Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 18 October 2018.
My Rating:
Tag: Murder Mystery
Murder Mile by Lynda La Plante
Publisher: Zaffre
Publication Date – 23 August 2018
One of English crime fiction’s most distinctive voices, Lynda La Plante, returns with her iconic female detective, Jane Tennison, for another dark and shocking case.
In February 1979, recently promoted Detective Sergeant Jane Tennison has been posted to Peckham CID, one of the toughest beats in all of London. Previously known as the Golden Mile due to its well-to-do shopping areas, the area is now in decline, a fact not helped by the garbage strikes besetting the entire city, ensuring that the entire area is covered rubbish and filth.
When the body of a young woman is found in the heart of Peckham, Jane and her team must investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. But when another body is found nearby, the possibility of a serial killer raises all sorts of problems. The media scrutinise the case and rename the area Murder Mile. Even worse, the second victim’s son is well connected, and several important people want the matter dealt with quickly.
As more bodies are uncovered, Tennison must use all of her investigative ability to uncover this dark murderer, while also dealing with the police force’s inherent sexism and disregard for her talent that she has dealt with her entire career. Can Tennison catch this killer, or will they find a terrible and unexpected way to win?
Lynda La Plante is a talented author and screenwriter responsible for several hit British crime series and movies. She achieved early success with the 1983 television series, Widows, which has been adapted into a major motion picture set to be released in November this year. Other successful shows that La Plante has created include Trial and Retribution and Above Suspicion, with nearly all of her books having been either adapted into screenplays or inspired by one of her televisions shows. Murder Mile is the fourth book in her Jane Tennison series, which serves as a prequel series to one of La Plante’s most successful and iconic shows, Prime Suspect, which features Helen Mirren as an older Jane Tennison. The first book in this prequel series, Tennison, also served as the basis for the short-lived prequel television series Prime Suspect 1973.
Murder Mile features a dark and disturbing mystery that serves as the central focus of this book. The protagonist must investigate a series of murders spread out among the dilapidated Peckham area. La Plante has created an intriguing and compelling investigation storyline as Tennison and her team follow a series of promising leads across Peckham and the rest of London, finding clues in a variety of places, as well as several other bodies. While the majority of the book leading up the conclusion of the story and the solution of the mystery is captivating in its own right, the best part of the book has to be its chilling conclusion. Not only is the revealed antagonist a despicable creature, but the way in which they attempt to manipulate Jane and the rest of the police characters is just plain creepy. The conclusion of the story and the ultimate reveal of the antagonist’s last actions are particularly shocking in their execution and extent. Worse, both the reader and the protagonist can see that the villain is planning something, but you just cannot predict the terrible lengths they will go to win and spite the police. This memorable conclusion serves as the perfect end to this dark and powerful story and represents some excellent writing from La Plante.
This story is set in 1970s London, and the author does a fantastic job bringing this iconic city to life during a period of economic downturn. There is a certain gloom around the city, especially in Peckham, where the majority of the book’s investigation takes place. The plot of Murder Mile is set during the infamous Winter of Discontent, a period of strikes and financial uncertainty that hit the country during 1978 and 1979. There are several discussions about the situation from the characters and it is interesting to see a fictional perspective of this part of England’s recent history. In addition, some of the physical effects of the ‘Winter of Discontent’ have some significant impacts on the case. During January and February 1979, the waste collectors of London were on strike, resulting in a build-up of rubbish throughout the city. As a result, many of the scenes set in the city feature streets strewn with garbage and littered with filth and rats. La Plante also examines the parks that were filled with rubbish by London authorities as a stopgap measure for this situation. This becomes particularly important in the story, as the police discover a dismembered body in one of these parks as the murderer attempted to utilise the situation for their own ends. The author has also cleverly highlighted the police techniques and technologies that would have been available during the time. Overall, La Plante has made full use of this chaotic period in Murder Mile, and readers will enjoy her vivid descriptions of these events.
In addition to the general descriptions of 1970s England, one of the key features of La Plante’s latest book is an examination of the inherent sexism in the London police force. Jane as a Detective Sergeant must continue to fight to gain respect from her co-workers. In Murder Mile she is constantly talked down to by her superiors, deals with disrespectful comments from the rank-and-file police, and must also deal with having her authority undercut by colleagues she considers to be her friends as they step in quickly to defend her. It is infuriating to see how senior police ignore Tennison’s detective work and observations, especially as she is right most of the time. This sexism also requires Tennison to act in a more maverick way, as her frustrations force her to work outside the main police investigation in order to prove herself – a decision that will have significant impacts on her life and career.
While the portrayal of sexism mentioned above has been used in all of the books of the Jane Tennison series, in Murder Mile La Plante has chosen to also focus on police homophobia and how it affects the investigation. The police homophobia is quite prevalent throughout the series, especially when one of the suspects is revealed to be gay. The police response to this is extreme, as several of the characters are quite hostile to this suspect and his relatives, alienating potentially helpful people in the investigation. In addition, there is the stupid assumption that all homosexual males were automatically paedophiles, and this sends the investigation into several biased directions. Tennison and several of the other characters attempt to change the minds of their colleagues, often without much success. In addition, one of the more approachable and capable members of the police team is revealed to be homosexual in this book, which serves as a good counterpoint to the more old school and homophobic cops. Overall, this is an intense and important part of the story, and it is intriguing to see how these old biases would likely have affected cases in the past.
Crime legend Lynda La Plante returns in fantastic form with Murder Mile, an exciting continuation of her Prime Suspect prequel series. Featuring some deep and powerful examinations of the 1970s London police force, this absorbing mystery takes its readers to the edge of darkness and beyond. Featuring an incredibly dark and unforgettable ending, Murder Mile is another exceptional release from La Plante and a highly recommend piece of crime fiction.
My Rating:
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Publication Date – 3 September 2018
From debuting Australian author Benjamin Stevenson comes this chilling and intelligent murder mystery that builds a thrilling case with some sensational twists around an intriguing true crime documentary plot device.
Four years ago, in the small Australian country town of Birravale, Curtis Wade was arrested and tried for the murder of young woman Eliza Dacey. Hated by the entire town and viewed as an outsider, Curtis was quickly found guilty of the crime with very little evidence presented at the trial. Everyone was convinced of Curtis’ guilt until podcaster and documentarian Jack Quick decided to get involved.
