Either Side of Midnight explores the concept of murder by suggestion, using media and live television as a platform. For the most part, this works preEither Side of Midnight explores the concept of murder by suggestion, using media and live television as a platform. For the most part, this works pretty well and despite the conforming subject nature the plot is engaging with a core mystery reigning supreme; what seems straight forward is anything but.
However, the pace and engagement didn’t hold throughout the duration of book. For me, I failed to make any real connection with the characters; Sam and Harry felt two dimensional, as did Sam’s wife and his co-workers while Jack Quick, the lead character from Greenlight came across as a stock standard mainstream crime fiction protagonist on the hunt for the truth (said ‘truth’ was a little underwhelming too).
In any book there’s an element of repetition; rehashing and retelling the story to keep the reader on track, typically presented in the form of a backstory, introspective character narrative, and/or character conversation. Here, Quick’s introspective thoughts were too frequent, the persistent approach to document his inner workings as he conversed with himself to ultimately set out a new course of investigation led to distraction and didn’t really add any value to the story. Whilst there is room for this in the book, the sheer amount here felt like filler content and did little to progress the story.
I must admit I had high hopes for Either Side of Midnight given how good Greenlight was, and whilst I enjoyed the concept of this book, the execution was a little off for me.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me a copy for review....more
The Bluffs is a heady mix of mystery and intrigue fueled by speculative crime fiction amid a back drop of adolescent female noir; think Megan Abbott (The Bluffs is a heady mix of mystery and intrigue fueled by speculative crime fiction amid a back drop of adolescent female noir; think Megan Abbott (Dare Me), Jonathan Janz (The Siren and the Spectre), and Jane Harper (Force of Nature).
The complexities and cleverly plotted criminal components ensure the reader can never get complacent; just when I thought I'd figured it out, the script was flipped upside down with all blood soaked paths leading down a dark and dangerous new direction.
Despite the constant element of surprise and never ending twists, not once did the plot loose plausibility; every single piece of the puzzle fit perfectly; a testament to a well written story.
I can't recommend The Bluffs enough. 5/5 stars....more
It's 1944 and the Melbourne police force faces a dire situation; multiple police officers have been murdered and a Nazi sympathizer has resumed hostilIt's 1944 and the Melbourne police force faces a dire situation; multiple police officers have been murdered and a Nazi sympathizer has resumed hostilities against those his people so publicly oppress. For Joe Sable and his boss, Titus Lambert, a ghost from a murderous past returns to haunt them and the only outcome involves bloodshed and death.
Despite a solid premise and interesting reoccurring characters, The Autumn Murders felt too bogged down with filler content; whole chapters did little to progress the story while the murder mystery theme of the previous book, The Port Fairy Murders, was lacking. Nothing really surprised or jumped out with that 'awe' inspiring moment or revelation to turn the story on its head; the story just unfolded slowly and without much drama.
My rating: 2.5/5: Whilst the book didn't work me, The Autumn murders is a pivotal book in the series which sets an interesting new direction for the characters who have been so prominent over this and the previous two volumes. Despite my unfavorable review of this book, I'm looking forward to the next installment. ...more
The fourth book in the Hariet Blue series continues the downward trajectory of the series in my opinion. What started with a distinct Australian outbaThe fourth book in the Hariet Blue series continues the downward trajectory of the series in my opinion. What started with a distinct Australian outback feel in Never Never, and continued with Fifty Fifty, now resembles a generic crime series which could be set in any American/English/Australian city. The identity of what made these books fun seems to have been forgotten.
You need to suspend your belief with this one, a phrase more commonly associated with the surreal, as opposed to crime fiction yet there's so much incomprehensible storytelling packed into this that the phrase is aptly applied here.
Some of my particular gripes: The premise is hard to swallow; the chief of police needs Blue and co to find his missing daughter, even though he has the entire NSW police force at his disposal. Then, there's a couple of scenes in the later stages of the book which are equally as unbelievable which I won't spoil in detail (a rescue scene involving a submerged car, and a bad guy tracked down at ease by Blue's crew).
My rating: 2.5/5. The writing in Hush Hush, despite some momentary glimpses of noir (Tox is to thank for this), feels lazy and rushed. Check out Candice Fox's other crime fiction series, this one can go in remainder pile of soon-to-be-forgotten reads....more
Richard Anderson is fast becoming one of the best crime fiction writers to take on the Aussie Outback and conquer it with cleverly crafted tales aboutRichard Anderson is fast becoming one of the best crime fiction writers to take on the Aussie Outback and conquer it with cleverly crafted tales about hard working average Joe's (or Dave's, as is the case here) who find themselves involved in situations they've only seen on the television during prime time viewing; murder, mayhem, mobsters, and... accidental heroes.
