My Review: St Kilda Blues By Geoffrey McGeachin

I had previously read, and thoroughly enjoyed Digger's Rest Hotel, and I was thrilled to find the high quality of the series has been maintained in Geoffrey McGeachin's latest release, St Kilda Blues - the 3rd instalment of the Charlie Berlin police procedural series. 

Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin was cooling his heels, underutilised, underappreciated and undervalued in the Fraud Squad when asked to run a covert parallel investigation into the disappearance of a number of young Melbourne girls. Teamed up with his unorthodox old mate DS Bob Roberts, they sift their way through Melbourne's 1967 dodgy underworld in search of a serial killer. 

Charlie Berlin suffers from undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is scarred from the horror of being a WWII fighter pilot and then as a captured POW, he is haunted by witnessing the death of a young Jewish woman in Poland. A nightmare exacerbated in St Kilda Blues by the canny resemblance of one of the key characters to the German SS officer responsible for the killing. Despite his failings, Charlie is a clever intuitive policeman and the plot enables him to let his deductive skills shine through. He is a complex character, and his vulnerability and self-destructive streak coupled with obvious intelligence endear him to the reader. 

Along the way the reader gets to enjoy the time-machine experience of the period. Life was 'groovy', vinyl record stores were commonplace and the social scene of the time was well-researched. Go-Set was the trendy magazine, Johnny Farnham was just starting out, airline travel was rare, but was with either Ansett or TAA, cameras used film that needed developing, mini-skirts were in, bras were out and the pornographic and drug industries were busy establishing themselves in the burgeoning metropolis of post-war Melbourne.

Written in a clear and easy-to-read style, with a plot that draws the reader in from both the killer's perspective and Charlie's, I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys police procedural crime novels, particularly in an Australian historical setting. In St Kilda Blues, Charlie has his resolve, relationships and his entire existence thoroughly tested. Yet Charlie is a survivor. Even better, the crumbs are left for the next Charlie Berlin mystery. The queue for which starts behind me.

Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Books Australia for my Advanced Reader Copy.

5 Stars *****

My Review: Murder And Mendelssohn By Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher #20)

This is my third foray into the world of Phryne Fisher, and I was glad to find that little has changed since my last visit. Phryne is still very much a paradox character for her times. A dominant female persona that is sophisticated, smart, witty, charming and definitely far more liberal with her relationships than the men of the 1920s were accustomed too.

The main crux of the story is a murder mystery investigation set amongst the chaos of choral rehearsals for a Mendelssohn musical concert. Complementing this were numerous subplots, one of which enabled author Kerry Greenwood to explore one of the more taboo topics for the times in homosexuality. Although illegal in the 1920s, and described quite daringly by author Kerry Greenwood, the topic didn't come across as gratuitous and fitted easily into Phryne Fisher's world. In fact, the artistic setting coupled with Phryne's aristocratic acquaintances provided the perfect vehicle for it's involvement in the novel. 

My only small nitpick with the book was that I found the inclusion of song lyrics to be overused and a little distracting throughout the text. I have to admit, I wasn't familiar with the musical pieces being discussed and maybe this clouded my view. And perhaps someone with more classical musical knowledge might have found them a more rewarding and valuable inclusion. Nevertheless, it was only a small issue. 

This aside, it was once again an enthralling adventure to escape into Phryne Fisher's world for a few hours. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the times, and in particular 1920s Melbourne. Phryne is her usual shockingly liberal, seductive self, and the plot provides the vehicle for her deductive talents to come to the fore. I am more than happy to recommend this book to anybody who enjoys crime fiction, particularly in a historical setting, and I personally am encouraged to go back and read some of the earlier books in the series, while I wait for #21 to hit the bookshelves. 

I would like to thank the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley for providing me with my Advanced Reading Copy.

MY RATING 4/5

My Review: Through The Cracks By Honey Brown

A brilliantly written book that takes aim at some extremely difficult and disturbing subject matter. Australian author, Honey Brown does not shirk the issues of child abduction, child sexual abuse, imprisonment, homelessness and hopelessness in this novel. 

Adam is a teenage boy who has spent his formative years imprisoned in a suburban house. Eventually Adam stands-up to his aging captor and rejoins the world. Free at last, Adam has a chance meeting with Billy, a streetwise teenager, who takes Adam under his wing and introduces him to an outside world that he has never knowingly experienced. As Adam flourishes and grows as a person under the guidance of Billy they both begin to realise they are part of a much bigger issue. 

As the layers are unravelled and the level of abuse, depravity and hopelessness is uncovered, the reader is taken on a dark journey of despair followed by uplifting hope for a better outcome. 

The background to this novel is every parent's nightmare, but it is the relationships between the characters that is the true and rewarding focus. Congratulations to Honey Brown for having the courage to tackle such divisive issues and kudos for the compassionate and skilful way she takes the reader with her on the journey. Take my advice and get on board!

Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Australia for my Advanced Reader Copy.

My Review: After The Darkness By Honey Brown

A disturbing and confronting psychological thriller set in  country Victoria by Australian author Honey Brown. 

Outwardly the perfect couple , Bruce and Trudy make a snap decision to stop at an isolated art gallery along The Great Ocean Road as they drive home from a relaxing holiday. Still in vacation mode, they enter the gallery without a care in the world. However Bruce & Trudy are the only visitors in the gallery, and after being greeted by a creepy host, they soon get the jitters - and with good reason. Captured, drugged and assaulted, they ultimately manage to make a violent escape, but not without some collateral damage. This becomes the turning point of the novel, and from here on, their lives are turned upside-down. In fact, it is a trauma from which Bruce and Trudy never fully recover. 

As Bruce & Trudy attempt to deal with day-to-day life, their relationship and mental health begins to unravel. Their family structure starts to fracture. Their kids don't understand what they have experienced, and in their diminished state, Bruce & Trudy compound their situation by making a series of really poor decisions. 

A spine-tingling plot, captivating characters and a gripping read that had me on the edge of my seat throughout! Like someone who can't avert their eyes from an impending disaster, I just had to keep watching as Bruce & Trudy's lives spiralled out of control.
I thoroughly recommend this book to all readers who enjoy psychological thrillers, particularly in an Australian setting. 
My first Honey Brown novel and definitely not my last.

4.5/5 Stars

My Review: Thin Blood By Vicki Tyley

Thin Blood is a thoroughly captivating contemporary whodunnit-styled thriller set in Melbourne, Victoria, and is the debut novel by Australian author Vicki Tyley.
And what a debut it is - I was hooked after the Prologue and couldn't put the book down until the thrilling and unforseen climax.
Very well written with red herrings and suspects galore and a meddling heroine in Jacinta that made me want to scream, "leave these people alone".
Convinced I had the murderer pegged a few chapters from the end, but alas I was just another sucker, and the climactic twist threw me for a loop.

I do not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary crime thrillers. I am always excited by new quality Australian crime fiction that I haven't encountered before. Thank you to my Goodreads friend Brenda for pointing me in the right direction on this one. I have already sourced Vicki Tyley's other titles and I look forward to reading them with relish.

5/5 Stars

Is Reading A Dying Art?

Three times last week I was speaking to young friends and associates and they informed me that they never read books anymore. One even admitted he had never finished a book in his life. His thinking being, that any good story will ultimately be made into a movie. 'Why waste anywhere up to a week reading a book when you can watch it in 90 odd minutes in full HD with surround sound, and maybe even in 3D?' And in many respects he has a point. Is the act of reading a book a dying art? In the modern world, where we want everything yesterday, is the pleasure of escaping and being absorbed by a book over a few days a lost art?

