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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Just bought another copy of this as my old one got chewed by the dog, a fact I only realised when I fished it out to give my daughter to read. I am planning on re reading this for the 3rd time as the archetype of crime fiction, troubled souls and redemption.
Excellent mystery, but am going to go out on a limb and suggest that this one is especially tailor made for dudes. Terse, spare language (with some minor 'locker room' phrases) in brief chapters that steadily ratchet up the tension about a lonely on-the-outs cop all suggest a novel that men may relate to best.
With brief glimpses of emotion and insights into his pervasive loneliness and disillusionment, a cop stands up for what is right... against the system. It's a bleak setting in cold, wet, and windy Australia. The author takes you right there, complete with lots of unfamiliar yet understandable slang. What seems like a common crime turns into soooo much more with political and racist issues going head-to-head.
This is a moody, psychological mystery. Came highly recommended and am happy to support that.
With brief glimpses of emotion and insights into his pervasive loneliness and disillusionment, a cop stands up for what is right... against the system. It's a bleak setting in cold, wet, and windy Australia. The author takes you right there, complete with lots of unfamiliar yet understandable slang. What seems like a common crime turns into soooo much more with political and racist issues going head-to-head.
This is a moody, psychological mystery. Came highly recommended and am happy to support that.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I don't normally give up on books, but I struggled to maintain interest in this one. I think it would appeal to many, but I just found the story too slow-paced and could not warm to the characters enough to keep going.
I saw this book on the recommended list of CBC last year, and finally got a copy. So glad I did, it was excellent. A look at Australia from an Australian writer; its a bitter world of changing winds and shifting light. Dark and light, the author is attempting to orient you to a world gone awry for the protagonist. You are peering through foggy lenses and pain with Cashin, but its so compelling, you only want to know more. Cromartie, Port Morono, the Kettle. the secrets and the lies. The bigotry, the damage to children and the hate, are all here. Australia's darkest moments are not unlike our own.
Good story, good characterization. Can't wait for the next one.
Good story, good characterization. Can't wait for the next one.
In my efforts to read more Australian novels, I have fast become a fan of Peter Temple's work. [b:The Broken Shore|1134743|The Broken Shore (Broken Shore #1)|Peter Temple|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312002566l/1134743._SY75_.jpg|1121977] continues that trend as a captivating and thought-provoking crime novel that transcends the boundaries of its genre. Temple immerses readers into a unique sense of place with richly layered storytelling, deeply complex characters, and atmospheric prose.
Set in Victoria's rugged coastal landscape, the novel begins with a brutal assault on an elderly man, opening up webs of corruption, racism, secrets, politics and long-held grudges that stretch far beyond the confines of one small coastal town.
Temple breathes life into his characters, making them feel like real people with their fears, desires and internal struggles. The interactions between characters feel authentic and filled with nuance, adding layers of complexity to the already intricate plot without ever becoming overly prolix.
The book's pacing is superb, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout the novel. As the layers of the mystery are peeled away, the tension escalates, ending in a satisfying climax.
Along the way, Temple skilfully shines a light on the darker heart of Australian society, exploring issues of power, abuse, racism, social inequality and the devastating consequences of the past on the present.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Set in Victoria's rugged coastal landscape, the novel begins with a brutal assault on an elderly man, opening up webs of corruption, racism, secrets, politics and long-held grudges that stretch far beyond the confines of one small coastal town.
Temple breathes life into his characters, making them feel like real people with their fears, desires and internal struggles. The interactions between characters feel authentic and filled with nuance, adding layers of complexity to the already intricate plot without ever becoming overly prolix.
The book's pacing is superb, keeping readers on the edge of their seats throughout the novel. As the layers of the mystery are peeled away, the tension escalates, ending in a satisfying climax.
Along the way, Temple skilfully shines a light on the darker heart of Australian society, exploring issues of power, abuse, racism, social inequality and the devastating consequences of the past on the present.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
My first Peter Temple, and while I liked it, I didn’t love it. It is nice to read a novel set in my home state, even if most of the action takes place in a fictional Victorian town. The story, though, follows a well-trod trajectory. Our hero, Melbourne homicide detective Joe Cashin, is sent back home to Port Munro after a near-death experience (that ended with the death of his partner). Still suffering from PTSD, Cashin hopes for a quiet life heading the local police force (amounting to three officers) and rebuilding the family home. Then, the very wealthy Charles Burgoyne is near bludgeoned to death, and Cashin finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy that goes back five decades. Characters like Cashin are a dime a dozen in crime fiction. Emotionally stunted, reflected by pared-back prose, who has a heart of gold hiding behind all the cynicism and bitterness. The fact I figured out the conspiracy pretty quickly (though not all the perpetrators) only spoke to how overly familiar the plot is. It’s not helped that Temple piles on the revelations where it feels like every person Cashin has ever met is implicated. It sounds like I hated the book. I didn’t. Some of the prose is beautiful in its spareness, especially Temple’s description of regional Victoria and Melbourne. The book also takes a no-holds-barred view of the racism ingrained in parts of regional Victoria, particularly the police force, with three First Nation youths initially blamed for the beating of Burgoyne, which ends in their deaths (there’s plenty of racist language, so keep that in mind). As I was reading the novel, it occurred to me what a breath of fresh air Deadloch is; how it brilliantly deconstructs the sort of male-centric crime novels that The Broken Shore embodies.
This is a pretty straightforward mystery, but the writing is beautiful and presents a very different view of Australia than I'm used to seeing. It's on the melancholy side, but there are funny moments and deeply satisfying bits.
I give every book 100 pages to convince me to either read on or not and in the past years I never had to decide against a book until this one came along. I read up to page 150 and then decided to just don't bother. I didn't like the style of writing, I found the story quiet boring and uneventful and none of the characters were particularly interesting to me.
Amazing. I'm a stunned by the black, bleak nature of the story, and at the same time uplifted by Joe Cashin's stoic optimism.