are so lifelike you will care about them long after you put the book down. This book will absorb you, I could not put it down. Very highly recommended. Sharon, NSW, 5 Stars

Maryrose Cuskelly’s The Cane is a powerful debut crime novel. Instantly evoking 1970s rural Queensland, the reader is thrown into the tension of a town thrown by the disappearance of a local teenage girl. Cuskelly is skilled at crafting specific voices for her large cast of characters. The narrative often has multiple POVs within one chapter so it was a tad daunting keeping track of all the players for the first portion of the book. As the story unfolded even more perspectives are introduced. My favourite parts of the novel was how skilled Cuskelly was at completely immersing the reader into 1970s Australia. She cleverly weaves issues facing Australians of the time into the tale, making racism, sexism and communism feel like natural plot points. I thoroughly enjoyed this Australian whodunit and will be picking up Cuskelly’s next novel. Jaclyn, WA, 4 Stars

What a debut! The Cane is a suspenseful read that gives nothing away until the end. Its combined settings of a pre-digital age and humid cane fields, gives a perfectly disquieting mix of simpler ‘innocent’ times, and the dark undercurrents of a destruction hiding close to home. I was absolutely absorbed in this story and the gripping tension that builds with every turn of the page. Definitely a book for lovers of Australian rural crime stories. Michelle, NSW, 4 Stars

I really enjoyed The Cane. Reading the descriptions of the characters and places you can see exactly what they look like. It only took me a couple of days to read it. Whenever I had a chance I had my nose buried in it. Christine, QLD, 4 Stars

Janet’s disappearance is the central story in The Cane. Set in rural Quala in the 1970’s, the story portrays the characters and attitudes of the day in a way that feels true to the period. The characters were well written, and you can feel the sense of angst and unease as the town jumps at shadows in trying to solve what happened to her. Overall a good read. Leticia, QLD, 4 Stars

Wow! I loved this fast paced gripping murder mystery. It opens with a girl missing in a cane field, a field which is about to be set on fire. Did she die in the cane? Or was she abducted and taken away? The story delves deeply into a town full of secrets and lies, and the ending is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommended for anyone who loves rural noir or murder mysteries. Inessa, NSW, 4 Stars

Thank you to Better Reading for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The debut book for Maryrose Cuskelly – The Cane is set in a small North Queensland sugar town during the 1970’s. A 16 year old girl goes missing amongst the cane fields between her home and the neighbours where she was meant to be babysitting. Soon the whole town is on edge. Tensions are running high – is there an abductor or a murderer among them? The cane harvest can only be put on hold for so long, is she alive or dead and if so, where is her body? She’s also not the only young girl to go missing in this area….. While it took me a while to get my momentum going I became invested in the story because I needed to know what happened to Janet. After going to and from a bit the story takes off and ends in a fast paced climax and it wasn’t what I was expecting. Look out for The Cane from February 2022 Australia. Jody, SA, 4 Stars

The Cane was a great read and the story held my interest, although it did take a little getting used to the story being told from multiple narrators. The twists and turns throughout the second half of the story kept me reading without any breaks! An enjoyable read. Susan, NSW, 4 Stars

The Cane is a fantastic story told through the voices of the residents of Quala, sharing their viewpoints and opinions of the dark incidents happening in their quiet sugarcane farming town in Queensland. When a 16-year-old girl goes missing on her way to a local farm, all that’s left is her backpack abandoned near a sugarcane field close by, and suspicions. Did she run away? Was it a stranger passing through town who abducted her? How about her “different” boyfriend? Did he do something to hurt her? Parents in town grip onto their children and now always have a watchful eye over them, yet the children long to escape from their parents over-protective glare and get back to how things were before Janet went missing. Along with the missing girl, the town experiences themes of racism, sexism, potential sexual assault and unsavoury characters. Quala seems to dislike and exclude people that are new or different, such as school teacher Eamonn Sullivan and female detective, Carmel Maitland. Maryrose Cuskelly is successful in dropping little seeds of information, which implant themselves in your mind and grow into suspicions and predications. This rural, 1970’s who-dunnit will keep you guessing until the very last page. Emma, NSW, 4 Stars

Set against the backdrop of the cane fields of Queensland Cuskelly develops a realistic picture of small town life there in the 1970’s. Filled with interesting and varying characters, they instantly become recognisable as the story progresses. I enjoyed the read but felt the author took too long to develop the suspense around the suspects associated with the disappearance of the young girl. The resolution of her disappearance came almost as an anticlimax and secondary to the development of the primary characters, the young people of Kaliope, as they embark on their discovery of adolescence and their own personalities. But maybe this was the authors intention. Mary, WA, 4 Stars

Having lived in the Q’ld sugar town of Bundaberg most of my life, with my father cutting cane by hand, The Cane was particularly poignant for me. I could envisage Barbara searching the cane fields for her missing teenage daughter Janet. A great Australian Thriller. Gail, WA, 4 Stars

