The Tip of the Iceberg #DavidJarvis #TheTipOfTheIceberg

By David Jarvis @David_Jarvis_

Published by Matador (Troubador) https://www.troubador.co.uk/ @matadorbooks

313 pages ISBN  9781803135076

Publication date 28 October 2022

The author sent me a copy in exchange for a fair review.

The cover

Well, the reader is left in no doubt that Antarctica is the key to this story. A bold and simple cover that repeats the dot-dash motif from the cover of The Collation Unit. A great idea, an effective cover  but the upper/lower case gets this pedant’s teeth grinding.

From the blurb

Charles Yelland was leading the perfect life until a faked photograph appeared in a newspaper on the morning of his oil company’s annual general meeting showing an exploration rig in Antarctica.

After this, he didn’t think that his world could get any worse – he was seriously wrong. Within hours, presidents and prime ministers were telephoning each other to find out whether oil had actually been discovered and whether the sixty-year-old Antarctic Treaty, with its suspension of territorial claims, was now dead.

What would countries and companies do to gain access to an area one and a half times the size of the United States of America with eleven per cent of the earth’s land mass and minerals? 

My thoughts

Some books seem to be impeccably timed to capture the zeitgeist, as if the author is in possession of a crystal ball or even two. This is one such novel. Though I think many of us could see the writing on the wall a few years ago, and it wasn’t in mystic runes. We have become used to expressions like zero carbon emissions and net carbon neutral they are part of the everyday lexicon of life. We now have eco-warriors or eco-terrorists depending on your point of view and make no mistake Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil are likely to be with us for some time.

Renewable energy is the goal, but for the foreseeable future, fossil fuel will still be needed and here is the crux of the novel, as posed by the strapline on the cover, has oil been discovered or not? Petronello has been drilling exploratory wells off the South Orkney Islands, close to the Falkland Islands at 60° latitude south. An announcement is expected to be made at the company’s AGM. Shareholders are hoping for good news, especially as a high price will make the potential takeover of Norwegian operators NorCarbon. A discovery will also prompt calls for the scrapping of the Antarctic treaty which is a moratorium on development in the region which has been in place over fifty years.

That morning a fake photograph of one of Petronella’s oil rigs is included in the business pages and later Chairman Charles Yelland gets a phone call, kidnappers have his daughter, Angelina, and if he announces that they have struck oil she will be released. A bad start to Charles’ day and it quickly runs away from him.

Charles must go along with their demands, but he does decide to get help in the form of ‘Mike’ Michaela Kingdom to hunt down the kidnappers. Mike is ex-CIA but quite unlike most other operatives as the reader is to discover. We quickly realise that Mike is damaged both physically and emotionally as her back story is carefully rationed out over the storyline. She was an analyst and so possesses great IT and researching skills as well as remaining in close contact with former colleagues and organisations. She is feisty and game to get involved hands on, but she is also headstrong and inexperienced. Tradecraft becomes a way of living rather than techniques learned from a book. For me Mike is the best character and certainly one deserving of another outing.

Another interesting character is Luis the family chauffeur who dropped Angelina and her friend Belinda in London before the kidnapping. He is a man of hidden talents; he is also Mexican like Charles’ wife Maria. He is there to keep an eye on her for her wider family, the sort of family where sombrero hats and mariachi bands don’t figure highly.

He has the politicians down to a tee, venal and mendacious, they could almost be culled from the pages of the tabloid press. The environmental flag is flown by Mervyn Richards the well meaning if slightly ineffectual glaciologist who just pines for the Antarctic. In between there is Sophie Beardsmore the one politician wanting to do the right thing, who collaborates with Mervyn.

This is an informative and entertaining geo-political thriller that bounces along at a jaunty pace. There’s action and some danger to grab you, but most of all it is the uncertainty of the direction of the plot that keeps you engaged throughout. A great example of creating a page turner by clever writing and plot construction rather than relentless action and blood shedding. Once started this isn’t a book that will be parked on a coffee table all week, most readers will devour it in a couple of sessions.

World politics doesn’t have to be tedious and there is a lightness of touch whilst still getting the message over, in this case the Antarctic treatment is vital. Its cleverly written and there is plenty of dry, deadpan humour and sarcastic comments without crossing the line and becoming trite or arch. There are also elements of satire, as it skilfully skewers its intended targets entertainingly with ease.

The Tip of the Iceberg is a creative, intelligently written geo-political novel that takes a wry and witty look at the world today.

The Tip of the Iceberg can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

After going to Art College in the 1970s David Jarvis set up an international planning practice which he ran for 40 years. His canvases just got bigger and bigger. He has now retired to Wiltshire.

The Lazarus Solution

By Kjell Ola Dahl @ko_dahl

Translated by Don Bartlett

Published by Orenda Books https://orendabooks.co.uk/ @OrendaBooks

276 pages ISBN 9781914585685

Publication date 27 April 2023

I was sent a paperback proof copy in exchange for a fair review. I would like to thank Karen at Orenda Books for kindly sending me this copy.

The cover

Gloomy and oppressive but lit up by streetlights and the lights in buildings. Being set in 1943 this can only mean it’s a neutral country, in this case Sweden, as the rest of Europe is under a blanket of darkness both literal and metaphorical. A nice atmospheric cover.

From the blurb

Daniel Berkåk works as a courier for the Press and Military Office in Stockholm. On his last cross-border mission to Norway, he carries a rucksack full of coded documents and newspapers, but before he has a chance to deliver anything he is shot and killed and the contents of his rucksack are missing.

The Norwegian government, currently exiled in London, wants to know what happened, and the job goes to writer Jomar Kraby, whose first suspect is a Norwegian refugee living in Sweden, whose past that is as horrifying as the events still to come…

My thoughts

The opportunity to review a book by one of the great Nordic Noir authors is not one to be passed over, especially when it’s something a little bit unusual from the regular crime cannon. This is a novel that crosses genres, partly classic crime but also grounded in the world of wartime espionage. It is not a police procedural, the police are pretty much irrelevant, but an investigation that largely follows the steps of one. Where it differs from many is it is set mainly within Sweden a neutral country.

There were several neutral countries during the Second World War, but few were strictly neutral, tending to give at least some tacit support to one side they were more non-combatants at times. This was usually down to location or ideological agreement. Spain was fascist and whilst allowing fleeing Allies to cross their border with relatively safety, provided intelligence to the Axis powers. Sweden was in a bit of an invidious position sandwiched between an occupied Norway and Finland who at times were fighting the Germans and then the Russians. Selling iron ore to the Germans and turning a blind eye to major troop train movements.

A strange situation which is captured perfectly within the novel, a country without the deprivations and restrictions faced by many, carrying on as normal but developing a siege mentality and a sense of paranoia. There is a pervading sense of mistrust as operatives from both sides work in the shadows and Norwegians may be loyalists or home-grown fascists. The territory may well be neutral but for some it will never be safe.

They story effectively has two central threads; Jomar Kraby’s investigation to establish who has murdered Daniel Berkåk and Kai Fredly’s search to discover what happened to his brother, a Nazi-sympathiser who has been murdered. The narrative moves seamlessly between the two until their inevitable intersection.

Asking an alcoholic failed writer to act as investigator seems a strange choice, but it is a clever one. He possesses the investigative journalist’s skills and instinct, but his shambling persona who can be overlooked as no threat. With a near nihilist attitude at the start, he brings a dour world weariness to proceedings which works so well in these stories. He is very perceptive though and is the one who sees through the subterfuge.

In comparison Kai is more of the innocent abroad, quite fittingly as a demobbed sailor. Unlike his brother he is antifascist but is naive enough to be taken in by Nazi sympathisers such as Sara Krefting. He stumbles around seeking the truth in a largely polarised world, struggling to determine who is friend and foe. The catalyst for his search is a simple photograph, one that features his brother, that becomes a motif throughout the story and one that fixes his brother at a point in time.

The war ended up dividing families, blood ties bind us, but some found fascism seductive and a solution rather than a problem. In occupied Europe some saw collaboration and staying alive a better a prospect than resisting and ending up dead. A dilemma for Kai to face up to, loyalty or betrayal.

The plotting is tight, with few distractions, and the style is wonderfully dark and atmospheric as one might expect from a classic Noir writer. Don Bartlett’s translation is on point as usual, it is impossible to tell it is translated from reading the prose and includes some typical English phrases which I would love to know what the Norwegian equivalent is.

There is pervading sense of bleakness, as a serious subject given suitable treatment with little lightness to break up the dark. The inhumanity of the Fifth SS Panzer Division is summed up in a flippant matter of fact way as they murdered Jews, Gypsies and other bipeds. There was little honour in the war on the Eastern Front as Kai discovers. There is no wisecracking in this Noir.

The Lazarus Solution is Noir set during the bleakest time in Europe, dark, authentic and compelling.

The Lazarus Solution can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

One of the fathers of the Nordic Noir genre, Kjell Ola Dahl was born in 1958 in Gjøvik. He made his debut in 1993, and has since published fourteen novels, the most prominent of which is a series of police procedurals cum psychological thrillers featuring investigators Gunnarstranda and Frølich. In 2000 he won the Riverton Prize for The Last Fix and he won both the prestigious Brage and Riverton Prizes for The Courier in 2015. His work has been published in 14 countries, and he lives in Oslo.

The translator

Don Bartlett lives with his family in a village in Norfolk. He completed an MA in Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia in 2000 and has since worked with a wide variety of Danish and Norwegian authors, including Jo Nesbø and Karl Ove Knausgaard. He has previously translated The Consort of Death, Cold Heart, We Shall Inherit the Wind, Where Roses Never Die and Wolves in the Dark in the Varg Veum series.

Source: publisher’s website

A Pen Dipped in Poison

By J.M. Hall

Narrated by Julie Hesmondhalgh

Published by Harper Collins UK Audio, Avon (an imprint of Harper Collins UK) https://harpercollins.co.uk/@HarperCollinsUK

384 pages (11 hours 9 minutes) ISBN 9780008509668

Publication date 30 March 2023

A Pen Dipped in Poison is the second novel to feature the garden centre café sleuths Liz, Pat and Thelma.

I was allowed access to an audio review copy on Net Galley https://www.netgalley.com/ @NetGalley.  Thanks to the Author and Publisher for organising this.

The cover

A bit twee but then it is an unashamedly cosy crime novel so quite appropriate.

From the blurb

Retired schoolteachers Liz, Pat and Thelma are back at their usual table at the Thirsk Garden Centre café with a brand-new mystery to solve…

Curious white envelopes have been delivered to friends and neighbours. Inside are letters revealing the deepest secrets they have tried to hide.

As one by one, careers are ended, marriages destroyed and no one is beyond suspicion, the three friends decide enough is enough. They must take matters into their own hands before more damage is done.

But as they work to uncover the truth, they begin to wonder just how far someone will go to silence this poison pen…

Could a murderer be in their midst once again?

The narration

With audiobooks the choice of narrator is vitally important, poor narration can kill the experience even if the book itself is wonderful. In this case Julie Hesmondhalgh is the perfect choice, even though she hails from the wrong side of the Pennines. She brings a lovely upbeat feel to the experience, but also her vast experience in working in TV soap opera is an advantage as she brings a natural feel to the gossipy dialogue.

My thoughts

The dynamic, highly efficient and seemingly Teflon-coated new headmistress is making an impact and upsetting people. Then the discovery of a poison pen letter at a school summer fair was something of a surprise, but hopefully an isolated incident.

The start of the autumn term, the new school year was to clearly demonstrate that it wasn’t as they start appearing with increasing regularity. The letters are being sent across the school, teachers and administrators; nobody is immune. The content is more vexatious than vicious but clearly unpleasant for the recipient, but they are also souring the atmosphere as people become suspicious and defensive. Not ladies to just stand by our three heroines decide to dig deeper.

The cafe section of a garden centre in the North Yorkshire market town of Thirsk doesn’t immediately spring to mind as the potential nerve centre of an investigation. They can hardly put-up whiteboards with details of their suspects, but the coffee is much better than a police station and there is the bonus of fresh paninis and a wide selection of cakes. Its 2023, with the advent of technology anything is now possible.

There are two aspects to the storyline. There is the search for the writer of the poison pen letters, but this search also raises questions about modern teaching and academy schools.

The search for the author of the letters is a long one as various people come under suspicion and are then eliminated. When the writer is revealed, the reasoning does make sense, the crime is more opportune than malicious intent, but even so people still find it hurtful. At its core is a sad story, an error of judgement and the impetuousness of youth, the sort of thing that shouldn’t happen but still does.

The phenomenon of the group of academy schools is put under the spotlight within the search. Ostensibly a good idea, aimed at giving schools more control over their finances and an opportunity to encourage the benevolence of backers, they can be open to misuse. The leaders like their grandiose titles and playing at being big businessmen, flash offices and fancy gadgets, which bring few benefits to teaching. There is also the opportunity for nepotism and petty corruption when handing our contacts if controls are weak. An eco-boiler that runs almost 24/7 even during warmer months? That should ring alarm bells.

The author has a long career in education so is well placed to capture school life, the organisation, and the interactions between staff members. The dynamic of a staff room is always fascinating for an outsider and here we do get a glimpse behind the curtain including some of the passive aggressiveness over coffee.

It is a profession that successive governments constantly meddle with, there are fewer things more important than children’s education, but change is always there. Some of it is necessary and good, others to be kicked back against, here the frustration is almost palpable. There is a limit to the change one can accommodate in a working lifetime and the sense is our heroines have retired at that point. Not that they have given up on life, quite the contrary, the message here is retirement brings new beginnings, a new life to be embraced whilst you are still healthy and active. Just don’t all become amateur detectives.

