Books Read Archive 2007
Exit Music by Ian Rankin
The last Rebus novel - or is it? New problems arise and old adversaries return as the old curmudgeon attempts to finish off a case involving Russian poets and Russian money.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
A wordless graphic novel that is winning awards and accolades all over the place. A very fine example of how this genre can deliver far more than first impressions would imply.
The Perfect Suspect by Vincent Varjavandi
A first novel by a new Australian author, with a twisted plot-line and a dark forbidding atmosphere.
The Glugs of Gosh by C.J. Dennis
Dennis's satire on politics, and monarchies. Masquerading as a fantasy for children, this verse novel was considered by the author to be some of his best work.
The Night Ferry by Michael Robotham
A voice from the past, two sudden deaths and Robotham's plot is up and away and doesn't let up. Tackles human trafficking in all its forms to marvellous effect. Shortlisted for the 2007 Ned Kelly Award.
The Confession by Domenic Stansberry
A series of murders points to one suspect in a beautifully manipulative piece of prose. Is it him or his near look-alike? Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback of the Year.
Aphelion by Emily Ballou
Four generations of women sharing one house, living with their regrets and thoughts of lost love.
Sucked In by Shane Maloney
The sixth Murray Whelan novel. The death of a politician and the discovery of a murdered union official in a dried-up lake lead Whelan down some murky political pathways.
The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett
Hartnett's latest reads like a modern fairy tale. A mysterious boy appears in an old woman's house and is told her life story. Beautifully written.
The Whisper of Leaves by K.S. Nikakis
Book One of The Kira Chronicles, an epic fantasy trilogy from a new Australian author. Events from the past echo down the centuries.
Read my review on Matilda.
Company by Max Barry
Life in a modern big company. Half the workers are pyschotic and no-one seems to know what's going on. This sounds so familiar.
Paydirt by Kathleen Mary Fallon
Based on the script of the film Call Me Mum, this is a novel of cross-cultural and cross-racial differences and similarities.
Read my review on Matilda.
Rohypnol by Andrew Hutchinson
"In the new age of money, drugs and instant satisfaction, you make your own rules. You take what you want, you don't ask." A tough and uncompromising look at modern Australian urban culture.
Read my review on Matilda.
All Those Bright Crosses by Ross Duncan
A story of love, loss, grief and addiction - all set against the backdrop of life in Fiji. Obsession and a missing treasure make for a heady mix.
Read my review on Matilda.
The Girl with the Long Green Heart by Lawrence Block
Reprinted from 1965 but it holds up really well. A tale of two men running a complicated real estate scheme. What could possibly go wrong? As the tag line reads "She was every man's dream -- and one man's nightmare." I think the answer is right there.
Careless by Deborah Robertson
Shortlisted for the 2007 Miles Franklin Award.
A story of grief, loss, responsibility and betrayal. A first novel by a short story writer that displays a formidable talent.
Bust by Ken Bruen and Jason Starr
Crosses and double-crosses everywhere. It's hard to tell who is on which side. A husband hires a psychopath to kill his wife. After that it just gets worse.
Black Tide by Peter Temple
The second Jack Irish novel. Temple's masterly series follows a gambling, drinking, suburban solicitor who seems to have more shadey friends than I've had hot dinners. A missing son of a friend of his late father's sends him to places he'd rather avoid.
Nights in the Asylum by Carol LeFevre
A first novel about three runaways stuck in an outback mining town. All have their reasons for being there, but when a husband of one of them comes looking circumstances spiral out of control.
Read my review on Matilda.
Dead Set by Kel Robertson
The first Inspector Chen novel. The Federal Minister for Immigration is found murdered, and Chen, hobbled by a broken leg, and a raging alcohol and pain-killer habit is sent in to investigate. At first it seems that petty jealousy might be the motive, but the investigation expands to include the Australian political scene and defence force machinations as the body count rises.
Red Spikes by Margo Lanagan
The fine art of the short story involving the fantastical. Lanagan's third in this "series". Short and superbly formed.
Theft by Peter Carey
Carey's controversial latest novel - a tale of two brothers, the art world, fraud, love and redemption. Longlisted for the 2007 Miles Franklin Award.
Point Blank by Richard Stark
The first of Stark's Parker novels. Originally titled The Hunter, it spawned a memorable film featuring Lee Marvin, and a whole new crime sub-genre. Relentless is about the only descriptor needed for it.
North Face of Soho by Clive James
The fourth volume in James's Unreliable Memoirs. From Fleet Street to TV, plays, poetry, reviews, essays and novels; James cuts a swathe through all he surveys.
Chain of Evidence by Garry Disher
The fourth Challis and Destry novel. Challis is back home in South Australia looking after his dying father and investigating a disappearance, while Destry is looking into a possible paedophile ring.
Dreams of Speaking by Gail Jones
An exploration of the poetry inherent in the modern world, the aesthetics of technology, and the power of simple communication. Longlisted for the 2007 Miles Franklin Award.
The Way Some People Die by Ross Macdonald
Lew Archer is searching for a missing daughter, and gets caught up in murder, money and dope. A terrific portrayal of post-war Southern California. One of the top three or four crime writers ever.
The Solid Mandala by Patrick White
The second novel in the Patrick White Readers' Group program. A tale of twins living one life.
Something Fishy by Shane Maloney
The fifth Murray Whelan novel. Whelan is now an MP but his pregnant lover is killed in front of him and he spends the rest of the novel trying to find the killer, stay sane and keep out of trouble. He hasn't a hope. One of the funniest crime writers around, anywhere.
City of Illusions by Ursula K. Le Guin
Early Le Guin, but you can see the language and themes developing. Both of which would result in the sublime Left Hand of Darkness.
Love Without Hope by Rodney Hall
A new novel by a major Australian author. Ponders the issues of the individual against the state, the nature of compassion and the definition of madness.
Read my review on Matilda.
Inspector Anders and the Blood Vendetta by Marshall Browne
The third in the series. Anders is back in Italy where right-wing politicians have been murdered, and where he has to find a solution before the Mafia catches up with him.
Read my review on Matilda.
The Wheelman by Duane Swierczynski
Noir hits the streets of Philadelphia. A mute getaway driver is betrayed and his money stolen - getting it back it going to see him up against the Russian and Italian mobs, city hall and corrupt cops.
Inspector Anders and the Ship of Fools by Marshall Browne
The second in the series. Someone is blowing up the industrialists of Europe, and Anders is not sure whose side he is on.