My Review: Kittyawk Down by Garry Disher

Kittyhawk Down is Garry Disher's second Inspector Challis murder mystery. A police procedural series set in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

Disher has served up a very busy storyline in this book with many plots and subplots, much of which ultimately tie together at the end of the novel. The characters of the Waterloo Police Station are also fleshed out and developed further. Disher spends time on each one of the major players to ensure that their flaws are clear. Challis has a suicidal wife in gaol for attempting to murder him. Detective Ellen Destry has a penchant for lifting a bit of cash from crime scenes and is in a loveless marriage with a troubled daughter. Constable Pam Murphy is in debt up to her eyeballs and a target for information blackmail. Murphy's partner, John Tankard is lecherous and sexually harasses Pam Murphy on a daily basis and Scobie Sutton appears to have the happiest home-life, but doesn't appear suited to police work. Coupled with hints of police corruption when evidence goes missing, superiors more interested in 'politicking than policing' and we have all the ingredients for an absorbing novel with intriguing characters.

Whilst perhaps not the best book in the series (the second novel rarely is), if you have enjoyed the first book (The Dragon Man) and like police procedural novels and/or Australian crime fiction, then you will definitely find this book well worth reading, with a high degree of character development for future books, and a solid addition to the Inspector Challis series.

MY RATING: 3.5/5

My Review: The Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Mandy Sayer

The plot begins with young 12 year-old Mark Stamp skylarking in the backyard with his air gun. Accidentally he fires a shot through the window of his father′s sacred shed and discovers a horrifying sight that causes him to flee for his life. With his older 14 year-old sister Ruby and the family's infant baby in tow, they set off on an incident-filled trip of a lifetime, escaping the past and their violent one-legged father. Hooking up with another adolescent lost soul along the way, this is an absorbing tale of four kids on the run and on a journey of self-discovery.

Interspersed throughout the story is an ongoing subplot of theories as to how the lecherous father lost his leg. This becomes almost comical and adds to the intrigue of the novel. Possibilities raised range from shark attack to a train accident and the horrifying truth is revealed in the latter part of the book.

Released and marketed as a YA novel, this book is a dark and hardhitting road trip novel, with descriptions using colourful and adult language. Topics covered include domestic violence, incest, promiscuity, larceny, substance abuse, teenage delinquency, vandalism and murder. A coming-of-age novel where the characters are coming from a long way back. Recommended to very mature readers, and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

MY RATING: 4/5

My Review: D.E.D. Dead! by Geoff McGeachin

A funny, irreverent and well written Australian spy/thriller spoof by Geoff McGeachin. The central character, Alby Murdoch is a talented photographer for Worldpix, a legitimate profit-making photographic enterprise. This in turn provides an excellent cover for Alby's real job, as a spy for the Directorate for Extra-territorial Defence (D-E-D) - another Australian government funded security acronym.

Alby is likeable, laconic and amusing in a 'laugh out loud' kind of way. He and his partner Harry have been assigned their regular gig updating records for Australian security on the secret US base in central Australia called Bitter Springs. A mundane task that Alby palms off to Harry to settle an old bet. However the mundane quickly becomes highly dangerous. Harry is terminated, Alby and his fellow passengers narrowly escape being blown-up on a Hong Kong bound plane, and Alby becomes aware that he has a bounty on his head and is wanted dead or alive.

Fortuitously, Alby hooks up with a gorgeous but enigmatic female US agent called Grace Goodluck (as you do). Grace also seemingly appears to be on the run, and together they escape to Bali to reassess (and get to know each other better). After hitching a boatride back to Australia with a dodgy couple of retirees and wiping out some pirates along the way, Alby heads for outback Australia and Bitter Springs, where he knows he will find some answers.

I have to admit that I started out reading this book without any great expectations. I generally like my crime fiction tough and gritty and I thought the spy spoof had already been done to death by Austin Powers amongst others, however I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. McGeachin's writing is clever, quick witted and highly amusing. He took me on a journey where the destination was hidden and infused with hi-jinx along the way. Amidst the humour, I wanted to know what Harry had uncovered? Who was Grace Goodluck and what were her motives? Why Alby was wanted dead or alive? And what exactly was going on at Bitter Springs?

If you like your espionage interspersed with mayhem and humour, then you won't be disappointed by this book. An entertaining and intriguing read that will definitely put a smile on your face.

MY RATING: 4/5

My Review: Frantic by Katherine Howell

What an absorbing debut novel by Katherine Howell and the book was aptly titled as it provided non-stop frantic action from start to finish. Although this is the first book in what has become known as the Detective Ella Marconi series, this book focuses mainly upon ambulance paramedic, Sophie Phillips. Sophie is married to a policeman, is the mother of an infant son and spends her working life attending ambulance emergencies in Sydney. The paramedic angle to a crime fiction book is a great idea, and the procedural aspects of her character were intriguing and obviously well-researched, and I was not surprised subsequently to learn author Katherine Howell was herself an ex-paramedic.