The story moves along at its own natural, steady pace, perfectly fitting for its content; this is no fast-paced thriller so no running down the corridors readers. Its genteel, after all it is primary school in a nice town, not the combat zone of the sink estate comprehensive. The dialogue is excellent with plenty of down to earth Yorkshire expressions and common-sense advice. I suppose the question readers will ponder is whether Liz, Pat and Thelma are just gossipy busybodies with too much time on their hands or concerned citizens. Thinking back many, many years to my primary school days they do have an authenticity about them, caring women who would do anything in the interest of their school and its pupils, even a bit of snooping. There is a warmth about them and their friendship that gives it the feel-good factor.

A Pen Dipped in Poison is a cosy crime story that will make you feel nostalgic for your primary school days.

A Pen Dipped in Poison can be purchased via the publisher’s website here

The author

J.M. Hall is an author, playwright and deputy head of a primary school. His plays have been produced in theatres across the UK as well as for radio, the most recent being Trust, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh on BBC Radio 4.

The Bad Neighbour

By Jennie Ensor https://jennieensor.com/ @Jennie_Ensor

Published by Hobeck Books https://www.hobeck.net @HobeckBooks

432 pages ISBN 9781915817105

Publication date 23 May 2023

I was sent an electronic copy in exchange for a fair review.  I would like to thank Rebecca at Hobeck Books and the Author for the invitation to participate in the Blog Tour.

The Cover

Its rather jolly with the flowers in the background and the delicious looking home-baked scone, but is that blood or split sauce? Perhaps there is something more sinister afoot…

From the blurb

In March 2020, the Covid pandemic hits the sleepy English village of Brampton. At the start of lockdown, local busybody Tara Sanderson sets up a community group to help vulnerable residents through the crisis. Elderly Elspeth Chambers, her longstanding neighbour and friend, accepts Tara’s offer to buy food and collect medicine for her.

But it isn’t long before neighbourliness and community spirit turn sour. Tensions arise when Tara becomes jealous of Elspeth’s emerging friendship with Ashley Kahn, a recent arrival in Wilton Close.

Suspecting there is more to Tara’s hostility toward them than meets the eye, Ashley and Elspeth start to uncover their neighbour’s long-buried secrets, and realise that Tara is capable of almost anything…

My thoughts

As the famous Aussie soap opera’s theme song intones “everybody needs good neighbours”. People you can socialise with, people you can rely on and trust to keep the neighbourhood a good one. Great for mundane television programming but makes for dull crime fiction. Bad neighbours are a different matter, anyone who has suffered them can attest to the misery they can inflict, and often it only takes one bad apple to drag a street down. Hell, to live with, but if you do manage to escape, then they can produce a wealth of horror stories to tell in the pub. Bad neighbours are good for fiction as the reader is about to discover.

Life in the better part of Brampton, the bit with the Waitrose, was quite idyllic. People rubbed along nicely and even self-appointed community leader and guardian of neighbourhood standards, Tara Sanderson, was tolerable. In fact, she and her elderly neighbour Elspeth Chambers got on well and were friends. Two things were to happen to fatally upset the local dynamic.

The first change was the arrival of Ashley to the street, a bright personable woman, perhaps lacking in confidence but a cheerful addition to the neighbourhood. However, in some eyes, not only is she an incomer, but she is also married to a second-generation Pakistani immigrant, and they have two mixed-race teenage children. Two things to set her apart from the rest of residents.

The second was the disruption the Covid 19 restrictions put in place, that affected us all, but some more than others. Tara was quick to act setting up the neighbourhood support group, with the aim of supporting those having difficulties but also cementing her position as queen bee. Tara also sets herself up as Elspeth’s helper, her support bubble, and does her shopping.

Gradually cracks start appearing, Tara sees Elspeth as lacking gratitude for all she does for her and as Elspeth starts to become friendly with Ashley, she sees her friendship usurped. From this point matters escalate out of control and dark secrets are discovered.

A story full of changing relationship dynamics, how perceived slights can be taken personally, allowed to fester before bursting like a cyst and oozing poison. Tara has her problems and a dark past, so has constructed another life based on needing to be respected and the centre of attention. Any undermining of this position she views as an attack, even if that is not the intention, which she feels obliged to respond in kind. The pettiness begins to escalate, but she has no off button, a simple clearing of the air discussion is all that is required but she cannot see that. So, the responses spiral out of control to become vindictive and quite vicious as Tara’s past comes back to haunt her. This is all entertainingly written and constructed, such that you are wondering what she is going to do next before it gets quite shocking.

Tara is clearly the ‘star’ and what a complex and damaged character she is. So nicely judged that even at her despicable worst it’s impossible not elicit some sympathy. The blossoming friendship between Ashley and Elspeth provides the perfect contrast, the closer they get the more obsessed Tara becomes and the more outlandish her behaviour is. The other residents provide the street-life banter that balances the simmering tension.

There is an added mystery too. The novel starts with the strange Bird Woman, an outcast from society but apparently of her own making. She lives in a run-down cottage in the woods, is a keen observer of birdlife and is happiest when left alone. Ignored to the point of invisibility she moves around unnoticed but is a keen observer of life, she notices and she remembers.

The story is something of a slow burn, there is plenty going on, it’s all rather trivial, but it slowly ratchets up building to a strange but dramatic confrontation. This produces a bizarre but surprisingly satisfying scene I would defy anyone to guess. Different to how problems might be dealt with in the big city, but Brampton is a genteel place to live not like the low-life ruffians down the hill. The net result might be similar though, with dilemmas to be faced and difficult decisions need to be made.

It may have a dark heart but there is plenty of general humour to provide a lift and keep it in the realms of cosy crime.

The Bad Neighbour is a highly entertaining tale of broken friendships, deteriorating relationships, dark secrets and home baking. I guarantee one scene with stay with you long after you have finished reading.

The Bad Neighbour can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

A Londoner with Irish heritage, Jennie Ensor writes dark, gritty psychological suspense and thrillers as well as darkly comic fiction. She began her writing career as a journalist and loves to tackle controversial issues in her novels. Previous books include Blind Side, The Girl in His Eyes and Not Having It All.

Her fourth book, Silenced, published in 2021 by Hobeck Books, is a crime thriller with a strong psychological element, which ventures into the shadowy world of London drug gangs and police corruption. She’s currently working on her fifth book.

Ms Ensor lives in north London with her husband and their Airedale terrier. She writes poetry as well as novels, some of which is published in UK and overseas journals; ‘Lost Connection’ placed second in its category in the 2020 Fish Lockdown Prize. In her spare time (?) she reads widely, sings choral music and practices yoga. She is a fiendish walker and regularly cycles the punishing local hills. Evenings she can often be found collapsed in front of a TV crime drama with a bar of chocolate/glass of strong alcohol.

Source: publisher’s website

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

The Man in the Corduroy Suit #JamesWolff #TheManInTheCorduroySuit

By James Wolff https://jameswolffauthor.com/

Published by Bitter Lemon Press https://www.bitterlemonpress.com/ @bitterlemonpub

294 pages 9781913394844

Publication date 18 May 2023

The Man in the Corduroy Suit is the third in The Discipline Files espionage trilogy, after Beside the Syrian Sea, and its follow-on novel How to Betray Your Country.

I was sent a paperback copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and Publisher.

The cover

A quirky cover which fits in perfectly with the unusual title and left-field espionage story.

From the blurb

British intelligence is in a state of panic. Cracks are appearing, or so a run of disciplinary cases would suggest. To cap it all, Willa Karlsson, a retired MI5 officer collapses, the victim of what looks like a Russian poisoning. Leonard Flood is ordered to investigate – and quickly. Notorious for his sharp elbows and blunt manner, Leonard’s only objective is to get the job done, whatever the cost. When Leonard discovers that he is also a suspect in the investigation and that Willa’s story is less a story of betrayal than one of friendship and a deep sense of duty, he must decide whether to hand her to her masters or to help her to escape.

My thoughts

The fall of the Berlin Wall followed by the collapse of the Soviet block could have marked the end of the espionage thriller. No more meetings near Checkpoint Charlie, no more desperate scrambles to get back into West Berlin, so much of the jeopardy and danger is no longer there. I am pleased to say that the genre is not only alive and well, but flourishing thanks to books like The Man in the Corduroy Suit. The medium must adapt and grow though, so much of the action and thrills have been forsaken for a more realistic approach (or about as realistic as allowed by authors with the relevant experience who are governed by The Official Secrets Act.)

Our heroes are no longer the brutal misogynist James Bond (the one from the novels) or the man who spends his life operating in the shadows of the Eastern Bloc like Alec Leamas, but men and women who employ psychology and process data. Leonard Flood is one of this new breed. Not an imposing specimen of manhood, in his outward manner and appearance, dressed in his favourite brown corduroy suit he could easily be mistaken for a librarian from Hull. First impressions can be deceptive though, he has a first-class analytical mind, can be rather bluff when getting down to business, tenacious when following the thread of a clue and doesn’t give a jot about who he upsets in the process. Obnoxious and no respecter of authority, colleagues wonder how he managed to pass the vetting process, but then he does get results.

Leonard is seconded on to the Gatekeeping team, the spying equivalent to policing professional standards, with a particular task in mind. Retired Willa Karlsson who until recently was a respected member of the Service’s vetting team has been poisoned and lies in a coma. Russian State Security is suspected, but this is usually a method used to despatch traitors. Leonard is given the task of investigating Willa’s life for evidence of the betrayal of State secrets and to establish and locate any Russian handler. The twist is Willa was the one who approved Leonard’s application, what he discovers may have implications about his future at the service.

His help is a recent recruit to the Service, a young woman Franny who is very data and IT analysis led but with little field experience. Together they make progress, but nothing is quite what is seems. Leonard has been doing the bidding of others, set up to expose himself. There is a breakdown of trust leaving Leonard to operate alone, using his wits and devious nature to stay one step ahead.

The structure of the storyline begins rather like a traditional police procedural as Leonard uses his charm and deviousness questioning people, whilst pretending to be Willa’s nephew, behaving how no police officer would ever be allowed to. Then it becomes a battle of wits before building up to a clever set-piece where Leonard summons his hidden Charlie Muffin. The prose is broken up by interludes, a style currently vogue, in this case introducing documents ‘from the archives’ in the form of memorandum and correspondence. Here it proves to be a very clever device to introduce background to the reader without unduly spoiling the flow of the story, also laying bare bureaucracy and the motivations of those up the chain of command.

Much of modern spying is mundane office work not using Q’s latest invention in the field. It is the talent of the author and the quality of the writing that manages to demonstrate this but produce an intriguing and very entertaining story. Compelling at times, never dull.

The characterisation is excellent. In Leonard we have a kind of objectionable anti-hero, who we begin to understand and eventually like. He is an outsider in the establishment, the way the Service must develop and modernised in the future but not trusted because he is different. His deliberately obtuse and combative nature is perfectly highlighted during his interactions with Charles Remnant the head of Gatekeeping. He is ex-army and old school just the kind of man to get under Leonard’s skin. The dialogue between them doesn’t exactly sparkle but it is compelling, it’s more akin to two boxers jabbing but trying to land a telling blow as they slug it out.

Franny provides the tension dynamic between men and women, colleagues but with a hint more could develop. Willa has a small but illuminating cameo, but Ernesto is the other interesting character. We never quite get a handle on him, a man with limited choices but one who somehow manages to find contentment in simple things. Perhaps this is the answer to true happiness.

Thematically it’s a novel about trust and loyalty. Placing your trust in people who are like you isn’t necessary the answer, the old ‘tap on the shoulder’ at Cambridge as a route to recruitment proved to be a disaster. Bringing in new blood is the answer but by reason of them being different breeds suspicion in the old order. The act of questioning loyalty usually results in disaster akin to the breakdown of trust between a married couple. Unquestioning loyalty is there though as in the case of Ernesto.

The Man in the Corduroy Suit is modern espionage writing of the finest order, intelligent, compelling and entertaining.

The Man in the Corduroy Suit can be purchased via the publisher here

The author

James Wolff worked for the British government for over ten years before leaving to write
espionage fiction. His first novel, Beside the Syrian Sea, was a Times Crime Book of the Month and an
Evening Standard Book of the Year. Of his second novel, How to Betray Your Country, Publishers Weekly
wrote ‘Brilliant sequel. This is spy fiction like no other.’

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

The Last Songbird

By Daniel Weizmann https://www.danielweizmann.com/about @danielweizmann

Published by Melville House https://www.mhpbooks.com/ @melvillehouse

336 pages ISBN 9781685890308

Publication date 25 May 2023

The Last Songbird is the first novel in the Pacific Coast Highway Mystery series.

I was sent a paperback Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a fair review. I would like to thank Nikki at the publisher for arranging this.

The Cover

A simple but rather effective cover. A setting sun symbolic of a career and life drawer close, together with a woman (Annie) as seen in the driver’s (Adam) rear view mirror. This is just perfect for the feel of the novel.

From the blurb

Meet Adam “Addy” Zantz—failed songwriter and Lyft driver, who drives around Los Angeles at night with a song in his heart and his head in the clouds. Haunted by memories of his ex, a former songwriting partner with a hit single, Addy dreams up lyrics as he drives strangers through the mazes of the sprawling city. The one person giving him hope is his favorite rider—aging folk legend Annie Linden (think Joni Mitchell/Carole King), who expresses admiration for his music. But when Annie is found murdered, Addy snaps into focus: He realizes that it’s now on him to enter the night world and start playing detective. There’s just one problem — the police regard Addy as a suspect.

Left with a final, cryptic text from Annie, and desperate to clear his name and discover who killed the one person who believed in him, Addy digs deep into Annie’s past, turning up sworn enemies and lovers, and a long-held secret that shocks him. As Addy drives all around the boundaries of contemporary LA, he comes to question how well he—or anyone else—really knew Annie.

My thoughts

Annie is a famous singer songwriter, who at 73 is approaching her final act. Now eschewing fame and the spotlight she takes to using Lyft drivers when she wants to move around the city. One such driver Adam Zantz makes an immediate impression on her, and she takes his number, forgoing the app to make him her unofficial driver. One of the reasons they have a rapport is that Adam is a songwriter, at least he wants to be, currently out of work and driving to make ends meet in the tough gig economy. Adam is a natural, lyrics and melodies come to him throughout the day, and Annie likes his work. His talent is tempered by his temperament though, destined to be more like the romantic poets than Neil Sedaka.

One evening Adam gets the usual flirty song lyric text summoning him to her mansion, Annie wants to go for a drive. When he arrives, Adam is met with chaos and the police are in attendance. The site security guard has been murdered, Annie is nowhere to be found and her regularly fired PA Bix Gelden, who lives on site cannot be found too. Adam goes to his friend Ephraim Freiberger a paparazzi photographer to talk it through and try to make sense of the evening’s events. Annie had wanted a favour from Adam, to find a cassette tape. Could this be connected?

Bix turns up at Adam’s place, scared and high from a speedball. Annie has been found dead on the beach and he will be the obvious suspect especially has he had written unpleasant letters every time Annie fired him. Adam agrees to giving him a lift and doing so gets caught on camera and so becomes involved for harbouring a fugitive.

Adam is determined to investigate what has happened and to clear his name. He briefly worked as a lacky to PI but surely needs more skills than he learned there. Nevertheless, he asks the questions and follows the trail, but is he doing it because of fondness for the old girl which he believes he is or is there a deeper subconscious motivation.

This is a thoroughly modern reworking of the traditional LA Noir strand of the genre. Instead of the grizzled, world weary, seasoned old pro Private Investigator we have an idealistic but completely unrealistic man bobbing through life like a cork in the ocean waiting to be washed ashore. It requires a tragedy, one he takes personally though the reality is it hardly affects him, to make him focus and find a direction.

The storyline rumbles along nicely, mainly sticking to the limits but with the occasional bit of speeding as Adam drives his trusty old Volkswagen Jetta across LA and the Pacific Coast Highway in search of answers. We get a feel for the man who makes his living driving, mainly at night, and the chaos it brings to his lifestyle. It is also a connection to his past.

The dialogue is cracking, but instead of the wise guy with the smart mouth and killer put downs, we have modern language peppered with Jewish words and expressions. Not exactly hard boiled but with the characters in the story it feels authentic and right. The descriptive prose is on point, cutting and quirky.

The humour is there too with some (intentionally) terrible jokes, plus there is a golden vein of Jewish style self-depreciating put downs running through the prose. There is also dark humour too, including one comment which is the blackest I’ve read for a long time (blacker than a black cat in a coal bunker at midnight black.)

At its heart is motherhood, family relations and is the nurture of adopted children more important than their blood ties. Is home where you came from, where you live at anytime or where you belong. Its not just Annie and her wider family and connections this affects but also Adam.

We get a glimpse of LA of the rich and famous, the seedy side to the city, but also life between the extremes as ordinary people soldier on with lives made difficult. Adam lives in a storage cupboard at his cousin’s recording studio, whilst another character sleeps in a 24-hour spa and people sleeping in cars is not an unusual occurrence. There is the corrosive effect fame and fortune, the way it changes Annie but also the effect on Adam has he sees his ex-girlfriend writing partner score a hit and award with her new man. Then there is the influence of porn, thought liberating by some in the 1970s but leaving people damaged in the 2020s. This in not a Noir mired in the past, it raises its hat to the classics, but it is very much grounded in current day issues.

The Last Songbird is a freewheeling ride down the Pacific Coast Highway breathing new life into classic LA Noir. If the series continues like this, it’s going to be a winner.

The Last Songbird can be purchased direct from the publisher here

The author

Author Daniel Weizmann in Hollywood.

Daniel Weizmann is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, the Guardian, AP Newswire, and more. Under the nom de plume, Shredder, Weizmann also wrote for the long running Flipside fanzine, as well as LA Weekly, which once called him “an incomparable punk stylist.” Most recently, Weizmann co-authored Game Changer by Michael Solomon and Rishon Blumberg (Harper Leadership, 2020). He lives in Los Angeles, California.

When We Fall

By Aoife Clifford http://www.aoifeclifford.com/ @aoifejclifford

Published by Ultimo Press https://ultimopress.com.au/ @ultimopress (an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing) https://www.hardiegrant.com/au/books @HardieGrant

336 pages ISBN 978761150197

Publication date 3 May 2023

I was sent an electronic copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to thank Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and Publisher.

The cover

Excellent cover, dramatic and moody. The relevance of the birds will become apparent and the strap line provides a great summary.

From the blurb

‘It isn’t strangers you need to worry about here. Blood lines run deep and in unexpected places. Every victim, every accused, we’ll know. The past runs alongside us all the time. Some days it spills into the open.’

In the wild, coastal town of Merritt, Alex Tillerson and her mother make a shocking find on the beach. The police claim it’s an accidental death but there are whispers of murder and that it is not the first. 

Bella Greggs was found dead at the bottom of a ravine but drowned in salt water. Maxine McFarlane was pulled from the ocean but with no water in her lungs. Black feathers were found with both bodies but what do they mean?

As Alex fights for answers to honour the dead, and to discover why her mother fled town as a teenager, good people keep looking the other way, memories become unreliable and secrets threaten to reveal the past.

Alex discovers the truth never dies but it can kill…

My thoughts

Barrister Alex Tillerson’s life is a bit of a mess. She is not getting the big briefs she needs to forge a successful career, her marriage is in tatters and now her mother is developing early onset dementia. Lacking anything to anchor it, her life is drifting. Without work Alex returns to the small town of Merritt to visit her mother, Denny, who now lives in the family home they fled when Alex was young and assess how she it is getting on. It quickly becomes apparent that Denny is struggling to manage alone, the best solution that Alex can see is to get her a place in an assisted living accommodation and then sell the house to fund her care. No easy task as Denny was a strong fiercely independent woman, and whilst the house has few happy memories, she will be reluctant to sell. Alex is trying to make a connection with Denny, seeking one of her periods of clarity to make her understand the reality of their situation.

Walking on the beach one day Denny gets on ahead, the experience stimulating memories of a happier past when she suddenly starts screaming. She has come across a severed human leg on the beach. Alex takes control of the situation and waits until the police arrive, when they do, she is not exactly impressed. The leg appears to be female and there is a distinguishing mark, a tattoo of a black feather. Identification is confirmed when a fisherman recovers the rest of the body, it’s Maxine McFarlane a talented artist and teacher. Apparently drowned but with no water in her lungs the local police try to pass it off as an accident, a reflexive ‘dry drowning’ but Alex can’t accept that. Another suspicious death happened earlier and when Alex starts to see connections between the two women, she is certain there is a murderer at large. If there is, then the locals are refusing to believe it or turning to look the other way.

Another review of a novel set in Australia, but this one is a bit different, its not set in the scorching barren outback, but somewhere more sub-tropical and coastal. Here there is wind, rain and at times it even gets cold.  It seems a very appealing place to live were it not for the murders. Where it is similar is it is a study of life in small town Australia, a life much different from that in Melbourne or Sydney. It’s a place where people seem to know everyone else’s business but where some desperately try to hang on to some secrets, secrets that can destroy a life. To get answers Alex needs to expose some of these secrets, but in doing so she will put herself and others in grave danger.

