Cold River

Cold River by Margaret Hickey draws you straight into a tense Australian crime thriller set in Victoria’s High Country, where the bush can swallow people—and secrets—without a trace. Senior Constable Sally White has seen enough lost-hiker cases to know when something feels off, and the disappearance of young journalist Louis Taylor won’t let her rest.

Louis was digging into the region’s old illegal tobacco trade when he vanished on a hike up Mount Viking. With the search failing and a key contact turning up dead, Sally is pushed toward the neat explanation: accident. Then she uncovers an earlier case—lawyer Astrid Marlowe, missing in the same mountains—and the pattern becomes harder to ignore.

Perfect for readers who love atmospheric outback mysteries, police procedurals, and small-town crime with a strong investigative lead.

Step into the cold air, follow the trail, and see what’s been hiding up there.