Noting some inconsistencies in the case and sensing an opportunity for fame, Jack decided to make a true crime documentary series, presenting the local police as incompetent and biased. His series becomes an overnight hit across Australia, and his edited footage convinces many in the country of Curtis’s innocence. But the night before the finale is due to air, Jack notices a piece of crucial evidence near the murder scene that could prove that Curtis is guilty after all. Determined not to ruin his series, and convinced that no matter what happens Curtis will never see the light of day again, he disposes of the evidence. However, thanks to his series, Curtis is released on retrial, and then a second murder is committed, with several grisly details of the first case replicated. Has Jack just let a murderer go free?
Returning to Birravale, Jack must once again dive into the secrets of a town that hates him for the way his show portrayed them. As Jack attempts to solve this crime, he must overcome his own past while also dealing with the guilt of the situation. But did Curtis commit this new crime, or is he being framed by the real killer? Whoever the murderer is, Jack is wrapped up in their game and for once he needs to reveal the whole truth.
Greenlight is the first novel from Australian comedian and author Benjamin Stevenson and represents a brilliant and exhilarating debut. This book has an amazing central storyline with a massively intriguing mystery that focuses on the innocence or guilt of the man who has already been both convicted and found innocent of the same murder. The protagonist must look at whether the person he released from jail committed the murder he was originally convicted of, as well as a second, similar murder that occurred after the suspect has been released. The reader is constantly left guessing about whether the prime suspect, Curtis, has committed either or both of the crimes, or whether he is actually innocent. At the same time, the reader is presented with a series of plausible alternative suspects who have motive for either of the murders or, in some cases, the same motive for both of the killings, and this creates some exciting doubt about the original suspect’s guilt. The final reveals and twists of this case are rather shocking and will definitely provide the readers with some excellent surprises. Stevenson does a good job providing a lot of hints and foreshadowing in his text, and readers will enjoy seeing how these cleverly scattered clues are brought together in the end. Overall, this is a hell of a mystery and the author does a fantastic job tying the investigation into the book’s other elements.
One of the most noticeable and outstanding parts of Greenlight is its true crime elements and how this affects both the story and the way that the book is written. Ever since the dramatic popularity of the 2015 Netflix true crime show, Making a Murderer, various books and shows have attempted to emulate the documentary setting in their works. What I liked about Stevenson’s book was that, rather than dealing with the creation of the documentary, it is mostly set some months after the television series was released and instead takes a look at the consequences that the show has had. Not only is a potential murderer released, but various lives and careers have been ruined as a result of the protagonist’s actions. It is absolutely fascinating to see the various ways that the reaction and follow-up of the true crime television series comes into play through the story. The protagonist has to deal with a series of characters who are annoyed or angry about their portrayal in the series, which informs the help, assistance or compassion that these characters give. The success of the series also affects the police response, leaving the protagonist much more open to investigate the crime. It is also intriguing to see a television show being used as a motive for murder throughout the book, as the second murder could potentially be tied into righting the wrongs that the show caused. Stevenson covers all these elements incredibly well, and the examination of the consequences and damages of a successful true crime documentary series turns out to be the perfect backdrop for this captivating murder story.
On top of the powerful mystery and the terrific plot focus, Stevenson has also created an interesting central protagonist who serves as the point of view character for most of the book. The main character, Jack, is the documentarian who makes the show that gets the mystery’s main suspect freed from jail. Watching the guilt and shame that this character experiences as a result of his various actions, such as the creation of the show, tampering with evidence and editing the videos to tell a specific story, is a great part of this story, and it serves as a perfect motivation for this character’s continued and at times frantic investigation. Watching the character understand the full extent of his questionable actions, especially after the second murder, is an outstanding part of this book that highlights Stevenson’s strong writing ability. It is also interesting to see how his experiences creating a documentary have affected his judgement and the way he perceives the world. The protagonist now sees the slanted way many of the characters talk when it comes to case, and he is constantly trying to determine what role the people who are involved in the case would have in a television show, such as a main character or a supporting cast member. The author also creates some interesting character background for Jack that works well with this story, as guilt and trauma from his childhood combines with the current extreme blame and he is currently feeling. Stevenson also produces an accurate and powerful description of an eating disorder that Jack is suffering from, and not only is this description respectful done and informative, but it adds another level to this excellent main character.
A large amount of Greenlight’s plot is set in the fictional small, winegrowing country town of Birravale in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales. This serves as a great background setting for the murder investigation as the small town secrets and attitudes play a huge role in the overall mystery. Stevenson does an amazing job portraying a winegrowing community, and provides some interesting details that come into play in a number of ways and often result in a number of potential murder motives. The small-town setting also works well with the post true crime series plot element, as the protagonist encounters an entire town that has been portrayed in a negative light throughout this series and is viewed in a different way by the rest of the country. Seeing these resultant attitudes and the impacts his series has had on the town works wonders for the main character and is a great part of this book.
In his debuting novel, Australian author Benjamin Stevenson has created an incredibly captivating mystery storyline. Greenlight contains a number of outstanding elements, from shocking plot twists and reveals, an excellent central character and an utterly fascinating central plot device, all of which come together into one amazing novel. This is an exceptional first book from Stevenson which highlights both his fantastic ability and his huge potential as a crime writer.
My Rating:
#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil
Publisher: Freeform Books
Australian Publication Date – 25 September 2018
World Publication Date – 7 August 2018
From one of young adult fiction’s most thrilling authors comes a dark and captivating story of death and madness that is really going to trend online.
When seventeen-year-old Dee Guerrera awakens in a strange room dressed in a princess outfit, she knows she is about to be executed on live TV. Falsely convicted of the murder of her stepsister, Dee has been sentenced to die on Alcatraz 2.0, America’s most popular reality television show. Created by a mysterious television producer known only as The Postman, Alcatraz 2.0 is an island prison where America’s most notorious inmates are hunted down by a series of flamboyant and beloved executioners.
