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Drive By
If The Godfather was set in Sydney today, it would be about the Lebs. But brothers, lots of brothers. Fathers don't matter anymore.' Detective Inspector Brian Harris
John Habib is the mechanic son of a Muslim Lebanese-Australian crime family in Sydney's Western suburbs. His oldest brother is in a maximum security prison, his middle brother is becoming increasingly fundamentalist, and his younger brother Rafi is on trial for a murder he swears he didn't commit. John has no reason to disbelieve Rafi but there are things going on in the family that he just doesn't understand. Why has his brother taken control of the family away from their father? Are the police really trying to set up Rafi? And what is the compelling evidence they say will put him away? John sets out to prove Rafi's innocence in the face of his predatory older brothers and some Lebanese-hating cops.
Bec Ralston is a good detective who doesn't know why she's been ordered to attend Rafi's trial. She was previously thrown off the investigation for voicing the opinion that Rafi might be innocent. As the court case goes badly wrong, she finds herself torn between her loyalty to the senior police she respects and the truth.
Not since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore and Truth has the world of criminals and police been so uncompromisingly and authentically drawn. This brilliant, fast-paced novel will seize you from its first page and not let you go till long after its explosive, mind-twisting conclusion.
John Habib is the mechanic son of a Muslim Lebanese-Australian crime family in Sydney's Western suburbs. His oldest brother is in a maximum security prison, his middle brother is becoming increasingly fundamentalist, and his younger brother Rafi is on trial for a murder he swears he didn't commit. John has no reason to disbelieve Rafi but there are things going on in the family that he just doesn't understand. Why has his brother taken control of the family away from their father? Are the police really trying to set up Rafi? And what is the compelling evidence they say will put him away? John sets out to prove Rafi's innocence in the face of his predatory older brothers and some Lebanese-hating cops.
Bec Ralston is a good detective who doesn't know why she's been ordered to attend Rafi's trial. She was previously thrown off the investigation for voicing the opinion that Rafi might be innocent. As the court case goes badly wrong, she finds herself torn between her loyalty to the senior police she respects and the truth.
Not since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore and Truth has the world of criminals and police been so uncompromisingly and authentically drawn. This brilliant, fast-paced novel will seize you from its first page and not let you go till long after its explosive, mind-twisting conclusion.
- GenresCrime
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
3 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Michael Duffy
13 books8 followersMichael is a court and crime reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Sun Herald.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 6, 2013
DRIVE BY is fiction although readers may find themselves having to work hard to remember that. From the opening voice of Jabber (John) Habib to the build up of mayhem on the streets of Sydney, obviously comparisons are being drawn between Melbourne's Underbelly Underworld wars and the increasingly violent, and therefore reported on, drug wars in Sydney.
The story of John Habib, his brothers, their involvement in the Sydney drugs trade, and the murder trial of the youngest brother, is interwoven with the story of young cop Bec Ralston. Somewhat inexplicably she's pulled into a very responsible position in Habib's trial as senior cops seem to be dodging and weaving around. What's really going on with both the Habib brothers and within the cops might not that hard to connect up, but how it all plays out is more surprising.
Part of what really works in DRIVE BY is the voice of John. On the one hand he seems to be perfectly aware of the "family trade" and its ramifications. On the other, he's staunchly loyal and there's little, if any, sense of right and wrong. That loyalty to, belief in family above all else is quite disturbing, especially given a distinct feeling of whatever it takes for the family to survive. Which makes the possibility that Rafi could have killed a drug dealer in the middle of the night not just believable, but uncomfortably understandable.
What works less well are the police threads which are complicated but obviously leading in the direction of some form of corruption or power play. Whilst it's not a disappointing storyline in its own right, most of what's felt wrong is the way that it pulls focus from the Habib's story for a considerable period of time. Right at the point where things are getting very awkward in the Habib family. Having said that, other readers will probably appreciate that aspect of the tale more, so we're definitely talking horses for courses.
Whilst not 100% convinced about the comparisons with the writing of Peter Temple, known more for his brevity and pointedness, something that DRIVE BY at 379 pages might struggle to justify, there is real skill in the characterisation of John, in particular, in this book. His voice is unique, and there is a real feel of seeing inside the dynamics of a family ruthless enough to do whatever it takes to survive. It's also a peek inside the world of policing that, on a daily basis, works against the tide of the sobering piles of money that the drug world generates, and the violence required to maintain a position on the top of that pile.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
The story of John Habib, his brothers, their involvement in the Sydney drugs trade, and the murder trial of the youngest brother, is interwoven with the story of young cop Bec Ralston. Somewhat inexplicably she's pulled into a very responsible position in Habib's trial as senior cops seem to be dodging and weaving around. What's really going on with both the Habib brothers and within the cops might not that hard to connect up, but how it all plays out is more surprising.
Part of what really works in DRIVE BY is the voice of John. On the one hand he seems to be perfectly aware of the "family trade" and its ramifications. On the other, he's staunchly loyal and there's little, if any, sense of right and wrong. That loyalty to, belief in family above all else is quite disturbing, especially given a distinct feeling of whatever it takes for the family to survive. Which makes the possibility that Rafi could have killed a drug dealer in the middle of the night not just believable, but uncomfortably understandable.
What works less well are the police threads which are complicated but obviously leading in the direction of some form of corruption or power play. Whilst it's not a disappointing storyline in its own right, most of what's felt wrong is the way that it pulls focus from the Habib's story for a considerable period of time. Right at the point where things are getting very awkward in the Habib family. Having said that, other readers will probably appreciate that aspect of the tale more, so we're definitely talking horses for courses.
Whilst not 100% convinced about the comparisons with the writing of Peter Temple, known more for his brevity and pointedness, something that DRIVE BY at 379 pages might struggle to justify, there is real skill in the characterisation of John, in particular, in this book. His voice is unique, and there is a real feel of seeing inside the dynamics of a family ruthless enough to do whatever it takes to survive. It's also a peek inside the world of policing that, on a daily basis, works against the tide of the sobering piles of money that the drug world generates, and the violence required to maintain a position on the top of that pile.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
July 24, 2014
A crime novel set in my own backyard was what I thought drew me to this novel. Ever since reading the Detective Jill Jackson series by Leah Giarratano, I’ve been somewhat nervous each time I had to go to a certain train station ~a certain fictional event is haunting me. Drive By, though set in Western Sydney, wasn’t quite in my hood and for that, I think I’m grateful.
Despite the comparison to Peter Temple’s works in the blurb, which I have read and loved, I approached this work somewhat hesitantly. The cover has a look of non-fiction and I must say, not quite attractive to fiction lovers like myself. However, when you take in consideration the author’s background as a journalist, the cover totally makes sense.
Drive By is told from 3 alternative perspectives –each as different as s/he could be. Bec, Rebecca Ralston, is a young Constable ensnared in a circumstance and left to fend for herself with nary a person to turn to who hasn’t got their own agendas. She, interestingly, is 1/8 Indigenous and protected herself with big words. Jabber ‘John’ Habib, Honest John, was told by his family that he must stand on the other side of the line in the sand –to be a law-abiding citizen. His love for his family drives him to do all he can to keep them safe yet it also blinds him. The prosecutor, Karen Mabbey, hasn’t been able to care about her work; not since her life feels like it’s spiralling out of her control.
The beginning feels quite slow to me though what fascinated me were the characters. I had to roll my eyes / snort each time Bec’s wordy speech, was driven to frustration by John’s slow uptake or may be even selective blindness, and felt nothing but sympathy for Karen. At about 2/3 of the way, however, I was jolted by a twist and then again and again... It was turn after turn in a complex layer of duplicity with a mind blowing conclusion. I must confess though after this whirlwind of the plot, where each of the characters end up didn’t really surprise me though I wish for something somewhat different (what can I say, I’m an optimist :p).
The reference to Peter Temple’s works though is not due to the writing style as it is quite different but in reference to the bold un-crossable line between the crims and law-enforcers. And this was quite evident in the novel. rive By is hands-down the best crime novel I’ve read so far this year and one I would highly recommend to all crime readers.
Thanks, Allen & Unwin, for the giveaway
Despite the comparison to Peter Temple’s works in the blurb, which I have read and loved, I approached this work somewhat hesitantly. The cover has a look of non-fiction and I must say, not quite attractive to fiction lovers like myself. However, when you take in consideration the author’s background as a journalist, the cover totally makes sense.
Drive By is told from 3 alternative perspectives –each as different as s/he could be. Bec, Rebecca Ralston, is a young Constable ensnared in a circumstance and left to fend for herself with nary a person to turn to who hasn’t got their own agendas. She, interestingly, is 1/8 Indigenous and protected herself with big words. Jabber ‘John’ Habib, Honest John, was told by his family that he must stand on the other side of the line in the sand –to be a law-abiding citizen. His love for his family drives him to do all he can to keep them safe yet it also blinds him. The prosecutor, Karen Mabbey, hasn’t been able to care about her work; not since her life feels like it’s spiralling out of her control.
The beginning feels quite slow to me though what fascinated me were the characters. I had to roll my eyes / snort each time Bec’s wordy speech, was driven to frustration by John’s slow uptake or may be even selective blindness, and felt nothing but sympathy for Karen. At about 2/3 of the way, however, I was jolted by a twist and then again and again... It was turn after turn in a complex layer of duplicity with a mind blowing conclusion. I must confess though after this whirlwind of the plot, where each of the characters end up didn’t really surprise me though I wish for something somewhat different (what can I say, I’m an optimist :p).
The reference to Peter Temple’s works though is not due to the writing style as it is quite different but in reference to the bold un-crossable line between the crims and law-enforcers. And this was quite evident in the novel. rive By is hands-down the best crime novel I’ve read so far this year and one I would highly recommend to all crime readers.
Thanks, Allen & Unwin, for the giveaway
September 10, 2013
TV footage of pock-marked houses, broken windows and shocked by-standers has become common place in Sydney in recent years as tawdry gang wars roll interminably on. In April 2013, the crime stats bureau Director noted a spike in drive by shootings, starting in 2010, had settled down by the end of 2012. By July 2013 an upswing in shootings prompted the Sydney Morning Herald to dub 2013, “The Year of the Gun” . Michael Duffy’s third novel is timely, concerning as it does one fictional Western suburbs crime family. The frame around which the novel is built is the murder trial of the youngest son of the family, who has been charged with shooting a drug dealer in a Sydney park.
The novel revolves around three main characters; Senior Counsel Karen Mabey, prosecuting the accused; Bec Ralston, a young detective, thrown in at the deep end as officer in charge when her boss absconds interstate and John Habib, the accused’s older brother. Drugs have affected each of them. Mabey’s son is an addict, Ralston suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother. Habib is the straight Toyota mechanic in a family of criminals who saves his hard-earned money while being financed on expensive holidays by the proceeds of crime.
Mr Duffy’s novel moves at a good pace and contains more threads than your average crime novel. Particularly effective is his characterisation of John Habib, whose vernacular first person narrative is at times, very funny. Again, unlike the average crime novel, wider themes are apparent; the heavy responsibility of family ties, the price of loyalty and illusions of truth.
I was extremely impressed by this story. As compelling as Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin with an added depth that keeps you thinking about the story long after you’ve closed the book.
The novel revolves around three main characters; Senior Counsel Karen Mabey, prosecuting the accused; Bec Ralston, a young detective, thrown in at the deep end as officer in charge when her boss absconds interstate and John Habib, the accused’s older brother. