The Fallback by D.L. Hicks is a great long weekend read for those of us that like a little mystery and trying to solve the crime as we read.
Eric Johnstone has a new name and has relocated to the small coastal town of Point Imlay, where he plans to start a new life free from addiction. Things are really looking good when he scores himself a job driving a bus for a retirement village.
There he finds the old residents seem to take to him even if they have their grumpy moments. On top of that, the girl at the job agency who helped him to get the job has shown an interest in keeping in touch, so a new relationship is on the cards. Life is heading down the right path.
Senior Detective John Darken is called to Point Imlay when a body is found tied to Oyster Beds and contained in a wallet found on the body is Darken’s business card. The body is that of Eric Johnstone’s. Darken knows of him and knew him before he relocated.
Who would want Eric dead? Who would know that he was now living in Point Imlay?
I really enjoyed this story, and loved that I could not work out whodunit. This story is not predictable, and that for me makes it a great read.
ISBN: 9780648677048
Copy courtesy of Pantera Press
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Fallback by D.L Hicks. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
Im a Mum of 3 beautiful girls.
An avid reader that loves to travel but lacks the funds to venture far and wide constantly. A perfumeaholic with an addiction to beauty and skincare.
If not found with my head in a book or on a plane I can be found spending hours upon hour in Doctors and Hospital waiting rooms as part of my job as a Carer
The Fallback by D.L. Hicks was a very good book. A murder, connections between people in small towns, and twists and turns in the story kept me interested all the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review.
The Fallback by DL Hicks was a great mystery that left me guessing until the end. I never would have guessed who the killer was, but I did have my theories and it turned out they were all wrong! The book is written from two different perspectives – John Darken, the detective and Eric Johnson, the criminal and I did find it a little bit confusing when their perspectives swapped. Other books have chapter titles that indicate who the chapter is about and I do think that I prefer that. Thank you Beauty and Lace for letting me review this book >:o)
‘The Fallback’ by D.L. Hicks.
Detective John Darken is in counselling for his fragile mental state and has been off work.
He receives a phone call from his boss (Lush) from the Gull Bay Police Station asking him if he would be able to look into a case at the small town of Port Imlay. He is to look into a murder victim Eric Johnstone as strangely his card was in the victim’s wallet.
In the book we follow with John Darken the history of the murder victim and how he is connected to J D, and exactly how Eric Johnstone has ended up in Port Imlay.
This was such an exciting read, one of those books I just couldn’t put down.
The story flowed beautifully and the characters were so credible.
I would thoroughly recommend ‘The Fallback’, thankyou Beautyandlace and Pantera Press, this is an author whose other books I now want to read.
The Fallback by D.L Hicks
When a dead body is discovered tied up in the oyster banks in the small town of Point Imlay, local police find the business card of homicide detective John Darken(J.D)
JD Who has been taking some time off due to recent personal issues decides that a trip to Point Imlay to aid in the investigation may help him as well.
This book follows the investigation in to the murder of Eric Johnstone and the story of Eric’s final months in the town leading up to his death.
This book had me guessing all the way through and I didn’t see the twist at the end coming!
Thanks to Beauty and Lace Bookclub for the opportunity to read this great book.
The Fallback by D.L. Hicks had me guessing right until the end with its many twists and turns.
As the story evolved, the flashbacks put context into the current storyline and had me re-assessing the clues. At times I found the flashbacks a little confusing as it wasn’t always apparent whose story I was reading at the start of the chapter.
The attention to detail surrounding police business was apparent and this helped give authenticity to what I was reading.
I enjoyed reading this on my daily commute and found that it was easy to pick up where I left off. Definitely a good read.
DL Hicks’ The Fallback was a great read with all the requisite ingredients for top notch rural Aussie crime noir. The quiet seaside town an evocative setting for murder, and the diverse mix of characters well drawn. Plenty of twists and turns, long hidden secrets, drugs, crime, addiction and even a plucky blind kid with a dog who has his finger on the pulse. I would love to read more novels with JD, and perhaps see if he works with Emma Capsteen again. Highly recommend!
I love a book that keeps you guessing right up until the end and DL Hicks’ The falback did exactly this.
Set in a quiet seaside town a murder occurs but which of the many colourful characters was involved? As you follow the twists and turns of the story, flashing back to the past and learning more about the lives of the inhabitants you will jump from one suspect to another!
This was a well thought out and executed story which kept you ‘page turning’ until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyable story.