So when Dee comes face to face with one of these killers, she’s supposed to run into his murder room and suffer a terrible death for the entertainment of the masses. However, Dee has other plans, and goes off script in a major way. Her actions will make her the most notorious girl in the world and move her to the top of every executioner’s kill list. Teaming up with a posse of other teenage inmates, Dee needs to quickly learn the rules of this island and figure out a way to avoid being picked off by the psychopaths stalking her. Can Dee and her new friends, the Death Row Breakfast Club, stay alive long enough to prove Dee’s innocence? A ghost from her past is haunting her, and Dee doesn’t have much time before her execution goes viral.
Gretchen McNeil is an experienced young adult fiction writer, whose previous work includes several books aimed at the older teen audience. These include the horror suspense book Ten, the supernatural thriller Possess and teen murder mystery series Don’t Get Mad. #MurderTrending is the seventh book from McNeil, and it follows in a similar vein to her previous books, with teenage protagonists fighting against a dark, murderous force. #MurderTrending is an extremely fast-paced and crazy read that proves to be very entertaining, and is the first part of McNeil’s MurderTrending series. A second book in this series has already been announced and #MurderFunding will be released next August, with an interesting-sounding connection to the first book.
The concept of a group of people being hunted or pitted against each other in an isolated area with the whole world watching is an idea that has been utilised many times before. Movies and shows such as The Condemned, Death Race, Battle Royale, Dead Man Wonderland and The Hunger Games have all used this concept in one way or another. I personally think that the plot of #MurderTrending is very similar to The Running Man, with eccentrically dressed hunters chasing after criminals, although it is easy to build a connection between this book and The Hunger Games due to the focus on teenagers. I think that the author is very aware of these previous movies, as not only does the main character mention The Hunger Games within the book, but one of the other protagonists continually quotes old action movies, including several Arnold Schwarzenegger classics. While this plot device has been used before, McNeil introduces some new elements, while also doubling down on the concept by making his killers and their executions as crazy and over the top as possible. The killers in particular are extremely eccentric and include among others, an explosive orientated hipster, two murderous twins, a fashionista with some deadly accessories and a Prince Charming stand-in who hunts girls dressed as princesses through a trap-filled maze while brandishing an oversized cake knife. As a result, this version of the prison reality television show is particularly amusing, and the over-the-top kills sometimes come across as more humorous than sinister.
While the overarching plot premise of an island prison has been used before, McNeil cleverly enhances this story with some great imitation of the current social media and internet communities. The entire adventure is being livestreamed to the outside world, and is considered to be the most popular form of entertainment in America. As a result, the world is constantly talking about the murders on social media, and the author has included sections of a number of fictional forums at the end of several chapters, where various online personalities talk about the events in a number of ways. This includes praise for the inventive kills, requests, opinions on the various inmates, conspiracy theories and competitions to make the most viral #. These are particularly intriguing and compelling inclusions that also add a bit of realism to the story, as the reader can easily imagine that social media activity like this would totally happen in a dystopian world where executions are streamed as a form of entertainment. In addition to all the discussion and use of social media in the story, the protagonist also talks about the various internet fandoms, fan clubs, gambling, merchandise, shipping, fan theories, fan fiction and message boards that have formed up around Alcatraz 2.0. This is again a fascinating inclusion, with a smack of predictive realism to it, and I utterly loved McNeil’s inventive and modern inclusions around the classic murder prison/reality show concept. It also sounds like this concept will become a major part of the next book in the series, and I am very keen to see how that turns out.
I thought that the overall story for this book was very well done and created an intriguing and entertaining narrative that was really easy to enjoy. In addition to her ingenious use of the overarching plot device and setting, McNeil has also created a compelling and thrilling story that is filled with a number of great twists and intense scenes where the book’s fun characters are put into real peril. While the reveal of the final boss is strongly tied into the character’s past, and isn’t too shocking, how that character gets there is fairly clever, and the twist about the mastermind of the island was pretty surprising. While the ease with which the protagonist was able to defeat some of the infamous murderers who served as secondary antagonists at the end of the book is a bit unbelievable, I did find myself really hooked on this great story, and I powered through the book to find out how it was going to end.
#MurderTrending is marketed towards a young adult audience, and it’s the sort of amusing and crazy book I would have enjoyed when I was younger. Due to the large amount of violence and pretty graphic killings, I would suggest that this book is probably more appropriate for an older teenage audience, but based on today’s standards it’s really not too bad. Out of all the potential readers, the older teenage audience will probably enjoy McNeil’s use of social media and internet cultures the most, as they will be able to relate to the characters and fandom subculture of the people posting on social media within the book. This is one of those young adult books that would really appeal to older readers, and I would really recommend this to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable and over-the-top read.
Gretchen McNeil is once again at top form as she presents a bloody and action-packed young adult adventure. Featuring a fun and unrestrained take on a classic fictional plot device and some very ingenious use of current social media and internet trends, this extremely entertaining story is a fantastic read for both teenagers and older readers alike. #MurderTrending is one of the craziest reads of 2018, and I cannot wait to see what insanity McNeil brings to her next adventure.
My Rating:
A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss
Publisher: Raven Books
Publication Date – 28 June 2018
From Lynne Truss, one of England’s most creative minds, comes A Shot in the Dark, a hilarious take on the historical murder mystery that sets three fantastic and exaggerated police characters against a sinister and surprising criminal mastermind.
Brighton, 1957. Following a terrible massacre that saw the death of every member of two rival gangs some years before, the city of Brighton is now clear of all crime. At least, that’s what Inspector Steine believes, and, as he is the famous and inspirational police detective whose actions allowed the eradication of these vicious gangs, that’s what the rest of the Brighton Constabulary believe as well. Unfortunately for everyone, Inspector Steine is nowhere near as smart as he thinks he is. Despite all the evidence, he simply refuses to believe the theory of his long suffering ‘bagman’ Sergeant Brunswick that a mysterious third crime boss organised the massacre and is currently running crime in Brighton.
So when the young, keen and exceedingly annoying Constable Twitten arrives in Brighton and starts investigating a series of burglaries, Steine is particularly aggrieved. Despite Steine’s insistence that Brighton’s criminal element is no more, Twitten seems determined to find criminal activity – and he does. The opening night of a new controversial play is unfortunately ruined when the opinionated and unpleasant film critic that Twitten is sitting next to is shot in the head. Finally a crime that even Steine can’t ignore.