Dave Martin is a farmer struggling to overcome the breakdown of his marriage following the untimely and accidental death of his teenage son. The farm is on the steady decline and his drink is on the steep incline, the only thing he has to look forward to is the mail delivery. However, it's this one highlight in his week that introduces him to lowlifes and dangers not typically seen outside the big city.
Boxed is a lot of fun; the characters are great and distinctly Australian, while the place-setting envelopes the reader in a unique rural Australian farming community, complete with cattle, dust, utes, and local firemen. I loved the unassuming hero angle and found myself eagerly turning the pages hoping for light at the end of the darkness for Dave.
I've been a big fan of Dave Warner since I read Clear to the Horizon (2017) and have been eagerly anticipating his next book...and it was certainly woI've been a big fan of Dave Warner since I read Clear to the Horizon (2017) and have been eagerly anticipating his next book...and it was certainly worth the wait.
Blending 1960's mob life with the Australian surf seems like an odd combination but Warner makes it work incredibly well, somehow transforming a Philadelphia hitman into a likable protagonist who reads like a typical Aussie bloke.
Half a world separates Blake's old life from his new yet his ghosts still haunt him. After loosing his brother to mob violence, Blake's gripped a new lease on life in a coastal Australian town. He runs a pub, has a love interest (of sorts), and is a member of a local band. He surfs, plays gigs, runs his business and enjoys the smell of fresh air straight from the ocean.
However perfect the serenity, murder spoils everything. For Blake to keep himself out of the mob's reach, he must revert to the ways of a killer - and that's only half his troubles.
River of Salt is choc full of interesting and well defined characters accompanied by equally interesting backstories which all add extra layers of depth to the story. The story reads perfectly well in it's own right, yet I hope Warner returns to this setting and these characters sometime in the future.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Noir on the beach? Yes please. If you're looking for a perfect blend of Australian and American crime fiction, look no further than River of Salt. ...more
'The world is mired in lies, chaos and darkness, mate.'...'You're a bringer of truth, order and light.'
'Not any more, I've had enough.'
The fourth book'The world is mired in lies, chaos and darkness, mate.'...'You're a bringer of truth, order and light.'
'Not any more, I've had enough.'
The fourth book in the Cato Kwong crime series goes beyond the thin blue line of crime fiction and delves deep into the personal lives of its characters to provide not only a well written police procedural, but a book that humanizes the darker elements unlawful acts have on those who serve and protect as well as their loved ones.
Immediately the thing that sticks out about Heaven Sent is the connection the author has with the characters who traverse the streets of Fremantle, Western Australia, on either side of the law; Kwong is complex and not without his flaws. He's instantly likable and a well defined character, his actions often to the detriment of his family but the betterment of the Fremantle public. While, the elusive murderer who taunts police in a macabre game of cat and mouse is omnipresent, growing more dramatic and menacing with each chapter.
The place-setting and pacing are on point, with each murder adding a notch of intensity to Kwong's plight; take down the serial killer who targets the homeless and taunts the police.
Throw in an interesting journalistic angle and some beefy side plots and Heaven Sent becomes one meaty read that doesn't disappoint.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Despite being the fourth book in the series, Heaven Sent is easily accessible to new readers, that said, I definitely want to check out the earlier books given how much I enjoyed this one. Highly recommend....more
'Us Walkers've got secrets an' lies in our blood. I'm not sayin' that's a good thing or a bad thing, it's just how we are. We keep things close...
'You'Us Walkers've got secrets an' lies in our blood. I'm not sayin' that's a good thing or a bad thing, it's just how we are. We keep things close...
'You're the last one... The last one, an' the first one not caught up in the secrets an' lies...At least not till now.'
The Valley is a multi generation epic seeded in blood spilled and seeped into an unforgiving land and then shrouded in secrecy.
Set predominately in Western Australia's Kimberley region, They Valley tells a powerful story of family, love, loss, and what it means to find yourself.
For Two Bob Walker, the son of a white man and Aboriginal woman his land and family are everything, but secrets have haunted him for a generation or more.
When his son in-law Andy and Grandson Dancer find there way back to him from the big smoke, the ghosts in the closet unearth a painful past.
Distinctly Australian, The Valley is part family drama, part crime and all journey and discovery, full of unique characters and an underlying tension that tightens and tightens until a story from Two Bob releases it all.
Note. I recommended reading The Valley in paperback to easily access the frequently-flipped to Family Tree, which was useful in the early and middle stages of the book....more
The docu-drama sub genre of crime fiction is really starting to take off and Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson gives AuA thriller with a killer ending.
