Catch Us the Foxes

There are plenty of unexpected twists and untrustworthy characters in journalist Nicola West's crime-thriller fiction debut, Catch Us The Foxes.

The book is presented as meta-fiction, in that the major part of the narrative consists of a manuscript entitled "The Showgirl's Secret", authored by the main protagonist. Journalist-turned-celebrated-true-crime-writer Marlowe "Lo" Robertson relates events that take place over the course of a single week in and around the NSW coastal town of Kiama, located 120km south of Sydney.

While attending the town of Kiama's agricultural show and taking photographs for the local newspaper, Lo stumbles upon the lifeless body of her erstwhile best friend and current Kiama showgirl, Lily Williams. Not only has Lily been brutally murdered, but Lo observes a series of unusual symbols carved into the flesh on her back. While her father, the town’s senior police officer, cautions her against telling anyone about the mysterious wounds, Lo's journalistic instincts take hold and she begins her own investigation into the curious events leading up to Lily's murder.

Her investigations lead her to uncover startling revelations suggesting that a strange and exclusive death cult is operating in Kiama, engaging in child abuse and murder. Lo senses that a cover-up is being orchestrated to account for Lily's untimely death, she begins to believe that she's found a career-breaking story.

Catch Us the Foxes explores a range of themes, including small-town attitudes, the impact of xenophobia, police corruption, journalistic integrity and parent-child relationships. I found it an intriguing read but must admit that I found the concluding twist somewhat unsatisfying in the context of the whole.

That said, I see a lot of promise in Nicola West's writing - her character development and dialogue was excellent, and the small town setting skilfully drawn. I'd recommend Catch Us the Foxes to readers who enjoy high drama in their thrillers, dark and twisty themes and well-described regional Australian settings. I look forward to reading future releases by Nicola West.

My thanks to the author, Nicola West, publisher Simon & Schuster Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Catch Us The Foxes is the debut psychological thriller by Australian author Nicola West and is a chilling read. Set in the small coastal New South Wales town of Kiama, the story follows ambitious journalist Marlowe and the murder of her best friend Lily. Not happy with the police investigation, Marlowe takes matters into her own hands in search of the killer.

I’m not going to lie, this book had me at its reference to Twin Peaks, which is an absolute masterpiece and my all time favourite television show. Anytime I see it used as a reference, it immediately piques my curiosity and this tale certainty has the same vibe which I throughly enjoyed.

The mystery had me invested and glued to the pages and there were plenty of suspects to have you second guessing. Nicola West does a great job of throwing you off the scent and there are so many twists, with each outdoing the previous! You are taken on one thrilling rollercoaster ride.

The use of the real town of Kiama was a bold move given that it is not portrayed in the best light but, how it is depicted is essential to the storyline. This has caused some angst among some readers, but I’m sure if any of the residents read this they will know it is just a story.

Catch Us The Foxes is very different to what I normally read in the genre, which is what makes it stand out and unique. Beautifully written, great characterisation and engrossing from beginning to end, Nicola West is an exciting new voice that I look forward to reading more from.