Review: Tallowwood by N.R. Walker

Title: Tallowwood

Author: N.R. Walker

Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

Length: 375 Pages

Category: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/Suspense

At a Glance: I can’t recommend this book enough, guys. My pulse was racing, my palms were sweaty, and at the end my heart was full. I really loved it so much. Go check it out!!

Reviewed By: Jules

Blurb: Cold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.

Sydney Detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone–and that’s exactly how he likes it. His work is his entire life, and he’s convinced a string of unsolved cold-case suicides are linked to what could be Australia’s worst ever serial killer. Problem is, no one believes him.

Senior Constable Jacob Porter loves his life in the small town of Tallowwood in the middle of the rainforests in northern New South Wales. He runs summer camps for the local Indigenous kids, plays rugby with his mates, has a close family, and he’s the local LGBTQIA+ Liaison and the Indigenous Liaison Officer.

When human remains are found in the camping grounds at Tallowwood Reserve, Jake’s new case turns out to be linked to August’s cold cases, and Jake agrees they’re not suicides at all. With Jacob now firmly in August’s corner, they face one hurdle after another. Even when more remains are found, they can’t seem to gain ground.

But when the body of a fellow police officer turns up under the same MO, it can’t be ignored anymore. August and Jake must trace the untraceable before the killer takes his next victim or before he stops one of them, permanently.

Review: I’ve just finished N.R. Walker’s newest release, Tallowwood, and am absolutely blown away. I could not put this book down. It’s easily one of my favorite books of the year, and my second favorite N.R. Walker book (I don’t think anything will ever replace Imago 😊). The suspense, the mystery, the romance…all woven together into a beautifully crafted and unforgettable story. There are so many things I loved about it that I honestly don’t know where to begin.

August Shaw is a cold case detective, working out of police headquarters in Sydney. He has been working a string of cold case murders—officially classified as suicides—for over eight years, when a call comes in from a constable in Tallowwood, a small town in the middle of the rainforest on the northern coast of New South Wales. Senior Constable Jacob Porter explains to Detective Shaw that they’ve discovered a body, partially buried in the forest, that appears to be connected to his cases. For the most part, Shaw works entirely alone, but he finds himself enjoying working with Porter, and doesn’t argue when it’s decided that Porter should accompany him back to Sydney to look at his old files.

For Porter, nothing is better than small-town life, playing footy with his friends, and working to protect the town he grew up in. A town that has never really had to deal with something as ugly as murder as far as he can remember. But he can’t help being a little bit star struck that The Detective August Shaw is coming to Tallowwood to help him with the case, or a little bit in awe that he is the lead on it. Porter idolizes Shaw for his bravery in living his life as an openly gay police officer in the big city—even though Jacob is also an out, gay cop, he has had a pretty easy go of it in his tiny town—and is eager to show Shaw that he’s no slouch at police work. Shaw is impressed with Jacob; but, more importantly, he recognizes that these cases, these young men, matter as much to Porter as they do to August.

Walker did an incredible job with this book. I was beyond fascinated with the police procedural aspect and with the mystery itself. I was not exaggerating when I said I couldn’t put it down. The story was fast-paced and suspenseful, but also thoughtful and tender when it came to things like August’s grief over the loss of his boyfriend, or Jacob’s closeness with his family and love for his home. I adored both August and Jake. August is smart and fierce and dedicated. Jake is also all those things, but on top of that, he’s an absolute ray of sunshine. And I loved how he was exactly the person August needed in his life. Also, the romance was masterfully paced. The buildup was so perfect, and the guys were so great together, that even though it was maybe secondary to the mystery, the romance was an integral part of the story.

I can’t recommend this book enough, guys. My pulse was racing, my palms were sweaty, and at the end my heart was full. I really loved it so much. Go check it out!!

You can buy Tallowwood here:
[zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B07YB6LCVK?d” style=”black” size=”large” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon/Kindle Unlimited [/zilla_button]