My Review: Wyatt by Garry Disher

The Plot
Garry Disher's cool, enigmatic anti-hero Wyatt has a job - a jewel heist. The kind Wyatt likes. Nothing extravagant, nothing greedy. Stake out the international courier, one Alain Le Page, hold up the goods in transit and get away fast.
Wyatt prefers to work alone, but this is Eddie Oberin's job. Eddie's very smart ex-wife Lydia has the inside information. Add Wyatt's planning genius and meticulous preparation, and what could possibly go wrong?

Plenty. And when you wrong Wyatt, you don't get to just walk away.

Taut plots, brilliant writing and relentless pace; plus an unforgettable cast, including the ever-elusive Wyatt himself: these are the hallmarks of Garry Disher's Wyatt series.

My Review
Thirteen years since the last Wyatt novel, and he is finally back. The cool, calm and calculating retro-robber is again up to his old tricks. However, now the offerings are slimmer. The world has changed. The electronic age has meant less cash around, and places that do have cash, also have advanced and more sophisticated security than ever before.

Wyatt also seems to have changed during the 13 year hiatus. I found him increasingly more cold-blooded and ruthless than ever before. This reinforces to the reader that he is fundamentally a criminal - a bad guy. Despite this, he still has his endearing qualities that make him a likeable protagonist. His criminality aside, he is intelligent, and has principles and loyalties. He is a likeable rogue. His misdemeanours are justifiable because you see the world from his point of view.

The plot is captivating, albeit more violent than I remember from previous Wyatt books. Throw in some honour among thieves, some double-crossing, some revenge retribution and some police corruption and the result is another vastly absorbing Garry Disher crime fiction novel. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed spending a few more hours with Wyatt.  If you enjoy crime fiction novels through the eyes of the 'perp', then I recommend that you will too.

Promisingly, the open-ended conclusion, indicates another Wyatt novel might be in the works. Hopefully we don't have to wait another 13 years. Please write faster Garry!

My Review: Sensitive New Age Spy by Geoffrey McGeachin

Alby Murdoch, (acting) head of D-E-D (Directorate for Extra-territorial Defence), another Australian national security acronym, awakes with a hangover on the Australia Day public holiday. His attractive work partner Julie, who has never responded to his lusty advances, is chastely asleep on his lounge. Alby however, is still  hopeful. It's a public holiday and you never know what the day may bring.

The last thing Alby needed though, is for an 80,000 tonne rogue tanker to have covertly snuck into Sydney Harbour under the cover of darkness, possibly filled to the eyeballs with Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). Potentially, it is a floating atomic bomb. Compounding the danger, is an American Navy Cruiser parked nearby, that may, or may not be carrying a couple of nuclear warheads.

Despite being warned off the case by the Minister of Defence, through his minion Chapman Pergo, Alby smells a rat and doggedly continues with his investigations. This results in some riotously funny liasons with the very (rich) Reverend Priday and his most attractive young wife and even more attractive daughter, some whale-loving fundamentalists and a lesbian bikie's birthday party in Canberra. Throughout which Alby is nearly blown-up, shot at and taken hostage.

My advice is that you do not read this book in public if you are embarrassed by sudden outbursts of spontaneous laughter. The humour infuses every page, and McGeachin cleverly understands the Australian irreverence to politicians, tall poppies and themselves. When this laconic humour is wrapped around a captivating, espionage plot, the result is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and one that will have you quickly searching for more Geoffrey Mcgeachin books. I'm googling as we speak!

My Review: Follow The Money by Peter Corris

The Plot
'When beautiful young women kiss you on the cheek you know you're over the hill, but I didn't really feel like that. As Wesley said, I still had the moves.'

Cliff Hardy may still have the moves but he's in trouble. The economy's tanking and he's been conned by an unscrupulous financial advisor and lost everything he's got. Cliff only knows one way, and that's forward, so he's following the money trail.  It's a twisted road that leads him down deep into Sydney's underbelly, into the territory of big money, bent deals, big yachts and bad people. Cliff's in greater danger than ever before, but he's as tenacious as a dog with a bone.

My Review
The Cliff Hardy novels were aptly described to me yesterday as tight and lean (Thanks Laura). They are not pretentious and there is no padding. They are stripped-down, gritty and entertaining crime fiction that can be consumed in a sitting or two - and this latest Cliff Hardy mystery is no exception.

Cliff as usual manages to get his nose in where it's not wanted and attract the ire of the good guys and the bad guys alike. Cardiac issues and the loss of his PI license are but minor inconveniences to a serial rule-breaker and incredibly fast-healer like Cliff. The Global Financial Crisis has hit hard and Cliff is low on cash after being embezzled out of his inheritence by an unscrupulous financial advisor. Wrapped around the well-conceived plot, Cliff must navigate the usual mix of alcohol-fuelled clandestine meetings, low-life characters and beautiful women in order to Follow The Money.

Peter Corris keeps evolving and adapting to the times with each new Cliff Hardy novel. Cliff has matured and developed throughout the series. He is getting older and more cautious. He catches buses where possible to avoid the stress of the chaotic Sydney traffic. When Cliff does take the car, he wonders if he might be over the limit after 2 light beers in an hour. Cliff now eats at Italian restaurants and frequents cafes more than pubs these days. And in keeping with the contemporary Sydney setting, the cast of characters in this latest offering now has a distinctive multicultural flavour with Asian, Middle Eastern, Italian and even Nordic influences.

