Thrill City by Leigh Redhead

My copy of Thrill City (pub. Allen & Unwin) has been lying on my bookshelf for over a year and I was happy to rediscover it just last week. It prompted me to put aside the book I was in the process of reading and immerse myself in another Simone Kirsch investigation.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the work of Leigh Redhead, she has written a private investigator series featuring former stripper and now occasional PI Simone Kirsch. Thrill City is the fourth book in the series following on from Peepshow, Rubdown and Cherry Pie. The series borders on the edge of the hardboiled realm tempered by the inclusion of a witty and occasionally cynical turn of phrase to keep things just light enough to raise the occasional smirk.

My Brief Review

As for Thrill City, it opens with the news that Kirsch has finally become a licensed private investigator and is now able to strike out on her own. The Melbourne-based former stripper is going to have a go at making a go of it alone and is settling into the job of snapping photos of workers comp insurance scam artists and the like.

The mundane, everyday life of the PI is broken up when crime author Nick Austin walks into her office and asks that she allow him to ride along with her for a couple of days so that he can research for his next novel. It’s easy money for Kirsch and she agrees to the proposition. But there’s no such thing as easy money and a series of weird scenes at a weekend writer’s convention winds up with a dead body with Simone plunked right in the middle.

Nick Austin disappears and the police are on his trail with Simone now key to their inquiries. The action moves fast and culminates in an exciting showdown that starts in Broken Hill and finishes well into the empty expanses of the Australian desert.

When Simone Kirsch works as a PI the story flows quickly and smoothly and it remains consistently interesting. The problem I had, and this is coming from a reader who prefers the hardboiled genre, was that personal issues were continually allowed to get in the way of the story which severely hampered its flow. Simone was way too concerned with how her boyfriend, Sean, would react to her investigation (he didn’t react well) and she was repeatedly intimidated and restricted by other male characters in her life. It definitely bogged down the story with a lot of unnecessary guff.

Too often Kirsch was hamstrung by worries about what other people thought. Would Sean approve? Would he get angry with her for investigating? Who Cares! I found myself getting irritated with her hesitancy, pleading with her to get on and investigate the damn case. After all, that was why I opened the pages of the book in the first place.

When she finally throws caution to the wind it is as if the chain that was holding her back snaps and the everything goes into fast forward in an out of control rush. She lurches into unstoppable action as she goes all out on her search for the missing Nick Austin. All hell breaks loose in fine fashion and we are treated to a free-flowing ending.

It is obvious that Redhead has had some fun with her treatment of the crime fiction literary field taking a few stabs at the profession in which she herself works. There is a sense of fun over the way some authors are portrayed as well as a few stabs at the literary establishment.

Thrill City drags Simone Kirsch further into the private investigation profession, dirties her up a bit and probably adds a scar or two, if not physically then definitely mentally. It appears that there is more work in store for Kirsch to throw herself at.

Thrill City can be bought from the following locations:

Amazon.com for US based readers.
Amazon.co.uk for UK based readers.
Boomerangbooks.com.au for Australian readers

A New Angela Savage Book To Be Released in 2013

In her recent blog post as part of David Whish-Wilson’s Next Big Thing meme Angela Savage revealed that the title of her next book is The Dying Beach. She went on to add that the book is expected to be released in July 2013.

As with her first two books, Behind the Night Bazaar and The Half-Child, the new book will feature Australian private investigator Jayne Keeney and is set in Thailand. The book will be published by Text Publishing.

This is definitely good news for the fans of the Jayne Keeney series which started off in fine style with Behind the Night Bazaar (which was short-listed for the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel) and was then followed up by the outstanding The Half-Child. If you haven’t had a chance to read one or both of these books, you’ve now been given a good 6 months to make the effort and read them before the new book is released. It will be well worth the effort.

For those who want to know more about the forthcoming book, Angela reveals quite a bit about the premise behind the book’s storyline, the inspiration for the story as well as few other choice tidbits. Take a look at Angela’s entry in the Next Big Thing on her blog.

P.D. Martin Turns to E-Books with Hell's Fury

For those who have been looking for P.D. Martin’s latest books in the traditional bookstores the reason you haven’t found them is because they are e-books.

After more than two years P.D. Martin has published a new novel. This follows five books in the Sophie Anderson series as well as a novella and a couple of short stories. The book is titled Hell’s Fury and has been published as a Kindle and Smashwords e-book.

This is good news for all fans of P.D. Martin novels and I am sure there are many who have been anxiously waiting for the next book to be published.

Hell’s Fury is not a Sophie Anderson novel. Instead it is a spy novel and by all accounts is a cracking read. In fact, the book was started around the same time as Body Count (the first Sophie Anderson book) but has sat unfinished for years. A series of events that Phillipa discusses on her website has led to the book being finished and then published as an e-book.

The good news for those who have enjoyed Martin’s novels in the past is that it can be quickly and easily downloaded from either Amazon or Smashwords for only $3.95.

It is also possible to buy the Sophie Anderson e-book novella titled Coming Home plus a pair of short stories that have been bundled together in Kindle format titled The Missing . All of them can be found at Amazon.

