Synopses & Reviews
“A first-rate piece of crime writing.”—
The Washington Post Book World “A straightforward police story with a terrific plot, nuanced characters and solid procedures, served up on refreshing new turf.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“A police procedural of a very different kind. . . . A ‘down under’ atmosphere that most American readers will find unique.”—The Plain Dealer
“Colorful. . . . Disher has literary talent and imagination.” —Chicago Tribune
“Disher makes his characters as interesting as his plot.” —Portsmouth Herald
“The American debut for Australian crime writer extraordinaire Disher is as complex and dark as anything by Ian Rankin or Michael Connelly.”—Las Vegas Mercury
A serial killer is on the loose in a small coastal town near Melbourne. Detective Inspector Hal Challis and his team must apprehend him before he strikes again. But first, Challis has to contend with the editor of a local newspaper who undermines his investigation at every turn, and with his wife, who attempts to resurrect their marriage through long-distance phone calls from a sanitarium, where she has been imprisoned for the past eight years for attempted murder—his.
Garry Disher is the author of over 40 books for adults and children. His crime fiction includes numerous anthologized stories and the Wyatt novels, including Kickback, winner of the 2000 German Critics Prize for Crime Fiction. The first in his Detective Inspector Challis murder mystery series, The Dragon Man won the German Critics Prize for Crime Fiction in 2001.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Synopsis
"Engaging and appealingly complex."-
Canberra Times"Pace and tautness . . . Evocative landscapes-characters develop complexity and lodge in the consciousness."-Weekend Australian
"Disher writes a mean crime thriller."-The Age
A serial killer is on the loose in a small coastal town near Melbourne. Detective Inspector Hal Challis and his team must apprehend him before he strikes again. But first Challis must contend with the editor of a local news-paper who undermines his investigation at every turn and with his wife, who is attempting to resurrect their marriage through long-distance phone calls from a sanitarium where she has been imprisoned for the past eight years for attempted murder. His.
The media is demanding to know what Challis is doing about the killer; his colleagues are either giving trouble or in it; and his past keeps coming back to haunt him. Can Challis and his team nab the Peninsula Highway killer before anyone else gets hurt?
Garry Disher was born in Burra, Australia in 1949. He was awarded a creative writing fellowship from Stanford University in 1978. He has published over 40 books, including novels for adults and children. Disher received the German Crime Fiction Critic's prize for two years in a row, 20002001 for this book and Kitty Hawk Down, his second Inspector Challis novel, which has been nominated for the 2003 Ned Kelly Award for Australian Crime Writing. He lives in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, with his wife and daughter.
About the Author
Garry Disher was born in Burra, Australia in 1949. He was awarded a creative writing fellowship from Stanford University in 1978. Garry has published over 40 books, including novels for adults and children. Disher received the German Crime Fiction Critic's prize for two years in a row, 2000-2001. His latest Hal Challis novel, Kitty Hawk Down, his second Inspector Challis novel, has been nominated for the 2003 Ned Kelly Award for Australian Crime Writing. He lives in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, with his wife and daughter.