DEAD HORSE GAP is the latest in Lee Christine’s Snowy Mountains Mystery Series. It’s a classic formulaic murder thriller. It’s all there. The female policewoman undermined by her male supervisor, the burgeoning romance between two police officers, the murder investigation that uncovers the truth behind an earlier murder and the drug lords that battle for territory. It’s a classic style to please readers who love thrillers. We’ve even got the wonderful chapter last-sentence teasers… “Drive carefully. That road is dangerous at night.” You know you’re going to have to turn the page to find out if there’s a crash!

There are good descriptions of the mountain terrain to get you feeling cold and frosty. There is interesting information about the snow leases, the famous Huts of the High Country and even the koala’s digestive system. And, yes; there really is a Dead Horse Gap walking trail in the Snowys.

The story follows the investigation into the murder of a pilot. His light plane crashes into a tractor mysteriously parked on the runway. Intrigue and danger mounts with the introduction of a police undercover agent working in the pub, trying to suss out the operations of the drug ring operating in the area. Her superiors praise her work. Yet, she makes two horrible uncharacteristic mistakes that draw no criticism from her boss. See if you can spot the two disastrous actions!

DEAD HORSE GAP is the third in Christine Lee’s Snowy Mountains thrillers. The first was Charlotte Pass, winning the Favourite Romantic Suspense Novel award. The second was the well-reviewed Crackenback. 

Published by Allen & Unwin, 2022

ISBN: 978 1 76106 607 8

RRP : $30

Featured image : Australian author Lee Christine

Review by Carol Dance