If you have read Peter Corris before, you know exactly what you are getting into. The Godfather of Australian Crime keeps producing high quality, slick and enjoyable Australian crime fiction, as he has done now for over 30 years. This is number 36 in the series, and I hope there are many more to come. If you haven't met Cliff Hardy before - get on board!

My Review: Shatter by Michael Robotham

The Plot
A naked woman in red high-heeled shoes is poised on the edge of a bridge. Clinical psychologist Joseph O'Loughlin is only feet away, trying desperately to talk her down. She whispers, 'You don't understand', and jumps.

Later, Joe has a visitor - the woman's teenage daughter, a runaway from boarding school. She refuses to believe that her mother would have jumped off the bridge: she wouldn't have committed suicide and she was terrified of heights.

Joe wants to believe her, but how could a woman be driven to such a desperate act? And who might drive her to it?

My Review
Australian author Michael Robotham has concocted a chilling and unputdownable psychological thriller. The book title refers to the method in which the villian, Gideon Tyler 'shatters' the victim's minds. It also shattered my sleep patterns. Once started, I could not stop reading - all 460+ pages in one (very late) night.

Gideon Tyler is military trained in psychological warfare. He uses his voice as the tool of torture and manipulates his victims into killing themselves. He is sadistic, intelligent and furtive - a potent mix.

The main protagonist is psychologist, Professor Joe O'Loughlin. Joe is highly skilled at reading people, yet he is flawed. He is suffering from an incureable disease, his wife is seemingly having an affair, he's dealing with a grief-stricken teenager and he brings danger to his own doorstep simply by serendipitous association. He is an absorbing character, and I empathised with him every tremor-filled step of the way.

I was drawn into this novel very early on. The plot was captivating and built suspense, intrigue and even terror. The characters were beguiling and Robotham's writing style flowed easily from the page. This was my first Michael Robotham novel, it won't be my last, and I am now an unabashed Michael Robotham fan.

My Review: No Weather For A Burial by David Owen

The Plot
How long should long service leave be?

Pufferfish, aka Detective Inspector Franz Heineken, scourge of Tasmania's villains, is back. And back with a seriously refreshed vengeance. Pufferfish, prickly, curmudgeonly and irony-charged as ever, is attracted to an unusual stench in his island paradise: a badly decomposed corpse with no name, identity altered prior to execution, victim of a puzzling mix of professionalism and panic.

My Review
Being a Tasmanian, my obvious attraction to this book was that it was set in Hobart and various regions of the Apple Isle. And the parochialism for the region comes across clearly throughout the novel. The descriptions of the beauty, the people and the weather were both amusing and enjoyable, particularly for a local. Tasmania has a uniqueness about it, and David Owen cleverly exploits this.

The plotlines were solid, with two cases running parallel. The murder investigation into the enigmatic Sam Fortune provides the main focus for the novel. This investigation bubbles along with Heineken attempting to prove they have the wrong man in gaol. The intrigue builds nicely as Heineken travels around Tassie and to Sydney and Townsville accumulating his information.

Meanwhile, the disappearance of the academic's wife sits very much on the back-burner for much of the novel. In fact, it had almost slipped my mind until Heineken serendipitously stumbles upon the crucial piece of information over a few wines, and thereby provides a neat conclusion to the novel.

Overall an enjoyable read. Owen's style keeps the reader on their toes with his punchy dialogue, although the use of acronyms is sometimes a little distracting. The book has obvious appeal for Tasmanians, and anyone who has visited Tasmania. Whilst some local knowlwedge is helpful but not essential, it does enhance the reading experience. This is the first Pufferfish novel I have read, and it definitely won't be my last!

The 2011 Goodreads Aussie Readers Spring Reading Challenge

The Goodreads Aussie Readers Group (Brenda) is hosting a Spring Reading Challenge 2011. My choices are all crime fiction based and listed below in green. Finding a crime fiction novel with a spring cover is a challenge in itself!


1. Spring clean your bookcases by reading a much loved, but yet unread book..either novel or biography - The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler  My Review


2. Choose a book that features a new life - a baby (animal or human) on the cover/in the story - Blood Born by Kathryn Fox  My Review


3. Choose a book for it's cover - a spring image with all it's colour - Death At The Spring Plant Sale by Ann Ripley  My Review


4. The Royal Adelaide show is on 2nd - 10th September so a book about a show/carnival rides/handicrafts/cookery/livestock..anything to tie into the event - Carnies by Martin Livings  Brief Thoughts


5. The Brisbane Writers Festival is on 7th - 11th September so choose a book written by an Aussie author, released somewhere in the 3 months of Spring - The 3rd Victim by Sydney Bauer (Sept 2011 Release)  My Review


6. Seeing as Spring colours are predominantly red and yellow, pick a book with either a red or yellow cover, and post the book cover as well, so everyone can see (and get colourful suggestions) - Davo's Little Something by Robert G. Barrett  Brief Thoughts 

7. Sydney Eisteddfod is running until 20th September and they are searching for the best young Australian talent, so pick a Young Adult book, not necessarily by an Aussie author, for this event - Virals by Kathy Reichs  Brief Thoughts


8. The Spring Racing Carnival culminating with the Melbourne Cup is in November, so a book about horses/horse racing/betting/money won and lost - The 5th Horseman by James Patterson  My Review


9. How about a book with the title beginning with the first letter of your name - D-E-D Dead by Geoffrey McGeachin  My Review


10. For the last one, you have a choice...a book with a garden connection for spring or a non-fiction/biography, again with a spring connection! - Garden of Betrayal by Lee Vance  My Review


The Goodreads Aussie Readers Spring Reading Challenge

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.