Who could have wanted the critic dead? Is his death due to the multiple plays and productions that his reviews have destroyed? Or is it perhaps related to a bank robbery that the critic witnessed many years ago, and that Steine failed to solve. As Twitten and Brunswick start their investigation and Steine provides his own special brand of ‘help’, a second body is found. As the case continues, Brighton’s newest constable is about to uncover a dark secret about his city and the sinister figure manipulating everything behind the scenes.
Truss is a highly talented writer, author and radio personality who has produced a huge range of different works, including the non-fiction book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Truss has also created several other fictional and non-fictional books, as well as a number of popular radio series. A Shot in the Dark is Truss’s fifth fiction novel and is the first book in her Constable Twitten Mystery series.
One of the most interesting features of A Shot in the Dark is that it is actually a novelisation of Truss’s popular radio comedy drama series, Inspector Steine, which ran between 2007 and 2013 and starred the inimitable Michael Fenton-Stevens. This is a great introduction to the franchise that will have a massive amount of appeal both to fans of the radio show and people who are unfamiliar with this great comedy series. Rather than being a simple write-up of one of the Inspector Steine episodes, A Shot in the Dark is a combination of several different episodes, containing plot elements from various seasons of the show’s run. In particular, it contains components borrowed from the series one episodes While the Sun Shines, Separate Tales and The Deep Blue Sea, the series two episode The Entertainer, and the series three episode While the Sun Shines. As a result of this combination, people unfamiliar with this series get to experience several of the radio show’s best stories and plot points in their first outing. On the other hand, fans of the radio series get a completely new adventure that re-imagines Constable Twitten’s early days at Brighton. Storylines listeners may be familiar with have been altered in some new and substantial ways to create a fun and excellent combination of some key stories in the series.
In the original Inspector Steine series, Truss created some amazing characters who are not only terrific by themselves but who played off each other extremely well. The author has done an amazing job transplanting these characters into a completely different format. The three main characters are Inspector Steine, Constable Twitten and Sergeant Brunswick. Inspector Steine is your classic self-important senior management figure who thinks they are so much smarter than they actually are. Steine is extremely self-absorbed and very easily manipulated, but ultimately well meaning, given he is completely convinced that all the crime in Brighton was erased years ago as a result of his brilliant actions. Twitten, on the other hand, is actually as smart as he thinks and has no trouble letting everyone he meets know it. His clever investigative work is capable of solving the crime, but his cleverdick attitude ensures that no-one, especially Inspector Steine, will actually listen to him. Sergeant Brunswick plays straight man to both of his colleagues, and seems to be the middle ground between these two extreme personalities. However, while he is a competent investigator, he is also easily manipulated, and fails to see that his brilliant plans to go undercover on every case are hampered by the fact that all of Brighton’s criminals already know who his is. These three are all extreme examples of some of the classic police characters. In a normal piece of crime fiction, these three characters work well together (think Endeavour for example), but in A Shot in the Dark they bring out the worst in each other and combine together for great comedic value.
While the three police characters are excellently used and a whole lot of fun by themselves, special mention needs to be given to the brilliant antagonist of this story. Whiles fans of the radio series will not be surprised about their identity, I will try to avoid revealing too much in order not to ruin the surprise for any new readers. That being said, this character is an excellent villain who is able to manipulate the three police characters in some suitably comedic ways. The various and often quite unsubtle ways in which this villain manoeuvres the protagonists in A Shot in the Dark is absolutely hilarious, especially when their ridiculous plots actually work. New readers will have a fantastic time finding out who this character is and how they’ve gotten away with their crimes, while fans of the radio series will love seeing this outstanding antagonist in all their criminal glory once again.
A Shot in the Dark contains a fantastic story that expertly combines a clever murder mystery with hilarious comedy elements. As mentioned above, due to main characters’ various shortcomings and the devious nature of the villain, this is not your standard criminal investigation. The protagonists have to deal with some absurd situations as well as various unusual plans to stop them solving the case. That being said, the police do perform an investigation and the truth of the various crimes are eventually uncovered, although again without the standard solution crime fiction readers would be used to. The crime elements are compelling and there is a really interesting mystery contained within this book, with some imaginative twists leading up to the conclusion. In addition, the two murders are connected together in some clever ways, and the overarching conspiracy about Brighton is particularly intriguing. While the book contains some gripping mystery elements, it is a comedy at heart; there are some really amazing comedy elements, including some great sequences that really cracked me up. In addition to the shenanigans of the main characters, there are a range of other eccentric characters throughout the book that provide some fun moments of comic relief with their antics. These elements come together perfectly, and it is incredibly fun watching all attempts at a serious investigation get disrupted in various silly ways.
Truss set the Inspector Steine series within Brighton in the early 1950s. While this would already be an interesting setting, the author has amped this up by using elements from the classic crime novel and movie, Brighton Rock. Truss has stated that her series is based on captions at the start of the 1948 movie which declared that Brighton went from a crime hub between the two World Wars to an area completely free of criminals and corruption by the 1950s. While many people would be somewhat suspicious of such a statement, the Inspector Steine series is based on the idea that a member of the police actually believed this and acted accordingly. As a result, the whole city has, on the surface, a wholesome family atmosphere. That makes the crime hiding underneath a lot more fun to see, especially as the criminals really don’t need to do too much to disguise their activities, secure in Steine’s blissful ignorance. In addition, fans of the crime classic may be interested to know that there are a number of elements from Brighton Rock that play a key part in the story. As both the book and the movie exist within the Inspector Steine universe, Inspector Steine actually blames the events of this book on Graham Greene, the original author of Brighton Rock (a sentiment shared by Truss). In addition, various characters within A Shot in the Dark are obsessed with the events of the classic crime book, and many locations from the Brighton Rock book and movie become major plot settings in the story. In particular, there are several sequences based around one certain murder from the movie that results in some very entertaining scenes. Overall, this is a great setting for this excellent comedy-mystery hybrid, which also has some fantastic tie-ins to a classic post-war crime novel.
