Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

In Fatal Envy: Book 3 in the Red Dust series, Linda Dowling continues the story of Lisa O’Connor and her aboriginal husband, Billy Garrett. Set in 1980s outback Australia, great strides have been made in race relations since Aborigines were hunted like animals but a relationship between a white woman and an Aboriginal man was still viewed with significant doubt and prejudice, especially in rural New South Wales. Lisa and Billy assist her Aunt Zena and her partner Alan in running the rural sheep station of Wooribilly. It is an exciting new time for Lisa and Billy as they welcome their beautiful new twins into their lives. Everything seems perfect for this growing family but looks can be deceiving. Just across the way at Woodside, Lisa’s spurned suitor, Mitch Walker, struggles with a straying, alcoholic wife and the eldest daughter, who appears to have inherited her mother’s mental health issues. As Billy and Lisa’s twins grow up and discover their world, they form a deep and abiding friendship with Mitch’s youngest daughter Olivia. But always in the background is the unpredictable elder daughter Polly whose mental issues begin to mount as the years pass. As the lives of these two closely linked families collide, tragedy, pain, love, and jealousy will bring them closer together and threaten to tear their lives apart.

I have been fortunate enough to read the previous two books in the Red Dust series, so I was thrilled to read and review the finale, Fatal Envy. Linda Dowling is an exceptionally talented author who weaves the often tragic together with the beauty and love of life. She expertly paints the picture of a dry, arid landscape that is rugged yet serenely majestic, which seeps into the souls of those who live there. I particularly appreciated her focus on Aboriginal culture, folklore, mythology, and community which reminds us subtly that Aborigines have occupied Australia for some 40,000 years. Despite an attempted genocide, followed by forced assimilation, the Aborigine culture continues to flourish, and its children continue to excel when given the opportunity in the arts, sports, and commerce. It takes an author of Dowling’s ability to give these remarkable people the respect and honor they so richly deserve. We perceive the Aboriginal zest for life, their natural happiness, their affinity with the land, and their overarching belief in the eternal circle of existence, making this story more enjoyable. I also appreciated that nothing was easy for any of the participants in this story. They each had their problems to confront and overcome, plus their demons to fight, yet there was an overwhelming sense of rightness and justice pervading the narrative that I found so refreshing. You do not have to read the earlier books to enjoy this one, but I would say read them anyway, as they are all superb. I loved this installment and the entire series. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I’m excited to see where this talented author points her compass next, as I’ll be first in line to read whatever she produces.