The Wreckage by Michael Robotham

The new thriller by Michael Robotham is The Wreckage (pub. Sphere) and it is an expansive novel that is set in London and Baghdad. It is a story that makes use of some of the more influential real life stories that have taken place around the world in more recent times including the Iraq War and the global financial crisis.

The principal character of the book is Vincent Ruiz, the former police detective that has appeared in other books by Robotham. It starts with Ruiz finding himself the victim of a couple of grifters who run their con on him to steal various valuable items including one or two that have sentimental value. Not being one to sit back and take a hit like that, Ruiz sets about tracking down the man and woman thieves, catching up with them just in time to get himself embroiled in something that is far more dangerous for all involved.

The Baghdad part of the story involves a series of bank robberies and the American reporter that is tracking the cases, linking them together to form a hazy picture of supposition. His theories are given greater credence when he is given 48 hours to leave Iraq by the local police after asking one too many questions.

The Wreckage is a fast-paced thriller that draws together all of the main characters nicely in a free-flowing story. There is a continual sense of danger underlying the entire plot with much of the stink coming from the rich and powerful with the occasional religious zealot thrown in to provide us with the added danger that comes from an unfeeling assassin who will kill without mercy.

It is the kind of high quality writing that we have come to expect from Robotham and a reason why I continue to look forward to his books with great anticipation.

Find out more about The Wreckage by Michael Robotham at the Australian Crime Fiction Database.

New Book: Ring of Fire by Peter Klein

The latest racing-related crime thriller from Peter Klein will be out in August and it is a cracker of a read. It is titled Ring of Fire and it is published by Pan Macmillan.

This is not a John Punter novel, Klein has moved away from the protagonist of Punter’s Luck, Punter’s Turf and Silk Chaser (Ned Kelly Award nominee) but he remains in Victoria. In Ring of Fire the main character is Ryan Carlisle and Ryan is a racing steward. So, basically, Klein has moved his readers from one side of the racing game to the other and given us a glimpse into what might take place behind the doors in the steward’s room.

However, the main focus of the story focuses on a serial arsonist who is attacking members of the racing industry. Trainer’s stables and other people connected in the industry are falling victim to the arsonist and Ryan Carlisle gets himself deeply involved in chasing down who it is.

For those who have an interest in horseracing related crime novels and have already enjoyed reading Klein’s earlier books the new Ring of Fire will definitely hold great appeal. It has some great elements to it that will ensure those who enjoy the process of elimination that comes with a good mystery leading up to a hectic ending.

How the Dead See by David Owen

After the return of Detective Inspector Franz Heineken of the Tasmanian Police Force in No Weather For A Burial in 2010, David Owen has followed up with another Pufferfish mystery titled How the Dead See (pub. 40 South Publishing).

As with the previous five Pufferfish mysteries the state of Tasmania is once again reeling from a suspicious death and Heineken, along with his team of Detective Sergeant Rafe Tredway and Detective Constable Faye Addison, is charged with the duty of solving the case. In this case the victim is one Rory Stillrock a former Hollywood star who has spent his more recent years womanizing and boozing while attempting to restart his career in the entertainment industry. It’s a high profile death that puts Heineken and his team under the pump.

Also keeping the police busy is the theft of a diamond necklace from home safe that was hidden inside the wall of a mansion in the well-heeled suburb of New Town. The burglary has all the hallmarks as the work of one of Tasmania’s best safecrackers, but the guy has been passing it around for months that he has given the game away. It’s the kind of case that is right up the cluttered alley of the Pufferfish.

As with the other books in the Pufferfish series there are a stack of references to the state of Tasmania and the landmarks that typify the countryside as some of the most picturesque in all of Australia. It is a setting that adds to the enjoyment of the book that makes it as worthwhile to read as the plot of the novel itself. The fact that many of the landmarks are described by Heineken in his gruff, acerbic tone somehow increases their wild appeal.

Franklin’s a charming little place spread thinly along the western bank of the
Huon River. Pub, cafes, antique shop, Victorian theatre building, boatbuilding
school, rowing club, footy oval right on the river bank. Assorted watercraft sit
on the sparkling, motionless water. Behind, the hillsides slope up, largely
cleared but with forested patches increasing further back. Altogether,
Franklin’s about as charming a rural hamlet as you would wish for. ...pg 183

It may not be immediately obvious in the way I have described the storyline but there is a crackling humour running through the narrative of the book. Heineken has an opinion about everything and a razor sharp delivery that cares not one iota about the way in which his delivery lands. He gets the job done and he does so in a no-nonsense way that is always entertaining.

I am currently reading the book for the second time, giving myself to enjoy the way in which the story unfolds and the sardonic tone in which Heineken presents his every thought to us. With two cases drawing quickly to their conclusion this is a crime novel that doesn’t muck about, just as with Heineken himself.

It is worthwhile going back and reading the entire back catalogue of the Pufferfish series (click on the links to be taken to my reviews of each book): Pig’s Head, A Second Hand, X and Y, The Devil Taker and No Weather For A Burial. Admittedly, tracking them all down may be difficult and if you find that to be the case you might simply limit yourself to reading No Weather For A Burial followed by How the Dead See.