Lynne Truss delivers an extremely fun and very entertaining adaption of her popular Inspector Steine radio series with A Shot in the Dark. Featuring all of the exceptional characters that were a standout feature of the original series, A Shot in the Dark is an excellent piece of comedy that also contains some intriguing mystery elements and a unique settings with ties to the crime classic Brighton Rock. This five-star book comes highly recommended and is guaranteed to leave you laughing for hours. I am already looking forward to the next Constable Twitten Mystery.
My Rating:
Special thanks need to be given to my partner, Alex, who, on top of her usual editorial expertise for my reviews, happens to be a geek for BBC Radio 4 comedies and was able to help me properly analyse A Shot in the Dark without spoiling the identity of Brighton’s greatest criminal mastermind.
Throwback Thursday: Canberra Weekly Column – Fantasy Crime
Reviewed as part of my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 28 September 2017.
Paradox by Catherine Coulter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date – 31 July 2018
Those looking for an intense and stimulating piece of crime fiction should look no further than the new book in the long-running FBI Thriller series, Paradox, which combines a clever murder mystery with a dark psychological thriller.
FBI Agents Sherlock and Savich wake up to their worst nightmare: an armed man in their son’s bedroom. Only just managing to foil the potential kidnapping, Sherlock and Savich are confronted by the terrible fact that their son is being targeted by someone trying to get to them. A few days later, in the small town of Willicott, Maryland, Police Chief Ty Christie witnesses a murder on the lake from the deck of her house. Both of these crimes are connected to an escaped prisoner from a mental institution and a terrifying ghost from Sherlock and Savich’s past. Things get more complicated when the lake is dredged for the victim’s body and a surprise discovery is made: the skeletal remains of several bodies that have been lying on the lake bed for years. As the FBI is called in to investigate, Ty must face the disturbing reality that her home may have been used as the dumping ground for a serial killer.
Splitting their attentions between the two cases, Sherlock and Savich hunt for a deranged killer with a serious grudge against them, but are they prepared for just how crazy their quarry is? At the same time, Ty and her new FBI partner, Sala Porto, start to investigate the recovered bodies. A distinctive belt buckle may prove to be their best lead, but this discovery will have some unexpected consequences in another small town. How are these cases connected, and what devastating secrets will be uncovered as a result?
Coulter is an extremely prolific author, having written a huge number of books since her 1981 debut. Paradox is the 22nd book in Coulter’s long-running FBI Thriller series, which has been published annually since 1996, with only one gap in 2006. The FBI Thriller series follows the investigation of a wide range of mysteries and crimes by members of the FBI, with many of the featured characters recurring through the various books. At the same time, Coulter has co-written the A Brit in the FBI books with J. T. Ellison. A Brit in the FBI is a sister series to the FBI Thriller franchise, which features several characters from the original series and already contains five books, including the 2018 release The Sixth Day.
Before this book, I had not read any of the other entries in the FBI Thriller series, and I was a little worried I might have trouble following the story of Paradox as a result. However, I was pleasantly surprised about how easily it was for me to jump into the plot of this book and enjoy the intriguing mysteries planted within. It is important to note that a significant part of the story does link back to the 13th entry in the series, Knockout. Coulter does an amazing job summarising all the relevant detail of this previous book and ensuring that the readers of Paradox are well informed of the events that could have an impact on this current case. This book also plays host to a huge range of characters employed by the FBI. While I knew that the main two agents, Sherlock and Savich, have appeared multiple times before as the main protagonists, I was uncertain about how many times any of the other characters may have appeared in previous books in the series. As a result, their inclusion and actions might not have had as much impact on me as they were supposed to, although I don’t think this takes too much away from the story. As a result, while Paradox will be particularly appealing to those readers who have enjoyed the FBI Thriller books before, new readers can easily come into the series at this point and still enjoy this excellent murder mystery.
Paradox’s story is split between two separate investigations, both of which are very different in scope and content. The focus of recurring protagonists, Sherlock and Savich, mainly involves the hunt for a deranged character from their past who is targeting several people he holds a grudge against. In the other storyline, new characters Ty Christie and FBI Agent Sala Porto are investigating the bodies found within the lake, and find themselves on the hunt for a previously undiscovered serial killer. Both cases are exceedingly interesting and offer different things to the reader. The hunt for the fugitive who has committed recent crimes becomes a desperate game of cat and mouse between the investigators and the killer, and both sides have trouble predicting the actions of the other. As a result, this storyline is faster paced and set in a bunch of different locations. This storyline also relies on a darker psychological tone to stand out rather than dramatic twists, although there are a few noteworthy reveals for the reader to keep an eye out for.
The investigation into the bones on the bottom of the lake comes across as a more traditional murder mystery, as the characters associated with this case look at clues, follow evidence and interrogate a range of suspects. This story has a more fixed setting, which mostly focuses on a small town located near the lake, although there are a few detours to other locations. The examination of the connected and trusting nature of a small town is a great feature, as there are quite a few secrets and lies hidden within this friendly setting, as well as quite a few suspicious characters who show an interest in the case. This storyline turns out to contain quite an intricate mystery that contains a huge range of twists and surprises that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The final reveals are quite dramatic and have significant impacts on several characters that are introduced. This is an amazing piece of murder mystery fiction.
While these two storylines are ostensibly separate from each other, there is a bit of crossover between them. The two teams of investigators are constantly in communication with each other, and there are several discussions about their respective cases. In addition, one of the characters who is mainly investigating the bones in the lake, FBI agent Sala Porto, has a significant personal stake in finding the fugitive that Sherlock and Savich are hunting for, as one particular murder the antagonist commits haunts him throughout the book. As a result, he and Ty also meet some people associated with the hunt for the fugitive, and also make a significant break in the case towards the end of the book that adds a whole new dimension to the story. Both storylines are very well written and ensure that the readers get a variety of different elements to entertain and intrigue them.
