Monday 29 August 2011

My Review: Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland

As I began my journey along Gunshot Road, I have to admit that I was more than a little dubious. The main character of the novel, Emily Tempest is a young female Aboriginal woman. The author, Adrian Hyland is a middle-aged, white Australian male - but boy did he nail the characterisation!

And what a fantastic character Emily Tempest is. She has been persuaded by the Police Superintendent of the small outback Australian town, Bluebush to become the Aboriginal Community Police Officer. Emily and her mob have had a long distrust of the law and Emily joining the force is a surprising move, both for Emily and her indigenous friends.

Emily Tempest says what she thinks, relies heavily on intuition, has a problem with authority and her policework is unconventional to say the least. And the death at the Green Swamp Well Roadhouse only complicates matters. Her boss thinks it’s an open and shut case with the homicide resulting from two alcoholics having a violent disagreement. Emily believes there is more to it, and investigates further.

After meeting a few of the locals like Magpie, Danny, Jojo and Jet the Asian artist, the action and danger begins to mount. Interwoven amidst the intrigue is some wonderful earthy humour and an insight into indigenous life in a remote 'struggle street' town. Hyland doesn't shy away from the real-life issues that many fringe-dwelling Aboriginal communities face. At various times the reader is confronted with child abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, sexual abuse, poverty and racism. Despite the setbacks, the wonderful spirit of the people shines through. We gain an insight into the high esteem the younger Aboriginal people have for their elders, and the love and respect the indigenous people have for their land.

This is a wonderful Australian crime fiction novel. It is well-researched and the characters are intriguing, funny and even inspirational. The plot is clever and gathers momentum at the right time, and I liked the overall pace of the novel. Emily Tempest is a fascinating character and I adore her outlook on life, and can only hope that Adrian Hyland has a few more Emily Tempest novels in the works!

MY RATING: 5/5

1 comment:

  1. Glad you liked the book David, one of my very favourite novels of any genre. Adrian's last book (just released) is non-fiction about the Victorian bushfires of two years ago - it's great but I do hope he finds his way back to Emily soon.

    You're churning through your Aussie crime fiction...I can barely keep up with your reviews.

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