Charity – The Unseen Library

White Ash Ridge Cover

Publisher: Headline (Trade Paperback – 12 March 2024)

Series: Detective Dana Russo – Book Four

Length: 343 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

One of Australian’s most distinctive new crime fiction authors returns with a complex murder mystery the blends compelling characters with unique methods, White Ash Ridge by S. R. White.

Over the last few years, I have really been enjoying the works of new author S. R. White. White, a former UK Police officer who emigrated to Australia, has been producing some amazing pieces of Australian outback crime fiction. His work has so far been part of his Detective Dana Russo series, which follows the titular detective as she investigates complex cases out in the Australian bush. This series has so far featured three impressive reads, Hermit, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road and these amazing books have been very fun to read, especially as White comes up with some unique crimes which require the protagonist’s more unusual methods to solve. I have really enjoyed White’s previous books, and I jumped on his new novel, White Ash Ridge, the moment I got my hands on it.

Murder, deceit and controversy are all that are on the limited menu of the White Ash Ridge hotel, especially when tragedy strikes its guests. An isolated and decaying hotel, hidden away in the Australian wilderness, White Ash Ridge has been booked out by the inner circle of a high-profile charity organisation for urgent discussions about its future. As the relentless heat raises tensions, the body of one of the charity’s founders is found dead on the track outside, his death caused by a blow to the head.

Called to the scene, Detective Dana Russo anticipates another complex murder case. With no one else spotted in the area and tensions running high amongst the charity’s founders, it seems likely that one of the four remaining guests at the White Ash Ridge is the murderer. However, as she begins to investigate, Dana is unprepared for the chaos that is about to descend upon her small command. The charity the victim work for was founded by two parents whose son was killed after intervening in a violent assault. The subsequent failed police investigation sparked public outrage and launched the boy’s mother into Australia’s political orbit.

Now thrust into the centre of a controversial family familiar with the police, Dana must quickly solve the case before events get out of hand. With a lack of physical evidence, Dana and her small team are forced to pull the truth from the four suspects to determine their history with the victim and why anyone would want to kill him. However, they only have limited time before the overwhelming public interest forces her to let the suspects go, likely at the cost of her career and reputation. Can Dana convince her suspects, none of whom have any love of the police, to cooperate before it’s too late, or will the killer walk free thanks to the will of the people?

S. R. White delivers another complex, impressive, and highly distinctive piece of Australian crime fiction with White Ash Ridge. Blending White’s unique murder mystery style with great characters and a compelling situation, White Ash Ridge was an amazing read that I could not get enough of.

I have always really enjoyed White’s take on the Australian murder mystery, as his focus is always on finding out all the details of the victims and the suspects to solve the case, often through the medium of interrogation. This was once again the case in White Ash Ridge, as the protagonists, under pressure to solve the case quickly, need to find out which of the four suspects committed the crime. As such, the story develops in a very interesting way, as the detectives both investigate in the traditional way, including finding witnesses and evidence, while also diving into the lives of everyone involved in the case. Much of this revolves around the eight main interviews of the investigation as the protagonists talk to each of the suspects twice to gain the relevant insights into themselves and the murder victim. White, through his main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, has a very person-centric take on the interrogation progress, and the resulting character-driven focuses become a key part of the plot.

This proves to be a very clever way to set out this excellent mystery and subsequent investigation, and thanks to White’s expert writing ability White Ash Ridge ended up being an extremely clever and captivating book. The focus around the charity and its anti-police sentiments added some great intrigue to the narrative, and I liked the ticking clock aspect of the plot it brought in. All eight of the main interviews were very intense and compelling in their own ways, and you soon get a great idea of the various people drawn into the case. White combines this expertly with the personal dramas of the protagonists, including some ongoing storylines from the prior books, although the overarching threat of Dana’s new supervisor is getting a little stale at this point. At the same time, the reader gets the full blast of the Australian wilderness from the unnamed part of the country that White sets his novels in, which adds a lot of character to the story in its iconic and beautiful ways. The central mystery of White Ash Ridge comes together extremely well, and the eventual solution is smart, intriguing, and very well set up. The entire story comes together in a powerful way, and I loved this unique mystery which was another strong story from White.

