The Shifting Landscape

I love Australian landscapes, connecting to country, large families, colonial architecture, farming, art, a good mystery, and a friends-to-lovers trope. This book has it all! What starts as a promising art evaluation job for impulsive Alex turns into a murder mystery and family feud in a very Australian way. At first I was disappointed that there was no very early mention of the traditional land owners or Australia's dark history, but I only had to continue a few more pages and eventually this book more than delivered in recognising dispossession and the complexity within indigenous and non indigenous families who have worked alongside each other for generations, on the same land. Hogarth the hound added character and a unique perspective. A great read to break a reading slump.