Candice Fox has found a place on my favourite authors list. The descriptions of the setting in Cairns were superb - I could feel that heat and humidity! The book was thought provoking as well as being a page turner so while I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, I didn't really want it to end.

Unusual thriller with 2 very unusual detectives, you have to suspend disbelief when the police allow them to sit in on suspect interviews etc but in the main the story moves fast enough to let you do it. It’s the second in the series and I’d like to read the first but I’ll have to wait a while as so much of that p,it was given away in this one. My only criticism was the way it jumped from character to character with no real distinction between them but I had a review copy so hopefully the finished article will be clearer.

Different characters and storyline from the norm. Had you hooked from the getgo. Resolved ending. All the makings of a good thriller which I enjoyed in the main.. Just too much detail in parts hence 4stars.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it. I look forward to her next novel.

A gripping fast moving story that moves seamlessly from one charcter's viewpoint to another. You are drawn into the lives of the characters and feel sympathy for what you they are going through and want a resolution for them.

When I read the blurb for this, I was intrigued. I sounded different to anything I'd ever read before and it sounded like it could be quite a bumpy-ride thriller. But, unfortunately, it wasn't. Not for me anyway.

I really did try to get stuck in, engage with the characters, feel their emotions (or lack of in Amanda's case!) and to follow the story completely. But I just couldn't. The whole book was quite sloppy and it was all shoved together. One minute, it's one character and the next sentence is another and it was really really confusing. The diary entries of Kevin's were both black and red and sometimes it stopped and the next paragraph wasn't a continuations from that sentence. I feel this book could have quite the potential if it wasn't so badly put together.

The author's writing style itself was brilliant, though in places she was a bit too descriptive and it made it less interesting and more boring. But I could picture everything happening; however haphazardly it all was.

When the 'catalyst' of the book happens, it was amazing and really made my heart race, but again, it wasn't great. It didn't make me feel happy for Ted, because really, he never got away from the 'accusation' that was brought on him a year earlier because of some random drug lord. I feel that if.... See, I can't really explain much without spoiling it for others.

Amanda confused me. She's definitely quite the sociopath and I wasn't keen on her. She was pushy and in real life, the police would never have put up with her or let her sit in on interviews. Again, pretty sloppy.

The case that Amanda and Ted were called in on, as private investigators, was poorly portrayed. The crime scene, the neighbours, the random recluse woman in the rainforest with a ton of guns, which was quite random, the police themselves were pretty incompetent. This book COULD have been so MUCH better but unfortunately it's not.

I was sitting with a three star all the way up until what happened with Khalid, Dale, Ted and Khalid's two goons, Linda and Sharon.

It was messy, chaotic and extremely hard to read. But it may work for others and I'm not saying don't read it because it is a good book, but there was just too many faults for me.

I didn’t realise this was book 2 in a series until I had it on my kindle ready to start. I decided to chance it anyway and I’m so glad I did. While I can see that it would have been better to have read book 1, this definitely worked ok for me as a standalone. I do have a soft spot for unusual or odd ball characters so Amanda and Ted were perfect for me. This is a bit of a two for one as we have the investigation into the homicide in the bar and the earlier abduction. This is a gripping, tense read and one of the best I’ve read this year. I absolutely loved this and I will need to read book 1.

Worth waiting for - now I want the next one!
Like the first book in this series, the writing, the plot with many twists and turns, and worrying about the welfare of those geese kept me reading until the book was finished, regardless of what I was meant to be doing.
The author is excellent at creating very 'real' people - Ted and Amanda are so quirky, so different, yet so completely believable; I can almost imaging going there and finding them. Not many authors have this ability, to make characters seem as though they really exist. I also like the settings - the author does not waste pages on description of places, yet with a few choice words one can imagine those places so vividly.
I like very much that this is a standalone book and there was no cliffhanger at the end of the previous book, but there is a natural progression through the books and I would recommend reading Crimson Lake first.
Personally, I hope the author has the next book in this series ready to go as I am hooked!

Candice Fox’s Redemption is the second in her Crimson Lake series about mismatched Australian PIs, Ted Conkaffey and Amanda Pharrell. I have not read the first but that in no way hindered my understanding or enjoyment of this novel. In fact, it feels like the first in a series.

To get the blurb out of the way first, the publisher compares this book to Jane Harper’s The Dry and, while there are similarities - Australia, murder, suspicion thrown on the protagonist - The Dry uses the environment almost as a main character, the oppressive heat is palpable and integral to the story; Redemption is not that novel. But, it is a very good thriller with interesting characters.

Having been aware of the first in the series, I was under the impression that the suspicion of child abduction and rape hanging over Conkaffey would have been dealt with in Crimson Lake, but the crime and its aftermath still follow him and he finds it hard to escape despite moving away from Sydney in an effort to escape those who deem him guilty despite the collapse of his trial. I have to admit, I didn’t particularly warm to Ted. His, first-person narrated, sections of the novel read almost self-serving; he seems to be trying hard to convince the reader that he didn’t do what he was accused of while, at the same time, telling us that he tries to ignore the support he is getting from podcasters championing his innocence. Not particularly liking him is not the same as not enjoying reading about him; I did and the touches such as the podcast are very well done.

Amanda, I did like. Unconventional, a one-off, a little bit weird, she is a convicted murderess, who did do it - although she got the wrong person. I really preferred the sections of the story that tell Amanda’s tale, and that of the police officer, Phillipa Sweeney, with whom Ted and Amanda become involved when investigating the local murder of two late-night bar staff when the father of one of the victims hires the pair to balance his mistrust of the police.

The stories of the local murder and of the attack of which Ted is accused intertwine and overlap and each is brought to a satisfactory conclusion by the author. Redemption is a very good detective novel and I will go back and read Fox’s first book in the series.

This is the second book in the Crimson Lake series and this one gets five stars as well.
Ted Conkaffey is a detective in the drugs squad in Sydney until one he is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is arrested, charged and sent to prison until his case comes to court. It is thrown out for lack of evidence but not closed.
Ted has lost his old life, his wife and baby daughter, his home and his job. He is trying to get on with his life even though he is now known as ' the most hated man in Australia '. He moves out to live away from most people, he has the rain forest as a backdrop and a river with alligators as his front garden. The only friends he has are the local coroner who mother's him and puts him back together again when he is attacked and Amanda a damaged fairie pixie ( this is how Ted describes her ) and a mother goose who is called Woman and her gaggle of babies.
Ted and the real perpetrator begin a game of cat and mouse and the outcome will be only one winner. But who ?????
From page one I was hooked it was beautifully written. Ted with his feathered family was endearing and his partner the forest pixie was a breath of fresh air. I could not put this book down I loved it. Can't wait for the next in this series.
I would like to thank the author Candice Fox, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Net.galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for giving an honest review.

Redemption Point is the second book in the Crimson Lake Series following the story of Ted Conkaffey an ex policeman wrongly convicted of rape and assault .This book tells how Ted is still reviled by most of Australia but he is trying to rebuild his life and is now working as a Private Investigator with his partner Amanda a cookie ex con who has killed in the past .They are asked to work on a case of two teenagers killed in a local bar ,Ted is also trying to find out who the real rapist is and running through the story is the diary of the real Paedophile which is a very chilling read .I feel real empathy with Ted he comes across as a good guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time .I was pleased that Ted still had his duck Woman and her ducklings living with him .Along with Drug Barons thrown into the mix an eccentric bar owner the story rushes to a very satisfactory conclusion .Thoroughly enjoyable .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

Detection with a difference.

Redemption is a grab you by the throat thriller from the get go.

Ted Conkaffey AKA Ted Collins and his quirky partner Amanda Pharell have a crime to solve in Crimson Lake the steamy and isolated Australian outback town where they live: the terrible murder of two young bar workers.

As P.I.s they are bound to engender irritation in the local police but being who they are earns them outright hatred and contempt Amanda has served time for murder while Ted, a former drug squad detective, has been accused of being a pedophile. While the charges were dropped, he is still widely regarded as guilty. Only Sweeney, the novice detective in charge oft he case has any time for them.

The novel follows two threads; that of the murder case and that of Ted’s struggle to prove his innocence and save himself from the vengeance of Dale Bingley, father of the girl he is accused of raping.

Into the mix we are give an insight into he mind of the real pedophile through his diary and thoughts as he contemplates what he has done and ponders what to do about his hero - Ted.

Fast paced and complex Redemption Point is peopled with a rich tapestry of well drawn characters in an original and multi layered narration. We are shown life from all angles and the ever increasing spider web of effect that violent crime has not just on the obvious victims but on those others whose life it touches. At the same time it is both gritty and touching.

The outcome is never predictable and we are led through the maze of twists and turns that leave us gasping on the edge of our seat.

A fantastic sequel to Crimson Lake. I look forward to more from Candice Fox.

Set in Australia, this is the 2nd book about these characters. I had not read the first but picked up the details quickly. Ted has been accused, but not convicted, of an horrific crime. So, he has moved to Crimson Lake and, no longer a policeman, he teams up with Amanda (a superbly quirky character with strange habits and brilliant lines) to solve a bar shooting. But there is also the matter of who was guilty of the crime he was accused of, and other details about the community.

I absolutely loved this book. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets The Dry. But much, much more interesting characters.

Read it. Now.

An interesting book. Thought provoking too. How the media can throw out accusations without checking. The book tells of the life of a man accused of being a predatory paedophile, blameless, but still living with the knowledge that he is the most hated man in Australia. Living a half life. Working as an assistant to a Private Detective who has served 10 years for murder. Trying to keep his head down, visit his family and prove to the father of the child he's accused of abusing that someone else did it.

What happens to him if the true abductor can't be brought to justice.

