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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
3.0
‘Who really killed Eliza Dacey?’
In the Hunter Valley vineyard region north of Sydney, New South Wales, an itinerant grape-picker was brutally murdered. Four years have elapsed. Curtis Wade, Eliza Dacey’s employer, was arrested almost immediately and subsequently convicted of her murder. Enter Jack Quick, producer of true-crime documentaries. Jack knows that conspiracy theories rate well, especially if there’s a suggestion of incompetence or bias on the part of the police investigation. After all, Curtis Wade was only convicted on circumstantial evidence. Just before the final episode of his documentary, Jack uncovers a piece of evidence that might just prove Curtis guilty. Jack disposes of the evidence rather than run the risk of ruining his show. His show proposes that Curtis Wade is innocent, and Curtis Wade is released from gaol.
‘.. you get to be the truth-teller if no-one is there to contradict you.’
After Curtis Wade’s release, another woman is murdered in a similar way. Jack realises that he may have helped free a guilty man from gaol. Jack also realises that as he has destroyed evidence, he is the only one who can right this wrong. How?
Jack Quick is an interesting character. He has his own demons, including an ongoing battle with anorexia and bulimia, as well events from his childhood. The story itself has plenty of twists and turns and while some aspects worked better for me than others, I thought this an impressive debut novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In the Hunter Valley vineyard region north of Sydney, New South Wales, an itinerant grape-picker was brutally murdered. Four years have elapsed. Curtis Wade, Eliza Dacey’s employer, was arrested almost immediately and subsequently convicted of her murder. Enter Jack Quick, producer of true-crime documentaries. Jack knows that conspiracy theories rate well, especially if there’s a suggestion of incompetence or bias on the part of the police investigation. After all, Curtis Wade was only convicted on circumstantial evidence. Just before the final episode of his documentary, Jack uncovers a piece of evidence that might just prove Curtis guilty. Jack disposes of the evidence rather than run the risk of ruining his show. His show proposes that Curtis Wade is innocent, and Curtis Wade is released from gaol.
‘.. you get to be the truth-teller if no-one is there to contradict you.’
After Curtis Wade’s release, another woman is murdered in a similar way. Jack realises that he may have helped free a guilty man from gaol. Jack also realises that as he has destroyed evidence, he is the only one who can right this wrong. How?
Jack Quick is an interesting character. He has his own demons, including an ongoing battle with anorexia and bulimia, as well events from his childhood. The story itself has plenty of twists and turns and while some aspects worked better for me than others, I thought this an impressive debut novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith