John Dale (1)Critiques

One of the more recent books in the Akashic Noir anthology series, Sydney Noir, is an excellent addition, with 14 hard-boiled crime stories, each set in a particular Sydney neighborhood. Naturally, some stories are stronger than others, but all of the stories in this volume were enjoyable and well-written. I'll definitely be looking for more books in this series.

(Note: This Advance Reading Copy was provided to my by the publisher as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer.)

This is one of my favorites out of the Akashic Noir series. It's divided into 3 sections: Family Matters, Sex And The City and Criminal Justice. I enjoyed all of the stories, but Sex And The City is my favorite section.

pretty lame

I want to fully admit that my three star rating is probably greatly my fault--this being the third "Noir" collection I've read, I should clearly stop receiving them for review because they're just not up my alley. I rated each story individually as I read them, and the average was a little under a 3. The collection is divided up into three sections, generally about Family, Sex, and Criminal Justice. Family, for me, was the best of the three. A few 4's in there: "Good Boy, Bad Girl;" "In The Dunes;" and "In the Court of The Lion King."

I'm not puritanical but I'm not a huge fan of graphic sex in my literature, and I see plenty of crime in my job so it doesn't hit me as dark or jarring as it's probably meant to. The family section was primarily what appealed to me--I'll stop reading these Noir books now. Again, no knock to the genre, just a personal preference.

I'm going to be honest, parts of this made me chuckle. But even for a sci-fi comedy, some of the dialogue was pretty unbelievable (think Hitchhiker's Guide but less clever), and I really didn't enjoy the world building that let so many fantastical technologies all be developed at the same time to be incorporated in one cyber-partner for our protagonist. I am a big sci-fi fan, but the introduction of technology into this world was implausible and poorly done. The story was fun, but not enough to draw me in past the dialogue and other issues. Unrelated: I LOVE the cover, so kudos there.

**I received a free Advance Reader Copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review (and I'm sorry it took me so long to provide that review--since having kids my brain power allocated to reading has been severely handicapped).**

The stories in this volume of the endless series are consistently well-written and do a great job of invoking the Sydney-area locations. But they are almost unremittingly grim, often nihilistic, and not that entertaining. After reading it, it is the setting that stick in my mind, not the characters or plots.

Sydney Noir is another edition in the fabulous Akashic Noir series of noir stories situated in cities around the world edited by local writers with the homegrown knowledge to curate an excellent collection. This time the city is Sydney, Australia, and is again situated in the many neighborhoods and suburbs of the city. Noir is a nebulous concept. A story does not need to have a mystery to be noir. It does not even need a crime, though that is a common feature. Noir is a sensibility, a belief that the gritty and grim corners of life are full of drama and humanity. There is a surface toughness to noir stories that masks a deep well of compassion. Noir stories may be hard, but they are never cruel, they may be brutal, but they are always, to borrow from John Donne, “a part of the main.”

There are fourteen stories in the collection divided into three sections, Family Matters, Sex and the City, and Criminal Justice. “Good Boy, Bad Girl” is a story by the editor, John Dale, and one of my favorites where a young woman from the underclass shows a more privileged boyfriend what she is made of. Another story from the Family Matters set is “In the Dunes”, a heartbreaking story that seems all-too-human. The stories in Sex and the City are a bit more shocking, but I fell in love with “The Transmutation of Sex” that I found hilarious. “The Patternmaker” was macabre. Criminal Justice is a section of more conventional stories with cops and robbers. I really loved “Good Bloke” even though I had to go back to the beginning and read again to straighten out who was who.

I loved Sydney Noir. The editor has a great grasp on noir and selected a wonderful variety of stories from all walks of life. There was not a single story in this edition that I did not like and several that I loved. I know I have said this time and time again, but everyone should at least read the books in the edition for the places they know. If someone were planning on traveling to Sydney, I would suggest they read Sydney Noir, not in order to scare them off but to give a sense of the city and its neighborhoods. I just love the series.

I received an e-galley of Sydney Noir from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Sydney Noir at Akashic Books
Akashic Noir Series
John Dale at Auslit

https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/02/21/9781617756887/

I don't always have the best of luck with anthologies..I've said this many times, but I keep going back to them. Sometimes by choice, sometimes when I get one to read and review as in this case. I did request it, so I guess it's a bit of both instances of how I came to read it.
This definitely starts with a bang. Holey CRAPPE! Slowly drew me, telling the story...same with second story..the third..the fourth..BAM! Between the eyes hit! Fifth tale was a bit downhill, but Part One was for the most part excellent.
Part Two is titled Sex and the City and boy howdy! Sex is power is message of the first two stories. Third meanders, but back to theme in the fourth tale. It's the humdinger of the batch.
Part 3 is Criminal Justice, a nice play on words. Every story here is awesome.
It's not a pretty Sydney Australia, by any stretch of the imagination but this anthology makes for compulsive reading.
Definitely recommend!

