REVIEW

Review - Pachyderm, Hugh McGinlay

Reviewed By
Karen Chisholm

PACHYDERM is the second outing for milliner Catherine Kint and her best friend (strictly platonic) Boris. The novel follows on from JINX although not so closely as to make the earlier one mandatory reading, but they are both definitely highly recommended. 

Set in inner hipster Melbourne, littered with coffee shops, bars and pubs, Kint is one of those accidental detectives who has a minor super-power in turning just about anything into a crime scene. Attending a glittering social function at the Melbourne Zoo goes from an opportunity of mixing a bit of business with pleasure, to a sizzling romantic encounter with the enigmatic zoo-keeper Beau Hacska and the sad, sudden death of the zoo's female Asian elephant Dong Zei.

That night escalates to a steamy date with Hacska, an odd encounter with a whistler on public transport, a commission from a demanding, and seemingly psychic client for an impossible hat in masses of green felt, and the supposedly accidental mauling of Hacska by the zoo's African Wild Dog pack. Despite Kint's absolute conviction that the elephant's death, and Hacska's mauling are connected by more than just location, zoo officials refuse to concede. Meanwhile Boris has found love and won't concentrate, the green felt construction has turned into her worst nightmare, and Kint's life is barrelling along in that fast paced, slightly breathless, sod the speed bumps sort of a way that readers of JINX will remember.

McGinlay does a particularly good line in tongue in cheek humour in these books. Never cruel, he's able to poke fun at the high pace, high drama Kint from the outset. Whether it's the way that she does (or doesn't) deal with the client from hell; whether it's her stomping mercilessly into the personal (and potential romantic life) of Boris without a seeming care in the world, Kint is one of those characters that stands out from the page (and would probably be one you'd cheerfully strangle in real life).

JINX created a real sense of the inner Melbourne hipster place that the books are set in, whilst PACHYDERM concentrates more firmly on character development and plot. There's a lot going on in both these books, but at no stage is the reader made to feel overwhelmed or confused (well not more than Kint herself anyway). There's contemplation time, there's sitting around in the pub drinking gin time, and in this novel, some poignant moments both in terms of love lost, love sought and what happens to the famous when they age and fail.

Quirky, fun, engaging and hugely entertaining, JINX, PACHYDERM and Catherine Kint are a really good combo - here's hoping there's more intended in the series.

BOOK DETAILS
BOOK INFORMATION
Author
Year of Publication
Book Number (in series)
2
BLURB

A night at the Melbourne Zoo drinking champagne seems a fine idea, until an animal's death throws milliner and sleuth Catherine Kint into another mystery. Before you can say 'monkey business' Catherine and her trusted barman Boris are annoying everyone from zoologists to police. The investigation would challenge the best detectives, but this is Catherine and Boris on the case. Secrets, accidents, rivalries, egos and lust all set the dung flying. By the time this is finished, reputations will be tarnished, gin will be drunk and someone's gonna get fed to the lions ... or some other carnivore.

Review Review - Pachyderm, Hugh McGinlay
Karen Chisholm
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Blog #amreading Pachyderm, Hugh McGinlay
Karen Chisholm
Monday, August 21, 2017

Add new comment

This is a book review site, with no relationship whatsoever with any of the authors mentioned here.

We do not provide a method for you to contact authors for any reason and comments of this nature are automatically deleted.

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.