It’s the sort of small town where incomers are distrusted or treated with scorn. Alex is seen as some ‘big city lawyer’ who should go back to the city and not meddle in people’s lives. Worse is reserved for Nic Quirke a Tech Billionaire who sees Merritt as pet project, a green development for a sustainable future. The locals are sceptical of his motives, seeing him as buying his way in and taking over the town. Money talks, some will sell out, others will resist, making him an ideal bogyman.

The plot is Alex’s unofficial murder investigation, with this providing the skeleton which is fleshed out with human issues and psychological problems. Families feature prominently, the love they provide but also the damage they can inflict, scars that can last a lifetime.

There is great tact and sensitivity in the writing as it tackles emotive subjects. There is Denny’s dementia which is at the early stage, we get a feeling of the problems to come but without the bleakness that often comes later. Most of all through is the subject of involuntary adoption, whereby babies are taken for adoption against the wishes of the mother. Something that really happened, where puritanical parents did it to give a better life to the baby, rather than having the stigma of a single mother. Neither Alex nor the murdered Bella knew who their fathers were as their strong mothers battled on alone.

It is very much a human story though, one of hopes, fears, and intentions. The need to understand the past but leave it there, not rail against it, to move on to a better future based on love and understanding.

There are strong well drawn women throughout, whereas the men appear either selfish, feckless, or lazy, but later we discover some are not quite how they seem. Alex must see behind these masks to get to the truth.

It’s not all psychological though, there is real danger for Alex who seems to be a step or two behind throughout her investigation, which makes her vulnerable. The pace picks up in the final third as the pieces come together, but a little too late, for Alex. There is a showdown at a classic literature/film setting and then, it is followed by something of a sting in the tail and one last surprise.

When we Fall is a thought-provoking novel that manages to combine a great crime story with a disturbing aspect of Australia’s past.

When we Fall can be purchased from Amazon UK here

The author

Aoife Clifford is the author of All These Perfect Strangers, which was long-listed for both the Australian Industry General Fiction Book of the Year and the Voss Literary Prize, and Second Sight, a Publishers Weekly (starred review) and PW Pick for Book of the Week.
Aoife’s short stories have been published in Australia, United Kingdom and the United
States, winning premier prizes such as the Scarlet Stiletto and the S.D. Harvey Ned Kelly
Award.

Don’t forget to check out the other stops on this blog tour:

The Medici Murders

By David Hewson https://davidhewson.com/ @david_hewson

Published by Canongate Books https://canongate.co.uk/ @canongatebooks

284 pages ISBN 9781838858582

Publication date 4 May 2023

The Medici Murders launches a new historical mystery series, set in Venice and featuring retired archivist Arnold Clover.

I was sent a paperback proof copy to enable me to take part in this Blog Tour. I would like to than Anne at Random Things Tours @RandomTTours for the invitation to participate and of course the Author and the Publisher.

The Cover

A famous stiletto dagger with blood on the tip. A nice cover that brings together the old and the modern.

From the blurb

Venice is a city full of secrets. For hundreds of years it has been the scene of scandal, intrigue and murderous rivalries. And it remains so today.

1548, Lorenzino de Medici, himself a murderer and a man few will miss, is assassinated by two hired killers.

Today, Marmaduke Godolphin, British TV historian and a man even fewer will miss, is stabbed by a stiletto blade on the exact same spot, his body dropping into the canal.

Can the story of the first murder explain the attack on Godolphin? The Carabinieri certainly think so. They recruit retired archivist Arnold Clover to unpick the mystery and to help solve the case. But the conspiracy against Godolphin runs deeper than anyone imagined.

My thoughts

In an earlier review this year I bemoaned the dumbing down of TV science programmes, rather than properly communicating facts to the viewing audience. The skill of communication being eschewed in exchange for exotic locations (nice work if you can get it) and flashy visuals. Now it seems I am not alone with these thoughts; The Medici Murders is a classic crime story with a satire running through its core like ‘Scarborough’ through a stick of rock. In his sights are the proliferation of TV historians, who in their endeavours to make the story seem important and entertaining can’t help themselves making it all about them. You know the sort, when you are watching and start thinking step away from the dressing up box sweetie. Here they are well and truly skewered by the authors pen, metaphorical perhaps seeing as all authors seem to use MacBook pros, but I imagine it being a crow feather quill. Quite fitting.

The historian in question is Marmaduke Godolphin, a man who in his mid-seventies is difficult to like and not just for his ludicrous name. Duke is the epitome of the target of the #MeToo movement. As a lecturer (or perhaps lecher) at Cambridge university he considered sleeping with students a rite of passage for them as well as a route to better grades. Whilst there he developed a coterie of acolytes, the Gilded Circle, who flattered his ego and made him the centre of attention. Wife Felicity a producer at the BBC helped to give him his big break in television and he ran with it, all the while inflating his self-image to bursting point. Naturally, he is a man to do favours, mainly for young pretty women of whom a quid pro quo is expected. An unpleasant man who has lost sight of what it was that put him onto the path to greatness.

The plot is one of revenge and is somewhat contrived, but beautifully so and masterfully constructed, with elements straight from the golden age. The story is told from the viewpoint of Arnold, the central character, a widowed former archivist who has retired to Venice. Godolphin has asked Arnold’s friend Luca and him to search for two letters supposedly written by Michelangelo, amongst thirteen packing cases of documents, a bequest from a mysterious Mr Wolff, which will turn history on its head. Before Godolphin can exploit the situation, he is found dead in the lagoon and Arnold is asked for an explanation of what has gone on. If it is murder then there are few suspects, his wife and son, the members of his circle and Arnold and Luca of course. The fact that Godolphin has gone out of his way to humiliate them all hardly narrows it down. I did say he wasn’t a nice man.

The small cast allows for a compactness of the plot and some great characters to develop. There is forthright and practical Felicity Duke’s wife and his timid and put upon son Jolyon (poor lad) always overshadowed by father. There is a lovely cameo by Dotoressa Greta the document expert, who doesn’t suffer fools, but central is the two-hander played out between Arnold and Carabinieri Capitano Valentina. Here the chemistry is wonderful, like cat and mouse, back and forth, as she wants to solve the case that day and as a reward take him to dinner at her husband’s restaurant. Arnold is truthful but sparing as if holding something back, Valentina is intelligent, and even though distracted at times, perceptive and knowing.

Another big character is Venice itself. There is a bit of the tourist traps and its set during Carnival, which is important to the plot, with which Venetians hold a love-hate relationship, hating the tackiness but loving the commerce. A historical pageant that ended in the nineteenth century and was only revived in 1979 that allows tourists to dress up as harlequins and plague doctors. We do get some of the local’s Venice, now sadly being squeezed out by tourism, the back street cafes and the vaporetto water buses. Also, some of its strange history including courtesans and even a rhinoceros.