An interesting feature of Paradox is the way that Coulter tells her story from a huge range of separate viewpoints, which helps create an interesting and unique tone for this book. While a large part of the story is told from the point of view of Ty and the FBI agents Porto, Sherlock and Savich, other characters also tell a substantial part of the story. The book’s main antagonist, the fugitive being pursued by Sherlock and Savich, probably has the next largest point-of-view scenes within the book. These chapters are particularly dark, and the insight into his mind and psyche that result from these scenes are noticeably intense and chilling. It is also fascinating to see the fugitive’s mindset as he tries to attack the people he hates, while at the same time avoid capture by the FBI. Paradox also makes use of a range of other smaller side characters, especially in the storyline where Ty and Porto investigate the bones found in the lake. These viewpoints are often brief, but are usually tied in to the relevant investigation and provide some interesting details about the suspects, as well as provide some background history to the case. There is a lot of extra detail added to some of the periphery characters, as well as a significant amount of discussion especially the relationships and past that some of these minor characters had. This focus on some of the supporting characters contributes a lot to the book’s unique tone, although at times it does feel unnecessary to go into such details.
One of the Paradox’s key highlights is the antagonist Coulter uses for the fugitive killer arc that Sherlock and Savich are investigating. Without going into too much detail, as even mentioning the character’s name may spoil the story for long-term fans of the FBI Thriller series, this antagonist is a fantastic and memorable addition to the story. The chapters focused on this antagonist are excellently written and turn Paradox into a partial psychological thriller, as it examines a rather unhinged character. This character is definitely a stand-out part of this book, and represents a great return from a previous entry in the FBI Thriller series.
The latest book from bestselling author Catherine Coulter, Paradox, is an outstanding piece of modern crime fiction that presents two enthralling crime based storylines that compliment each other, working together to create a highly enjoyable and intriguing overall narrative. Dark, clever and character driven, Paradox is an excellent addition to the long-running FBI Thriller series that will be equally appealing to both long-term fans of the franchise and causal readers looking for a new mystery fix.
My Rating:
Restoration by Angela Slatter
Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books
Publication Date – 9 August 2018
One of the very best authors of Australian crime fantasy returns with another outstanding release in her fast-paced and exceedingly entertaining Verity Fassbinder series.
In a world where the magical beings known as the Weyrd remain hidden from the Normal, non-magical population, Verity Fassbinder is a half-Weyrd, half-human agent for Brisbane’s Weyrd Council and is charged with policing the city’s Weyrd population. However, following an adventure to the underworld, Verity has been forced into the employ of a crazed fallen angel, and must take up his quest to find two secretive artefacts hidden in Brisbane. In order to protect those she loves from her murderous new employer, Verity has sent her family away and resigned her position with the Weyrd Council. Saddled with a murderous Kitsune, Joyce, as a driver and spy, Verity must find a way to recover these mysterious two items without giving ultimate power to the creature holding everything she love hostage.
As if her involuntary quest wasn’t hard enough, Verity is also forced to contend with a myriad of other problems from Brisbane’s Weyrd population. The vengeful sorceress Dusana Nadasy is back in town, determined to kill Verity for the role she played in the death of her family. The angel Tobit is refusing to take Verity’s calls, Weyrd Council politics is seriously starting to annoy her, literal ghosts from her past are haunting her and her friends the Norns have developed strange new powers. Finally, her contact in the Brisbane police, Inspector McIntyre, needs her help investigating a series of desecrated corpses of Normal women found around Brisbane whose bodies show the distinctive impact of Weyrd magic. What Verity does not know is that all of these strange occurrences will play a part in her quest for the fallen angel’s prize and will change her life forever.
Restoration is the third book from Australian author Angela Slatter and represents the third book in her Verity Fassbinder series. Restoration is an exceptional example of the benefits of combining two genres, and contains incredible fantasy and mystery elements blended together into a powerful final narrative set in modern day Brisbane.
Throughout Restoration, Slatter has surrounded her central storyline with an elaborate series of smaller mysteries and adventures, all of which cleverly tie into the protagonist’s hunt for the artefacts. Each of the smaller plot lines and investigations is very interesting, and readers will be amazed about how interlocked the story really is. Those who have read the previous books in the Verity Fassbinder series will also enjoy how Slatter expertly utilises elements and plot lines from the earlier books in the series throughout Restoration. This is a fun feature, and really shows off how much planning and foreshadowing Slatter included in her first two books, as even minor observations and actions from the earlier books have some big impacts in the latest volume. Despite this, Restoration is still an excellent book to come into this series with. The author makes sure all the relevant details of the last two books are fully explained and explored. As a result, new readers will be able to follow everything that is happening within Restoration, while also being tempted to check out the earlier books in this fabulous series. Fans will enjoy how the storylines and side quests come together in the end of the book for a big and exciting confrontation sequence that serves as an epic conclusion to the first three books in the Verity Fassbinder series.
In addition to the book’s strong mysteries, the author has also included a range of enticing fantasy elements for the readers to enjoy. The huge variety of fantasy aspects included within Restoration have been pulled together from a range of different cultural backgrounds. As a result, the book’s protagonist interacts with creatures that have their origins in Greek, Germanic, Norse and Japanese mythologies and culture, as well as the usual ghosts, magic users and generally powered individuals. There are also strong components from the Judeo-Christian religion that play a significant part in the story and which tie in well with the other fantasy elements. The great mystery elements mentioned above work in conjunction with these fantasy features to create an amazing story. Slatter comes up with some terrific fantasy based motives, plots and suspects for the reader to enjoy, and this helps create an intriguing and entertaining overall narrative. The protagonist’s hunt for the artefacts, the “grail” and the “tyrant”, leads to a greater insight into this universe’s magical and religious roots, and turn into some intriguing pieces of this universe’s lore. In addition, the protagonist’s curiosity about her Weyrd ancestors leads to her finding out some fascinating facts about their history, as well as a detailed bit of fictional mythology from Slatter. This focus on the family she is descended from also hints at these characters being involved in future additions of this series, and will no doubt prove to be excellent antagonists. Overall, the book’s fantasy elements are highly enjoyable and add sufficient wonder and enhancement to an already outstanding book.
Restoration is mostly set within the Australian city of Brisbane and its local environs. Slatter, a Brisbane local, has created a detailed and personal depiction of her city and it serves as a fun location for this book’s plot. People familiar with Brisbane will appreciate the descriptions of city and enjoy the concept of a hidden and chaotic fantasy world lying just below its surface. Special note should be given about the inclusion of the University of Queensland, Slatter’s alma mater, as a setting within the book, and it is always fascinating to see a location that the author is familiar with and passionate about.
