PICCADILLY PICKS
Treasure & Dirt
Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
Detective Ivan Lucic is sent from Sydney to Finnigan’s Gap, an arid inland town on the Queensland border, to investigate the gruesome murder of an opal miner. In his investigations he is joined by smart yet inexperienced Nell Buchanan, but is hindered by local police, miners and his own past.
It transpires that there is much more to this than a murder; Ivan is being set up to fail as part of a police investigation into his former superior.
Mining can destroy many people, but create great wealth for some; producing rivalries and enemies. Thieves, conmen and fanatics are attracted by the lure of treasure. Mining companies can become a law unto themselves. The breadth of the investigation expands dramatically – they have to find the killer.
This novel lives up to the back-cover promotion: “a superb standalone thriller” from author Chris Hammer. I have really enjoyed all four of his books and three quarters through this one there is so much more that must happen and so much that the reader needs to find out.
– Neville Templeton, Piccadilly Bookshop
The Man Who Died Twice
Richard Osman (Penguin Books, $37)
Osman’s Thursday Murder Club, about the characters from Coopers Chase Retirement Village, now has a sequel.
Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim are on the case again. Ibrahim is seriously hurt when mugged while visiting the beach. Elizabeth has a visit from a man she thought was dead (it’s one of her ex-husbands, and he’s being hunted). His story concerns diamonds, spies and an angry mobster.
But this time the murderer isn’t some small-time criminal. Can the club find the killer before the killer finds them? Working to solve the case, Elizabeth, Ron and Joyce don’t need to operate within the law like their policeofficer friends do, and if they find the diamonds, well, that’s just a bonus...
This is an entertaining, light read that will make you smile. The short chapters quickly change the scene to keep the plot moving. Richard Osman will keep you guessing until the end.
– Robyn Joplin, Piccadilly Bookshop