Silver

 Chris Hammer

2020, 9781760878658

Bought via Booktopia with book token from Gayle at ISL.

Browsing around Booktopia, I was influenced by the label of  'the best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.' which was a book and writer that I really liked.
However, the writing isn't equal to Temple's.

Nevertheless, it was an entertaining, engaging, easy read "bush noir". It was good having a main character that wasn't a wonderful person all the time, but flaws still a bit formulaic.

An online review from Jess on Good Reads, said, "improbably named characters, ridiculously hard to follow plot developments, unlikely working relationships between journos and cops, and endless repetition of key points disguised as character musings...but all in all a quality holiday read"

which encapsulated what I thought but hadn't managed to nail down into words.

Second in the series involving Martin Scarsden, a journalist turned investigator.
He is relocating to a coastal town in northern NSW with his new partner Mandalay Blonde and it all kicks off.

Evocative descriptions of small coastal towns.
Dodgy developers, Aboriginal land rights, eco concerns, shark attacks, murder, illegal fishing, bent coppers, unscrupulous journalists, affairs, drugs, poisonings, sex for visas, insincere gurus - all is covered!!