Slatter has continued to use the humour-laden tone of writing that was such a standout of the first two books in the Verity Fassbinder series. The protagonist is a remarkable character who does not care who she annoys or who gets in her way as she tries to achieve her goals. This nonconformist attitude and general disregard for the rules for the Weyrd Council has a great way of getting the reader to support her, and as a result she has always been a very likable main character. The jokes and humour that inhabit the narrative as she encounters a range of strange and dangerous situations help lighten the tone of the dark investigations she is involved with. Things get serious towards the end, especially when the protagonist’s family gets involved and this helps raise the stakes in the readers mind, although some humour is still involved. Audiences will love the sass and humorous observations that inhabit this whole book, and it fits in well with the overarching urban fantasy crime narrative that Slatter has cultivated.
Restoration is another superb read from Angela Slatter and an outstanding addition to one of the best fantasy crime series in the world today. The books in this series are up there with The Dresden Files and the Peter Grant series, and are fantastic examples of this combination of genres. The third book in this Australian series makes full use of its elaborate mystery, intriguing fantasy elements, exciting Brisbane setting and distinctive humour to create an extraordinary read that comes highly recommended.
My Rating:
City of Lies by Sam Hawke
Publisher: Bantam Press
Publication Date – 3 July 2018
Poison, murder, conspiracy, and war are all on the way for readers of City of Lies, one of the best fantasy reads of the year from Canberra author Sam Hawke.
In the country of Sjona, the capital city of Silasta is a glittering beacon of culture and art. Young nobleman Jovan and his family serve a special role, subtly protecting Sjona’s ruler, the Chancellor, and his heirs from being poisoned. As a result of his training, Jovan is now capable of detecting and identifying poisons that could be slipped to his charges. While his uncle and mentor directly protects the Chancellor, Jovan serves the Chancellor’s carefree young heir, Tain.
When Jovan and Tain return to the city following a diplomatic journey, they are soon placed in a terrible situation. The impossible has happened: an unidentified poison has been slipped to the Chancellor, killing him and Jovan’s uncle. Without their respective mentors’ guidance both young men are thrust into new roles: Tain as an untested Chancellor, and Jovan now responsible for the safety of his nation’s ruler.
However, things can always get worse. A mysterious army has arrived undetected at the gates of Silasta, and the city, which has never known anything but peace, is soon besieged. The army appears to be made up of Sjona’s peasants and contains powerful individuals in control of spirits. With the majority of the military far away fighting in another conflict, few professional soldiers are left to defend Silasta, and Tain must lead a desperate defence against a superior force.
As the siege continues, it soon becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems. Why is the city being attacked, and how did no one see this coming? A deep conspiracy lies across the capital and no one can be trusted, not even Silasta’s ruling council. It also appears that the person who killed the Chancellor is still at large within the city and is aiming to poison Tain as well. As Jovan utilises all his skill to protect his friend, his sister Kalina searches for the traitors hiding inside their walls.
City of Lies is Australian author Sam Hawke’s debut novel and represents an outstanding first outing from a remarkable new talent. This ambitious book contains a fantastic plot, with some unique story elements and an elaborate thriller narrative that combines perfectly with the book’s overarching fantasy narrative. This is the first book in Hawke’s planned Poison War series, and is focused on two separate point-of-view characters, Jovan and Kalina, who each narrate around half the book.
This book contains an amazing and extremely compelling overarching thriller narrative that sees the protagonist attempt to unravel the conspiracies surrounding their city. Hawke has put a lot of work into creating an elaborate and multilayered plot that draws the reader in with its significant intrigue. The is so much for the reader to discover as the protagonists try to work out who the army attacking them is, what their motives are, and how the siege relates to the secrets of the ruling class. This intrigue-driven storyline is amped up even more once it is revealed that the person who poisoned the chancellor might not be a member of the army camped outside the city. Hawke presents the reader with a number of likely suspects, most of whom are on the city’s ruling council, as well as a range of interesting and plausible motives for the betrayal. The full extent of the interwoven conspiracies is quite impressive, and Hawke presents an extremely captivating storyline of the protagonists unravelling the plot that is guaranteed to pull in the reader’s full attention. This is definitely a high point of this fantastic book.
One of City of Lies’ standout features is Hawke’s substantial focus on poisons and role the main character plays in protecting the city’s ruler from harmful substances. At the start of the story, the Chancellor and the protagonists’ uncle are both poisoned and killed by an unknown toxin. Jovan, who already served Tain as his ‘proofer’, a combination food taster, poison master, and trusted personal chef, spends the rest of the book trying to defend Tain from a poisoner he knows is out there, who apparently has access to a poison he has no idea how to detect or cure. The battle of wits between Jovan and the poisoner is an intense part of the book’s narrative, and the reader can feel the desperation that Jovan feels trying to keep his friend and, by extension, his city alive. There are some great scenes throughout this book as Jovan attempts to work out how poison could be administered to Tain, as well as trying to work out potential cures and solutions to the poison’s victims.
In addition to examining the tension that the book’s poison elements elicit, Hawke also spends a significant amount of time exploring the various toxins of her universe and the techniques of the book’s poison ‘proofers’. The descriptions of these skills in training is utterly fascinating, and the author has come up with some amazing ideas that prove to be enthralling for the reader. In addition, Hawke has chosen to deepen the audience’s interest and knowledge of her universe’s poisons by including a page of the protagonist’s ‘proofer tome’ before each chapter in the book. These pages contain a description of the poison, what effects it has when administrated and what clues the proofer can use to identify the poison in food, such as taste or texture. This is a fun addition that also contains some information relevant to the book’s plot, and the readers will find themselves deeply exploring the lore being presented to them. Another cool feature was the way in which Jovan uses his knowledge and cache of poisons in an offensive manner against his opponents to compensate for his lack of martial skill. There are some fantastic scenes where Jovan uses a range of different substances in the middle of battles, as well as some excellent sequences where he doses potential opponents in advance of a confrontation.
