Author: Bronwyn Parry
ISBN: 978-0-7336-2549-7
RRP: $32.99
Dead Heat is my introduction to Australian romantic suspense writer Bronwyn Parry and one that is long overdue if this book is anything to go by.
I got the blurb for this a couple of weeks ago and have been hanging out to get my eyes on it. It arrived when I was in the middle of another book, as usual, and had quite a to-do list to get through. Having it sit next to me on my desk certainly spurred me to get through everything quickly so I could make a start.
Once I made the start that was the end of me and now here I am, an hour after I got prepared to call it a night with quite a chunk to read in the morning and I got handcuffed to the book, I swear I did, with my eyes propped open so I couldn’t look away. It doesn’t really matter why I’m still up, but the book is finished and it’s time to share my thoughts.
The scenery is a shining star in this novel, vividly detailing the bushland National Parks in NSW. The perspective is 3rd person but the majority of the story is focused on Jo Lockwood who is a park ranger so we still see through her eyes and she is a very observant woman who pays extreme attention to detail. As a park ranger it is to be expected that the outback holds significant fascination for her, as does the native wildlife and we are treated to that fascination with the descriptions and observations of the landscapes and animals that she comes across in her work.
Jo’s attention to detail and keen powers of observation come in handy time and time again throughout the book and go a long way to saving her life, the problem is that it is those same powers of observation that put her in danger in the first place.
Detective Nick Matheson has recently been posted to the area in a major change of pace from the undercover roles he has been playing over the past decade. Career credentials like that would make you think his powers of observation are also extremely well honed and you would be correct.
A lot of the suspense throughout this book is related to issues that I wouldn’t necessarily pair with the outback, the arguments for it are logical and plausible but they are still things that I would expect in cities rather than national parks out the back of beyond which goes a long way to making Dead Heat even harder to put down, if only for a much needed sleep.
The characters, well to be honest the main characters broke my heart. Both Jo and Nick have survived events that leave them emotionally damaged and closed off from personal attachments. They both have routines set in place to make sure their control never slips, to move past the possibility of emotional reactions and ‘get on with it’. While this can be an admirable trait in moderation and in the right circumstances it is not always good for long term mental health.
Dead Heat brings Nick and Jo together in the investigation of her grisly find, an investigation that gets deeper at every turn. Just how much are they set to learn about themselves before the dying pages? That’s something I am not going to risk revealing to you, you’ll have to read it for yourselves.
Bronwyn Parry’s writing style is fluid and engaging with suspense that builds progressively and some fabulous twists that then leave you looking back to see if you could spot the clues.
Considering I have been away from my deeply rooted love of all things horror for quite some time I have lost some of my de-sensitisation and a couple of the grislier passages made me physically shudder.
The only one issue I had with the reading of this book is a very minor one but it did stick with me and even now it just doesn’t seem to fit for me. There is a scene about halfway through where Nick walks into a room and there’s a crisp packet on the table, and it really jumped out at me. This book is very Australian and everything struck me as Australian except for that one tiny mention of a crisp packet, which I didn’t think was an Australian term.
Now I’m extremely happy with this book, I loved it! So in the long run one crisp packet is inconsequential – which begs the question why did I bring it up. To tell the truth I don’t rightly know but it did strike me as odd so I thought I would mention it in case I’m not the only one.
A great read that I am thrilled to have finally read, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of her work.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Wow, I was not expecting such a fantastic who-done-it story that had me turning page after page in anticipation of what was going to happen next!
At first I was a little slow getting into the story, but once you find out the murder, the story just keeps developing and revealing secrets and surprises at a great pace. The story was a great mix of murder, mystery, romance, action and adventure, and flowed effortlessly. I did find a couple parts of the story a little gory… but maybe I shouldn’t have been reading it before I went to sleep!
