Snapshot (Inspector Hal Challis Series #3) Book

Psychologist Janine McQuarrie was feeling extremely pressured by her husband - he wanted her to join him at a sex-party and couldn't understand why she wasn't keen. But eventually she accompanied him, more to keep the peace than anything; after being a spectator only for the first few times, she began to participate. Far from kindling any long lost desire for Robert, she felt detached - what had her life descended to she wondered.

On the Tuesday that Janine was driving with her seven year old daughter Georgia in the car, she was a little nervous. She wasn't sure of her route, but was doing her best. Georgia chattered while Janine thought about the past few days and weeks - watching her husband have sex with four different women the previous Saturday night was certainly different! She decided to stop to ask directions and what happened next was horrific and gruesome. A terrified Georgia managed to call 000 on her Mum's mobile and first officers on the scene found her cowering under a bush, holding her mother's hand and covered in her blood.

Detective Inspector Hal Challis was called to the scene by Superintendent McQuarrie who was Janine's father-in-law and Georgia's grandfather. He was distraught and begged Challis to find the murderer. So with little to go on and pressure from above, Challis and his team began to accumulate their evidence, such as it was. His partner Detective Sergeant Ellen Destry was a good person to have on his team - her work was first rate. She was also in an unhappy marriage - her husband Alan was a policeman as well, but was a bitter, angry man. But as the investigative team began digger deeper, the secrets and lies began emerging - the murderer would strike again if they didn't pull out all stops to find and arrest him…

I enjoyed this crime novel by Aussie author Garry Disher very much - my first by this author, I'll definitely be reading more. The twists were great, I had no idea who the murderer was until almost the very end, and the pace was fast. An enjoyable read, and one I have no hesitation in recommending.