Under the Cold Bright Lights

Finished May 12
Under the Cold Bright Lights by Garry Disher

This Australian mystery features the Melbourne detective Alan Auhl. Alan had retired from the police, but recently rejoined to work cold cases. Alan also has an unusual living arrangement. He lives in the large old house that he inherited from his parents. He rents out rooms to university students, and his university attending daughter also lives there. His ex-wife has a room in the house that she sometimes uses and the two get on well. There is a small suite at the back of the house that has been used from time to time by people who need time to get themselves together, and is currently being used by a young mother and daughter fleeing from a domestic abuse situation with a powerful man.
As the book begins, a body is found in a former agricultural area hidden under a concrete pad. Alan and his team are assigned the case, looking to find both the identity of the man and who might have killed him. Another case that Alan brings to the job himself, is one that he worked on before he retired. The two daughters of a murder victim call him every year to see if anything has turned up. He decides to look into the case again and see what he can find. Alan is also brought into another case from his past when a man that Alan had investigated for murder when both of his first two young wives died under suspicious circumstances. Alan could never prove it, but he believed the man was guilty. Now, though the man is accusing his third wife of trying to kill him, a twist that Alan doesn't believe for a minute.
On the home front, Alan is finding himself drawn into the situation with his vulnerable tenant as well. As Alan starts to make more of a productive relationship with one of his new colleagues, he also gets drawn into her personal life. There is lots going on here, and Alan is a very interesting man, who strongly believes in justice, even if it isn't always formal.

Murder in the Dark

Finished June 4
Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood, read by Stephanie Daniel

This is the third mystery featuring Phryne [pronounced fry-knee] Fisher that I have read, but the 16th in the series. The first is Cocaine Blues, and I have also read the 14th, Queen of the Flowers. This book occurs at the end of 1928 near Melbourne, when Phryne is invited to a party billed as the Last Best Party. Even before she accepts the invitation to the party, she gets warned off, but of course that only makes her determined to go. An attempt is made on her life, which intrigues her further, and she sets off for the party with her driver and maid to see what the story is. She stays at the manor house the party is held at without her servants, having them come each day to replenish her wardrobe and bring anything else she requires. This gives her the requisite freedom to do what she likes, with whom she likes. And Phryne is no slouch. She befriends rough women who dare to ride in a polo team, upper class men with lovely horses, a lovely young man with his own secret agenda, the extremely competent housekeeper, a mint-loving goat, and renews her friendship with her hosts, a brother and sister from Europe who travel with a large entourage of sybarites and hangers-on. When her host confides that he has been sent threatening letters, Phryne is on the hunt for the culprit. And when some of the partygoers appear to be kidnapped, she goes looking for them as well.
As usual, the mood and scene are brought to life and one gets a real sense of a slice of the world in 1928, with the freedom of access to multiple mind-altering substances, jazz music, and, in this crowd at least, a certain openness of sexuality. Great fun.
I've had this on my shelf for a while, but only recently took possession of a car that can play MP3s, so got to listen on my commute.

The Broken Shore

Finished January 6
The Broken Shore by Peter Temple
A little history of my copy of this novel: I picked up this book in a bookstore along the Great Ocean Road when I was in Australia in 2006. On my flight home, my luggage was delayed and soaked, and the book I bought was damaged. I got the airline to reimburse me for the replacement, which I ordered from Dymocks in Australia (along with another book not available in Canada at the time), but then never read it until now, nearly six years later.
Joe Cashin has had bad experiences in his Melbourne police career recently and come close to death. Subsequently he has been posted to the quiet coastal community he grew up in. When a prominent local is killed, three local aboriginal boys are fingered for the crime, but Cashin doesn't believe it is that straightforward. It would be easy for him to go along with this story, but even as the deaths pile up, he moves forward in a different direction, searching for the truth.
Cashin is a man who has lived a difficult life, whose father died when he was young, who cares about people, and has a strong moral centre. This makes for a very interesting character.
We see him develop and the characters around him are also interesting. The plot is complex, yet never hard to accept. A great and gripping mystery with many facets.

Aussie Mystery

Finished June 12
Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
This is the first in the series featuring Phryne Fisher. This one has her just arriving in Melbourne, Australia from England. She was asked by an couple worried about their daughter's wellbeing to check into the situation, but plans to set herself up as a detective. On the voyage she has made friends with a female doctor, Dr. Macmillan, who is coming to be part of the staff of the new Queen Victoria hospital, a hospital for women.
The books are set after World War One, and Phryne is a very competent young woman, who drives well, pilots airplanes, and is capable of pretty much anything she sets her mind to. It is her knowledge of human behaviour and her powers of observation that make her a successful detective.
I'd read one of the later ones in this series and found it entertaining, so found it interesting to see how the series began. On her first day, Phryne witnesses a young woman who is considering drastic moves after being the object of a abusive employer. When Phryne takes a bit of revenge for her, the young woman, Dot, comes to work for Phryne. Phryne meets a Russian countess and her grandchildren who do innovative theatre and comes into contact with a world of drugs. She also hears about an incompetent and abusive abortionist from Dr. Macmillan and assists the police with that case.
She finds that two taxi drivers, Cec and Bert, and good allies and involves them in some of her activities.
There is lots going on here, but nothing that Phryne can't handle (even though she does make some bad decisions). A thoroughly enjoyable book, and one that made my vacation flight go more quickly.

Australian Mystery

Finished June 29
Queen of the Flowers: a Phryne Fisher Mystery by Kerry Greenwood
The newest Phryne Fisher is a catchy one.
Phryne lives in Melbourne, Australia, although she is originally from England. This is set in 1928.
Phryne is a very independent woman, who lives her life as she wants and has moved to Australia partly to be as far from her father as possible. She has a butler and cook (a married couple), and a companion. She has adopted two daughters, but has never been married. She works as a private detective and has a lover. She has been chosen to be the Queen of the Flowers in the town's first Flower Parade.
When one of the flower maidens goes missing, Phryne is following her trail. She has contacts in town and works her connections to find out what she needs to know.
Her character is well-mannered, yet unconventional and is a plain speaker who is not afraid to confront the darker side of life, whether it be gambling, brothels, or criminals.