About the Book:
The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that's what it looks like.
Three weeks before, Leila, a young backpacker, didn't turn up for her shift at the local cafe. Benny, the owner, isn't worried. It happens - backpackers are always on the move. There'll be another one.
One of the locals, Adrian, has been a help to Benny. He's found him a nice little sideline. Not exactly legal. Is that all Adrian is arranging on the coast? He once was a cop but has he gone bad?
And in the backblocks outside town, a bikie gang is gearing up for a large consignment from South America.
Murder, drugs, liaisons and lies are stirring up this small coastal town.
With Bryan Brown's characteristic laconic storytelling - humorous, tough and suspenseful - the secrets of this seemingly idyllic town slowly come to the surface.
Published by Allen & Unwin
Released October 2023
My Thoughts:
I started listening to this over breakfast on Sunday morning, with the intention of just getting it started and having it as my audio book for the daily commute to and from work, but I ended up finishing it by the end of the day. Narrated by Bryan Brown himself, I found it impossible to step away from. He knows not only how to write a good story, but how to narrate one too. His distinctive Australian voice, so familiar to us all from his extensive acting, brought the story to life, so much so, I could see it all playing out in my imagination.
There's quite a lot going on in this story and quite a lot of different characters. It also moves back and forth often as well as giving us the backstories on pretty much everyone - major and minor players. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed reading it as much as I did listening to it. Bryan's narration is quite captivating, and his delivery of all aspects of the story engaging. There was the potential for the narrative to get bogged down with so many characters and the storyline jumping around as it did, but surprisingly, I didn't find myself losing track at all, and I put that down to the narration.
It's crime stories like this that make you fear for young women travelling. A backpacker going missing, how long until someone even notices? And when their family does, what can they even do from another country? While the plot was not especially unique or unheard of, it was still gripping, realistic, and made for compulsive reading/listening. I'll definitely be listening to Bryan Brown's other novel, Sweet Jimmy, along with any future ones he releases as well.
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