The Reach is a locked room mystery, really a locked town mystery, set in the remote Australian town of Devlins Reach. When three semi mummified bodies are found in a buried ship, Park Ranger Taylor Bridges, experienced in the investigation of remote crime scenes, is asked to help the local police. There are two of them and they need him. The lead investigator is newly promoted Ryan Everett, his junior officer is Constable Neve Fisher. The approach of a dangerous storm means that police teams cannot fly to The Reach. Then there is another murder.

Ryan and Taylor world together to understand who the victims are and why they have been killed. They know that the answer will lead them to the killer who must be known to them, a resident of the small town or a worker at the nearby lumberyard. The storm has closed the ferry and there is no way in or out of Devlins Reach. And then, another killing. As they find clues hidden in the dark history of The Reach, they begin to solve the case. But will they solve it in time to save the town itself?

R. Michael Radburn has plotted a tightly written thriller with action that does not let up. I’m looking forward to the next in the Taylor Bridges series. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pantera Press and R. Michael Radburn for this ARC.

When Taylor Bridges was contacted at his home in Victoria with a request to go to the small town of Devlins Reach on the NSW Hawkesbury River, he had no idea what was ahead of him. Taylor’s reputation had preceded him; as a wilderness expert/park ranger who had assisted in mysteries which involved murder before, and with three bodies having been uncovered at Devlins Reach, it seemed his expertise was needed.

Detective Sergeant Ryan Everett was in charge with Sergeant Neve Fisher keeping watch over the bodies until reinforcements arrived. Taylor’s last leg of his journey was on the ferry over the river to Devlins Reach, where he met with his counterpart, NSW National Parks Ranger, Jaimie Barlow who took him to the site where he met Everett. Together they tried to work out who the bodies were, why they were where they were, and how long they’d been there. With a violent storm heading their way, the ferry was stopped, and Devlins Reach cut off. Back up in the form of the state’s Task Force had no way of getting to the town, and newly murdered victims began appearing. Time – and Mother Nature – was against them. Could they find the murderer before it was way, way too late?

The Reach is the 3rd in the Taylor Bridges series by Aussie author B. Michael Radburn and it was well-written, intense and had plenty of chills (not just the weather!) I guessed the perpetrator early in the piece but that didn’t lessen my thorough enjoyment of the race to the finish line. I’ve loved each and every book in this series, as well as others this author has written – I’m looking forward to the next. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

4.5★s
The Reach is the third book in the Taylor Bridges series by Australian author, B. Michael Radburn. Caught between the frustrating delays imposed by official channels and an impatient editor, Sydney photojournalist Brewer Hutch takes up the offer of two local teens who claim they can get him into the dig site at Devlins Reach. Hutch wants shots of the boat hulks that lay buried in reclaimed land north of the town; they enter via a sinkhole; he gets something far grislier.

“The three figures sat crossed-legged against the far wall, shoulder to shoulder… bodies placed beside each other, several months apart… the lacerations were pre-mortem.”

At the request of NSW Police, Victoria Parks Ranger Taylor Bridges arrives in Devlins Reach, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River. Jaimie Barlow, the local National Parks ranger, escorts him to the site, where he meets a newly-minted Detective Sergeant, Ryan Everett, whose remit, with the assistance of a young Constable, is to secure the area and hold the fort until the State Crime Command’s task force arrives.

Below ground, the scene is indeed as hideous as the photo suggested: three men sit, dead, posed; their injuries prevented escape; the mutilations clearly send a message, but to whom, exactly, and about what? A symbol painted on the back of a cabin door intrigues them: a clue, a distractor?

Taylor alerts Everett to the weather implications: a severe weather event heading their way, creating a sense of urgency. To his dismay, Everett learns of the mounting probability, both of the river surging through his crime scene and of the winds preventing the helicopter from landing with reinforcements.

While he tries to keep a tight rein on information, with regards the locals, might Everett’s approach to the case be unhelpful? He’s told: “You’re gonna find the Reach a whole lot different to the city. People here are used to cleaning their own laundry, not having others come in to clean it for them.” Taylor is one of several who point out that involving the townspeople may foster greater co-operation. And anyway, “It’s a small town and word travels faster than the internet around here”

The young detective does his best to identify the three, figuring this will point to motive, but before he gets a result, there’s another murder, with similar features: clearly the killer is not yet done. He and Taylor hasten to make sense of snippets of information they garner: itinerant loggers, a now-closed children’s home, and a decades-ago abduction.

The storm rages, a felled tree plunges the town into darkness, the river laps at the top of the levee banks and a case of dynamite is reported missing: the story rushes headlong into a dramatic climax, and by the final pages, there’s a sizeable body count for this small service town.

Radburn’s characters have depth and appeal: his novice police detective is smart and resourceful, a talented improviser, but still inexperienced, thus well out of his depth, and trying to channel his deceased mentor for inspiration; he gives sound advice to a young woman who seems to be a police officer almost by default.

Radburn’s fans will already be familiar with the Victoria Parks ranger, a model of dedication and integrity. There’s a hint of paranormal concerning Taylor’s daughter that will likely fascinate readers, and Taylor has cause, more than once, to recall his wife’s admonition on his departure: “‘Family first,’ she said. ‘If things get too hot, you walk away. And when it’s done, leave it out there.’”

This third book of the series could easily be read as a stand-alone, but it does have some spoilers for the previous books. Radburn expertly builds the tension, and his descriptive prose superbly renders the wilderness setting. Excellent Aussie crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pantera Press.

This is the third book in the Taylor Briggs series. That being said, kudos to the author for making this detailed enough to be rad as a standalone. I would like to go back and read the previous two and travel with Taylor in the outback as he solves those crimes. The background family story of his wife and two daughters, one who has passed, is quite intriguing and I would love to have more of that in the next book if there is to be a 4th. The first appears to have been published in 2011 and the second in 2016, so I am not sure this is a storyline the author is looking to continue or not. If he does, I will be surly reading book four. While, I kind of had a feeling about the twist, it was still exciting seeing how Taylor came to the conclusion.

This third book in B. Michael Radburn's Taylor Bridges series, takes Taylor away from his family in Victoria to a national park two hours from Sydney on the Hawkesbury River. As a park ranger he has previously been involved in solving mysteries in rugged national parks and has been called in by police to assist when three mutilated bodies are found in the wreckage of a boat in rugged country, although it was never really clear to me why his expertise as a park ranger was needed to early in the investigation, especially with a ranger already on site. The murders have all been committed in the last six months and will not be the last to occur in this novel.

When Taylor arrives at the small town of Devlins Reach on the banks of the river he finds the only police there are a detective, DS Everett and a young inexperienced PC, Neve Fisher. The rest of the team and the forensic team have yet to arrive and with the weather closing in as a large storm approaches Everett is concerned that they may be further delayed as the only way in is by ferry.

The town also serves a logging camp next to the park and the local pub is usually full of rugged loggers, especially once logging comes to a halt when the ferry is closed as they can no longer transport logs. Between the threat of the weather and the possibility of flooding, the isolation of the town with no ferry and the restlessness of the loggers concerned about the murders, the tension in the town becomes palpable. It's no better out in the bush where Taylor has the sense that someone very good at stalking and hunting is hiding from them. As with the previous novels in the series, the natural setting is well described to give a good feel of its ruggedness and natural beauty. Everett and Taylor worked well together as a team, and Everett's on-the-fly forensic work was well done, although I did feel sorry for young PC Fisher left out in the bush for two days guarding the bodies on her own. The climax was very suspenseful as Everett and Taylor realised exactly what the murderer still planned to do and I enjoyed the surprising plot twist.

Radburn's story is a fast paced mystery that feels leaves the reader needing to know what happens. The storyline feels like a contemporary Agatha Christie novel - the characters, setting and plot are all well developed, realistic, and full of twists, turns and secrets. Just when you think you have figured it out, you find out more information, leaving you wondering.

In addition to a solid, well paced plot, the character development is well done. You grow to love certain characters, despite - or maybe because - of their flaws. You feel as though you have met and gotten to know them, and become invested in their well being and the final outcome.

Although I wouldn't teach this in my classroom, this is a novel I would love to add to my silent reading library. This is a story that will resonate with anyone who loves a good mystery, and doesn't mind curling up with a book that makes you shiver.

B. Michael Radburn and his editing team have some serious talent. This book was written to draw the reader into its story. You feel yourself being pulled into The Reach chapter by chapter. Waiting with anticipation to find out what clues will be found next and what motivates our villain. The thing I liked most about this story is that the characters were not black and white, there were definite shades of grey.

I would recommend this book for those who like their detective mystery/thrillers to have depth in their characters and a writer who knows how to write quality fiction.
What I personally didn't like and would add a trigger warning: there is mention of sexual abuse of children that is not described in detail.

My favourite quote: “They made their way out, leaving the dark alls behind them. Taylor was glad to leave. As they paused on the landing, he could sense the places’ despair pressing against the timber door, wanting to burst out into the day. As he and Everett walked outside, the wind brushed Taylor’s hair and the daylight washed the place form his skin. He felt he could breathe again.”
And along with Taylor, after Chapter 12, I felt like I could once again breathe in a deep breath!

- The blurb from the publisher, as they do it best -

An isolated town with a dark past -
In secluded Devlins Reach, on the shores of the Hawkesbury River, three bodies are unearthed in an excavation site. When a wilderness expert, Park Ranger Taylor Bridges, is called in to assist local police, he soon discovers the town has an unsettling history one to match Taylor's own haunted past.
But the quiet location and picturesque beauty of The Reach are hiding something darker than Taylor could have anticipated. Within the town's tight-knit community of loggers, store owners and tight-lipped locals, someone is targeting the residents one by one.
As a torrential storm surges ever closer, and the river swells at the levee walls, The Reach goes into lockdown. With no way in or out, Taylor finds himself in a race against the power of nature to find a desperate killer before the whole town goes under.

Thank you to NetGalley & Pantera Press for an advance copy. Book due to be released Feb 2nd, 2021.
Amazon review will be posted on the release date.

An isolated town with a dark past -
In secluded Devlins Reach, on the shores of the Hawkesbury River, three bodies are unearthed in an excavation site. When a wilderness expert, Park Ranger Taylor Bridges, is called in to assist local police, he soon discovers the town has an unsettling history one to match Taylor's own haunted past. Sadly, if you haven't read the other books in this series not much of this will make sense to you. Too many references to past events. I can't say I disliked this story but it was a bit trite and gave me a feeling of "been there done that". I stuck with it but be forewarned it has a highly predictable ending that I found disappointing. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers for review.

This was a good read with interesting characters. I enjoyed the setting and found it descriptive and atmospheric.

Engaging enough to continue on but hardly a work worthy of anything more than a library loan or hand-me-down. I didn't hate it but I did finish it. Cliché conclusion

This novel is the latest release for B. Michael Radburn in his Taylor Bridges series and is the first novel in the series that I have read. It does not feel to me as though I needed to read the earlier novels to follow this one, although the novel makes regular allusions and references to events in previous novels that have shaped the central character.

In this novel, Taylor Bridges, Park Ranger with Parks Victoria, is on loan to NSW police when three bodies are discovered at an archeological dig in the Hawkesbury River area of Greater Sydney.

One of the struggles I had at the outset of this novel was the setup that takes Taylor Bridges to NSW to work on a triple homicide at the behest of Parks & Wildlife NSW and the NSW Police. It’s not clear from the triple homicide what expertise of Bridges is actually required; the argument given is that he has solved remote-location murders before (references to events of earlier novels support this) and so was called in. I thought that would be incredibly generous of NSW Police who must be quite in touch with their own expertise deficiencies to invite an external expert in to their investigation so early. Generous, and uncommon.

And when I say early, I mean early. So early that the bodies are only 24 hours from first discovery and still in situ when Bridges is called in; to put that in perspective, in the time it takes for official notification to police, for the police to reach out to Parks Victoria, who then reach out to Taylor Bridges, who the following day then flies to Sydney, travels to the Hawkesbury River roughly two hours from Sydney airport, checks in to the local hotel and then travels to a remote archeological site, the bodies are still in situ without having undergone specialist forensic examination, nor any senior detective been on hand outside of a local detective sergeant. Sydney is not New York. A triple homicide is highly likely to command swift and comprehensive attention by the NSW police, not the 48 hour delay that the book sets up because they’re busy elsewhere.

I’ve been reading quite a few Aussie noir novels lately and so was really looking forward to this one. However, I found the writing lacked depth and sophistication, and the crime plot itself obvious and unchallenging to me as a reader. Because the central protagonist is a Park Ranger, Radburn set up a dual perspective here, with the other perspective being local Detective Sergeant Ryan Everett, who feels to have the dominant narrative perspective in terms of the investigation. The lack of character development and distinction between these two male characters, meant that as I read, sometimes I thought I was reading one character’s perspective, but I was actually reading the other’s, so interchangeable did I find their narrative voice.

An aspect of the novel that I did enjoy was the landscape and environmental detail, being personally intimate with the Hawkesbury River area and suburbs mentioned, such as Windsor. I love to find Australian crime writers telling local stories, rather than emulating US crime writers. The Reach does bring alive the area and the communities around the Hawkesbury River area, including the different ferry crossings.

Whilst the novel didn’t hit the right notes for me, I recognise that I am a tough critic when it comes to crime, consuming a large and robust diet of crime novels from around the world. There will be other readers who will enjoy this ride for the uncomplicated pleasure it offers.

I thought the storyline was good and I was engaged throughout the entire book. I don't know if I would want to read the book again but I would give it a 3/5. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantera Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This series is for fans of C.J. Box and Paul Doiron. The natural setting and Mother Nature are characters just as much as Park Ranger Taylor Bridges in this intricately woven mystery. When three bodies turn up at an archaeological dig, the case seems to be a cold one. And yet, it quickly heats up as Taylor works with a newly minted DS to try and figure out what a mysterious drawing means while racing against a severe weather pattern that cuts them off from precious resources.

Radburn truly brought the landscape alive and its ominous beauty was a significant part of this story. Not only was there the tension of multiple murders, but the added stress and drama of an impending storm cutting an already isolated town off even more from the modern world and all of its relatively safety. Secrets, storms, murder, and revenge all combine into a maelstrom of tensions and mystery that works very well and crafts a good read.

When three bodies are discovered in the Dharug National Park near Sydney, Taylor Bridges’s boss Brian Ross asks Taylor to help with the police investigation upon their request. The three men were found in a boat hulk buried in an archaeology dig site up north in Devlins Reach.

The dig site is being overseen by a Professor Clayborn, from the University of Sydney, Taylor would be working with a fellow ranger named James Barlow who suggested Taylor in the first place.

Taylor Bridges works as a ranger with Parks Victoria and would be working alongside Detective Sergeant Ryan Everett.

The bodies of the men were mutilated and their Achilles’ tendons slashed, then the killer left a symbol on the door of the cabin where they were found.

Then another local goes missing and the police suspect it might be connected to the bodies at the dig.

The local’s body is later recovered at the site where he first went missing, with his lips sliced off and a writing in red across his forehead. A solid detective story. Definitely recommend.

Many thanks to B. Michael Radburn, NetGalley, and Pantera Press for the ARC of this book.

Great book! Engaging from the beginning to the end. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommended!

The Reach is a fantastic Australian thriller/mystery book, which follows a Parks and Wildlife officer as he lends his expertise to a murder case. The story is located in a town called Devlins Reach, which is only accessible by ferry.

Taylor Bridges is a very likeable character, with his past trauma and his family being his driving force. Taylor's daughter Erin communicates with her dead sister Claire, which adds an extra layer to the mystery and complexity of this story. This new book is a great addition to B. Michael Radburn's Taylor Bridges series.

I enjoyed the plot and the mystery elements of the story, although the pace in the beginning after the initial discovery was a bit slow. Once it picked up, I thought the book was excellent. I did find the lack of police personnel on the island frustrating, considering the town's miserable history, but I enjoyed the detective's POV and I would have loved to hear more about him and his history.

I enjoyed the plot twist at the end, and didn't see it coming. The way the book ended left me very eager for more, and I can't wait to see where the story goes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantera Press for allowing me to read and review a copy of this book.

Amazing story. Well developed characters that are in a twisted engrossing thriller. Highly recommended. Super suspense that comes to a satisfying end! Highly recommended . A true roller coaster thrill ride

4.5 rating
This is my second mystery/suspense novel that I’ve read and I am impressed. The last novel I read in this genre was The Woman in Cabin 10. I really enjoyed that book; but I loved this one a little more.
If you are in for some great twists and turns this is the perfect book for you. I plan on checking out more titles from this offer