Then there is the food. There are several classic and sumptuous Italian dishes, from simple pastries to elaborate mains that will have you googling pictures and recipes. This had me recalling some amazing meals I’ve had in Tuscany.

Literature lovers will also be in their element as several works are seamlessly referenced as the story progresses. Naturally there is Thomas Mann’s most recognised work, Death in Venice, and the near tangible disappointment visiting the film location, the lido, and the boarded-up hotel. Then there is Edgar Allan Poe as pigeons become Arnold’s version of The Raven, and John Ruskin’s sojourn there and health issues. Then there is a lovely comment from Valentina about the only murders in Venice take place in Gialli that so Italian description of crime novels.

The reveal is very clever and beautifully excused, proving that the easiest people to fool are those who want to be fooled, and the dangers of confirmation bias.

The Medici Murders is part crime novel, part satire with a morality tale, written with great wit and affection for the city. As Arnold remarks, you don’t truly visit Venice, it allows you in and works its way into your blood, and after reading this I want to go there.

The Medici Murders can be purchased via the Bookshop.org here

The author

David Hewson is a former journalist with The Times, Sunday Times and Independent. He is the author of more than twenty-five novels, including his Rome-based Nic Costa series which has been published in fifteen languages, and his Amsterdam-based series featuring detective Pieter Vos. He has also written three acclaimed adaptations of the Danish TV series, The Killing. He lives near Canterbury in Kent.

Don’t forget to check out the other reviews on this Blog Tour:

Born the Same #AntonyDunford #BornTheSame

By Antony Dunford https://www.antonydunford.com/ @antony_dunford

Published by Hobeck Books https://www.hobeck.net @HobeckBooks

373 pages ISBN

Publication date 9 May 2023

Born the Same is a prequel to Hunted.

I was sent an electronic copy in exchange for a fair review.  I would like to thank Rebecca at Hobeck Books and the Author for the invitation to participate in the Blog Tour.

The Cover

A bold and striking image of an African elephant. The novel is about a search for an endangered rhinoceros, but elephants are quite prominent. The strap line will become apparent towards the end of the novel.

From the blurb

Colm Reid, a disillusioned Irish journalist, is invited by Norwegian conservationist Kennet Haven to cover a story in the remote Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Colm joins Kennet, Kennet’s sister Jane, Belgian journalist Fatou Ba, and the rangers of Garamba on an expedition into the park to look for the last surviving wild northern white rhinos on the planet.

Kennet neglected to mention one the park is in the middle of a war zone.

My thoughts

I must confess I have not read Hunted the previous book, featuring Jane Haven, but for once this works out well as this novel is a prequel to it. It is set in the Democratic Republic of Congo (previously known as Zaire), one of those massive African nations which most of us know little about. Depending on your age you might be aware of Leopold II and colonial atrocities, a world heavyweight boxing bout, a fruit drink (that they definitely don’t drink there) or rare-earth metal exploitation. Those of a literary persuasion will summon Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ though I suspect fewer will have read it though (Conrad’s prose is brilliant but hard going at times.)

Colm Reid is a newbie journalist and a bit of an idealist. He wants to uphold the traditions of his profession for honesty and integrity, like the greats such as Woodward and Bernstein, and not the tabloid gutter press and online clickbait fodder. Most of all he idolises Aileen O’Conner the seasoned war reporter for his paper, a woman very much in the Marie Colvin mould, she was the one who inspired him to become a journalist.

Its crisis time at the newspaper, another round of restructuring and job losses are coming in the hope of producing some kind of financial stability. Colm is called into the editor’s office, but instead of the expected redundancy package he is offered a foreign assignment, the chance of an old-fashioned scoop. He is to meet up with Norwegian conservationist Kennet Haven in his quest to find the last northern white rhino in the wild. He is destined to be the only member of the press there so it could be the story of a lifetime. At the airport he is intercepted by Aileen. The reason he will be alone is everyone turned it down, including Aileen, he is flying into a war zone with no security, his only protection is his press pass. She gives him some advice and a dossier on the various armed militia in the region, some light reading for the flight.

On site Colm discovers that they are staying in a ranger compound and with a thread to the colonial past he is joined by Fatou Ba a Belgian magazine with Congolese roots. She proves to be a little more prepared for the adventure ahead than Colm, who is the true innocent abroad, but not by much.

The plot ostensibly is the search for the fabled last white rhino, one involving some dishonesty from Kennet as the reader will discover. The futility of the exercise is captured rather poignantly when they discover a rhino skull, are they, and moreover mankind, just too late. This provides the reason to be in the DR Congo, the real story is the battling factions, the various militia and government soldiers.

It may be too late for the rhino, but the African elephant can be saved if poaching can be stopped. The park rangers have confiscated a large quantity of ivory, a tempting resource for the waring militia to fund their guns. Here the author is unflinching in his portrayal a sickening crime carried out by despicable people but are they any worse than the old colonial masters, at least it is their lands. One thing is clear, conservation is something the author is passionate about.

The child soldiers of Africa also play their part, most are captured and forced to barbarism, often against family or those they know, to desensitise them for life in the militia. Not a choice, a case of brutal nurture over nature, but the question posed is, because we are all born the same, do they have the capacity to change if given the opportunity?

After an attack of the ranger compound the storyline develops into a thrilling chase across the grass plains and Colm is at the centre of the action. The aggression and fight scenes are well set up with one character proving to be surprisingly resourceful. There is more than enough to keep the action-thriller fan fully engaged. The imaginative descriptions of the vista, the floral and fauna are wonderful and quite convincing considering the author wasn’t to visit the locations. Colm has a run in with an overlarge familiar creature, always remember to tuck your trousers in your socks at night, but those with snake phobias can relax this time.

The novel is packed with characters so only a few are examined in depth. Colm is the idealist in a profession that no longer values them. Will the trip break him or place him in the footsteps of the journalist he idolises? Kennet is a man distorted by obsession, dangerously so, whilst his sister Jannika ‘Jane’ is described as a schoolteacher but proves to be enigmatic. One the outgoing plane Colm meets Jack Lockwood a timid but idealistic young man who is planning to teach children. Two weeks later he finds Jack working in a hospital but now with the confidence and maturity of a couple of years not weeks, a place where rapid adaptation is needed to just survive.

Born the Same is an action-packed, thrilling chase across the Congolese grasslands but one which poses difficult questions about the behaviour of man to his fellow man and the environment.

Born the Same can be purchased direct from the publisher’s website here

The author

We are thrilled to have published Antony Dunford’s debut action adventure thriller Hunted in 2021. Set on a Kenyan wildlife reserve where poachers threaten to wipe out the world’s last remaining Northern White rhinos, it features Jane Haven, a former Norwegian special forces soldier and her battle to protect both the people and the animals she loves. Like fellow Hobeck author Wendy Turbin, Antony is graduate of the UEA Creative Writing MA course. 