Redemption Point is the second book in the Crimson Lake series, I had not read the first but had no problem diving straight into this crime fiction thriller that is full of atmosphere, tension and vivid descriptions of the area around the Australian town of Crimson Lake.
Ted Conkaffey an ex policeman was accused of murdering a 13year old girl, after charges were dropped due to lack of evidence he has had to build a new life for himself without his now ex wife and beloved young daughter. Through the eyes of most he is a paedophile and murderer but with the help of genuine friends he is able to keep under the radar and get on with his life.
When the old life comes back with a vengeance he realises he must prove his innocence, working with Private investigator Amanda Pharell an eccentric ex con they travel down a road full of thrills, twists and turns, suspense and evil.
With a range of unique characters this is an excellent and compelling read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book.

I bought and read the first one in the series prior to reading this one, as I like to read books in order. I'm glad I did as a large part of the story is the relationship between Ted and Amanda, and their back story. A unique crime thriller that is written in a style that I haven't come across before. I don't like to give plots away as I dislike spoilers. I would advise reading the first book Crimson Lake first. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for the second as you will want to read them back to back. This book has a great storyline, twists, darkness and a brilliant punch at the end. The complex relationship between Amanda and Ted adds interesting dialogue. I also love that it is set in Australia, it makes a nice change. I'll be reading Candice's other books now that I've discovered her. Highly recommend, it's a great read.

I didn't like this at all. It was full of violence and nasty people from the start. Not my sort of thing, so I gave it up after 30%.

First off, my thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my ARC of Redemption Point.

An absolute ripper from Downunder (well, down under in my case)! Candice Fox has written a thriller that sizzles with tension and menace. This is Crimson Lake #2 and it’s a pity that I missed #1 as that no doubt sets the scene for Redemption Point. Nevertheless, it reads perfectly as a standalone.

Detective Ted Conkaffey’s life has been ruined. Accused but not convicted of abducting a teenage girl. Remanded for nine months, tried but not convicted due to ‘insufficient evidence’. He has escaped north to the wetlands of Crimson Lake. Fox has created a nightmare world of hatred towards a man who seems helpless in trying to prove his innocence. Conkaffey is despised by everyone. He has taken up with Amanda Pharrell, a convicted murderer, who has obtained a private investigator’s licence, much to the disdain of the local police. (She puts me so much in mind of Lisbeth Salander - a feisty free spirit and so good at what she does). There is more to Amanda’s past than first meets the eye. There is a synergy between these two that - just works.

When two bar workers are ruthlessly murdered, Michael Bell - the father of one of the victims - hires their services. He has no faith in the determination of the local police to seek justice. Two distinct plots then. Can Ted find the perpetrator of the crime for which he remains the number one suspect and will Ted and Amanda get to the bottom of what happened to the two bartenders in a roadside hovel? There is so much evil here that puts both protagonists in harms way. Will Ted find the redemption he so desperately seeks?

Redemption Point is a superb, heart-stopping thriller - well paced and full of pulse-racing moments. Hats off to Candice Fox for a great read - one of my top five this year.

I loved this book! It’s the second in the Crimson Lake series and I hadn’t read the first but it really doesn’t matter, there is enough backfill for it all to make sense.
Amanda and Ted are great characters, the plot rattles along and I couldn’t wait to see how it all concluded.
I hope that that this isn’t the end for Amanda and Ted, they make a great team!
I will definitely be looking at the other books written by this author. My thanks to Netgalley for a great read.

I just love Amanda and Ted - the two Private Investigators in Crimson Lake who have interesting backgrounds and an interesting partnership. don’t worry if you haven’t read bookone, there’s enough here to keep you happy but still want to go back to Crimson Lake anyway which you should.
It’s now Ted in the spotlight here and having the tables turned proves to be very interesting indeed. It’s a very tragic crime and interesting to see how the accused acts and feels as well as those on the other side of the fence so to speak.

What was particularly interesting and gripping here was teh fact that the rapist who had committed the crime had kept a diary and that was both uncomfortable to read yet fascinating all at once. Getting an insight into what makes someone do this -seeing all sides of the case was like being at the front of the courtroom. As evidence comes by, Candice handles everything with ease.

That’s not the only crime involved here either. There’s also a murder in a bar. A double one to be precise.
Both this and the rape accusation create a drama filled with tension and humid rage. The setting is a character in itself and the whole novel is an expertly crafted read.

Cunning and intrepid these Foxes aren’t they?

What an unusual detective story with a range of unique characters not least of which is a family of pet geese and a dog that leads to unmasking of a dangerous paedophile. The central character is a detective accused but unproven of a terrible crime that causes him to be persecuted and ostracised. He is teamed with a young woman private eye who also bares scares from her past to find the murderer of two young people killed for no apparent reason. It is really a story of the damaging effects on the lives of people who due to no fault of their own have to suffer the consequences of crime on their lives. This provides the background to the investigation of murder and the escape from death by the young private eye and the death of her rescuer. Quite a story that is thrilling and humorous in parts.