The interwoven plot included a series of violent armed hold-ups that appear to involve members of the police force, a kidnapping, a brooding husband that is withholding information and an incredibly obtuse and gullible main character in Sophie Phillips. For someone seemingly as strong-willed and determined, Sophie was very easily coerced into bed with the bad guys (in more ways than one!).

My only minor issue with this book was that I felt it ended with a few issues still unresolved. I would like to know the fate of Sophie. She is definitely no paragon of virtue, with adultery, stealing, impersonating a police officer, lying, auto-theft and assisting in a murder among her misdemeanours. Was she arrested? Charged? Sacked? Exonerated? I also felt the armed-holdup issues were not fully resolved. Who was the gang? How extensive was the police corruption? And maybe I missed something, but I never fully understood the Police Commissioner's involvement either.

These personal issues aside, I enjoyed the book and the fast-paced style. It is a very solid and entertaining debut novel and I am excited that I have come across an Australian crime fiction author that I haven't read before. I am sourcing the next books in the series as we speak, and I look forward to reading more Detective Ella Marconi books in the future.

MY RATING: 4/5

My Review: Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland

Having recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Adrian Hyland's Gunshot Road (Emily Tempest #2), I thought it only right that I read the first Emily Tempest book, Diamond Dove - and I was not disappointed.

Emily Tempest is the daughter of a white miner, Motor Jack and his deceased Aboriginal wife. Being of mixed race, Emily has a diverse grounding in both Aboriginal culture and white Australia. She attended boarding college in Adelaide, is well read, went to Uni for three unfinished degrees and has traveled the world. She also spent her youth growing up around the mines in remote regions of Northern Territory with her indigenous friend Hazel. Their childhood immersed in Aboriginal culture, myths, legends and teachings. We soon also find out that Emily is adaptable, stubborn, opinionated and tough as nails!

In search of her roots, Emily has returned to her childhood home - Moonlight Downs, a remote Aboriginal camp in outback Northern Territory. She has hardly settled-in when Hazel's father Lincoln, the camp's elder is found murdered in a seemingly ritualistic fashion.

The enigmatic Aboriginal sorcerer Blakie, who is camped nearby becomes the prime suspect. Many of the Moonlight Downs mob are scared of Blakie and even suspect he is a little unbalanced in the top paddock. He is also hard to catch! Emily's belief in Blakie's guilt gradually diminishes throughout the novel as a range of other characters reveal compelling motives. As in the second novel Emily is dogmatic in her pursuit of answers, and stirs up a hornets nest until justice is cleverly and poetically served.

The pace is slightly different to Gunshot Road, with the investigation and plot taking a little longer to fully develop. However the void is filled with fantastic descriptions of life in a remote settlement for both indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Hyland doesn't shy away away from the bad stuff - the racism, alcoholism, delinquency and abuse that occurs, but he delivers it with a touch of humour and even optimism.

This is a brilliant debut novel by Adrian Hyland with a well-researched plot and wonderfully crafted characters. It is a thoroughly deserving winner of the 2007 Ned Kelly award for best first crime fiction novel and I recommend it to all purveyors of Australian crime fiction.

MY RATING: 4.8/5

My Review: Snapshot by Garry Disher

This is the third police procedural novel in the Inspector Challis series, set once again in the bucolic surrounds of Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.

The plot is kick-started by the murder of Janine McQuarrie, which is witnessed by her 6 year old daughter. Janine McQuarrie had recently succumbed to her husband's requests and reluctantly attended some swinging, spouse-swapping sex parties. With spite appearing the main motive, Janine takes some candid photos with her mobile phone and sends them anonymously to some of the other participants, including her husband. When she is found dead and the photos come to light, they provide an obvious motive for her murder.

When independent town newspaper editor and former Challis lover, Tessa Kane is also murdered following a piece she had written about sex parties in the local paper, the motive appears obvious. But is this the case? Are there other underlying links between these women?

Complicating matters, Janine is the daughter-in-law of the Police Superintendent, who continues to make a nuisance of himself throughout the case. His motives are unclear, other than being more interested in protecting his son than pursuing the killer.

Challis, his police partner Ellen Destry and the usual Waterloo station cohorts, Scobie Sutton, John Tankard and Pam Murphy begin an investigation that twists and turns to a brilliant finality. We know who the killer is, but the reader is unaware who is pulling the strings. Eventually all is revealed, with the loose ends and seemingly superfluous investigations and red herrings tying together to reveal the mastermind and their true motives.

If you enjoy police procedural novels, then you won't be disappointed with this one. Garry Disher has provided a shrewdly constructed storyline with a surprising twist at the end. An intriguing read that has me earnestly sourcing the other Inspector Challis books in the series.

MY RATING: 4/5

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