The Shifting Landscape by Katherine Kovacic

Publisher's Synopsis

Art dealer Alex Clayton travels to Victoria's Western District to value the McMillan family's collection. At their historic sheep station, she finds an important and previously unknown colonial painting - and a family fraught with tension. There are arguments about the future of the property and its place in an ancient and highly significant indigenous landscape.

When the family patriarch dies under mysterious circumstances and the painting is stolen, Alex decides to leave; then a toddler disappears and Alex's faithful dog Hogarth goes missing. With fears rising for the safety of both child and hound, Alex and her best friend John, who has been drawn into the mystery, join searchers scouring the countryside. But her attempts to unravel the McMillan family secrets have put Alex in danger, and she's not the only one.

Will the killer claim another victim? Or will the landscape reveal its mysteries to Alex in time?

My Review of The Shifting Landscape by Katherine Kovacic

Melbourne-based art director Alex Clayton returns in the 3rd novel in this highly engrossing series by Katherine Kovacic. Her life has settled back into an easy routine now that the excitement from Painting In the Shadows has died down. 

A vital part of Alex’s job is to carry out art appraisals for people who are thinking of selling their collection or for people who are curious about how much a certain found art piece may be worth. And when Alistair (call me Mac) McMillan invites her to carry out an appraisal housed at Kinloch, his sheep station in Western Districts of Victoria, she agrees to take the job. It promises to be an overnight affair so she decides to take her Irish Wolfhound companion Hogarth with her.

When she arrives at the homestead she quickly comes to realise that, as well as Mac, there are his four adult children and their partners staying there. It’s clear that Mac runs the house and that there is some dissatisfaction within the family dynamic.

Not expecting terribly much in the way of valuable art, she’s surprised to find the collection is quite reasonable with a particularly valuable painting depicting Kinloch itself by renowned artist Eugene von Guérard proving to be the showpiece. Among the works are a number of fire damaged paintings, one of which, if properly restored, could be brought up to fetch a significant sum. She suggests to Mac that she contacts her friend and conservator John Porter to come out to do the restoration work.

But it’s not long before the McMillan household is facing a family tragedy with a potentially fatal fall severely injuring Mac. This is quickly followed by the disappearance of the most valuable painting in the collection and then, the more pressing disappearance of a three year old boy. To top things off, Alex suddenly can’t find Hogarth.

We’re given a lot to focus on in a relatively short period of time. The McMillan family immediately start bickering over the estate, the police are on hand to start an investigation into the fall and then the wider community arrives to help in the search for the little boy. Meanwhile, Alex is going spare over losing Hogarth fearing all kinds of fate that could befall a dog on a massive farming property.

As well as the expected examination of the various artworks that she comes across as part of her job, there is another important theme that’s explored in The Shifting Landscape. The plight of the indigenous owners of the land that Kinloch sits on, the Gunditjmara people and the way they were treated is a sadly oft-told tale. As Alex learned more about their cultural identity, I did too and have noted once again our regrettable past.

The easy banter between Alex and John continues to lift the tone of every scene they share. And it was also very pleasing to get a little bit more Hogarth in our lives with the obedient hound playing a much more prominent role in this dramatic pastoral setting.

Another beautifully constructed drama that also manages to showcase Australian artists in a subtle way that gently compels you to want to find out more. Katherine Kovacic has found the perfect balance between historical commentary, fine arts and a compelling murder mystery.