Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia (Trade Paperback – 21 October 2025)
Series: Sam Speedman – Book One
Length: 383 pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Prepare for one of the most over-the-top and highly impressive thrillers of recent years, with the brilliant and utterly addictive The Detective by Matthew Reilly.
Those who follow my blog will know that I tend to read a lot of Australian fiction, not only because I like to support local authors but because there are some cracking and captivating reads from my talented countryfolk. Of the current crop of awesome Australian authors out there, few are more well known internationally than Matthew Reilly, a thriller writer with a raft of distinctive novels in his bibliography. Known for books like his Shane Schofield and Jack West Jr series, as well as some of his outrageous standalone novels, Reilly has been a consistently entertaining author since the 1990s. Despite this, I’ve only had the chance to read a couple of books from Reilly, including The Secret Runners of New York and Mr Einstein’s Secretary (one of my favourite books and pieces of Australian fiction of 2023), both of which were excellent in their own ways. As such, I’ve tried to grab some more of his books, including his 2025 release, The Detective. I only recently got the chance to read The Detective, and boy was I glad that I did. The first book in Reilly’s new Sam Speedman series, The Detective was a highly addictive read with an exceedingly thrilling narrative behind it.
Plot Synopsis:
For 150 years, women have been going missing.
And all of the investigators who went in search of them – from 1877 to the present day – have disappeared, too.
Now Sam Speedman, a most unique private detective, is on the case.
Brilliant, direct and disarming, Sam is … different. He’s not your average private detective. But then again, this isn’t your average case.
For not even he will be prepared for what he will find.
Set in the darkest corners of the American South, tapping into hot-button issues that simmer beneath the surface of the modern United States, this is Matthew Reilly writing faster and bolder than ever before, bringing you a detective thriller like no other.
Well damn, now that was a crazy ass book! While I knew I was likely going to enjoy The Detective, I was unprepared for just how over-the-top and entertaining it was going to be. I honestly read this outstanding novel from Matthew Reilly in less than a day, it was damn addictive, especially when the full insanity of the plot emerged. Due to just how fun and exciting The Detective was, I have to award this book a full five-stars, a rating it very much deserves.
I had an amazing time getting through The Detective’s narrative, primarily because Reilly came up with a powerful and detailed story that provides some intriguing mystery, heavy thrills and very over-the-top moments. Reilly starts the narrative off strong, with an exciting introduction to the protagonist and main point-of-view character, Sam Speedman, the unlikely autistic private investigator. While this opening sequence and early exploration of Reilly’s unique protagonist was great, it was the introduction of The Detective’s main case that personally drew me in, which starts when DNA test reveals that a dead newborn baby in the Louisiana swamp is the child of missing person Speedman has been hired to find. To raise the stakes and interest, this disappearance is the latest in a long string of missing African American women dating back to the end of the Civil War. Even more troubling, every previous detective who has investigated the case, including Speedman’s mentor, has either disappeared or turned up dead.
Despite this terrifying background, Speedman investigates and soon finds himself teaming up with an FBI agent also interested in the case. Reilly does a lot of solid set-up in this first half of the book, and you are presented with some intriguing suspects, great supporting characters, and a real appreciation for the unique case and the way that the protagonist investigates. The case goes in some interesting directions here, especially as Speedman finds an unlikely collection of clues and suspicions, before a seemingly early end to the investigation. However, this is just a prelude to the rest of the plot, especially when Speedman quickly identifies a massive coverup surrounding the case. Despite being offered everything he ever wanted, Speedman is unable to drop his investigation, which results in utter chaos and destruction being thrown at him and everyone he cares for.
While the first half of The Detective was very good and quickly draws you in, it was the brutal and insanely over-the-top second half of the book that makes this a truly memorable read. Reilly throws everything that he can at his protagonist, as Speedman journeys through the deep south to find answers. There are some great moments here, with plenty of action and clever investigating, all pulling together into a crazy result. I don’t want to give too much away, but the hidden secrets behind the case are incredibly insane, while still cleverly fitting into the overarching narrative of The Detective. Everything leads up to an explosive confrontation which delivers some very cathartic moments, as well as some memorable action sequences. Reilly also throws in a great, if now depressingly unrealistic, solution to the giant odds the protagonists are facing, and watching their plan come together was really impressive. An overall outstanding narrative, that you won’t be able to stop reading, even if you wanted to.
I had a lot of fun with Reilly’s style for The Detective, which was very easy to read and really highlighted the book’s fantastic action. The author makes excellent use of the first-person perspective, which showcased the entertaining viewpoint of the primary perspective character. Thanks to this, you get a great view of the investigation and the protagonist’s mind as he pulls the unique threads of the mystery together. The mystery itself is quite well set up, and I appreciated the variety of clues and hints that Reilly introduces early in the book, even if you can’t imagine just where the author is going with them. I will say that Reilly makes good use of the southern setting for the plot, with race, cultural heritage and other issues all working as motives or underlying factors. These contemporary issues, as well as some key historical events, are cleverly referenced or alluded to (including quotes from real-life events or people), and while Reilly naturally takes everything several steps further than reality, it still makes you think. I deeply enjoyed the narrative extremes that Reilly went to, which added a lot of entertainment to this book, and you must imagine that some of the world’s current craziness bled into Reilly’s mind as he wrote it. I also have to highlight some of the cool diagrams and helpful alternate formatting that was added into the paperback version of The Detective, which helped order key parts of the plot and allowed even more insights into the protagonist’s mind.
I’ve already mentioned the unique protagonist of The Detective, Sam Speedman, a few times, and I want to again make it clear how interesting and fun he proved to be. Introduced as a questionable investigative protagonist due to his lack of social skills and distinctive way of thinking, Speedman quickly grows on the reader thanks to his insights, down-to-earth view, and determination to do the right thing no matter what. I liked how Reilly already had Speedman set up as a very competent figure right at the start of the book, and you are soon drawn into his personality, as well as the unlikely connections he already has. The author also throws in some growth for Speedman in this book, with the protagonist becoming even more comfortable with other people while continuing to stick to his principles no matter the cost. I really think that Reilly did a good job of providing a nuanced portrayal of an autistic central character, and I liked how Speedman’s eccentricities, such as his preferred restaurant and inherent caution, played into the plot in some natural ways. Speedman proved to be one of the more memorable crime fiction protagonists in recent years, and I’m very curious to see what other adventures Reilly takes him on in the future.
Aside from Speedman, The Detective features an intriguing array of supporting characters, each of whom add their own spin on the plot. Reilly has fun showcasing many of these great characters from Speedman’s perspective, and it was interesting to see his take on them. I personally enjoyed secondary protagonist FBI agent Audrey Mills, who serves as a motivated support to Speedman, as well as a moving love interest once she realises who she is working with. Other fun characters include Speedman’s eclectic contacts, such as an enterprising assistant, an exceedingly brave fellow investigator, and several Hooters waitresses who are some of the protagonist’s best friends. Finally, we have the various antagonists of the story, who exist at near supervillain levels thanks to their audacious evil plans. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say too much about these antagonists, except that they make for a terrifying opposition thanks to their reach and influences. This fantastic and over-the-top group of characters all fit naturally into Reilly’s ambitious and ultra-entertaining narrative.
Thanks to its outrageous story, complex characters, and non-stop fun and excitement, The Detective proved to be an incredible read, and one that I still cannot stop thinking about. Matthew Reilly really came up with something special with The Detective, and it was a crazy pleasure to read it. I am now exceedingly excited for the soon to be released sequel, King’s Ransom, which I already know is going to be exceedingly awesome and crazy.