The characters all fit well into the story, and the Australian outback setting was a great backdrop. I loved how Jo was so logical and had such a well thought out way of speaking, her knowledge of the outback, it’s animals and dangers were very interesting. I warmed up to the two main characters quite quickly – probably when Nick had to start protecting Jo, and from then on I was worried if they would come out of this story alive or not!
At times some parts of the story were a bit unbelievable or some of the back story was not delved into enough for my liking, but overall I loved it. I am definitely passing this book on straight away… maybe after another read through! Thanks so much Beauty and Lace for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thankyou for the chance to review the book. I totally agree with the last review. I also had to make myself read the book as I was just not that intrigued with the story line. I found the story to sometimes peak and then crash to a low. So if I put the book down at a low in the story I just felt no compelling need to pick it back up and read it.
I did like Parry’s description of the outback throughout the book. You could almost smell and hear the bush around you. Her description of the wildlife was on the mark also, but that was the best part of the book.
I also agree with the last reviewer as I do read a lot of thrillers and some of these authors have such great shock factors that they are completely gripping, this book was quite soft in this fact. I know that this sounds a bit cold but some of these books have completely desentised me to the shock and horror that are in some books today and it now takes a lot to hold me in the book. Had I read this a few years ago, I would have loved it but alas, that is not the case.
Overall, okay. Will never read it again.
Thank you B & L for the opprtunity to read this book.
I have to admit, this is not my usual genre of reading, so it took me a few attempts to get throught it. I did enjoy the setting and amazing imagery that the author establishes early on, however it was a little predictable.
Probably not my favourite book this year but certainly an enjoyable ways to pass the time 🙂
Thanks Beauty and Lace for the chance to read this book.
I enjoyed the imagery, I think the book described the scenery well. I would have liked to have found out more about the characters’ pasts as I thought that there was a lot of allusion to things but little explored in detail. I did find the number of murders a little hard to believe in such a setting and over such a short period of time.
The romance was very predictable so I can’t say that it excited me that much when they got together, it was always going to happen.
I suppose this book would have shocked me if things didn’t turn out as they appeared they were going to from the start.
Enjoyed the read overall but would have liked a bit more of the unexpected.
Thanks
National Parks Ranger Jo Lockwood finds the body of a man who has been tortured before being killed. Det Nick Matheson is the investigator sent to crime scene. There is immediate chemistry between them.
Over the next few days they find drugs, illegal weapons, police officer shot, the body of a raped and murdered police woman, a dead body left in Jo’s bed as a warning,corrupt police, fight deliberately lit bush fires, a night of passion, are ambushed before being kidnapped, escape and survive. “Underbelly” story set in the outback
It was an easy read.
Dead Heat Review
Bronwyn Parry’s latest romance novel depicts criminal activities against those of the people who respond to them but this is merely a back story to the main event; the mutual attraction of the two protagonists. From the outset Jo Lockwood and Nick Matheson eye each other off as Parry builds the characters’ personal history showing their susceptibility with an irksome predictability, typical of the genre.
He notices her as an ‘intelligent professional’ while she observes the body language of his colleagues toward him. Unconvincingly we are told to believe that Nick ‘had caught her intellectual interest.’ Jo comments that the ‘pheromones.. (have) no relevance to her at all’ and yet she notices them, arguing with her conscience over it. Passing references to valid themes such as vandalism, escapism and policing power games miss the opportunity to explore them in any depth. Clichés abound throughout and her ‘undeniable awareness of the powerful male’ sets the tone of the stereotypical female protagonist. When Matheson moves into her personal space the real action begins.
Both characters are portrayed as strong yet vulnerable individuals and the central focus remains on each exposing the other’s personal style. The real plot shuffles their shifting perceptions and character evaluations over the days of the background crime action. Mundane domestic detail surrounding breakfast, showering and sleeping arrangements bore and stupefy the reader while being subject to predictably laboured dialogue. How much can one wrestle with conscience over workplace eye candy?
The back- action moves along at a cracking pace but the inevitable climactic capture and shoot out fail to thrill. Lovers of the genre would no doubt disagree.