I followed up Hong Kong Noir almost immediately with Sydney Noir. While both are fantastic, I think I liked Sydney a little more. In part I'm sure, because I visited Sydney once. But more, I think it was just the different style. Most of the stories in Hong Kong Noir were slow burns and culminated in a smoking ruin for the protagonists. In Sydney Noir, if it's a slow burn at all, when the flame finally catches, it's a flash and everything you expected is gone before your eyes. This had more surprise endings with a couple maybe even forcing out a audible reaction from me.

As with all of the Noir Series anthologies, this one is hit and miss. There are fantastic stories, good stories, and bad stories. I think as a whole, these anthologies are great. Locals use their local neighborhoods as settings, and I think that makes for good story telling as a whole.

Another strong anthology form the Akashic Noir Series. All the usual suspects are here--druggies, dealers, betrayers, ex-cons, cops, etc. The motive for the dark deeds is often revenge and it is cleverly served in several of these stories. The collection not only reflects Sydney's various geographic areas but also highlights its ethnic diversity. All in all a satisfying read.½

One of the more recent books in the Akashic Noir anthology series, Sydney Noir, is an excellent addition, with 14 hard-boiled crime stories, each set in a particular Sydney neighborhood. Naturally, some stories are stronger than others, but all of the stories in this volume were enjoyable and well-written. I'll definitely be looking for more books in this series.

(Note: This Advance Reading Copy was provided to my by the publisher as a LibraryThing Early Reviewer.)

Another great addition to the Akashic Noir series, and thank you for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

Whenever I read a short story collection, I expect a few to be underwhelming. This was not the case with Sydney Noir. There was a wide variety of themes, ranging from apparent daddy issues ("Birthday Present" by Mandy Sayer) to prison justice ("In Court of the Lion King" by Mark Dapin). And after reading "The Razor" by Robert Drewe I can honestly say that my husband and I are thankful we aren't that close to our family members!

If you haven't picked up one of these books, Sydney Noir is a great place to start.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Sydney Noir from Akashic Books through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. As a long-time fan of film noir and a lover of classic, gritty crime novels such as Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep and the 87th Precinct series by Ed McBain, I was positively giddy when I received the notice that I'd been selected, but this review reflects the merits of authors in this collection.

This collection of short stories, all based in Sydney, Australia, officially publishes on January 1, ,2019, so I've just managed to finish it prior to it's book birthday. This is my second Akashic Noir collection and it is very different from Montana Noir, but equally as good. In fact, I think there may have only been one short story that I really didn't care for, while the others were heart-breaking or horrifying, but ultimately satisfying.

Probably my favorite thing about this collection is that it is diverse, even within the noir theme. The authors are male and female, and include LGBTQ+ and indigenous people. Triggers abound in this collection, but I think if you're reading a noir collection, you should already be prepared to encounter tales of drugs, murder, suicide, and all kinds of abuse, including sexual. This is in no way a "feel good" collection. In fact, it feels almost wrong to say I enjoyed it, but the writing is fantastic across the board. It's evocative and engaging. I'm so impressed by how these authors are able to cram so much detail, and create such a complete story, in so few pages.

To be really thorough with this review and single out some of the best stories, I need to note that Eleanor Limprecht's story "In The Dunes" is absolutely devastating. It was probably the hardest to read, subject-matter wise. Mandy Sayer's "The Birthday Present" and Mark Dapin's "In the Court of the Lion King" both had incredible twists that I did not anticipate. "The Patternmaker" by Julie Koh, was probably my favorite tale in the entire collection, and it was one that left me speechless. "Slow Burn" by Gabrielle Lord was incredible, too.

The Akashic Noir series is definitely going to be bad for my TBR, as I want to search out the back list of many of these authors. If you have any interest in noir, crime novels, or just excellent writing, you can't go wrong with this collection.

If the stories in this collection are any indication, Sydney, Australia seems a city made for noir. Tough, gritty, with more than a hint of corruption. What I noticed in this book, more than in some of the others I've read, is the number of strong and unflinching female characters. Sydney Noir is another addition to a series I consider one of my all-time favorites.

Sydney Noir is a great collection of stories in the 'noir' genre. I've never read anything by any of the fourteen authors contributing to this collection, but nearly every story was tightly-woven and unpredictable, outside of the fact that, being nor, you knew there would be a dark turn. If you like short fiction, particularly with a darker shade to it, I highly commend this collection.

SYDNEY NOIR is edited by John Dale. It is Akashic Books’ latest title in its award-winning series of original noir anthologies. Each book comprises new stories, each story set in a distinct neighborhood or location within that particular city or region.
I have read many of the Noir titles and can recommend each and every one. I like that the format is always the same - it makes me feel comfortable picking up the book. Each title features a Map (I love the map and refer to it often while reading) with body outlines (presumably distressed or dead) pinpointing the story’s location in the city; a Table of Contents; an Introduction by the editor(s); an ‘About the Contributors’ section and an extensive list of Noir series titles.

