* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *
The Way It Is Now by Garry Disher is set on the Mornington Peninsula an hour out of Melbourne, and our protagonist Charlie Deravin is staying at his family's holiday house while on suspension. Charlie is a cop and he plans to spend his time in disgrace digging into the disappearance of his mother twenty years earlier. His Dad is a retired cop, but despite having friends on the force, Charlie's mother's disappearance - and presumed murder - has never been solved.
This is the second novel I've read this year set on the Mornington Peninsula, (you can read my review of Hydra by Adriane Howell) and the third book set in Victoria (see my review of The Carnival is Over by Greg Woodland) and I think I'm ready for a change.
I'm not sure whether it's the over familiar Australian setting or the police procedurals or Aussie crime in general, but I'm starting to find some of them a little 'samey'. I remember getting this - legitimate reading related concern - after consuming one too many historical fiction novels set during WWII. So much Aussie talent has burst forth in this genre in the last 3 years, that we readers really have been spoiled for choice. For me, I think it's time to reduce my reading a little in this particular Australian crime niche and focus more on the genres supplying 5 star reads more readily.
The Way It Is Now by Garry Disher is well written and populated by interesting and relatable characters. The plot was engaging and I didn't guess the whodunnit, which is always nice. This is my first time reading anything by this prolific author, but The Way It Is Now by Garry Disher will appeal to fans of Australian crime fiction, including authors like Sarah Bailey, Sarah Barrie, James Delargy, Jane Harper, Chris Hammer, Greg Woodland and Christian White.
I know the feeling!
ReplyDeleteYes! It's a real thing, right?
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