As with all of White’s books in the series, White Ash Ridge is a hugely character-driven read, not only because of the compelling and damaged protagonists, but because his style of writing relies on diving into the lives of the various suspects and victims of the case to solve the crime. This all results in some exceptional character development and focuses, and I loved how complex and powerful the various stories that emerged were. Most of the protagonists focused development occurred around returning main character Detective Dana Russo, who serves as the solid and empathetic centre of the investigation. Dana once again showcases her unique investigation style that focuses on character interactions, history and mindsets to solve the case, which proves to be quite effective at diving into the minds of her targets. This time Dana is backed up by new detective, Mila Jelovic, who serves as a great support for the main character. While the development around Dana is a little light in White Ash Ridge, you do get an intriguing and powerful examination of Mila, whose previous undercover work has cost her severely in more than one way.

Aside from the police characters, the reader also gets an intense look at five specific figures who become the focus on the investigation, with the murder victim and the subsequent four suspects. All five of these people are members of a high-profile charity formed in the aftermath of a botched police investigation, with goals of stopping teen violence and keeping the police accountable. Due to the way the mystery is set out, there is a lot of focus on these characters and the events that brought them together, which provides the reader with an intriguing backstory to get familiar with. All five of these characters are interesting and complex in their own way, with various interactions, lies, manipulations and plans bringing them all together. Probably the most interesting of these is the charity’s figurehead, Keena Flynn, a major public figure following the death of her child. Due to her previous interactions with the police and politicians, Keena proves to be a tough nut to crack, and her pain, anger and distrust become a major obstacle to overcome. White does a wonderful job exploring these five characters, and indeed you often get more about them than the police protagonists. There is such a dark and compelling web of relationships surrounding these characters, and the subsequent reasons for why one of them was killed and by who was pretty impressive and helped to produce an incredible mystery.

S. R. White continues to flourish with another awesome entry in his compelling murder mystery series that is setting him up as one of Australia’s most distinctive crime fiction authors. Expertly combining his ability for complex murder scenarios and character-focused investigation methods to produce an outstanding story, White did an amazing job with White Ash Ridge, and I had an incredible time reading it. One of the cleverest mysteries of 2024 so far, this book comes highly recommended.

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Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 1 February 2006)

Series: Dresden Files – Book Eight

Length: 16 hours and 16 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read. This week I dive into another awesome entry in the exceptional Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher with Proven Guilty.

I have been having an outstanding time reading Butcher’s iconic and fantastic Dresden Files books over the last couple of years. One of the absolute best urban fantasy series ever written, the Dresden Files follows titular wizard and supernatural protector, Harry Dresden, as he investigates a series of crimes and magical conspiracies in Chicago. I got into these books back in 2020 and have been slowly getting through the series from the start, with most of the entries getting five-star reviews from me as I go. This includes the outstanding novels, Storm Front, Fool Moon, Grave Peril, Summer Knight, Death Masks, Blood Rites, Dead Beat and Battle Ground, as well as the novella The Law. I had so much fun reading the previous novels that I just had to dive into the eighth book this week with Proven Guilty, which proved to be another amazing read.

A year after officially becoming a Warden for the White Council of Wizards, Harry Dresden is chafing under his new role, especially the part that forces him to punish young practitioners with no real knowledge of the magic they wield. However, he must put aside his concerns when he is warned about black magic being used in Chicago, forcing him to start a new investigation into the city’s magical underbelly.

His investigations soon lead him to a seemingly normal horror movie convention where mysterious and sinister events are taking place. Brought in by one of the convention’s staff, Molly Carpenter, the daughter of holy knight Michael Carpenter, Dresden soon finds himself attempting to stem a series of supernatural attacks against innocent humans. The dangerous perpetrators all appear in the form of classic horror movie monsters, and their deadly attacks soon leaves a trail of mayhem across the convention. Forced to circumnavigate the police and other dangers waiting for him, Dresden works to hold back the dark supernatural tide, only to discover dangerous secrets that shock him to his core.

Working with his faithful dog, his vampiric half-brother, a cop with her own problems, and the most dangerous mother on the planet, Dresden attempts to right all the wrongs in front of him. But to succeed, he’ll need to confront the forces of the Nevernever, a rogue White Court Vampire, dangerous creatures forged from fear, and even the White Council itself. Can Dresden succeed or will his actions lead to even more suffering for those he cares about the most?

Butcher keeps his epic Dresden Files going in an amazing way with this eighth book, and I had an outstanding time reading Proven Guilty. Featuring an elaborate plot that effortless combines mystery and supernatural elements in modern day Chicago, while also serving as a key entry in the wider Dresden Files, Proven Guilty is a powerful and deeply captivating read that I had a great time listening to. I have so much love for this fantastic series, and Proven Guilty got another five-star rating from me as a result.