I can still remember the furtive pleasure of being a pre-teen and reading a Hardy Boys, Three Investigators or Enid Blyton book under the covers by torchlight (with lashings of sneaky pleasure). However for many youngsters now, books have now been replaced by game consoles, computers, mobile phones and social networking. How do we encourage young children to read and rediscover the joy of books amongst the plethora of alternatives they now have for entertainment?

It is not just the process of reading I would like to encourage, I am concerned about children developing the bad habits associated with communication via facebook/twitter/mobile phones/social media. In many cases, poor literary skills can manifest themselves into poor speaking skills, which become a liability in adult life. I feel more needs to be done to encourage young minds to embrace books, and expand their minds and language skills.

One positive influence I can think of, is the state government funded Premier's Reading Challenges that are conducted in some Australian states. Essentially, each year children choose books from an extensive age-based list (compiled in co-ordination with public and school libraries), and are presented with a medal on completion of the challenge. As each year passes and the challenges mount, the medal and status gets progressively more impressive. It makes reading fun, challenging, even competitive, and something to be shared with classmates. I think methods such as these need to be explored. If it takes governments to get on board, then so be it!

We need to encourage children and young adults to read any way we can, and make reading cool again!

My Review: Whispering Death by Garry Disher

This is the 6th book in the Challis/Destry Australian (Victorian Mornington Peninsula) police procedural mysteries and a time in a book series when many authors start to run out of steam. Not so Garry Disher. In fact, in my opinion, this is the best book of the series thus far. Disher keeps his books fresh by rotating around the main characters from one novel to the next. This time Ellen Destry is overseas on a study trip and plays virtually no role in the story apart from an occasional skype conversation. In her absence, Inspector Challis is the main protagonist and Constable Pam Murphy emerges as an interesting, astute and very able sidekick.

As is customary with Garry Disher, the plot is multi-pronged, well researched and ties together like binder-twine. I also enjoy the characterisation. There are no 'larger than life' James Bonds or Dirk Pitts working at Waterloo Police Station. The police department is under-funded and undermanned. The characters that inhabit the station make mistakes, have diverse private lives, are battling their own personal demons and are fleshed out brilliantly by Garry Disher to make them interesting to the reader and durable enough to last multiple books.

If you have never read a police procedural novel before, then this is a great place to start, and despite being number 6 in the series, it is a standalone book (but read the others anyway!). Another wonderfully enjoyable crime fiction novel with absorbing and interesting characters by Australian author Garry Disher.

MY RATING: 5/5

My Review: Storm Boy by Colin Thiele

I have deviated from the Australian crime fiction genre just briefly to re-visit a book I enjoyed as a child.

Having previously lived not far from Goolwa and The Coorong, and also having been entertained by Mr Percival (from the movie) at the Adelaide Zoo as a youngster, I felt quite sentimental re-reading this book after so many years. The book was standard fare to South Australian (and Australian) schoolchildren in the 1970s and early 1980s, and upon re-reading, I was surprised how little the book had dated over the years.

For me, the book still evoked the same raw emotions as they did 30 years ago when I first read the story. I have always loved the indigenous Fingerbone Bill character (played by David Gulpilil in the movie) and the empathy and bond he shared with the young Storm Boy. They both shared an instinctive and protective love of their environment which is as relevant today as the day Storm Boy was written.

A powerful YA story packed into a short 60ish pages that is still valid today and can be read in conjunction with the equally powerful SA Film Corporation movie of the same name (and some tissues).

MY RATING: 5/5

My Review: Mosquito Creek by Robert Engwerda

Mosquito Creek is written by Dutch born Australian author Robert Engwerda. It was nominated for the 2011 Ned Kelly Best First Crime Fiction Award and is set during a wet and wild period of 1855 in the burgeoning Victorian goldfields.

In a nutshell, I enjoyed the Australian colonial goldfields setting, but was a little disappointed with the conclusion to this book. It almost felt like the author had used up his page quota and suddenly downed tools. For some reason, many of the plotlines that had sustained the book were left unresolved. Perhaps a sequel is planned.

Apart from this, the descriptions of life in a remote 1855 Victorian goldfield town were well-written and gave an insight into a turbulent time in Australian history. Massive swells of people came and went overnight as hardened men sought their fortunes. The services were poor, and the mining settlements were rife with disease, petty thieving and alcoholism. It was clearly evident from Mosquito Creek that mining was a tough occupation, seemingly at the whim of luck (or lack thereof), and the weather - be it searing heat, or in the case of this book, flooding rains. And from this viewpoint, I felt the book succeeded.

In fact Mosquito Creek wasn't really a crime fiction novel as such, but more a commentary on the tough early colonial life and the hardships that the miners endured. And I felt the book worked on this level - it was an enjoyable, interesting and absorbing read as the life experiences of the main characters were steadily revealed throughout the book. Unfortunately, it was only the unresolved and somewhat tenuous crime plotlines that ultimately left me feeling a little unfulfilled.

MY RATING: 3.5/5

My Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief is the 5th book by Australian author Markus Zusak and is set in Germany during WWII.

Hmmm, what to say about this book that hasn't already been said? - I'll keep it brief!

The book is written in an unconventional style with the narrator being Death itself - a very busy character during WWII. The book also contained small handwritten sections with illustrations and (somewhat controversially), a brief summary of contents prior to each chapter that forewarned of the events about to take place. Some people found this off-putting and I guess it is one of the reasons why this book has become so polarising.

It seems The Book Thief is either loved or loathed. I for one loved it. The unconventional style worked for me. I found the short sharp quips from Death (the narrator) added humour and occasionally a sense of direction to an otherwise very dark book. His almost flippant view of death and tragedy balanced a book that was knee deep in it. As for the chapter contents list - knowing what was going to happen in advance enabled me focus on certain events and characters and in most instances heightened the emotion.

And yes there was emotion. The lump in my throat was a permanent fixture towards the end of the book. I loved the characters, I adored the way the book was written and the plot was brilliantly conceived. An outstanding book, that will definitely require tissues.

MY RATING 5/5

My Review: The 3rd Victim by Sydney Bauer

Australian author Sydney Bauer has been labelled the 'new Grisham' and this is her 6th legal thriller featuring Boston-based criminal attorney, David Cavanaugh.

David Cavanaugh has a reputation for only representing clients he believes to be innocent, so when he gets coerced into taking the case of Sienna Walker against his will, he initially believes that he is facing a new challenge in his legal career. But there is more to Sienna Walker than meets the eye.

Sienna is accused of murdering her infant child. All the evidence is against her and the mother's guilt appears incriminating, beyond any reasonable doubt. But David soon learns that Sienna has been set-up and the murder of the young child is just the thin edge of a very dark and sinister wedge.

Knowing his client is innocent and proving it are two very separate issues for David Cavanaugh, particularly against a clever and ambitious DA, who seems to care more for his career, than discovering the truth. And so the courtroom battle begins in the quest to reveal the true chilling motives behind the crime.

At 520 pages and with a very extensive plot, and a cast of many, this book is not for the faint-hearted. At times concentration was required to keep track of the main players and plot developments, but for the most part, I found the pace of the novel to be fine. Sure, there was the occasional legal-speak or discussions of DNA analysis that became a tad laborious, however another twist in the plot, quickly piqued my interest, the suspense built, and the pages kept turning towards the surprising solution.

And the ending itself was completely unexpected. I certainly didn't see it coming. Whether it was plausible or provided a fitting solution to a very cleverly written and absorbing plot is debatable. In my opinion, once the initial surprise had subsided, I found it a little disappointing and perhaps not up to the standard of the rest of the book.

For the most part a brilliantly written legal thriller. A multilayered, intricate and extensive plot that twists and turns all the way to a surprising, albeit incongruous ending.

2011 October Goodreads Aussie Readers Group - Friend's List Reading Challenge

A straightforward book reading challenge for the month of October (2011) conducted by the Aussie Readers Group on Goodreads.

The rules are simple - read as many books as you can during the month of October (2011), as long as they come from a friend's booklist on Goodreads.


I will list the titles here along with links to the reviews as they are read.

1. The 3rd Victim by Sydney Bauer - From Brenda's booklist - My Review
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - From *Jess's booklist - My Review
3. Mosquito Creek by Robert Engwerda - From Bernadette's booklist - My Review
4. Take Out by Felicity Young - From Michael's booklist - My Comments
5. The Gene Thieves by Maria Quinn - From Karen Chisolm's booklist - My Comments
6. The Dead Path by Stephen Irwin - From Penelope's booklist - My Comments
7. Theodore Boone by John Grisham - From Chris Pash's booklist - My Review
8. Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark - From Leslie aka hugbandit7's booklist - My Review
9. Storm Boy by Colin Thiele - From Cathy's booklist - My Review
10. The Fern Tattoo by David Brooks - From Jennifer (JC-S)'s booklist - Brief Thoughts
11. The Roving Party by Rohan Wilson - From Jacqui's booklist - Brief Thoughts
12. A Necessary Evil by Bruce Venables - From Nicknac Bookstack's booklist - My Review
13. Whispering Death by Garry Disher - From Bernadette's booklist - My Review
14. Apartment 255 by Bunty Avieson - From Bree T's booklist - Brief Thoughts
15. Virals by Kathy Reichs - From Bookstack Insoniac's booklist - Brief Thoughts
16. Davo's Little Something by Robert G. Barrett - From Shelleyrae at Book'd Out's booklist - Brief Thoughts

My Review: Bereft by Chris Womersley

This is the second novel by Australian author Chris Womersley and is set in the fictitious outback NSW town of Flint before, during and directly after World War I.

Quinn Walker is the 'bereft' character who from the age of 16 has endured a life of abject misery. Accused of murdering his beloved younger sister, fleeing the scene and then surviving WWI at the frontline in Gallipoli and France as a decorated soldier, Quinn sneaks back to his hometown some 10 years later. There he finds his mother dying from influenza, a drunken, downtrodden father and a township that would gladly string him from the nearest tree if they discovered his true identity.

With his tragic life lurching from one inescapable hell to the next, Quinn's saviour is an unlikely 12 year old orphan girl Sadie Fox, who Quinn discovers hiding-out in the hills that surround Flint. Sadie has also suffered intolerable loss during her 12 years, but unlike Quinn, is optimistic and hopeful of her future. She also has some paranormal skills that gives her an insight into Quinn's past. With their bond forged, Sadie gives Quinn the courage and conviction to eventually right some past wrongs and get his life of misery back on track.

A very well written, intriguing and suspenseful book. I really enjoyed Chris Womersley's style and descriptions. In fact, the vast majority of the book was a brilliant, well-paced 5 star read. My only point of contention was the ending. To me it felt rushed, with all the loose ends tied up in the space of a few pages. Without spoiling the finale, I wanted some public humiliation and name-clearing. Perhaps a greater sense of revenge than I felt. I wanted the bad guys to suffer intolerably like Quinn had, and I was left wanting more - possibly the author's intention.

This aside, Chris Womersley has written a brilliant novel. I am so glad to have discovered another incredibly talented Australian author. Chris Womersley's first book The Low Road has been added to my 'TBR' list and I eagerly await his future offerings.

MY RATING 4.5/5

My Review: Death Of A Lake by Arthur Upfield

Enjoyable Australian crime fiction novel, written and set in outback Australia during the 1950s. This is the 18th Inspector Napoleon Boneparte novel written by English-born Australian author, Arthur Upfield (1890-1964).

