Dead Heat

February 9, 2004
After her well-received debut, Blood Junction
(2002), with its absorbing interaction of present and past, an overly busy plot mars Carver's otherwise exciting, frightening second mystery. Like Australian journalist India Kane, the heroine of Blood Junction
who here plays second fiddle, Georgia Parish, a publisher's rep, faces a host of mind-boggling perils. At her grandfather's funeral in remote northern Queensland, where Georgia grew up in a hippie commune, a friend who owns a small airline gives Georgia a spot on a connecting flight home to Sydney, replacing a no-show. When the plane makes a crash landing, killing the pilot and one of the passengers, scientist Suzie Wilson, Georgia suspects sabotage. Georgia soon becomes the target of a violent gang, who kidnap and torture her, then kidnap her mother and threaten to kill the mother if Georgia can't get the information they want in one week. With India's help, Georgia must figure out who murdered the no-show plane passenger; what research Suzie and her brother Jon were working on; who another passenger on the fatal flight, Lee Denham, really is; and the connection between Suzie and Yumuru, a healer who cares for Georgia's injuries after the crash. And that's only the beginning—a tall order for a book rep! If the disjointed story tries to cover too much, from experimental antibiotics to Chinese politics, the novel nonetheless has its rewards, notably the distinctive characters and the vibrant picture of the harsh, exotic Australian wilderness. Agent, Elizabeth Wright.

March 1, 2004
In her sophomore effort, Carver echoes the intensity and sense of place of her successful debut, Blood Junction. However, too many plot points push this novel slightly over the top. After attending her grandfather's funeral in Queensland, Georgia Parrish wants nothing more than to return to Sydney and once again shake the mud of her small hometown from her shoes. That hope is shattered-literally-when her plane crashes, leaving Georgia a bruised and suspicious survivor. The plane was sabotaged, and while she's pretty sure that she wasn't the intended victim, Georgia isn't as convinced about her fellow passengers. When she tries to fulfill the wishes of one of those passengers, she is trapped in a spiral of increasing violence and fear. Carver creates believable and palpable tension with Georgia's forced investigation and the trajectory her life takes. Though the plot complications start to pile on, this is still a strong outing. Fans of Carver's first effort will be pleased at the reappearance of India Kane in a supporting role. Recommended for public libraries.-Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2004
Returning home to the sweltering rain forests of Nulgarra, Queensland, to attend her father's funeral, Georgia Parish gets much more than she bargains for. When her plane crashes in suspicious circumstances and a woman passes her a computer disk before dying in her arms, Georgia finds herself swept up in desperate doings involving illegal immigration, the curious healing properties of crocodile blood, and brutal Chinese gangsters, who torture her and kidnap her mum. Unsure whether to trust the dark outlaw who saved her life, the intense cop who was her high-school crush, or a new-age healer with a suspicious background, our intrepid heroine depends rather a lot on the kindness of strangers, including journalist India Kane, from Carver's award-winning debut, " Blood Junction" (2002). An overabundance of plot threads gives the book a jumbled, baggy feel, but the nonstop stream of incidents keeps the pages turning. Add to this a well-realized exotic locale, and you have a diverting mystery-thriller for those who enjoy Nevada Barr or Elizabeth Peters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)