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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I hadn't heard about Peter temple through the crimetime podcast so grabbed this novel about Joe cashin a police officer seconded to a suburban town after a traumatic incident in his Melbourne service.
The book is about the murder of a local businessman but moves into issues around racism and sexual exploitation.
Joe is a great character whose rough edges make for a compelling read.
Definitely want to read more.
The book is about the murder of a local businessman but moves into issues around racism and sexual exploitation.
Joe is a great character whose rough edges make for a compelling read.
Definitely want to read more.
Great crime fiction. Sometimes got lost during the local dialect exchanges, but overall an enjoyable read. Characters are layered, and as this is the first book that I've read by this author, I suspect these are not new characters, and that I have jumped into the middle of their stories.
Set in Australia, this book is dark and moody and sets the tone perfectly for its subject matter.
Good read.
Set in Australia, this book is dark and moody and sets the tone perfectly for its subject matter.
Good read.
Finished reading: January 26th 2013
Spoiler
The mystery/thriller genre is one of my favorites, so I'm always on the lookout for new books belonging to the genre. When I saw a copy of The Broken Shore on the hostel shelves, I knew I had to pick it up. The promise of a proper crime story set in the middle of Australia convinced me straight away, and I think the setting is what I ended up liking most of this novel by Peter Temple. I like it when local knowledge shows in a story, although I do have to admit that the amount of Australian slang used in the story did slow down the pace considerably. There is a glossary in the back, but still it might complicate reading the story for those who are not familiar with the words. That said, I also admire the author for having used the Aussie words, since it makes the story more authentic. The plot itself is quite interesting and touches some interesting themes like corruption and racial prejudice. It's an entertaining enough read, even though I can't say it was one of my favorites.
Homicide detective Joe Cashin has fled the ctiy after being broken by his last case. He returns to his hometown to recover from the past and let his wounds heal, but this recovery is interrupted by the murder of a wealthy older man and prominent member of the local community: Charles Bourgoyne. Three young men form the Aboriginal community are suspected of having commited the crime. Cashin is asked to help in the case, and he personally isn't so sure the three youngsters did it. Corruption and prejudice seem to play a big role in the case and when one of the young Aboriginal men dies after a chase, all hell breaks loose. The local police is accused of discrimination by the Aboriginal community, clouding the actual murder investigation even further. What really happened to Charles Bourgoyne?
The Broken Shore is an interesting enough crime novel for those who like the genre, although it's not the best out there. The Australian setting and slang make the story feel authentic on one hand, but it does make it difficult to read for those who are not familiar with the dialect. The plot itself is not that special, although the involvement of the Aboriginal community did give it an extra touch. All in all a solid enough read if you don't mind the frequent use of Aussie words.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
So glad to have stumbled upon Peter Temple's Jack Irish series on Netflix. Now I'm on to the Joe Cashin series and loving it. It's gritty and vulgar and gross in parts but the mystery is totally compelling and Joe is so dry and witty that you can't wait for his next dialogue.
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
Peter Temple is one of the masters of exposition - at no point did I feel like this was just info dump, or that the plot lagged in favour of background information, nor did it feel too opaque whilst reading; throughout, there is a steady flow of new and flashback that assumes the reader is intelligent enough to keep up, without overloading them. Any back-tracking I had to do was purely the result of my own short-term memory issues and the fact that I too often read in a state of sleep deprivation. The plot is never slow, but really picks up pace in the second half of the novel, and unlike other crime novels I've read, isn't obvious enough that you (or I) can foresee all the twists. I guessed one, completely missed another, and a third happened how I expected but not to whom I expected. All in all a satisfying read, especially once you get used to the (at times very) Australian vernacular that a lot of the characters used. I've lived here my whole life, in some areas almost as rural as the town this is set in, but the level of slang was a challenge at first! Not at all off-putting though; on the contrary, it really helps to ground the world these characters inhabit.
I love a book with short chapters and lots of dialogue so Peter Temple has definitely done us both a favour with ‘The Broken Shore’. His protagonist Cashin, a Melbourne homicide detective, is living and working in a rural town that still holds firm to a racial divide and clings tightly to a ‘cops and robbers’ mentality. After the death of a long-standing social figure, the town is thrown into a chaotic and bloody aftermath with convalescing Cashin seemingly at the helm.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and like most crime dramas everyone seems suspect, if not just a little odd. Particularly intriguing are the parallels Temple draws between Cashin rebuilding his family property, the mending of his personal relationships, and his recovery from a work related motor accident. This is a man certainly trying to put together the pieces in more ways than one.
