Prize Catch by Alan Carter is a thoughtful novel close to the thriller end of the crime spectrum. It’s an absorbing book that should appeal to a wide audience, and which provides more food for thought than the average crime novel.
Roz Chen’s wife Niamh is killed in a hit and run accident, and Roz is completely overturned by grief. But eventually, through her haze, she starts to wonder: was Niamh’s death really an accident? Or is it tied to her recent interest in the controversial salmon farms in the area?
Meanwhile, Sam Willard is hopeful that he’s making a new start working on those very salmon farms. A SAS veteran, allegations of old war crimes in Afghanistan threaten to derail his new life. When he accepts a promotion to work against anti-salmon farm activists, he finds himself back in dubious territory.
It’s not long before Roz’s questions intersect with Sam’s new job, and the result is explosive.
The novel is set in Tasmania, and the landscape is a vivid part of the story. Carter describes it in ways that will bring it to life, whether you’re familiar with it or not.
Multiple important issues are canvassed in this novel, some of them extremely disparate, yet Carter weaves them into a coherent whole. There’s no shortage of action, but the underlying issues are far more prominent than you’ll necessarily find in a who dunnit. This is probably why my overriding impression of the novel was of its’ thoughtfulness: Carter doesn’t trivialise these issues and explores the moral complications in some depth.
It’s not a hard read, though. The action moves fast, the narrative is absorbing, and you’ll soon care about the characters. Despite the substantive underpinning of the story, it never got bogged down.
There are also plenty of the trappings you’d expect from a classic detective novel: an abundance of suspects, many of whom are behaving suspiciously; many possible leads; multiple motives; and a determined detective.
This is a really enjoyable read that leaves you with quite a bit to mull over. I appreciated both the pacy surface crime plot and the exploration of underlying issues, which I’m still mulling over. I’d recommend it; the layers mean that a wide range of readers will find things to enjoy here.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Prize Catch by Alan Carter. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, and I love sharing that joy.
I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, across all genres. There’s not much I won’t at least try. I’ve been an enthusiastic book reviewer for years. I particularly enjoy discovering writers new to me, and sharing good writing with others.
My career has included time spent writing and editing technical documents, but it’s fiction that really moves me. I’ve reviewed for a number of different outlets over the years, and have been a judge in literary competitions.
I’m now raising little bookworms of my own, which brings a whole new kind of joy to sharing books.
More of my reviews can be found on my review blog www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog .
Prize Catch by Alan Carter is the first of his books I’ve read and it was great!
Roz Chen has been struggling with life, then her wife Niamh is killed in a hit and run accident she sinks into further despair.
After awhile she starts to see through the fog and wonder if Niamh death was indeed an accident or something more sinister.
Sam Willard a SAS veteran is hoping his new job at the salmon farm is the fresh start he needs, but it’s not to be, he’s soon sucked into a dark underworld and his past life and new job with the salmon farm collide.
As the stakes are raised Sam and Roz are forced to make an unlikely alliance in order to both survive.
Fast paced with twists and turns that kept you guessing and unsure who was a good guy and who wasn’t, some people seemed to flit between both!
I thoroughly enjoyed Prize Catch, thank you Fremantle Press and Beauty and Lace for the copy to read and review
Thankyou Beauty and Lace and Freemantle Press for the opportunity to read and review ‘Prize Catch’ by Alan Carter.
Ros waits for her wife Niamh to return from her cycle ride, and becomes concerned when Niamh hasn’t returned.
They had moved to Tasmania three years ago, Ros needing the change owing to depression from an unfortunate experience.
Ros is devastated to learn that Niamh has been the victim of a hit and run accident.
Meanwhile, Sam Willard, a former sas veteran has started employment at a Salmon Farm and finds himself involved in crime concerning activities connected to those who are opposing Salmon Farming.
The more we read of the book we wonder if Niamh’s accident is somehow related.
Soon Sam and Ros are on the run from dangerous people.
This was an exciting and informative read, and it was so interesting to travel
With the author through Tasmania and its uniqueness. I have enjoyed time there, so this book was very special.
Thankyou Alan Carter, 5 stars from me.
Prize Catch by Alan Carter was a book that although it won’t make my favourite list it was an okay read that kept you guessing. I found I didn’t really gel with either of the main characters (Ros and Sam) so that made it a little difficult for me to get fully engrossed in the book. One thing that really annoyed me though was upon reading the back cover, it talks about ‘Roz’ but inside the story is about ‘Ros’. It took me awhile to realise this was the same person so that was frustrating!
The story revolves around Ros whose wife (Niamh) is killed in a hit-and-run. Although the police follow up all leads, they can’t work out what has happened. Ros meets with Niamh’s lawyer after her death and is provided with some documents that start to get her suspicious about Niamh’s death.
At the same time, we are introduced to Sam who is ex SAS and has moved to Tassie with his partner and new baby for a fresh start. He has picked up a job at a salmon farm and just wants to do his job and go home however, quickly he is hand picked to be involved in a pilot project. Realising he doesn’t have any other option but to accept he is quickly inducted and put to work.
The story quickly unfolds and fairly soon Sam and Ros are thrown together and form a very unlikely alliance. With Sam dealing with demons from his past and Ros grieving for the wife she has just lost it is a fairly quick paced book where a lot happens in a short period of time. At times I did struggle to understand about Sam’s past, so I did find that a bit confusing but mostly it was a fairly easy read.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Fremantle Press for the opportunity to read this book!
Wow what a page turner! Great read and so informative on the industry and Tasmania. We watched as Ros came out of her shell and became a stronger person than she was before. Sam got himself into a pickle and realized he had to correct his mistakes. Together they worked it out and all the pieces came together. I struggled to understand Ros but found Sam to be understandable and relatable.
The book touches on some deeper issues such as mental health as well as the problems surrounding environment.
Thank you for this book reading opportunity.
I took me a few pages to get into the storyline and the book itself, but once I started reading it, I enjoyed it. The storyline was exciting and once I passed the early pages, the story kept going and I wanted to know what was happening. It was an interesting thriller, with a good mystery to it.
The characters were good, but I didn’t really relate to them or found them engaging, but could read the book to continue to find out what happened and how it was resolved.
The mystery element was throughout the book and it was a good journey to find out the reveals and the present and past of the characters.
Prize Catch by Alan Carter is a compelling crime novel that blends fast-paced thrills with thoughtful exploration of deeper issues. Set in the vivid landscapes of Tasmania, the story follows Roz Chen, who begins to question whether her wife Niamh’s hit-and-run death was truly an accident, especially given Niamh’s interest in controversial local salmon farms. At the same time, SAS veteran Sam Willard, working on those same farms, finds his new life threatened by old war crime allegations and his involvement in anti-activist operations.
As Roz’s investigation collides with Sam’s work, the tension builds to an explosive climax. Carter skillfully combines action, moral complexity, and a classic detective story framework, weaving in environmental and social themes without slowing the pace. The novel’s vivid setting and layered narrative make it a gripping read that appeals to a broad audience. This is more than just a crime thriller—it’s a thought-provoking exploration of justice and responsibility.
I really enjoyed reading this book, thank you beauty and lace for giving me the opportunity to read this book.