I am becoming addicted to Australian authors.

Have you read The Shepherds Hut yet?

Set in the late 40's around Melbourne, a country full of men back from the war, almost none of them untouched by what they experienced, trying to fit back in. And Australia with its endemic crime, corruption, and violence, what could possibly go wrong?

A crime procedural of the highest order. A sympathetic character in an unsympathetic land but nothing too soft, that's left to the dame!

It's not a gipping story as in the way of a suspense/thriller but it is a compelling story. Very evocative, you could smell the stale sweat on unwashed bodies, feel the bruises when you moved and craved that cigarette.

I think this is why I have gotten so enamoured of Australian authors. The land becomes a major character in all their novels, a brooding silence in the background, something that shapes every person whether they like it, know it, or not. They become the voice of the land is a weird but authentic way.

I've got the second and third in this series and am taking my time, savouring them. ( )

This is a post WW II novel and shows the depression that followed the great war. I found it interesting and reminded me of books of other Austrailian authors. ( )

I first read this novel long enough ago for me to have forgotten the finer plot details. Peter Byrne's narration is solidly done, but it is the author's detailed descriptions that place the reader firmly in post-war rural Victoria. McGeachin takes great pains to mention items and events which put us just after World War II.

In some ways Charlie Berlin is still suffering post-war trauma - events from his experience as a P.O.W. and as a bomber pilot keep sending him reminders. Wodonga is a country town still on war alert even thought the war is long over - a squad of local militia still train "just in case" and there are plenty of reminders of the war, including an army camp or two full of discarded weaponry, tanks, trucks and other vehicles.

But they are not the problem - a bunch of armed Harley Davidson riders is - they conduct raids on banks and other places holding money. The latest is the Wodonga Post office, although this is the first one where someone has been hurt. Charlie Berlin is sent up from Melbourne to find out what is happening, but no-one expects him to succeed.

An excellent read, whether you tackle the audio book or a printed copy. And the start of an award winning Australian series. See below for the list of titles so far. ( )

A quick fast reading 'whodunnit' ( )

It's 1947 and Charlie Berlin is an ex WW2 bomber pilot who spent some time as a POW in German controlled Poland. He is still haunted by his war experiences. But he is also a cop who is also haunted by the horrors of his police duties. He draws the last straw to investigate a spate of robberies in country Victoria. During his investigations, a young girl is found murdered and Berlin is told to stay on and solve both cases. The plot seems to get bogged down as Berlin is stymied in every direction. But inevitably the breakthroughs come, one courtesy of his love interest, and the perpetrators are identified. I felt that the end might have been telegraphed a little, but at least both mysteries were resolved.

This is a great story with richly imagined characters right out of the late 1940s. The description of Wodonga, which could be any Australian town of the era, is also spot on. The turmoil of the post-war is a reminder that war affects nearly everything. I felt that the refugee situation described has some parallel with today, especially the racist attitudes. Thus, the author has managed to capture the feel of the era. I highly recommend this book to any lover of crime/mystery, particularly Australians and especially those who remember the 1940s or 1950s. ( )