The thrilling cold case crime novel, Danger Road, by Allison Tait has all the ingredients to utterly captivate and hook readers 10 plus. The clues revolving around the hit and run unsolved case relating to the death of Corey Armstrong are scattered throughout the story ensuring the audience is not passively reading along, but rather immersing themselves in the story, playing detective to gather another piece to the puzzle, making the mystery enticing and suspenseful. The three characters who work together to solve this twenty-five-year-old mystery are resourceful, courageous and completely believable. The setting adds to the atmospheric mood as this story takes place in the close-knit regional community of Grayston, during a time where CCTV footage was not available, dash cam evidence did not exist and clues are scarce for this crime that took place on the isolated and dark Dangar Road. This is a memorable story about people, relationships, as well as the stories and secrets in a small town. Unearthing information about the past in a close-knit community can have far reaching ramifications.
Corey Armstrong’s case is back in the media as it is the subject of a podcast that has captivated brothers Leo and Alex Hawkins and their mum. In a bid to set the brothers a task where they can unite rather than fight, Leo and Alex’s mum challenges them to investigate the case. The brothers have very different personalities and interests which causes clashes, however their quest to uncover the truth about Corey Armstrong sees them come together with Harry, Alex’s best friend. Together the trio research, use evidence such as photos, newspaper clippings from the time and conversations with members from their community to construct a timeline of events and piece together the information.
The brother dynamic is central to the story. Leo is fearless and athletic, this sees him lead dangerous missions to gather evidence. Alex has a talent for drawing and art. He sees the subtleties in the world, he is detail orientated and often relies on his visual memory. Harry is optimistic, intelligent and leads the research, critically evaluating the information and introducing the brothers to new ideas and perspectives.
While Leo is strong there is a vulnerability to him. He secretly admires the freedom he believes his younger brother Alex has. Alex marches to the beat of his own drum and is unapologetically himself which is an act of courage that Leo admires. Alex does not seek or need approval from others and this is something Leo wishes he could lean into. Woven throughout this story, for all of the characters, is the gap between self-perception and public perception; all is not as it seems and some characters bridge this gap by adapting their behaviour and values. This also plays into the character of popular football player, Corey Armstrong. Given his popularity, how come a veil of mystery surrounds him and why are there more questions than answers about this young man?
This story unearths many revelations, about Corey’s death, the small town as well as Alex and Leo. It explores the ripple effect of an unresolved crime in a community and how this can impact generations. The evidence that is gathered by the brothers and Harry highlight that some voices in the community are heard while others are excluded and demonstrates what justice means for the different parties. This is a compelling story that would make an excellent choice for a book club. Engaging in conversations with others who devoured this book would certainly make for riveting and robust discussions. I suspect this book will be on many award lists.