In 1970s Queensland, a 16 year old girl has gone missing. The story is told cleverly in multiple POVs and makes an atmospheric and tense read as I tried to race ahead and put it all together – what happened to Janet? Needless to say, I couldn’t do it before it was revealed! I read this in two days and started off really invested in the mystery. I thought the perspectives were done really well, especially that of Essie and the nameless first person POV. I was so interested in Essie and was convinced something terrible was going to happen to her! I also related to her and saw a bit of myself at the same age – hovering on the cusp of childhood and teenage years. However my interest did wane a little in the middle, the story stagnated and it felt like we weren’t getting anywhere – until of course the cane was set alight and the whole thing seemed to explode in an engrossing finale that I couldn’t put down. Brit, VIC, 4 Stars

In the 1970’s, in a sugar cane town of Quala, a 16 year old girl, Janet McClymont goes missing and hasn’t been seen for weeks. Janet’s mother Barbara, goes into the fields daily, in the hope of finding her daughter. It is time to burn the sugar cane for harvesting and to be sent to the mill. But with Barbara doing everything she can to hold it off, the neighbours are getting worried their crops will be destroyed if they aren’t burnt soon. There are some rough youths in town, but everyone is questioned as they have no suspect. I would recommend this book as it does have a lot of twists and turns. You think you know who did it, but no, wrong again…… I liked the second half of the book better as the first half seemed to have chapters in chapters. Sue, NSW, 4 Stars

The Cane has all the aspects of a good thriller including that one point where you just can’t put it down. I really enjoyed the setting of the story and feel like I also learnt a bit about cane farming. A very enjoyable read. Alice, NSW, 4 Stars

What prefect timing… The Cane, a murder mystery, a missing girl, police clueless, set in a small Queensland cane town, at a time when the real search for William Tyrrell is going on. Like a script from Midsummer Murders – people suddenly second guessing what and who they know. A good read to escape the commercial pressures of Christmas. Robert, QLD, 4 Stars

Atmospheric and written from a number of different narrative perspectives, The Cane kept me guessing. You really get a sense of life in a small Queensland town in the 70s. Plot wise, everything happening all at once (no spoilers, you’ll know what I mean when you get there) was a bit of an artifice, and detracted a little from my overall experience of the book. I would still recommend it though as a great read and am keen to read anything else that Cuskelly has and will produce. Yvonne, NSW, 3 Stars

The Cane is a thrilling novel which is set in the eerie outback town of Quala. The diverse mix of characters works well with a twisting plot. Although it is slow to start, it sure ends with a bang. Daneka, QLD, 3 Stars

About a decade ago, a Quala local Cathy Creadie went missing from Danger Point. Her body was discovered some distance further around the coast, not where you would expect to find her. The death was pronounced accidental drowning. Now, just as the “Crush” is due in the cane fields, Janet McClymont goes missing on her way to babysit Essie and Helen Tranter. The burning of the cane is delayed on the request of the distraught parents Barbara and Ted…Wilma, TAS, 3 Stars

This crime novel follows the stalled investigation into the disappearance of 16 year old Janet with precious little evidence to her fate, in the conservative cane growing region of Queensland of the late 60’s/ early 70’s. Into the rural Quala Kaliope district is thrown Brisbane detective Carmel Maitland who has to wade through the distrust, prejudices, gossip, histories and suspicions of the district to give Janet’s tortured parents answers before the delayed cane burn. The narration swaps between boyfriend, neighbours, friends, police, school staff and worried parents to come to a satisfying wrap up to the story. I’m not a big crime fiction reader but this was a comfortable, believable read and a pacey ending that wasn’t a chore to pick up. A good holiday read. Stephen, VIC, 3 Stars

This was a hard read. I know it’s written ‘for its time’ but I just couldn’t read the racist language from this perspective. A good story, told well, but I just couldn’t get past the language. Hanadi, 2 Stars

A young girl goes missing in north Queensland. As it is set in the 70s there is a lot of racism and those who are a bit different are the main suspects. The author takes us into the homes of many of the people.The cane needs to be burnt but is delayed because of the missing girl. Vivien, ACT, 2 Stars

The novel, The Cane by Maryrose Cuskelly sounded right up my alley being a thriller/mystery genre. From the start, I was intrigued to know what happened to Janet McClymont who went missing but it took me a chapter or two to adjust to the ocker slang frequently used. I loved that I could easily conjure up an image of the cane field setting and could imagine many small towns like Quala in North Queensland. The more I read, however, the more confused I became with the storyline. I couldn’t figure out who the main character was telling the story. And by story, I mean recount as though the character is talking to the reader with limited time spent as part of the scenes within the narrative. I found it difficult to process the number of characters and at times felt the story jumped from scene to scene without any transition. Ultimately, I was disappointed with this book and ended up skim-reading the second half of it. Lauren, QLD, 1 Star