THE DEVIL'S JUMP - Peter Doyle

Another book from the local books pile that I've been catching up on lately - The Devil's Jump is from the same author that wrote GET RICH QUICK (which won the Ned Kelly for Best First Crime Novel in 1997) and AMAZE YOUR FRIENDS (which won the Ned Kelly for Best Crime Novel in 1999).

THE DEVIL'S JUMP is set in Sydney at the end of the Second World War - in fact the blurb on the book says "The war in the Pacific is over... The war on the streets has just begun". It's the story of Billy Glasheen - local lad and (in the author's words) apprentice lurk merchant. Billy's not exactly a bad lad, but he is inclined to find the easiest path. Never part of the Armed Forces (bit of a medical problem) Billy's been mixed up with a local hood for a while now. Returning Servicemen, including his brother, looking to settle down into civilian life, get a job and get on with life the right way, doesn't really appeal to him - if there's a bit of a scheme going on and some easy money to be had, Billy just can't help himself. When his boss, Toohey goes missing it seems that a list of members of a slightly questionable Political group is being offered around for sale, and Toohey is the last person known to have the register. Given that Billy has sort of stepped into a lot of Toohey's activities since his disappearance a lot of people decide that it's only logical that Billy has the register. Only he doesn't.

THE DEVIL'S JUMP has a really realistic post Second World War feel to it - from the characterisations (Robert Menzies even makes a cameo appearance), the terminology, the lurks that Billy gets up to (in this case lurk is a slang term for pursuit / goings on / avocation legal or illegal, such as in the phrase 'that's a good lurk' ;) ) Of course, for some, the terminology could create a slight air of confusion but if anybody's watched Dad's Army it should be a doddle :)