Inspector Napoleon 'Bony' Boneparte is sent to a vast outback sheep station disguised as a horse-breaker to investigate the mysterious and unsolved disappearance 18 months earlier of stationhand Ray Gillen. Gillen had previously won the lottery in Queensland - a lucrative motive for his sudden disappearance. One stifling night he went for a swim to cool off in nearby Lake Otway and was never seen again. Did he drown? Was he murdered? What secrets do the lake and/or the residents of the outback station hold? And thus the plot thickens.

The Lake itself becomes a central feature of the novel. Lake Otway is a fictitious non-permanent lake (possibly based on Lake Eyre). It becomes a vast body of water every 20 or so years and then slowly dries up over the next 2-3 years as drought once again takes grip. It's evaporation runs parallel to the storyline - only when it dies back to bare earth in the intense outback heat will the mystery be solved.

Overall, in keeping with the times, a nice clean-cut mystery with inferred sexual tension and not a swear word in sight. Occasionally I found the language perhaps a little dated, although in equal parts, I enjoyed the 'Australianisms' of the era. Cobbers rolled smokes, skinned rabbits, ate kangaroo steaks for breakfast and talked of their dusty outback travels around campfires heating the obligatory billy.

The main character Bony spends most of this book impersonating a horse-breaker. He is part-Aboriginal and is laconic, even enigmatic in the way he goes about his business in this novel. Having not previously read any Arthur Upfield books, I only glimpsed the true authoritative police aspect of Inspector Boneparte towards the end of the book. Nevertheless, I liked what I saw and can see how Upfield managed to base some 29 mystery novels around him over 30+ years.

More of a mystery to me, is why it has taken me so long to read one of these books. The descriptions were fantastic. I could feel the intense outback heat and the choking, dusty grip of drought. I enjoyed Bony and the cast of outback characters, and found the plot strong enough to build intrigue and suspense throughout the book. I am glad I have discovered this series, albeit belatedly, and I will be back for more.

My Review: Every Secret Thing by Marie Munkara

It's a long time since I have read a book that can be so hilariously funny and yet soberingly sad, all within the space of a couple of lines.

Essentially this book is a series of short stories that expose the impact white missionaries had on traditional Aboriginal life in a remote Northern Territory island community. The issues are confronting, but laced with genuine 'laugh out loud' humour, which Marie Munkara cleverly utilises to both entertain, and to sugar-coat some of the shocking human rights breaches, making them more palatable to the reader.

The recurring characters fuse the short stories together and create a timeline for the decline in traditional Aboriginal values as the missionaries introduce the white world to the bush mob. As each story presents a new conflict of cultures, so too alcohol, drugs, feral animals, possessions (jealousy) and white attitudes are introduced to the indigenous occupants of the island.

Throughout the book, the underlying theme is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy that half-caste children to Aboriginal mothers be taken away (stolen generations), yet half-caste children to white mothers weren't. Hypocrisy that spreading god's word, also involved sewing his wild oats, introducing vice and spreading disease. Hypocrisy that missionaries who were often escaping their own demons in the white world, spent their lives expousing it's benefits to the indigenous population. And hypocrisy that it was always the young Aboriginal girls at fault when they fell pregnant and gave birth to mixed race children.

This is a truly confronting book. It is one side of a sad story that focuses on the negative impacts and the ineptness and shortcomings of some of the missionaries. It also shows the Aboriginal people to be survivors. In the space of a generation, thousands of years of traditional living and values were thrown into turmoil. That they survived to tell the tale, and even laugh about it is a testament to their spirit. That the story can be presented in such a palatable and even entertaining way is testament to Marie Munkara. Well done on a wonderful book.

My Rating: 5/5

My Review: X and Y by David Owen

X and Y is the third book in Australian author David Owen's Pufferfish police procedural series. Set in Hobart Australia, the main character is Tasmanian Police Detective Inspector Franz Heineken. He is nicknamed 'Pufferfish' for his prickly and sometimes poisonous manner. He is loyal to his mates, but openly despises his boss and many of his offsiders.

