liberrydude 's review for:

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple

4.0

---

I still can't be sure I hadn't read this back in 2007 when it came out. I remembered the cover but the plot on the dust jacket didn't sound familiar. As I started it "again" some parts sounded familiar, others completely alien, but I had the thought that I loved this book even before I picked it up "again." And I was right. This book is one of those mysteries that transcends the genre and can be called literature. Vivid imagery of the place and emotional introspection are all over this work. The main character is a familiar one, the used up police officer. He's left the big city to go home to the country when a big murder occurs. He just wants to be left alone but duty calls. And so he begins not just a homicide investigation but a journey of self discovery too. It soon becomes apparent that the murder victim, the suspects, and the investigator are all "broken" souls on the broken shore. An Australian glossary is provided for all the slang. You'll need it. Like real life not everything is wrapped up at the end. Would love to see more of Detective Cachin in another book from Temple. Should be a movie.