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King of the Cross, Mark Dapin12/07/2010 - 2:04pmAnybody with a passing interest in notorious Australian "identities" in the not so distant past isn't going to take too long to twig on whom Mendoza is based, and that same reader probably is going to be excused for any guesses about the writer who narrates this fictional book. Basically the story is that a journalist working for The Australian Jewish Times makes a complete hash of a story and ends up being fired by the editor. Circumstances intervene, things happen, he finds himself interviewing / writing the life story of Sydney gangster Jacob Mendoza. Mendoza is what ... Read Review |
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Blood Stain, Peter Lalor30/06/2010 - 1:52pmYou can't possibly say that you've ever been looking forward to reading a book about a case like this, but I have had this book here since it was first published, and I've picked it up and read a little now and then since then. Frankly, the subject matter made me queasy. But in the same way that the author wanted to know what on earth made Knight go so far over the top, ultimately, I was wondering the same thing. So I eventually stopped sooking and sat down and read this book. It's no wonder that Katherine Knight is never to be released, and whilst the ... Read Review |
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Where Have You Been?, Wendy James26/06/2010 - 11:38amWhat would you do if your teenage sister just simply disappeared when you were a little girl. And then reappeared at about the same time as your mother's estate was to be distributed? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? by Wendy James explores what Susan and Ed Middleton do when Susan's long-lost sister Karen - now known as Carly - reappears in response to a lawyer's advertisement. Susan isn't sure she'll be able to identify her sister, and Carly is definitely not the same sort of woman as Susan - but there do seem to be some memories they share, some nicknames, or events that gel, ... Read Review |
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Gangland Australia, James Morton and Susanna Lobez19/06/2010 - 1:33pmI bought this book at last years Crime & Justice festival, and at the time Susanna Lobez was kind enough to sign it with me including the inscription "Stay curious!". And that is the best way I can recommend this book - staying curious, reading this sort of historical true crime fiction, reminds you that nothing is ever really new. And nothing is ever "the worst it has ever been" or "never before in the history...." or whatever else the media feeds you (obviously I'm thinking of the "Underbelly Wars" here). Commencing at the beginning of the arrival of ... Read Review |
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King of Thieves, Adam Shand16/06/2010 - 2:07pmI'm one of those people who have vaguely heard of the Kangaroo Gang but didn't really know many of the specific details. What I never realised was how wide the reach of this gang of thieves was. KING OF THIEVES is a wonderful tale about the exploits of a brazen bunch of Aussie thieves and shoplifters who hit London and the Continent, with aplomb, starting in the mid 1960s. It's also one of those books that makes you feel slightly guilty - it's hard not admire this bunch of astounding, brazen, clever, and straight out cunning band of crooks. One of the ... Read Review |
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No Weather for a Burial, David Owen04/06/2010 - 11:45amFour Pufferfish novels were never ever going to be enough for dedicated fans of this wonderful, quirky Police Procedural from Tasmanian based author David Owen. There was always a real sense of disappointment that Owen didn't appear to have been given the opportunity to publish more of these books (or at least I believe that's what happened). The sight of NO WEATHER FOR A BURIAL was therefore a cause of much excitement in these parts - and a mad scramble to the publishers website (you can buy your own copy direct from ... Read Review |
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In The Dark, Mark Billingham03/06/2010 - 2:10pmIf somebody could explain to me what I did with my common-sense I'd be very grateful. I have this list of favourite authors, and a tendency to hoard their books. Makes no sense whatsoever when I think about it, but IN THE DARK got caught in the daftness and lurked on the shelves here for much much longer than it should have. A standalone novel, IN THE DARK is a thriller with an unexpected scenario and an interesting twist. As the blurb outlines, there's a car crash in the night. A driver is forced off the road, into a bus stop. A man (in this case a policeman) is ... Read Review |
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Captured, Neil Cross01/06/2010 - 2:13pmOne of the things that I've really come to expect from author Neil Cross is not quite knowing what to expect when you pick up one of this books. CAPTURED is the latest in a set of standalone novels that have just all been fantastic, and I'm happy to report that CAPTURED keeps up the standard. When Kenny finds out he has a matter of weeks to live he draws up the sort of list that I guess many of us might draw up. People that he wants to clear the air with. He starts out tracking down the man who, as a little boy had been nearly abducted. Kenny had seen the suspect ... Read Review |
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Golden Relic, Lindy Cameron24/05/2010 - 3:01pmWhen local Crime and True Crime Author Lindy Cameron decided to re-release GOLDEN RELIC as an ebook I was very very pleased (DISCLAIMER - I did the conversion of the manuscript into the ePUB file). I remember the story of STOLEN PROPERTY (as it was originally titled) when it was released on the website of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) '98 website and I was lucky enough to get a copy of the paperback GOLDEN RELIC when it was released (which I've still got!). I do like to go back and re-read books, and I simply don't get that opportunity that often these days. One of ... Read Review |
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Eden Prime, Andy L Semple17/05/2010 - 2:43pmEDEN PRIME is the second Jonas Blackthorne Action thriller. In the first book, author Andy L Semple gave the politicians something to think about. In this outing he's decided to up the pressure just a tad, and give everybody something to think about. I think it would be fair to say that this is the sort of thriller that you need to park your credibility around the back of a very very big wall before you start reading. Here we have, in the words of the front cover, a secret experiment, a lethal virus, a deadly plan. In the process of executing these ... Read Review |
