A generic and forgettable crime novel set in the Australian outback that uses every cliche available to the genre and setting

• Published: 2022
• Completed: 25/02/2024
• Pages: 356

Outback by Patricia Wolf is a novel that goes over some fairly well trod tropes of the crime genre. The title, tagline (“Two backpackers disappear without a trace”) and cover (a lone house in a vast empty outback landscape) all tell you exactly what to expect, and you get exactly that.

The novel is very functionally and directly written, only pausing occasionally to explain everyday Australian concepts to international audiences. I did however, enjoy the novel more when it meandered a bit, dwelling into the landscapes and associated feelings of these uniquely Australian places that background the story – a big family BBQ in the central character’s childhood home, a trip to a secret swimming hole, even the author’s epilogue describing her family’s move to far north-west Queensland – these were evocative moments that I wished Wolf had given more time to.

The pacing of the novel was also, for the most part, well executed. I didn’t enjoy the focus on the bikie gang’s production of drugs in the outback that happened about half way in. This was an obvious and wilful diversion from the central missing persons plot. However, I understand that it was necessary to give the novel interesting non-linear perspectives. Once this red herring was removed, the last third of the novel was suspenseful and thrilling, and I finished reading this part faster than the two thirds before it.

Having said all this, I did find Outback to be a bit generic. It’s not a requirement of all novels to contribute something new to literature – they can just be well made works of entertainment – but Outback in particular, did not leave me with any strong feelings or interesting questions. It was actually pretty obvious from the outset that the mystery would be resolved and that as readers, we just sign up to see how we will reach that conclusion. I was surprised that Wolf chose to kill off and maim many of her central characters, but this didn’t bring me any new revelation or understanding of the novel’s world and its inhabitants.

Questions & Thoughts

Outcome is foregone. People will be abducted, the culprit found. The journey is therefore just harrowing unless there can be some new understanding of the characters

A small joke, predictable meat innuendo a good reprieve P199

So incredibly annoyed that Walker stakes out the meth operation after being warned and additionally endangers his own family (chapter 26)

Chapter 28 – Hippy is serial killer? Obvious red herring? P223

Climate change thought is unexpected P229

Blair’s birthday BBQ is a welcome reprieve from the monotony of Barbara missing Berlin and Walker eating Cherry Ripes P234

Typography

Functional, nothing of note

Ratings

• Hayley: 6.5
• Kaye: –
• Liz: –
• Sarah: 7
• Sally: 6
• Thành: 7

Restaurant

Flagstaff Hotel