T.W. Lawless

Book six in the Peter Clancy series, set in the world of investigative journalism, BEACHDAZE sees Peter back in Australia, out of the day-to-day newspaper game and up to his elbows in neighbourhood dispute from the moment he sets foot in his new home.

Readers of the earlier books in the series will find the idea that Clancy has given up the high-octane world of investigative journalism in swinging London slightly surprising. He got there via an interesting route, starting out his reporting days on the old Truth newspaper in Melbourne, Australia (denizens of the state of Victoria, of an age sufficient enough to remember the Truth, will recall clearly the sometime gulf between the publication's title and it's content, although really it was a tabloid that launched a number of very high profile careers in real life).

Clancy's return to Australia has been precipitated by a health crisis, and the news that the heart attack he suffered was likely to reoccur should he not adjust his lifestyle. A move to a quiet coastal town to write a book seems like exactly the right idea, although the purchase of a house unseen, almost while he's in transit from the UK seems like a brave move, particularly when he discovers he's landed in a location anything but quiet. Peter's new neighbours are a fractious lot, not helped at all by the dodgy behaviour of a very suspect character new to the area himself. Not even a reunion with his oldest friend can change the course of Peter's perked interest though, as investigation is his default setting, although less kind individuals might put it down to him being as nosy as many of his new neighbours.

As with earlier books in this series, each entry can stand on its own if you're new to the set. As you'd also expect from 6 novels now, it would be better if a reader could start from the beginning and work their way through, as Clancy's backstory is a big part of the world he inhabits, and the way that he always reacts to events. It's also a great series for giving you a feel for the good old days of investigative journalism, newspapers, and the cut and thrust of newsrooms the world over. I've always been a bit of a fan of the supporting characters in this series as well, and the return of Conni and her place in this world fleshed out his private life, as the earlier books have done with the professional.

The investigation at the heart of BEACHDAZE starts off with the sorts of typical neighbourhood disputes that happen in areas undergoing rapid (and often very dodgy) development. Fence disputes, illegal dumping and vandalism escalate to break-ins and threats, leading rapidly to a series of sudden and unexplained deaths. The authorities (and there's more than a hint of corruption there) are loath to get involved early on in the piece, which leaves the sleuthing field wide open for Peter, an invitation he's unable to resist - health concerns or no health concerns.

Written with a lightish touch, a hefty sense of dry humour, and great affection, the Peter Clancy series is a nice little distraction from the utter binfire that's mainstream journalism these days.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/beachdaze-tw-lawless… (plus d'informations)

Jack Furey is 100 years old, in a nursing home, and not a happy man. In the introduction to FUREY'S WAR it quickly becomes apparent that Jack is his own man, not somebody to be trifled with, and definitely not somebody to underestimate, even after a devastating stroke. Inside his head, Jack's as clear as a bell, really annoyed at everything to do with the nursing home (and who could blame him), and desperate to reunite with his much loved, late wife Gracie.

The story quickly heads back to 1942, and the town of Wangamba in Australia, where Jack was the local copper, a small town and community suddenly having to deal with an influx of US troops, stationed nearby. Then comes the murder of an Australian soldier, houses turned into brothels, nightclubs, the return of an alleged backyard abortionist, strained and abusive race relations (Black Americans and local Aboriginals), and two dead babies. This is also a Catholic run town, so the all too well known problems of sexual abuse by priests, and the local church busybody carrying on about everything but, thankfully get an airing in this novel as well.

At the heart of the story though is Jack Furey. A man of his time, his language would not be appropriate today and his policing style would raise eyebrows, but he's a decent man at heart, a man who loves his wife, tried his best to raise a son, and deal with people all around him flat out behaving very badly indeed.

FUREY'S WAR is a surprisingly short novel of 199 pages, especially when you look back over just how much subject matter is covered, quite comprehensively. The main components of the story - the goings on in 1942 Wangamba are told in that time, so there's a really strong feeling of the impact that war had on Australia. A time of great change, not so much direct and immediate threat from enemies, but the complications that the shift in lifestyles and expectations created. Jack particularly seems to reflect that discomfort that comes with unexpected and unwanted winds of change, his life was quiet, controlled, predictable and that suited him. Chaos, flux and turmoil don't fit well with his personality type, even though a clearing out of some skeletons does.