The plot is kick-started with a violent death in a Chinese restaurant, which in turn links cleverly to a series a robberies and an impending drug shipment to Tasmania. When surveillance of the narcotics shipment goes pear-shaped, it becomes obvious the bad guys are one step ahead of the police due to insider information. With a bent copper or two in the midst, fingers start pointing at the Pufferfish.

From there the story becomes a battle for Pufferfish Heineken to stay alive and clear his name. And by eventually taking into account the unknown X and Y factors (you will understand at the end), Heineken exposes the police moles and in turn solves the crimes.

David Owen has again come up with a clever plot. Evidence is exposed at the right pace and the story cascades with each piece of new information, before cleverly tying together at the end - with of course, Pufferfish Heineken at the core. The Pufferfish is a meaty character. As the reader you are privy to his personal thoughts, and you get a feel for the sexual tension between himself and Sergeant Hedda Andover. He is cunning, enigmatic, funny, and is the kind of person you definitely want to be on the right side of.

This book continues an enjoyable and intriguing series by David Owen. I once again enjoyed the pace, the Tasmanian Police Force characters and the setting, and I recommend it to police procedural buffs, particularly those with a penchant for Australian crime fiction.

My Review: In The Evil Day by Peter Temple

In The Evil Day is a stand alone international thriller by Australian author Peter Temple that transgresses much of the globe, including South Africa, England, Wales and Germany.

There are two main characters that the text oscillates between. John Anselm is a former war correspondent who is suffering from his near death experience as a tortured hostage in Beirut. Suffering post-war stress and probably alcoholism, he lives in Hamburg, working for a struggling surveillance firm and trying to come to terms with his tormented past.

In another part of the world, Con Neimand, an ex-soldier and mercenary, stumbles across evidence of a terrible secret whilst on a security detail in Johannesburg. This knowledge puts his life at risk and he is on the run from an unknown enemy.

The two worlds are brought together by the hidden secret as the plot weaves towards it's dangerous and deadly conclusion.

An interesting enough plotline, but I found the changing between characters and settings made it quite complicated and required some thinking and all my concentration. I found that I enjoyed the Con Neimand segments as these were action-packed and seem to carry the story forward. Alternatively the John Anselm segments I found to be slow and laborious. As he wallowed in self-pity, I found the story seemed to flounder. In fact, I was quite glad once the plot tied together, became less fragmented and the book became more even paced.

Overall a complicated and busy international thriller along the lines of LeCarre or Deighton. A thinking person's thriller. Not suitable unless you can give it your full attention, and I recommend reading it in a couple of sittings so as not to lose track of the plot or characters.

RATING: 3/5

My Review: The Old School by P.M. Newton

The Old School by name and old school by nature. This is a debut police procedural novel by former Policewoman P.M. Newton and is set in the south western Sydney suburb of Bankstown in the early 1990's.

Bankstown is a melting pot of cultural and financial diversity. A place where a future prime minister can emerge, having left school at 15. A suburb infused with Asian, Middle Eastern and European immigrants. Close enough to the teeming city centre to attract renovators, developers, shonky deals and crooked operators. In 1992 the suburb was well into the process of gentrification. Corners were being cut, organised crime had a controlling interest and bureaucratic corruption was rife. With this as a backdrop and the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) investigation in full swing, the plot unfolds.

Nhu 'Ned' Kelly is a young detective based at the Bankstown Police Station. Thrust into a 'blokey' environment, and with a Vietnamese mother and an Irish father, Ned's sex and background are always going to make it tough for her to succeed. Despite being a born and bred Sydneysider, Ned cops sexist and racist jibes from the 'perps' and her workmates alike on a daily basis. But Ned is part of the new police model, not tainted by past graft and made from stern stuff.

When two bodies are found in the foundations of an old building, Ned is confronted with a cascading series of old rivalries, police corruption, and is drawn into the case on a personal level as links are found between the bodies and Ned's own parents who were murdered in 1976. Suspects are plenty, some of her workmates are rotten to the core and Ned doesn't know she can trust and who she can turn to.