Proven Guilty has an outstanding story to it which sees the protagonist go up against a cohort of deadly enemies, some of which are disguised as horror movies creatures. I will admit that the start of the book was a tad slow, and I honestly thought that this was going to be more of a filler novel than anything else. However, it soon develops into an excellent story that loads up a cool mystery with some exciting encounters, deep emotional moments, strong character development, and the continuation or creation of several major storylines for the entire series. A conflicted Dresden is dragged into everything when Molly Carpenter requests his help, and he soon finds himself looking into the mysterious events at the horror convention. The main story goes in some very interesting directions, and I liked the great combination of investigation and fantasy elements as it continued, while several compelling side stories see Dresden facing even more danger and mystery. Several of these storylines came together quite nicely as the book continued, and Dresden soon identifies the main perpetrator of the threat, as well as other forces taking advantage of their actions. The impact of the big reveal of who was responsible wasn’t as significant for me, as I’d had that spoiled in advance, but it was still well crafted, especially the motivations behind it. However, the real meat of the story revolves around darker designs as unknown forces manipulate Dresden and his allies to do their bidding. This results in some very impressive scenes, including a massive magic battle in the Fae realm, and I loved how everything came together while also leaving some big mysteries open for later in the series. I also really enjoyed the complex wrap-up chapters, which saw Dresden go up against the White Council in some very intense scenes, as well as providing some excellent emotional resolutions that I deeply appreciated. Everything comes together perfectly, and this proves to be a fantastic new addition to already impressive series.

Butcher applies his usual excellent writing style to Proven Guilty, which always works well to convey his complex narratives. Like the rest of the series, Proven Guilty moves at a swift pace, quickly taking readers from one intriguing scene to the next, all of which is great in its own particular way, whether it be character interactions, plot developments, or lore downloads. At the same time, readers are treated to a great blend of fantasy elements, emotional moments, and a compelling investigation storyline, all of which is overlayed with a fun and signature bout of humour and snark, often directed from the protagonist. You really get drawn into Proven Guilty as a result, and I always love Butcher’s approach to the urban fantasy style, especially as both his unique fantasy world and the cool investigative story arcs work so well together. Like the rest of the Dresden Files books, Proven Guilty can be read as a standalone novel, although Butcher is juggling a few ongoing storylines and character arcs that had been built up in the previous entries. While the author always does a good job of recapping key events and reintroducing key characters, I really do feel that at this point in the series readers need to have enjoyed some of the previous books to get the full emotional and story impact Butcher is conveying. I do really need to critique one part of Butcher’s writing style for Grave Peril though, particularly how he oversexualised a teenage female character. The Dresden Files have always featured over-the-top descriptions of women, and while Butcher has gotten better about them as the series continues, he backslid here in Proven Guilty when it came to this character. While I do get what he was trying to do from a literary perspective, i.e. showing the vulnerability and confusion of teenagers, and how they act out a result, it honestly felt really icky to me, and I think the book would have been better off without it. Apart from that though, Proven Guilty is very well written, and I had a wonderful time getting through it.

I always really enjoy how well Butcher manages to utilise cool and complex fantasy elements into his narratives and Proven Guilty has some outstanding examples of this. Thanks to Dresden’s promotion to Warden in the last book, he is now a very prominent member of the White Council, and this provides him some bigger insights into the council and its members. This results in some great political scenes, as well as a deeper dive into the council’s law enforcement wing, which exists to hunt down and punish magic users who break the laws of magic. I found this to be pretty interesting and compelling, especially as the council’s determination to enforce the laws leads to some dark moments in the plot, and I liked the clever comparisons between them and the Chicago PD. The case also sees a return of the Fae Summer and Winter Courts, both of which have been featured heavily in the past, and Butcher has a lot of fun revisiting both and expanding the lore surrounding them. One of the most pivotal moments of the plot sees Dresden and his allies invading one of the most significant locations of the Winter Court, and I loved the carnage that resulted. As always, the various scenes of magical battle and encounters are a great highlight of Proven Guilty, and Butcher has a real talent for making the featured spells feel intense and spectacular. I also rather enjoyed the use of a horror convention (SplatterCon!!!) as a major background for the plot, especially as it allowed for a menagerie of movie monsters to emerge and attack the convention goers. There were a ton of fun homages here as a result, and it was very entertaining to see Dresden face off against several iconic monsters in some great scenes. These fantasy elements merge with the rest of the plot extremely well, and it was fun to see Dresden dive through the worst parts of his world to save the day.