Source: Hobeck Books and Author websites

Don’t forget to check out the other posts on this Blog Tour:

Outback

By Patricia Wolf @PattyWolfCrime

Narrated by Adam Fitzgerald https://adamfitzgeraldactor.com/ @AdamPFitzgerald

Published by Embla Books  (an imprint of Bonnier Books UK) @emblabooks @bonnierbooks_uk

320 pages (10 hours 45 minutes) 9781471411700

Publication date 8 November 2022

The first novel in the DS Walker series.

Outback has been longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award 2023.

I listened to the audio version of the book purchased from Audible.

The cover

A single building in the desolate red earth of the Australian outback. Foreboding sky hints a dark and moody but is a bit misleading as the land has been plagued by drought for several years.

From the blurb

Two missing backpackers. One vast outback.

DS Lucas Walker is on leave in his hometown of Caloodie, taking care of his dying grandmother. When two young German backpackers, Berndt and Rita, vanish from the area, he finds himself unofficially on the case. But why all the interest from the Federal Police when they have probably just ditched the heat and dust of the outback for the coast?

As the number of days since the couple’s disappearance climbs, DS Walker is joined by Rita’s older sister. A detective herself with Berlin CID, she has flown to Australia – desperate to find her sister before it’s too late.

Working in the organised crime unit has opened Walker’s eyes to the growing drug trade in Australia’s remote interior, and he remains convinced there is more at play.

As temperatures soar, the search for Berndt and Rita becomes ever more urgent. Even if Walker does find the young couple, will it be too late?

The narration

Nicely narrated in what might be described as Aussie-light, clearly Australian but in the upbeat soap opera style. Wouldn’t be surprised if the actor had done a Sat-Nav voice as his voice is smooth and calming.

My thoughts

We I started this Blog I made myself the promise to read more antipodean fiction and so far I’ve kept up with that. It does help that there seems to be an impressive batch of newish crime writers down there and this one certainly fits the bill.

This is another novel largely set in the Australian outback, the title being a bit of a give-away. There seems to be something about the desolate, dusty, parched landscape that appeals to writers and readers alike. In the case of the UK, I suspect it is just the sheer alienness of the backdrop as we face another day of intermittent rain even in May. The author manages to use the outback as a canvas for an intense and intriguing abduction story, whilst truly exposing the danger out there. If you were to list the things that can kill you down there no doubt sharks, crocodiles, snakes and spiders will be prominent, but just as deadly out of the cities is dehydration and prolonged exposure to the sun.

Set in a hard landscape made worse by prolonged years of drought, the outback is a difficult place to live. As cattle stations struggle, men are laid off, trade in the small towns decline in a cycle of unemployment, poverty, and despair. Some find solace in a bottle, others weed but increasingly crystal meth is taking hold.

DS Lucas Walker is an undercover cop who has been granted a leave of absence to recover following a particularly arduous case. He takes the chance to return to his roots and visit his grandma, who is dying of cancer, in Caloodie a small town in the outback. Walker had an unsettled upbringing, spending some time in Boston USA with his mother but also time with his grandma to whom he was very close. She instilled in him her morals and ethics and as we will discover she is a perceptive and wise woman.

Walker being there proves useful to his superiors as two German backpackers (Rita and Berndt) have gone missing in the area and the local police have got nowhere with the investigation. The local police force is effectively one junior officer for the town, who’s attitude is that they have decided to not work at the cattle station they had arranged to and just moved on to better things. Walker is instructed to carry out a review and avoid the force being embarrassed. When Walker phones the families he finds that Rita’s sister Barbara is alarmed, she would have been in touch by now so she must really be a missing person. Barbara is a DS with the Berlin police and decides to take some leave and fly out to help the search.

Walker and Barbara are destined to team up eventually after she becomes a bit of a nuisance locally. This odd couple pairing works rather well. He shows her around, as an innocent abroad, allowing for descriptions of the barren landscape, a chance to swim outdoors, observe kangaroos and develop some sexual tension. She provides an exotic presence in the local bar/hotel and persistence with the case, it is personal, it is family. Walker is initially frustrated by her presence but then is impressed by her detection and deduction skills. It is Barbara who discovers the key to cracking the case and much more. Most of all he feels protective of her as if she were his responsibility, something that leads to an awful dilemma late in the story.

The plot starts as a missing persons case which later morphs into something much bigger as Barbara trawls into historic missing persons cases. As such it stays very much in the realms of a police procedural where meticulous work and attention to detail come into play. It is cleverly written disguising the miscreant’s identity for much of the story. The pacing is somewhat steady, which is suitable for a descriptive procedural based work. There is suspense as well as elements of danger and jeopardy, with the pace increasing at this point.

Barbara has typical German traits, thinking things should be straight and proper, and is fluent in English. I wondered why German, then I discovered the author is living there and then it made perfect sense. The clashes between carefully tutored English and Aussie outback English provide some light relief, such as when Walker commented on her thongs (flip-flops). So, expect a peppering of arvo (afternoon) and chook (chicken, as in he had muscles like a chook’s instep) amongst others. What could be more rural Australian than a ‘meat and chook’ raffle down the pub? Barbara buys tickets and tells Walker if she wins, he can have her meat…

At the centre of it all is family. There’s Walker returning to his roots and love for his grandma. Barbara’s search for her sister is obvious but there is also a subtext as we discover her family are from Chile and fled once Salvador Allende was overthrown by General Pinochet in 1973. Then there is the villain and his abusive childhood, as he suffers a succession of temporary ‘dads’ until he is big enough to fight back. The detrimental effects upon him are clear as he drifts into a slacker’s adulthood and a need to find control. Most of all it questions what home is, is it a place or simply where those you love are? As grandma says Caloodie will always be Walker’s home.

It is no surprise that this impressive debut has been longlisted on the CWA ILP John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2023. Outback is an intense story of family and one woman’s persistence to find her missing sister.

Outback can be purchased from Amazon as paperback, kindle or audiobook here but also please check your local independent book store.

Patricia Wolf has been a journalist for more than 15 years, a regular contributor to titles including The Guardian, the Financial Times, The Independent and The Telegraph, among others. She grew up in outback Australia, in a mining town called Mount Isa in far north-west Queensland – eagle eyed readers will have spotted a small reference to it in her first book, OUTBACK. Patricia loves the rugged beauty, indigo sky and wide horizons of the outback, but left Australia after university to travel the world and became a journalist. She lives in Berlin, Germany, but the outback always calls her home. In 2019, just before the covid pandemic locked us all in, Patricia spent two months in northwest Queensland, taking a four-week road trip. As she drove and spent nights and days surrounded by the beauty and rugged harshness of the outback, DI Lucas Walker and his stories came to be.

Source: Amazon author’s profile

The narrator

Born and raised in Melbourne, Adam has been living and working in London since 2016.

After graduating from drama school and winning the BBC Carleton Hobbs Award for Radio Drama, Adam has lent his voice to projects with BBC Radio 4, Audible and Sony Pictures Germany.

In 2020 he made his T.V. debut in season 4 of The Crown for Netflix, and is soon to be filming an international feature film in Thailand.

Source: narrator’s website