Special mention should also be given to the wonderful fantasy setting that Hawke has created for City of Lies. The vast majority of the plot is set within the capital of Silasta, a large city that has a reputation and preference for culture and the arts, whilst viewing violence and warfare as a distasteful profession. The author does an amazing job describing this city’s many wonders, whilst at the same time creating a unique societal setup that plays brilliantly into the story’s intriguing elements. While the focus of this book is solely within the nation of Sjona, expect the sequels to follow adventures in other countries mentioned.
The siege elements of this book are also very enjoyable and offer another interesting point to this fantastic book. I’m always a fan of a good siege storyline, especially when it’s told from the point of view of the defenders. The parts of the book that focus on the siege are extremely well written and provide the book with some substantial action sequences. It is also fun to see how a city mostly made up of peace-loving artists and performers can defend itself without an army to help. Hawke produces some great ideas for her defenders, which also ties into the fantastic poison elements above, when the protagonists use their knowledge to create some defences for their city.
Overall, City of Lies is an intrigue-studded masterpiece of a fantasy novel that combines together a range or magnificent story elements with an excellent setting and an addictive overarching thriller narrative. Hawke’s use of poisons as a key plot point is just incredible and represents one of the most interesting parts of this book, and I am intrigued to see how she will continue to use poisons in future entries in this series. This is a five-star debut from Hawke, and I would wholeheartedly recommend City of Lies to any fans of the fantasy genre.
My Rating:
The Devil’s Half Mile by Paddy Hirsch
Publisher: Corvus
Australian Publication Date – 25 July 2018
World Publication Date – 22 May 2018
The Devil’s Half Mile is a spectacular debut from new author Paddy Hirsch that combines history, mystery and financial wrongdoings into one gripping read set in the heart of historic 1799 New York.
On the eve of the 19th century, freshly graduated lawyer Justice “Justy” Flanagan, returns to his home city of New York after fighting the English in the Irish Rebellion. Changed by his education and his memories of the vicious war, Justy is determined to investigate the tragic death of his father. Most people believe that his father, a speculative trader, committed suicide following his role in the Wall Street Panic of 1792. However, Justy is convinced that his father was actually murdered and he is determined to find out the truth.
After reconnecting with old friends and family, Justy starts his investigation by seeking work in the fledging Wall Street stock market. As he begins to examine the fraud and the people that led up to the last great financial panic, he finds that his most promising leads are all long gone, while any new witnesses he encounters soon turn up dead. In addition, Justy is drawn into the case of a brutal killer who is stalking the streets of New York, targeting women and leaving them dead and disfigured.
Establishing a connection between the death of his father, the 1792 crash and the current spate of murders, Justy finds himself embroiled in a massive conspiracy that could bring down the fledgling American nation. With his friends in danger and with few people that he can trust, Justy must use all his skills to unravel this plot or else wind up the same way as his father.
The Devil’s Half Mile is an excellent piece of historical crime fiction that contains an impressive dark mystery designed to enthral the reader with its rich and compelling cat-and-mouse game between the protagonist and the antagonists facing him. There are a number of great twists and turns throughout this story, as well as some truly surprising reveals, astonishing character decisions and dark and unique motivations for the underlying conspiracy. Hirsch has also filled this book with some dark and tense moments, including a fantastic sequence in which the protagonists and his comrades engage in a shadowy fight aboard a docked ship, with both sides trying to find and outthink the other in the darkness.
A real standout part of this book is Hirsch’s fabulous use of the historical setting of New York. Back in 1799, New York was a large town, quickly growing in size and importance. The author includes some amazing descriptions of the city’s landscape and buildings during this period as the reader is brought back in time to this historical cityscape. There is a real effort to showcase how the people of this era lived, and includes examinations of the people inhabiting the city and the young nation of America, with a particular focus on the criminals, the former slaves, the Wall Street traders and the fledgling police force. The author has also done a spectacular job of conveying how people of New York felt during this time, as well as the sense they had about the importance and potential future of the city.
Hirsch has also ensured that this novel is filled with a huge amount of time-appropriate vocabulary. This vocabulary is inserted throughout the entire story and gives it a real sense of authenticity and accuracy. This also includes a comprehensive appendix that contains all the slang and terms used throughout the book. If you have ever been keen to see ‘fart catcher’ or ‘snakesman’ used in context with a story, this is the book for you.
The book’s title, The Devil’s Half Mile, is a reference to Wall Street, the banking and stock-trading hub of New York. Because of its prominence in the book’s overarching mystery storyline, significant time is spent examining the financial aspects of this young city, with a particular focus on one early example of modern economic history, the Panic of 1792. The Panic of 1792 was a financial credit loss that rocked America only a few years after the country’s banking service was first introduced. Hirsch, who has a financial background, explores the origins of this panic and does an amazing job tying it into the plot of the story and using it as a motive for the book’s various murders. There are some absolutely captivating descriptions of the early Wall Street stock market, as the author explores its origns in coffee houses, how trade was undertaken, and the rules and early regulations that controlled it back then. This examination of the stock market is a fascinating part of The Devil’s Half Mile, and all of it works well as a part of dark, murder mystery story. Readers should also keep an eye out for mentions and brief cameos from American historical figures that were a part of the burgeoning bank scene, including Alexander Hamilton.
The author has created a great protagonist for this story. While at first Justy seems to be a basic main character, with a huge range of skills and plans, such as being a lawyer, soldier, policeman and man familiar with the city’s criminal element, it soon becomes apparent that he has a dark side to him, as the author spends time examining his history during the 1798 Irish Rebellion. The protagonist has been changed by his wartime experiences, and this plays well into the main story, as he tries not to let the horrors he experienced and perpetrated affect who he is. This deeper examination of the character’s past also allows the reader a glimpse of the Irish Rebellion, a part of history rarely even mentioned in historical fiction. Examining the cause, how it was fought and some of the people involved is a great story in itself, and I can easily see parts of it being used in future books in this series. It also gives a bit of backstory for Lars Hokkanssen, the large half-Irish, half-Norwegian sailor comrade of Justy, who is definitely one of the best side characters in the book.
Filled with an enthralling overarching mystery and brilliant settings, this superb story is an amazing debut from newcomer Paddy Hirsch. Featuring unique looks at underutilised parts of history and one of the best examinations of old school New York you’re likely to find in all of fiction, this is a highly recommended read and a great piece of historical fiction.
My Rating:
The Unseen Library 