The Old School was shortlisted for the 2011 Ned Kelly Best First Crime Fiction Award, and I can see why. It is an absorbing and intriguing police procedural novel. The fact that it is P.M. Newton's debut novel is even more creditable. The plot is well researched by the former policewoman. She nails the era and the battles that a young policewoman would have faced. No doubt experiencing the same sexism and hurdles herself. The fictitious plot is paralleled by real events that give the setting and time period both authenticity and perspective. Aboriginal Landrights, Paul Keating's Redfern Address, ICAC, multiculturalism, a burgeoning and emerging world city in Sydney and a changing attitude to policing are all interwoven cleverly into the plot. The pace of the story is well modulated with new pieces of evidence building the intrigue and deepening the mystery. The characters are diverse and interesting and the ending is both absorbing and fulfilling.

I hope this is the first book in a series. It is a gutsy and gritty police procedural with fleshy characters and lays a perfect launching pad to spawn a series. I will be keenly on the lookout for future P.M. Newton novels and highly recommend this book to those who like tough and dirty police procedural and crime fiction novels.

MY RATING: 4.5/5

2011 Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge

As I was researching an author the other day, I came across another great 2011 Reading Challenge. It is called the Mystery & Suspense Challenge and is hosted by the ladies at Book Chick City. Since this genre is pretty much all I read these days, I figure I may as well jump on board with this one.

The rules are straightforward enough;

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

My Mystery and Suspense Challenge list and review links as follows:

 1.  How The Dead See by David Owen - My Review
 2.  The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham - My Review
 3.  The Dragon Man by Garry Disher - My Review
 4.  The Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Mandy Sayer - My Review
 5.  Torn Apart by Peter Corris - My Review
 6.  The Diggers Rest Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin - My Review
 7.  The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - My Review
 8.  Frantic by Katherine Howell - My Review
 9.  The 5th Horseman by James Patterson - My Review
10. Death At The Spring Plant Sale by Ann Ripley - My Review
11. Death Mask by Kathryn Fox - My Review
12. Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland - My Review


UPDATE: Challenge Completed 14th September, 2011

My Review: The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham

The central character is Detective Constable Alisha Barba, a young Indian woman of Sikh heritage who grew up in London's East End. She was introduced to us previously in Michael Robotham's novel Lost, where she suffered significant spinal injuries. In this novel she is mostly healed, almost married, nearly transferred and virtually sacked from the police force as she undertakes her own rogue investigations.

Alisha is drawn into the plot when her estranged friend of 8 years Cate Beaumont and Cate's husband Felix are intentionally run down and murdered outside a school reunion. The plot thickens when seemingly pregnant Cate, is found to be wearing padding and in fact faking the pregnancy.

Having wronged Cate 8 years ago, Alisha commits to a journey of retribution, seeking to find the answers to why her friend was murdered and why she was faking the pregnancy. The journey reunites Alisha with her now retired former Police boss Vincent Ruiz and takes her to the seedier side of Amsterdam, as she slowly unravels an international people-smuggling and illegal baby surrogacy racket.

I really enjoy Robotham's books and this was no exception. Despite some less-than-flattering reviews I found Alisha an interesting and believable, albeit sometimes flighty protagonist. And sure, maybe the book was a little padded. I am not sure that I needed to know the intricacies of Dutch prostition, Amsterdam's street geography, or about Alisha's brother's love life and perhaps a red pen might have purged 50 or so pages. This aside, I found the book intriguing and absorbing. Infused with the moralistic issue of helping childless couples to become parents versus the risk, inhumanity, persecution, prostitution and even slavery associated with people smuggling. In this sense the book appealed to me. The novel made me think, it had depth, suspense, twists, turns and resonated in my mind by posing questions well after I had turned the last page. Congratulations to Mr Robotham on another quality novel.

MY RATING: 4/5