A crime novel in intent, FUREY'S WAR is also a character study and a history lesson combined. It was a strange time for many small towns, caught up in the consequences of war, but separated from the immediacy of action. It's particularly enlightening as an example of just what went on for people attempting to keep the home fires burning, and the loss of previously accepted norms of behaviour. Jack's very much a policeman attempting ordinary policing in extraordinary times.

The novel ends with a return to the current day and Jack's 100th birthday party, which probably didn't go as expected for the dreaded nursing home, and you can't help thinking went exactly as Jack would have wanted. Overall a most unusual novel, a really quick read on one level, but a thought-provoking one on many more.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/fureys-war-tw-lawless-kay-bell… (plus d'informations)

Furey’s War by T.W. Lawless and Kay Bell is a hundred-year-old man’s look back at his life in 1942, in Wangamba, Australia. Police Sergeant Jack Furey is one of three police officers keeping order in a small town in wartime. American troops are setting up a temporary camp and Australian soldiers are either going to war or returning on leave. Keeping the two groups separate proves to be an almost impossible undertaking. It seems that the only one who wants peace in Wangamba is himself. His only encouragement comes from his wife and young son who keep him grounded. When an Australian soldier on leave is murdered, Furey finds that solving this crime will be a difficult investigation. The town politicians are not always honest, the clergy is making his life miserable, the bickering between the two sides of the military is constant. There are more questions than there are answers when it comes to solving the murder. Furey’s War is a look at a small town police officer struggling to keep the peace in a place that does not seem to want peace. I enjoyed reading this mystery: the characters are multi-faceted and the plot is well-paced. Highly recommended. Thank you to Campanile Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

FLAMEKEEPER is the 5th book in the Peter Clancy series, and the first not to be set around the mean streets of Melbourne, within the context of The Truth Newspaper. A real-life sensationalist weekly paper that liked nothing better than personal scandal and a spot of stirring of the pot (some of us are likely to still remember The Truth - it folded from memory around 1995).

Clancy, and his mate Stella Reimers, are good old fashioned newspaper hacks, although Reimers has risen to the lofty heights of news editor of her hometown newspaper, the San Francisco Daily, which sees Clancy in the US, appointed the paper's chief crime reporter. He's sick to death of crime reporting, and wants to do more hard-hitting investigative work. Reimers receiving "his" Pulitzer prize, for a story of his making, rankles a bit, but these two are also old friends. Capable of even sharing a living abode (platonic) for a while, even though there's tension aplenty between them - not just because of the Pulitzer mind you. There's tension aplenty all round really - the staff of the San Francisco Daily haven't quite seen anything like Stella Reimers before, and her my way or the bloody highway toots sweet style rankles, as does Clancy's sod it, get the story and stop faffing about approach.

With this book set in the early 1970's, and the move to the US, there's a little bit of a different feel to FLAMEKEEPER than there was in the earlier books. Clancy's a tiny bit of a fish out of water, and it's fascinating to see the way that newspaper's chased stories and broke news, pre-internet and the 24-hour news cycle that plagues our existence these days. The investigation that Clancy finds himself in for this novel follows a series of unsolved murders and hate crimes against the gay population, centred around the worst of the AIDS crisis and the rise of one of those awful evangelist churches.

As the tension and the threat around the investigation rises, the tension in Clancy and Reimers friendship follows suit, and everything starts to feel like for once in his life Clancy's in way too deep, with no way out.

If you're new to the Peter Clancy series, then FLAMEKEEPER will work as an entry point, although you will find yourself wanting to go back to the start, with a quick reminder that this is a new setting for this series. It's always been one of those series that feels like it deserves a wider following, and interest though. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Peter Clancy (although I hasten to add that feeling does not come from any sense of affection for The Truth). Perhaps I'm old enough now to enjoy a bit of nostalgia.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/flamekeeper-tw-lawless… (plus d'informations)