4.5★s
The Orchard Murders is the fourth book in the Holiday Murders series by Australian author, Robert Gott, and follows on directly from The Autumn Murders. With his Homicide Squad sorely depleted, a multiple murder at Nunawading stretches DI Titus Lambert’s team even further, and he takes the radical step of asking former Police Constable Helen Lord’s newly established private inquiry agency for covert assistance.

At first glance, it seems that young farm hand Emilio Barbero has attacked and killed Deborah Fisher and her baby son Sean. Barbero hangs from the rafter; what remains of Deborah’s husband Peter holds the baby’s body. The only living witness, neighbouring orchardist Zachary Wilson, lies unconscious in hospital recovering from the explosion that took Peter Fisher.

But closer examination of the scene, autopsies and investigations into the victims demonstrate that nothing is quite as it appears. Fisher had been proclaimed the Messiah by a charismatic orchardist who now has his own following. Anthony Prescott seems to be the leader of a Messianic cult, and Wilson’s wife, Meredith describes him as dangerous.

Helen’s employee, former police sergeant Joe Sable decides to infiltrate Prescott’s group, and his friend Guy Kirkham puts himself forward as a prospective devotee seeking healing from Prescott’s Church of the First Born. Against her better judgement, Helen allows this to go ahead.

Meanwhile, Helen’s friend, Dr Clara Dawson, long-accustomed to sexual discrimination from the other doctors at the hospital, finds she has acquired an unwanted admirer, a former patient whom, she suspects, has murdered her most offensive colleague and then presented her with a trophy.

Mostly recovered from a previous traumatic episode, Group Captain Tom Mackenzie is recruited by Military Intelligence to cultivate a friendship with Flight Lieutenant Winslow Fazackerly, the fact of whose Japanese wife, now living in Hiroshima, puts him under suspicion. Whatever Tom and his sister Maude think of Winslow, it seems some have already reached an unfavourable conclusion.

It’s always a bit dicey when an author decides to kill off an appealing character, and Gott pulls no punches in this instalment. Clara Dawson is feisty and clever, and her increased role in this book almost, but not quite, compensates for the reduced presence of Maude Lambert. Gott’s regular characters are certainly realistic, and many manage, despite their intelligence, principles and good intentions, to behave stupidly or poorly, and misjudge the character of those they encounter.

He does give them wise words and insightful observations: regarding the members of the religious cult, Joe quotes Voltaire “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” to which Helen replies “That’s the history of religion in a single sentence.”

Gott easily evokes the era, with a community mindset pervaded by xenophobia and religious intolerance. Availability of only the most basic crime scene investigation meaning that detectives need to rely heavily on their powers of observation, while wartime fuel shortages mean much travel is by foot or public transport. Once again, this is very atmospheric historical crime fiction, and more of this cast of characters is most definitely welcome.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Scribe Publishing Australia.