The docu-drama sub genre of crime fiction is really starting to take off and Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson gives Aussies readers a taste of the local flavor.
When documentary film maker Jack Quick gets his 15 minutes of fame by assisting in overturning a flimsy guilty conviction of winemaker, Curtis Wade, for the murder of grape-picker Eliza Dacey, he had no idea the fame and spotlight would turn his life upside down.
Questions later arise as to Curtis' innocence following another murder with a similar MO shortly after his release which sparks renewed interest in the Eliza Dacey murder.
The constant whodunit guessing game throughout is well written and executed. I certainly didn't pick the perp and was surprised by the extra level of depth written into the ending too.
I enjoyed the small town setting, where vineyards ripen the community, or poison them as is the case here.
My rating: 4/5, I didn't see the twists coming, I only wish they got there sooner. The distinctly Australian feel is a bonus. A must for fans of true-crime TV shows and podcasts....more
In the second installment in the Darren Glass crime series, the Federal Police Detective is teamed up with a high ranking Naval intelligence officer tIn the second installment in the Darren Glass crime series, the Federal Police Detective is teamed up with a high ranking Naval intelligence officer to investigate the murder of a young Aboriginal woman found on a beach at Jervis Bay and the disappearance of a sailor from a nearby Navy outpost.
From the outset, the murder is suspicious, not only because of the heinous nature of the crime but due to the mystery surrounding the Navy's interest in the case and how the two interlink.
Author Peter Cotton goes to great lengths to establish an interesting character dynamic between Glass and his 'Navy minder', even more so when the action heats up and the two become involved in a high octane fight for survival with outlaw bikers, radicals, and terrorists.
Speaking of action, there are passages in Dead Heat which would rival the best thrillers; engrossing, additive and completely absorbing. There's a couple in particular which stand out involving some night time high-speed madness on the dusty outback roads and another involving a terrifying shark encounter - great stuff.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars. I love Australian crime fiction and Dead Heat fits the bill nicely. I did find the plot meandering at times and some of the drawn-out suspense a tad irksome but overall I enjoyed reading the long awaited follow-up to Dead Cat Bounce....more
Retribution is a blue-blooded rural crime novel which envelopes the reader in a dust encrusted film of Australia's outback dirt, complete with all theRetribution is a blue-blooded rural crime novel which envelopes the reader in a dust encrusted film of Australia's outback dirt, complete with all the crime-caused-grit you'd expect from the genre.
Graeme Sweetapple is a farmer who makes his living by stealing cattle and on-selling them. He also puts in some honest labor at the Stratham farm, tending their to horses and later, teaching Caroline, a former politician and wife to mining magnate Bob, how to ride. Who would've thought it would be Sweetapple's law abiding occupation which leads him down a pitch black hole he's unable to climb out of?
Retribution is a well balanced and entertaining crime novel set in the vast outback where horses, water and cattle, are among the most valuable community commodities. Coupled with greed, power, and a thirst for vengeance, the novel turns an unlikely anti-hero into a voice of power and reason through a feel-good narrative and a prolonged form of justice.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Great characters, a distinct Australian rural feel and a compelling plot makes Retribution one of my favorite crime fiction novels of the year. Highly recommend. ...more
The first Australian book in the Akashic Noir series, Sydney Noir, envelopes the reader in a shroud of criminal activity, where in that blackness beatThe first Australian book in the Akashic Noir series, Sydney Noir, envelopes the reader in a shroud of criminal activity, where in that blackness beats the dark hearts of men and women prone to violence, and are well versed in deceit to aide their deadly deeds.
Spread across Sydney city and its surroundings, Sydney Noir brings murder to the doorsteps of Balmain, Redfern, Newtown, and even the iconic Sydney Harbor and more through a delectable dish of diverse stories encompassing family drama and murder in The Birthday Present by Mandy Sayer, drug abuse and the brutal consequences of over indulgence in Black Cul-De-Sac by Phillip McLaren, and the perils of love and lust in Leigh Redhead's scary-good short story The Transmutation of Sex.
The anthology is a celebration of Aussie crime, with authors slicing up the Sydney city crime dominion into chewy, bloody morsels of fiction each just as mouth watering as the last.
Some of my favorites include the aforementioned Black Cul-De-Sac by Phillip McLaren, The Transmutation of Sex by Leigh Redhead as well as cleverly written The Passenger by Kirsten Tranter, The Patternmaker by Julie Koh, and the patient payoff in the aptly titled Slow Burn by Gabrielle Lord to name a few, but really, you could throw a dart at any of the stories in this collection and be impressed.
My rating: 5/5 stars. It's great to see the Noir anthology make landfall in Australia. Sydney, with Kings Cross as its heart is a perfect destination for this anthology. Highly recommended.