The first 100 or so pages, although well written, seem to just bumble along, but by halfway, pace escalates and the reader is exposed to some very shady dealings indeed. For one who hasn’t read a lot of crime fiction, ‘The Broken Shore’ was a great hook-in: easy style, good crafting and genuine unpredictability. An enjoyable read.
There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and like most crime dramas everyone seems suspect, if not just a little odd. Particularly intriguing are the parallels Temple draws between Cashin rebuilding his family property, the mending of his personal relationships, and his recovery from a work related motor accident. This is a man certainly trying to put together the pieces in more ways than one.
The first 100 or so pages, although well written, seem to just bumble along, but by halfway, pace escalates and the reader is exposed to some very shady dealings indeed. For one who hasn’t read a lot of crime fiction, ‘The Broken Shore’ was a great hook-in: easy style, good crafting and genuine unpredictability. An enjoyable read.
Good but rather too similar to the last Peter Temple I read.
‘Cashin walked around the hill, into the wind from the sea.’
Joe Cashin is a wounded homicide detective. While he recovers from injuries incurred during a botched stake-out in Melbourne, he’s been sent run the small police station in his home town of Port Monro on the Victorian coast. It all seems a far cry from Melbourne: a typical day in Port Munro might include a neighbourhood dispute over a tree, a vandalised park bench and a woman with a black eye who wants her husband warned.
But the tempo quickly increases when a wealthy local resident, Charles Bourgoyne is found dead, with his expensive Breitling watch missing. Senior Detective Hopgood from the town nearby believes that the local Aboriginal community is responsible for the murder. Politicians become involved and racial tensions flare, especially after two boys die in avoidable and regrettable circumstances.
Cashin is put in charge of the investigation: why, and by whom, was Charles Bourgoyne killed? Is the local Aboriginal community involved and is it possible to get beyond the suspicion between the communities in order to find out the truth? At the same time as he is investigating Charles Bourgoyne’s murder, Joe Cashin is dealing with some issues of his own. Will he be able to rebuild his home with the help of the itinerant Rebb? Can he revisit the past without becoming lost in it?
‘Being alive’s a present,’ said Rebb. ‘Every minute of every hour of every day.’
I picked this novel up on the recommendation of a friend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes include a number of big issues such as police corruption and Aboriginal politics, but there are other twists and turns to negotiate. It’s a very Australian novel in setting and presentation, but the events portrayed could happen anywhere. Sadly.
The world Peter Temple has created in this novel comes to life because of the believable human networks he has created around Joe Cashin.
I’ll be looking to read more of Peter Temple’s novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Joe Cashin is a wounded homicide detective. While he recovers from injuries incurred during a botched stake-out in Melbourne, he’s been sent run the small police station in his home town of Port Monro on the Victorian coast. It all seems a far cry from Melbourne: a typical day in Port Munro might include a neighbourhood dispute over a tree, a vandalised park bench and a woman with a black eye who wants her husband warned.
But the tempo quickly increases when a wealthy local resident, Charles Bourgoyne is found dead, with his expensive Breitling watch missing. Senior Detective Hopgood from the town nearby believes that the local Aboriginal community is responsible for the murder. Politicians become involved and racial tensions flare, especially after two boys die in avoidable and regrettable circumstances.
Cashin is put in charge of the investigation: why, and by whom, was Charles Bourgoyne killed? Is the local Aboriginal community involved and is it possible to get beyond the suspicion between the communities in order to find out the truth? At the same time as he is investigating Charles Bourgoyne’s murder, Joe Cashin is dealing with some issues of his own. Will he be able to rebuild his home with the help of the itinerant Rebb? Can he revisit the past without becoming lost in it?
‘Being alive’s a present,’ said Rebb. ‘Every minute of every hour of every day.’
I picked this novel up on the recommendation of a friend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The themes include a number of big issues such as police corruption and Aboriginal politics, but there are other twists and turns to negotiate. It’s a very Australian novel in setting and presentation, but the events portrayed could happen anywhere. Sadly.
The world Peter Temple has created in this novel comes to life because of the believable human networks he has created around Joe Cashin.
I’ll be looking to read more of Peter Temple’s novels.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith