At the moment I'm happily posting answers to Six Quick Questions from guest authors at SheKilda 2011(link is external) next month. One of the questions we're asking over there is about the state of Australian female crime writing. And then I realised I'd not posted an update on what I'd been reading or about to review.
The state of Australian Crime Writing in general seems to be in pretty good shape at the moment - if the fact that I just can't keep up with all the fabulous books floating around is any indication anyway. (I've been lucky enough to be proof reading some manuscripts at the same time and there is some seriously good stuff on the way!). The exciting thing is that we're finally getting to the stage that there are books of all types for all readers tastes. Which is a Very Good Thing.
But onto this book - which I should have read ages ago. So glad I've finally caught up with Brad Chen again.
From the Blurb:
One-time star detective Brad Chen seems destined for a desk job until someone starts shooting dodgy property developers in Perth and Adelaide. The state coppers Brad is sent to assist aren't much interested in anything he can do to help out, even when the body count extends to shonky financial advisers, crooked lawyers and assorted other fraudsters. Chen is nonetheless determined to track down the hitman the public is calling a hero.
Opening Lines:
On the Friday morning I heard Alan Markevski had been murdered I watched a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos tear a three-metre casuarina to pieces outside a dentist's surgery in Corinna Street ... and felt sorry for the tree.
From the winner of the 2009 Ned Kelly Award comes a sensational new novel
It's November 2007. There's sewage in the big lake at the heart of the soulless city, Canberra, the TABs have been emptied by a deadly horse virus and the longest Federal election campaign of all time still has a fortnight to run.
One-time star detective Brad Chen seems destined for a desk job until someone starts shooting dodgy property developers in Perth and Adelaide. The state coppers he's sent to assist aren't much interested in anything he can do to help out, even when the body counts extends to shonky financial advisers, crooked lawyers and assorted other fraudsters in the eastern capitals. Chen is nonetheless determined to track down the hitman the public is calling a hero.
Rip Off delivers readers another big serve of the solid plotting, witty dialogue and eccentric characters they've come to expect from the Brad Chen series and its Ned Kelly award-winning author.