Death in the Mist
The Blue Mountains are a string of charming old towns set in a vast wilderness. Living here, with the mist and four real seasons, is different to the city. Life is more subtle.
The landscape can be dangerous... like some of the people. This series of crime novels by a resident reveals Katoomba's secrets. Join local newspaper editor Bella Greaves, and exiled police detective Paul Ruel, as they investigate crimes hidden in the fog.
"Does for Katoomba what Donna Leon did for Venice."
— Candice Fox
The Place
Surrounded by a million hectares of wilderness, the old towns of the Blue Mountains contain a rich assortment of artists and visionaries, climbers and bushwalkers, and those on the run. A major highway runs through these ancient settlements, bringing all sorts of bedevilment from the nearby city. It’s not just the cliffs and the fog that pose dangers, for the unwary resident or visitor.
The Detective
Disgraced Detective Inspector Paul Ruel was exiled from the Sydney Homicide Squad by bosses who hoped he’d become so bored he’d resign. But in Katoomba he’s found love, and also buried crimes, some involving a rogue local cop and his friends. To understand how the town works, Paul turns to Bella Greaves.
The Newspaper
Editor
Bella Greaves is 60, happily retired from her job as an investigative journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald. Or that was the plan, until her financial advisor stole her super. She sold her house in the city and moved to Katoomba, where for five years she’s edited the local newspaper. Bella loves the town but sometimes hankers for the excitement of her old job.
The First
Adventure
Arriving in Katoomba, Paul Ruel finds his revered predecessor had a problem with women, including his own wife. Some of his old cases are possibly tainted, but colleagues don’t want to know. Paul turns to local newspaper editor Bella Greaves for information. Bella’s keen, but helping Paul turns out to be dangerous.