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A review by sashshearman
Drive By by Michael Duffy
5.0
TV footage of pock-marked houses, broken windows and shocked by-standers has become common place in Sydney in recent years as tawdry gang wars roll interminably on. In April 2013, the crime stats bureau Director noted a spike in drive by shootings, starting in 2010, had settled down by the end of 2012. By July 2013 an upswing in shootings prompted the Sydney Morning Herald to dub 2013, “The Year of the Gun” . Michael Duffy’s third novel is timely, concerning as it does one fictional Western suburbs crime family. The frame around which the novel is built is the murder trial of the youngest son of the family, who has been charged with shooting a drug dealer in a Sydney park.
The novel revolves around three main characters; Senior Counsel Karen Mabey, prosecuting the accused; Bec Ralston, a young detective, thrown in at the deep end as officer in charge when her boss absconds interstate and John Habib, the accused’s older brother. Drugs have affected each of them. Mabey’s son is an addict, Ralston suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother. Habib is the straight Toyota mechanic in a family of criminals who saves his hard-earned money while being financed on expensive holidays by the proceeds of crime.
Mr Duffy’s novel moves at a good pace and contains more threads than your average crime novel. Particularly effective is his characterisation of John Habib, whose vernacular first person narrative is at times, very funny. Again, unlike the average crime novel, wider themes are apparent; the heavy responsibility of family ties, the price of loyalty and illusions of truth.
I was extremely impressed by this story. As compelling as Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin with an added depth that keeps you thinking about the story long after you’ve closed the book.
The novel revolves around three main characters; Senior Counsel Karen Mabey, prosecuting the accused; Bec Ralston, a young detective, thrown in at the deep end as officer in charge when her boss absconds interstate and John Habib, the accused’s older brother. Drugs have affected each of them. Mabey’s son is an addict, Ralston suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother. Habib is the straight Toyota mechanic in a family of criminals who saves his hard-earned money while being financed on expensive holidays by the proceeds of crime.
Mr Duffy’s novel moves at a good pace and contains more threads than your average crime novel. Particularly effective is his characterisation of John Habib, whose vernacular first person narrative is at times, very funny. Again, unlike the average crime novel, wider themes are apparent; the heavy responsibility of family ties, the price of loyalty and illusions of truth.
I was extremely impressed by this story. As compelling as Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin with an added depth that keeps you thinking about the story long after you’ve closed the book.