What an exciting read ... A great story that kept me up all night. The well thought out twists and turns bring this novel together brilliantly and lead to a surprising finale. Broke Road, set in the Hunter Valley wine fields, is a highly recommended thriller that is more than worthy of five stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5* rounded up.

I don't remember much about the first in this series now, but I do recall that Adam the journalist was personally involved in the mystery in some way. Here he seemed pretty superfluous - the book could have been written solely from the perspective of the detective Rose (and it might have felt more streamlined then too).

Rose and her colleague Priya are sent to investigate the murder of a woman in her own home and are accommodated in a weird sort of self-serve motel called the Quirk. Adam decides to join in the fun, but stays at the local pub. All the characters drink beer and wine like there's no tomorrow (to be fair this is set in wine country), but I was appalled by the way Adam drinks the best part of two bottles of wine and then drives back to the pub. On the way he is pulled over and charged with a DUI and the focus of the book is on who alerted the local police to the fact that he was over the limit, rather than how criminally dangerous and selfish he was being. He expresses no remorse (only regret at having been caught) and Rose and Priya seem to feel only sympathy for him.

This had an interesting beginning and a good ending, but sagged a bit in the middle.

3.5 stars

A solid Australian murder mystery, this one was hard to put down and had some interesting plot twists. I like Riley and enjoyed her relationships with Priya and Bowman.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC.

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer, published by Thomas & Mercer, is the second book in the Rose Riley Series. The previous book is Black River.
For best reading experience I recommend to read the books in order.
Broke Road is Detective Rose Riley's next case.
Set in Australia, written with great love to detail, this story gives all the feels. I enjoyed reading this book, 4.5 stars.

Taut, intelligent, and layered with tension, Broke Road delivers a gripping murder investigation set against the backdrop of Australia’s wine country. While this is the second book in Matthew Spencer’s series, I read it as a standalone and had no trouble immersing myself in its world.

Detective Rose Riley is a compelling lead—sharp, determined, and unafraid to question the narrative unfolding around her. When a woman is found dead in the seemingly idyllic town of Red Creek, Riley and her team are quick to suspect those closest to the victim. But as they uncover chilling links to other unsolved murders, the case takes on a far more sinister scope. The tension builds steadily as Riley pieces together the threads of a calculated killer’s pattern, all while navigating the pressures of a small town on edge and a media circus hungry for scandal.

Spencer’s writing is crisp and evocative, bringing the Australian setting to life in a way that adds both charm and menace. The investigative detail is meticulous without slowing the pace, and the interplay between Riley, her partner Priya Patel, and crime reporter Adam Bowman adds depth to the storytelling. The mystery itself is layered with red herrings and sharp twists, leading to a payoff that feels both surprising and inevitable.