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Cherry Pie, Leigh Redhead08/05/2010 - 4:19pmCHERRY PIE is the third book in the Simone Kirsch series, which takes a slightly darker, more edgy direction than the first two. Working to raise the cash for the gadgetry needed to start her own Private Investigator business, Simone is sidetracked by a desperate phone message from a childhood friend who subsequently disappears. Andi has only recently moved to Melbourne as well, she works as a restaurant as a waitress, and is studying journalism. Andi's already been in touch with Simone asking for her help with a major story that she thinks she's unearthed, but Simone ... Read Review |
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Let the Dead Lie, Malla Nunn04/05/2010 - 3:51pmThe second Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper book LET THE DEAD LIE has now been released, following on the from highly praised A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE. LET THE DEAD LIE takes Cooper into different physical circumstances, working in a very bleak city, doing menial labour and nightly surveillance work, there's a sense of loss and depression surrounding him. This rapidly changes to desperation as he is implicated in further murders and has a limited time, and difficult circumstances in which to clear his own name. Readers of the first of the Cooper books will ... Read Review |
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Wyatt, Garry Disher03/05/2010 - 2:21pmIt's been quite a wait for the latest WYATT novel - The Fallout was published in 1997. I for one was rather excited to hear the news that there was a book on the way last year and I've been somewhat impatiently waiting for it to appear since then. As with all these greatly anticipated books, there's always that nasty little voice at the back of your head wondering if the anticipation might be building an unreasonable expectation. But this is a Garry Disher novel, and it's a WYATT novel and it's almost impossible to contemplate the idea of disappointment. Partly because ... Read Review |
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Australian Outlaw, Derek Pedley01/05/2010 - 3:25pmSubtitled "The True Story of Postcard Bandit Brenden Abbott", AUSTRALIAN OUTLAW is the authorised biography of Abbott, once a notorious Australian criminal, although, as it turns out from this book, a bit of a mythological figure in some ways. Abbott actually contributed to the writing of this book (without recompense) and a combination of his own words, and Pedley's observations really bring him, and that myth to life in a rather unique way. It's an odd experience to hear directly from the criminal in this way, especially as his story isn't a particularly flattering one ... Read Review |
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The Black Russian, Lenny Bartulin29/04/2010 - 12:54pmHaving really enjoyed the first Jack Susko book, A DEADLY BUSINESS, it was music to my ears to find that the second book was on its way. THE BLACK RUSSIAN sees not just the return of Jack - but the return of all of Jack's problems - financial and personal. In THE BLACK RUSSIAN Jack somehow or other manages, yet again, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Attempting to scrape up some much needed cash, he's doing a special delivery of an old art catalogue when the gallery he has just walked into is held up by a couple of masked thieves. Masked, yet there's ... Read Review |
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Home Before Dark, Charles Maclean22/04/2010 - 1:31pmHOME BEFORE DARK is the first thriller from UK Author Charles Maclean. It's the story of a wealthy man, who had it all. A thriving business, a beautiful wife, doted on daughter. Until his daughter is murdered while studying in Florence. Frustrated by the slow and ineffectual police investigation, Ed Lister starts his own. Doing some of the investigating himself, he is led to a mysterious website, which prompts him to offer a million dollars to a computer expert in the quest to crack the weird online clues that seem to be trying to lead Ed forward. HOME BEFORE DARK ... Read Review |
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Girls Like Funny Boys, Dave Franklin31/03/2010 - 2:26pmI will confess to being a fan of Dave Franklin's earlier novels - but when asked, I've only ever been able to describe or classify them as "rant novels", which, incidentally is a good thing. I was very pleased to hear there was another book out, but GIRLS LIKE FUNNY BOYS surprised me. Very much. Sure there's a tiny bit of "rant" in there, but this book is considerably more. GIRLS LIKE FUNNY BOYS is the story of Johnny Goodwin. Growing up in a quiet Brisbane suburb, with loving, if not slightly batty parents, a faithful dog and a big crush on his teenage sweetheart, ... Read Review |
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Australian Tragic, Jack Marx02/03/2010 - 2:16pmThe blurb of this book really really intrigued me - and it's true there are stories that I've heard of, some I knew a lot about, some simply rang a bit of a bell. There were others that I knew absolutely nothing about. As the blurb goes on to say, they range across our past and our present: the heartbreaking story of the fire at Luna Park; the unstoppable opportunist who snatched innocent men and women from Palm Island to be part of P.T. Barnum's 'Greatest Show on Earth'; a world-class boxer who lost his battle with alcohol and ended up in an unmarked American grave; Steve Irwin, ... Read Review |
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Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett25/02/2010 - 5:17pmLess of a fully fledged review, more of a musing on the latest Discworld Novel from Terry Pratchett UNSEEN ACADEMICALS. The quote on the back sort of says it all "The thing about football - the IMPORTANT thing about football - is that it is not just about football". Now I will admit I'm not a football (in any incarnation) fan. Can't stand the hype. Can't stand the carry-on. Can't stand the games themselves. So I was a little intrigued by this book - how would a Terry Pratchett treatment of the dreaded awfulness work? I was certainly intrigued enough to put aside my ... Read Review |
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Confessions of a Crooked Cop, Sean Padraic23/02/2010 - 1:05pmPart personal story, part historical overview, part warning about how easy going wrong can sometimes be, CONFESSIONS OF A CROOKED COP is the story of NSW Policeman Trevor Haken as told to author Sean Padraic. This book is flagged in the media release as "The corrupt cop from UNDERBELLY 3 tells his side of the story" so it's not going to come as a lot of surprise to see this book out and the timing in which it was released. I haven't seen a lot of the publicity for UNDERBELLY 3 but I'd take a wild guess that this book tells the personal story of one of the main figures of ... Read Review |