by Claire Sutherland
Publisher: Affirm Press, 2024
Publisher’s blurb
Will the mountain give up its secrets?
While walking on an isolated track in the windswept Wimmera, rock-climber Skye discovers the body of a young woman. The body has injuries that suggest a rock-climbing accident, but it’s been found more than 5km from the nearest cliffs at Mount Arapiles.
Police ask Skye to help them navigate the perilous world of rock climbing as they try to unravel what happened. Skye is secretly thrilled to be part of the investigation, but as it becomes clear that a killer is on the loose, all thrill turns to fear. In the isolated crags of the mountain, stark beauty can conceal horrific truths.
Review
by Rachel le Rossignol
Skye is a paramedic with a passion for rock climbing who volunteers for the Mount Arapiles rescue team, rescuing climbers who get themselves into trouble. She moved to Horsham with her partner Callum to get away from some negative influences on their lives and they are happily settled in the Western Victorian town of Horsham. But when Skye finds a woman’s body dumped in a pit behind an old settler’s cottage whilst walking her dogs, it sets off a chain of events that will lead to the revelation of more than one violent secret in the small community.
The body Skye discovered turns out to be that of missing Brazilian backpacker, Adalita Alvez. When Adalita’s injuries suggest she might have died whilst rock climbing at the local climbing hotspot, Mount Arapiles, Skye is seconded to assist in the investigation by the local police due to her rock-climbing experience and expertise.
The Crag features not one, but two, strong female protagonists. The lead detective on the case, Elly, holds Skye in high regard due to their previous experience of working together on serious accidents, when Skye was the paramedic on duty. Soon Skye’s climbing abilities and Elly’s policing skills are put to the test as the investigation places them both in dangerous scenarios.
Over the course of this gripping debut novel Skye’s determination to find answers and Elly’s tenacity lead them to discover that life in a regional town holds unexpected dangers. An ominous undercurrent throughout the novel is the theme of men’s violence towards women. Elly is a survivor of family violence, and there is more than one person in the town whose behaviour towards Adalita and others casts suspicion on them.
The Crag is written with an obvious love for the landscape of the Wimmera, which is vividly depicted. The highs (lifestyle) and lows (occasional boredom) of living in a regional town are captured perfectly. As a climber herself, author Claire Sutherland provides technical details about rock climbing with enough context for the reader to understand what’s going on, whilst also providing plenty of gripping action that drives the story forward. The writing is absorbing and the plot twists plenty. All in all, The Crag is a satisfying read that keeps you hanging (pun in intended) until the very end.