Pre-review warning - do not read any further unless you have read Never Never and Fifty Fifty...
Still with me?
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My Review:
The third installment inPre-review warning - do not read any further unless you have read Never Never and Fifty Fifty...
Still with me?
Ok...
My Review:
The third installment in the Detective Harriet Blue series sees the former sex crimes detective living on the lam in pursuit of her brothers killer.
Regan Banks has taken everything from Harriet that she loved. Having grown up being bounced from foster home to foster home during her formative years; a result of being a difficult and somewhat dangerous child, the bond she shared with her brother, Sam, has been severed forcing Harriet to go rogue, turning her back on law enforcement and friends alike in a bid to fuel her thirst for vengeance.
Unlike Never Never and Fifty Fifty, Liar Liar doesn't have the same rural Australian crime fiction feel to it given that the place-setting is largely metropolitan but that doesn't detract from the continuity nor the pop culture thrills Patterson is renowned; the Candice Fox stamp is well entrenched in this story and Liar Liar is all the better for it.
The thing that really stands out for me is the ending as is set an interesting new direction for the series.
My rating: 3.5 stats. Liar Liar sets a new direction for the series while providing the supporting cast of characters with enough depth and connection to the protagonist to maintain a number of future installments. ...more
The follow-up to 2017's Crimson Lake is just as good as, if not better than the original - and that's saying something.
A murder with robbery as motivThe follow-up to 2017's Crimson Lake is just as good as, if not better than the original - and that's saying something.
A murder with robbery as motive - or something more sinister? Once you peal back the velvet curtain of secrecy, you can't un-see what lurks behind...
Redemption Point reunites readers with the unconventional tropical Queensland Private Detective's in Amanda Pharrell and Ted Conkaffey who have been asked to look into a case involving the grisly murder of two people in a pub.
A hefty portion of the book is dedicated to the fallout of Ted's wrongfully accused abduction of a 13 year old which not only cost him his family, but his job and friends. Despite being loaded with emotional baggage, the story never feels weighted down and speeds through at a somewhat frenetic pace as the plot threads weave in and out of one another towards a criminally-good climax.
The Queensland place-setting really comes into play with author Candice Fox doing a great job at creating a distinct tropical Australian feel full of humidity, horror, and heinous crime.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Two for two - this dynamic duo is fast becoming one of my favorite private detective combos....more
Sydney Vice Detective Harriet Blue once again finds herself on the outskirts of civilisation after assaulting the lawyer who is prosecuting the murderSydney Vice Detective Harriet Blue once again finds herself on the outskirts of civilisation after assaulting the lawyer who is prosecuting the murder/kidnapping case against her brother Sam. Banished to the small community in regional NSW of Last Chance Valley she’s thrust into a violent case which threatens to cripple the 75-strong population.
There’s a terror plot, gold digging schemes, isolation driven paranoia and a group think which leads to all manner of drama for Blue, who, while dealing with her own inner demons from a fractured childhood, also contends with the deadly Australian desert.
Despite being the second (3rd if you include the bookshot) book in the Harriet Blue series, it reads perfectly well as a standalone. A great thing about this book is that there is always something happening – be it Harriet’s case or the case against her brother.
My rating: 5/5 stars, better than Never Never which was also a very good read set in a mining town in the West Australian outback. I can’t wait to read the next installment. ...more
When you're touched by evil, it leaves deep within you a trace like some dormant virus waiting to be reactivated into full-blown dead.
In 1999 and 200When you're touched by evil, it leaves deep within you a trace like some dormant virus waiting to be reactivated into full-blown dead.
In 1999 and 2000, three young women go missing on separate occasions, last seen leaving a nightclub in the Perth suburb of Claremont. With the police not making any headway in the investigations, one of the families contacts renowned private investigator Snowy Lane for help.
Clear to the Horizon is distinctly Australian, loaded with local colloquialisms and locales. The outback features prominently bringing the dusty and dangerous isolation that comes with it into the urban landscape in which the elusive kidnapper terrorizes young women.
This book reads as a tale of two stories; the earlier one centered around the missing women and Snowy Lane's case, with the second featuring a mining mogul's missing daughter in which Snowy is also brought in to investigate, this one is set some 17 years later. Both cases collide in great fashion as the lengthy cat and mouse hunt comes full circle.
I really enjoyed Clear to the Horizon; the Aussie feel is great, the colorful language, similes and sense of mateship between PI and police force are a joy to read.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Whilst Clear to the Horizon features characters from previously books written by Dave Warner, this one reads perfectly well as a standalone, though I am keen to check out City of Light, the preceding book featuring Snowy Lane....more
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