This woman," Stan said with satisfaction, "is under arrest for Tiger's murder."
The crowd, which had swelled and now contained a number of women, gave a muted cheer.
India drew herself up to her full height and stared at them slowly, one by one. Many of them looked away, but some returned her look with hostility, others curiosity. When she spoke, her voice was clear and firm. "I haven't murdered anyone. I'm innocent."
India Kane has returned to her homeland of Australia to go on an outback vacation with her best friend Lauren. Her car breaks down outside of Cooinda, where she is supposed to meet her friend. She's eventually picked up by a young man named Tiger, who drives her into Cooinda, better known by the locals as Blood Junction. Her friend isn't there, and the man she befriends upon coming to Blood Junction leaves for a wilderness trek. Bored, and a little worried for Lauren, she decides to explore the town, only to be nearly lynched by a mob that is convinced that she has committed a horrible crime. Tiger, a local policeman, has been found murdered, and India is the last person seen with him. The police chief tries to force a confession, but despite the cruel things he does to her, she refuses to relent. A second body, that of her friend Lauren, is found near where Tiger's was, and the authorities feel that they have an even better case against her. When she manages to get out of jail with the help of Detective Whitelaw, she realizes that the only way out for her is to investigate matters herself.
From the first page, when you read the sad account of how Blood Junction got its name, you begin to get a real feel for the setting. The names, the slang, the incredible width of the Outback sky all carry you to Australia. It also gives you insight into the hardness of the people of Cooinda ...a necessary hardness, because the life they lead is not gentle. This doesn't mean that the sun has baked the compassion out of the hearts of the townspeople; it means that they have very little patience for outsiders, and are not willing to put up with someone harming one of their own. In many ways, this setting is the main character of the story. Perhaps it's only because I've long loved Australia, although I've never been there, but the texture she added with the dialects, the fact that I could feel the dust in my throat during some passages really worked for me.
India also is an impressive character in her own right. The way that she talks to Lauren in her head is charming, and their conversations are very revealing. It's a clever way of approaching the problem of telling the reader about the character's past. Since India's past becomes more and more important to the story, Carver doesn't rely solely on this device, but still I thought it effective. India is a strong character, refusing to give up even when faced with a huge conspiracy that threatens to harm the Aboriginal population. Her attitude is admirable, and her ways of tracking down the clues are often ingenious.
I like the way the setting and the characters work together to create this involving mystery.