SYDNEY NOIR contains 14 original stories in 3 parts.
Authors include Kirsten Tranter; Mandy Sayer; John Dale; Eleanor Limprecht; Mark Dapin; Leigh Redhead; Julie Koh; peter Polites; Robert Drewe; Tom Gilling; Gabrielle Lord; Philip McLaren; P.M. Newton and Peter Doyle.
All of the stories are very ‘noir’ - gritty, grubby, raw, brooding, corrupt, lots of drugs, sex, crime - very cynical, fatalistic and morally ambiguous.
I pay a lot of attention to the Introduction, as the editor sets the tone of the city or area, and often adds facts and opinions. I read for an interesting ‘sense of place’ - that aspect is important to me.
Editor John Dale says that “Noir is as much a part of Sydney’s character as frangipanis and cockroaches, rusted iron lace and sandstone terraces, torrential rain and potholed roads.”
John Dale points out that “A subgenre of crime fiction, noir is the most democratic of genres in that it includes people from all walks of life and in all kinds of trouble.”
John Dale also says “Crime and Sydney have always been inseparable: a deep vein of corruption runs beneath the surface of even its most respectable suburbs.”
I liked all the stories but “The Passenger” by Kristen Tranter was the most chilling for me; lost and damaged souls, vice and debauchery. Such ‘casual’ evil.
Much as I like the format of the Noir series, I might suggest an addition of a dictionary of sorts. There were so many words and expressions that I didn’t understand; very Australian terms or slang.
I would highly recommend this title and this Noir series by Akashic Books.
Thank you to Library Thing’s Early Review Program. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

It's been a bit of a wait for the arrival of what seems to be the first crime fiction novel, DETECTIVE WORK from Australian author John Dale. Well enough worth the wait to wonder why it's taken so long, and to certainly hope that it's the beginning of a new series.

There's nothing about DETECTIVE WORK that reads like a debut at all. A police procedural in form, the novel packs a punch on all fronts - plot, character and style. Set around the now well-known area of Cold Crimes, Dimitri Telegonus is the new kid on the bloke, recently promoted, paired with your classic old, bitter, cynical, filling in time style cop. A cliché that runs the risk of being decidedly formulaic, although this outing is written with a wonderful sense of humour and fun which lifts the working relationship out of the predicted, into something realistic and involving.

The pressure from on high to get results is yet again another well-worked scenario, but way that Telegonus reacts to the possibility of a job move is elegantly portrayed - shoving yet another potential been-there-done-that moment to the side well and truly.

What really works in this novel is the characterisations. One new to the job, sincere, dedicated, hard working and incredibly naive. The other old, tired, disinterested and unmotivated play off each other really well. There is energy and vitality to the way that the relationship plays out, with very entertaining storytelling to boot. The sense of humour is fabulous, the dry observations, comments and wits part of the attraction. The plot of cold case scenarios is well drawn and the links between the past and the present believable and easy to follow.

There's so much potential in this novel that you really cannot help but hope it's either the beginning of a good new Australian series, or at least the heralding of yet more crime fiction from John Dale.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-detective-work-john-dale

I read books without looking at the "blurb" at the back. I want to have an open mind and not be influenced although the cover can do that. With this book, the cover made me think it was about bushfires....WRONG! Plenty is the name of the tiny coastal town and also a comment on Australia. We are a land of "plenty" yet we make it exceptionally hard for refugees to come here and enjoy all we have in abundance. Jed lives in Plenty. His father owns the local petrol station and is an alcoholic, his mother has lung cancer. All teenagers in the town long to leave including Jed's girlfriend Chrissy. One night Jed and Chrissy are looking to "hook up" by the beach when they spy a wrecked boat and a lone survivor; a blind woman, struggle up the beach front. What happens next is a catalyst for huge change for all in Plenty The blind woman stumbles into the path of an ex-politician and his "hot" (Jed's words) daughter who have just brought a huge property outside town where the father hopes to write his memoirs. Ashley and her father take in the refugee and suddenly the town becomes front page news - a site for asylum-seekers , a detention center built and the for and against of the locals - for ( great facilities built, new roads, boost economy and jobs) and against ( lack of privacy, drain on resources, change in culture). Dale has looked at all the issues and used Jed, his father and Ashley to present all the arguments for accepting and rejecting refugees in Australia. There is also the "cultural cringe" Australians suffer in the form of a British journalist "befriending" the locals and then writing a scathing one-sided report on Plenty's population. This is all told through the eyes of teenage Jed - what really happened and the impact on his town. Fascinating and topical.

Looking back at the life, and death in 1986 of Sallie-Anne Huckstepp there's a sense of inevitability about her destiny, a long time before she went on television to accuse NSW detectives of shooting her boyfriend in cold blood. HUCKSTEPP is an excellent book of its type - part biography, part investigation into Huckstepp, and her death, the book looks honestly at Sallie-Anne herself, as well as the crooks, cops and colleagues that she had close contact with over her life.

Given that there's never been an answer to who killed Huckstepp, this book seems to come as close as we're ever going to come to understanding what happened and why. It certainly does a number of notorious NSW cop and criminal "identities" no favours in its portrayal of them. It also is no whitewash of Sallie-Anne herself. Perhaps the only minor objection would be that its not until the very end that there's much light cast on what got Sallie-Anne into the life that ultimately killed her. I would have liked to have known a little bit more about Sallie-Anne the person, rather than Sallie-Anne the "identity", although I could also see that it might not have been so easy to get to the truth of that.