India Kane, a journalist, travels to the Australian outback town of Cooinda (also known as Blood Junction) to meet her best friend Lauren.  She also hopes to find some information regarding her own past.   India's car breaks down and an off-duty policeman picks her up.  He drives India to her intended destination; however, India soon finds out that her friend, Lauren, is nowhere around. 

India travels to town where she is soon arrested for a double murder - her friend Lauren was found dead and the cop who helped India was also murdered.  Since she was the last one to see him alive, she was the suspect.

Were these murders connected to an execution in 1952 of an Aboriginal family where machetes were used?  India struggles to find out the truth about these two murders and, at the same time, come to grips with her own past. 

This is Caroline Carver's debut novel.  After reading this book it is easy to see why she won the Crime Writers' Association New Writer's Award.  The characters were interesting and really fit into the background of the Australian outback.  The book is fast paced and never gets dull.  Hopefully, Caroline Carver will write a sequel which will, in time, lead to a series of books about India Kane.

Nancy Eaton
Do Not repost without permission from the author,  Nancy Eaton