Thanks Beauty and lace for the opportunity to review Bronwyn Parry’s book Dead Heat – I very much liked that very quickly you were into the story. I found the style of writing to be very discriptive and as a result I was able to picture what I was reading – always a good thing in my opinion . The story was captivating I honestly did not want to put it down. I do have to say though I felt that the main characters Nick and Jo and also Nick’s sister grace’s backgrounds should have been developed much more I was waiting all through the book to get to this and unfortunately it didn’t happen. Although I do feel it would be a perfect way to lead into a follow up booKk which I do feel is needed as the book seemed to end very abruptly. I feel these characters should have been developed much more also the character Hugh had the potential to be very interesting but again under developed. All in all a good read but I am hoping there will be a sequel to answer the many questions I have and also to see what becomes of some very likeable characters.
Thank you Beauty and Lace for a chance to read and review this book. It was so easy to read that I finished it in record time. Being a city girl, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the Australian countryside and the animals.
The information on the characters were only slowly revealed throughout the book, making it very hard to feel for, and associate with them. It wasn’t until the very end of the book, that you feel that you really know them well enough to be able to sympathize. The book would have captivated me more if I had been able to feel more of a connection with the characters earlier in the book.
The story is very believable, with all the crime today it isn’t a hard stretch to imagine these things really happening. All in all, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book, and the intricate plot with high levels of intrigue and suspense that kept me guessing until the very last chapter.
Thanks again Beauty and Lace for the chance to read and review this book.
Thankyou Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read this book and also for introducing me to such a wonderful author, whom I’ve not heard of before. But after reading this intriguing story I have placed Bronwyn’s other 2 novels on my ‘to buy’ list.
From the very beginning I was drawn in by this story, I think partially because I could relate to the surroundings, having lived near Newcastle since 1983 and when I feel I can relate to something, it always gets my full attention. And in another way in regards to the Bikie element, with all the attention the Bikie Wars have been getting the past year or so. I’ve also known a couple of police officers that have worked all the Newcastle area – all these pieces put together made this story very familiar.
Bronwyn Parry’s writing method is full of ‘edge-of-your-seat’ moments and her knack of describing every detail allows me as the reader to watch the screenplay of the book in my head as I read. The complexity of the characters made me want to keep reading, I was always wanting to know more and discover their secrets. I could understand Nick and Jo’s anxiety they carried around from past events and how they both were trying to just get on with it, get the job done. They are both really likeable characters and OMG…..I could feel the heat and lust that was growing between them; the sex scene was like watching a slowly simmering volcano ready to blow!!! Jo is such a strong female character and doesn’t turn away from challenge, she faces it head on, Nick follows this mantra too, they are both very alike. I loved the end of the book where Nick and Jo are escaping the baddies but it’s something they couldn’t have done alone, together they both shouldered the responsibility of defeating the criminals, both bringing their expertise to the fore.
Hugh was a fairly unlikeable character, he was egotistical, maniacal, a lost boy. I did at times feel a little sorry for him, towards the end when I realised the full story but you make your choices and have to live with the consequences.
The story had many twists and turns and kept unravelling as I read further, keeping me thoroughly engrossed. It’s a story that could of been a ‘true story’ as you hear of these sorts of things happening now and then. I really loved the book and found it easy to read.
I totally loved this book. If you are after thrilling suspense, romance and mystery all rolled into one, then this is the book for you.
I not only loved the fact that this was another amazing novel set in the Australian bush, and the beautiful scenery that is only in the
Australian outlands, but the fact that it was about an international syndicate,
This book entices you in with our National Parks and Rangers that keep our land beautiful, and then pulls you into a deeper darker world that is drugs, decpetion and violence.
I was kept on the edge of my seat till the very end of this delightful novel, unsure of what was going to happen at the next turn.
It is full of descriptions that make you feel like you are right there on the land with the characters, feeling everything they feel and fighting every fight they fight. Fighting for righteousness and morality.
Thankyou for a familiar and exciting read.