The Shearer’s Wife is the fourth Australian rural mystery novel by Fleur McDonald to feature Detective Dave Burrows, and the seventh in which he appears, but can nevertheless be read as a stand-alone.

The Shearer’s Wife is divided between two timelines, the first of which is set in the present day. When the Australian Federal Police arrive in Barker to arrest an elderly resident for drug distribution, Dave and his colleague Senior Constable Jack Higgins are convinced that Essie must be acting under duress. Warned off from interfering in the case, Dave asks Jack’s girlfriend, journalist Zara Ellison, to investigate.
Zara, while trying to ignore her symptoms of PTSD, throws herself into the case, looking for a reason Essie would risk the well-being of her young granddaughter by dealing drugs, and in doing so also uncovers a forty year old secret.

The second timeline tells the story of itinerant shearer, Ian Kelly and his very pregnant wife, Rose, who are heading to a station outside of Barker in 1980. When Rose goes into labour prematurely and gives birth to twins, she insists the new family remain in town but, unwilling to settle down, Ian chooses to leave them behind.

I enjoyed the pacing of both timelines, though Essie’s situation is the more compelling of the two storylines. The clues are provided early on to unravel the mystery of Essie’s motive, which is not unexpected, but does result in some moments of suspense, and a twist that endangers the lives of several of the characters is filled with tension. The fate of Rose and her family ties in at the end, providing a moving and uplifting conclusion.

I really like the character of Dave, an ethical, empathetic man who has a wonderful relationship with his wife, Kim. As a police officer in a small rural South Australian town, Dave occasionally finds himself walking a fine line between the professional and personal, but he is incensed when accused by the AFP of being myopic. He’s willing to risk his career in order to see justice is done, but not break the law.

One of the main issues explored in The Shearer’s Wife is the effects of PTSD. After the trauma of losing her father in a horrific car accident, and then her brother from a brief battle with cancer just six months previously (in Starting From Now) Zara is struggling, but unwilling to admit it. McDonald’s portrayal of Zara’s emotional state is thoughtful and sensitive, and addresses the general reluctance of people to seek help.

An engaging and entertaining novel, I spent an afternoon pleasantly immersed in The Shearer’s Wife, and I look forward to the next book to feature Dave Burrows and the community of Barker. ( )

I haven’t read all the Detective Dave Burrows books in Fleur McDonald’s series, which is kind of stupid on my behalf. (It does mean that I have a lot to look forward to though). Detective Dave doesn’t disappoint in providing the reader with a solid story, intriguing mystery and unforgettable characters. The Shearer’s Wife puts together two seemingly unconnected stories and holds the reader’s interest as the links are gradually revealed. It certainly makes no difference if you haven’t read the previous novels, as the characters and their relationships are all clearly explained.

The narrative of The Shearer’s Wife goes between two storylines, one set in present day and one set in 1980. Back in the eighties, Rose and Ian are making their way to another shearing shed. Rose is heavily pregnant with twins and isn’t doing so well. When she goes into labour early, Ian stays at the shed to continue working. This is the start of the breakdown of their relationship. Meanwhile in the small country town of Barker, Detective Dave Burrows gets a visit from the Federal Police. They are in town to intercept a package of drugs sent through the mail to a local resident. Dave is left in the dark about the identity of the recipient, but left to deal with the fallout of the arrest. His wife Kim helps to care for a child left without family and negotiates to assist the accused. Local reporter Zara is also on the case, making her relationship with her boyfriend Jack (a policeman) difficult. As Zara struggles with her past, she is determined to find out the truth. She just might be the one who links the two stories together…

The Shearer’s Wife is a perfect weekend read. It was just the right book to sit down and read over a lazy Sunday afternoon. Fleur McDonald tells the story well, switching timelines just when the reader becomes desperate to know what’s happening with Rose (or Dave and Zara). It’s a great mix of police procedural entangled with the lives and consequences of regular people who find themselves in extraordinary situations. The latter part of the novel is laced with tension as Dave, Jack and Zara close in on their suspect making for an urgent not-moving-from-the-couch reading session. The novel doesn’t end there though, but pulls together the last threads of the two timelines and brings them together in a heartfelt way. It is a really uplifting ending to a novel with multiple missed chances and some poor decisions by particular characters. The pacing of plot is done well, as is the reunion with familiar characters like Kim, Dave and Jack and the new characters of Rose and Ian. The story combines together to bring the best of an Aussie outback novel, bringing the natural elements of the bush together with great characters. A fun read.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.

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