Waiting on Wednesday – White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an intriguing and compelling upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction with White Ash Ridge by S. R. White.

White Ash Ridge Cover

Over the last couple of years, I have been having a lot of fun with the cool outback murder mysteries of one of Australian fiction’s rising stars, S. R. White. White has so far written three impressive novels that each focus on the character of Detective Dana Russo, an outback cop drafted in to solve the most difficult of cases with her talent for interrogation. These awesome books include Hermit, Prisoner, and Red Dirt Road, each of which had their own excellent mystery, as well as a great focus on unique characters and their stories. Each of these books have been pretty awesome and compelling in their own ways, and I was quite excited to hear that White has another intriguing read coming out in early 2024.

This new novel will be the impressive sounding novel, White Ash Ridge. Coming out in March 2024, White Ash Ridge sees Detective Russo dive into another complex murder investigation, this time surrounding the brutal death of a charity organiser. With the only suspects being other members of the same controversial anti-police charity, Detective Russo will need to balance politics and public perception with her desire to solve the case. I love the sound of this intriguing upcoming story and I look forward to seeing how complex and inventive White makes his new book. I have no doubt that this will be an amazing read and White Ash Ridge will probably end up being one of my favourite Australian fiction reads of 2024.

Plot Synopsis:

A REMOTE HOTEL. FIVE GUESTS. ONE MURDER.

During a broiling heatwave, the inner circle of a high-profile charity attend a critical meeting at White Ash Ridge, a small hotel nestled in the Australian wilderness.

As the temperature rises, a body is found lying in the thick bush, bludgeoned to death.

One of the four remaining guests is a murderer – but who, and why, is a mystery.

Detective Dana Russo knows the national spotlight will be sharply focused on the case.

The charity was formed when the founders’ teenage son was killed after intervening in a vicious assault – sparking public outrage and a damning verdict on the police investigation.

But under huge pressure and with few clues – plus suspects who instinctively distrust the police – how can Dana unravel the truth?