My Review: The Tesla Legacy by Robert G. Barrett

The Plot

Newcastle electrician Mick Vincent had almost everything in life he wanted. Jesse Osbourne, the Stockton bookshop owner he loved. A big house at Bar Beach. Not to mention a 1936 Buick Roadmaster... in fact, the only thing Mick was missing was a pressure plate for his cherished car. Through a strange old lady, Mick finds his pressure plate. He also finds a diary belonging to Nikola Tesla, the electronics genius reputed to be smarter than Einstein. But just what did Tesla build in outback New South Wales in 1925?

The Pentagon knows, and the race is on to be the first to find the Tesla Legacy.

My Review

The book is set in Newcastle, Muswellbrook, Scone and Burning Mountain in New South Wales and revolves around the locating of Nikola Tesla's diary in the back of a vintage car. This initially inspires Mick and his girlfriend Jesse to embark on a quest to locate his Tesla's legacy and make their fortunes, preferably as a result of a deal with Eddie and Channel Nine.

With this as the main premise for the novel, I have to admit, my far-fetched storyline detector was on full alert and my expectations weren't high. However, I have found in the past, that quite often, these are the books that surprise me most. And of course this was no exception!

I was rewarded with a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable read. As promised, the plotline was both intriguing and filled with humour. The keynote character Mick Vincent was hilarious, and like this book, there was far more to Mick than met the eye. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was definitely sharper than most.

This is a standalone book by Robert G. Barrett, but filled with the humour that Barrett infuses into his renowned Les Norton series of books. Whether a non-Australian would understand some of the language or 'ocker' humour, I am not sure, but I would be pleased to recommend this book to Australian readers who enjoy their crime fiction light, and laced with a decent dose of laughter.