One of the major highlights of all the Dresden Files novels in the fantastic cohort of characters that Butcher features and Proven Guilty is no exception to this as the author has utilised another fantastic group of figures, each of whom brings something emotional or compelling to the plot. The most prominent of these is naturally series protagonist Harry Dresden, who serves as the book’s main voice. Cocky, confident, emotionally damaged and highly conflicted, Dresden makes a great focal character and I have deeply enjoyed seeing his personal journey throughout this series. While still responsible for most of the book’s humour thanks to his jokes and fun observations about the other characters and all things magic, Dresden is decidedly a little more serious in Proven Guilty, especially as he is still recovering from some of the traumas of the previous books, including his injuries, his possession by a fallen angel, emotional conflicts with those closest to him, and the guilt over being forced to kill two people in his previous adventure. This provides a noticeable change to Dresden in this book, and I felt that Butcher did a wonderful job showcasing this in several emotionally charged confrontations and scenes. At the same time, Dresden is also dealing with his misapprehensions for working for the White Council as a Warden, especially as he is having trouble believing in all their rules. This leads him into even greater conflict as the book continues, especially when he finds out who is truly responsible for the latest evils he uncovers. All these personal issues and traumas help to provide a deep emotional layer to the plot, and it was one that Butcher masterfully addressed, providing some compelling and satisfying resolutions to several of them. I particularly liked how Dresden’s story is coming full circle in some ways, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the future.

Aside from Dresden, there are a ton of other great characters featured through Proven Guilty who add their own flavour to the plot. This includes an excellent range of new figures and well-established supporting characters, and I liked the mixture of storylines and character arcs that emerged. Dresden’s usual allies, Karrin Murphy and Thomas Raith are very well utilised again here, both as supporting characters for Dresden’s adventures, and as individuals with considerable personal and professional issues to deal with. Molly Carpenter, a minor figure from the previous novels, returns in a big way here and serves as an intriguing new addition to the plot. While I have some major concerns about Molly’s portrayal at times, her storyline had some great depth and it will be interesting to see how that develops in the future. This use of Molly also allowed a great focus on her mother Charity, another minor character from the previous novels, who gets a fantastic showing in Proven Guilty, especially as she shows herself to be an absolute badass. Throw in Harry’s giant dog Mouse, who is one of my favourite characters in this series now, and differing voices of Dresden’s two supernatural advisors, Bob and Lasciel, the angel and demon on his magical shoulder (both literally and figuratively), and you have a pretty outstanding cast here, and one that I always have a great time following.

As always with one of the Dresden Files novels I really need to highlight the exceptional and awesome audiobook versions which are my favourite way to enjoy this amazing books. The format really lends itself to the intense action, fast-paced storytelling and great characters contained within Proven Guilty, and I really found myself powering through this great audiobook in no time at all. With a run time of over 16 hours, this is one of the longer Dresden Files audiobooks, but I still managed to knock it off in a few days, as I never got sick of listening to it. The main reason for this is the outstanding narration of actor James Marsters, who has lent his powerful voice to the entire Dresden Files series. Marsters effortlessly dives into the story each time, and he brings some real gravitas and feeling to the plot and characters. The various voices he produces does each member of the complex cast great justice and I love how well he portrays their feelings, interactions, and personalities. This is mostly easily seen in main character Harry Dresden, who is suffering from a lot of different abuses by this point in the series. Marsters really does such a great job showcasing his various emotional and personal issues and I am always so impressed with how the narrator just gets this complicated character and brings that out with his voice. This great performance does so much to enhance the experience of listening to Proven Guilty on audiobook and I cannot recommend this format enough to people interested in checking out this cool Dresden Files entry.

Unsurprisingly, I had an outstanding time with Proven Guilty and it proved to be an excellent continuation of Jim Butcher’s epic Dresden Files series. Featuring another brilliant story, some fantastic character growth, and even more magic and mayhem, Proven Guilty was a ton of fun to get through, and I have so much love for this series. Indeed, I had such an incredible time with Proven Guilty that I have already started listening to the next book in the series, White Night, which I will hopefully review next week. I honestly can’t give Proven Guilty a higher compliment than that, and this is a pretty damn amazing read.

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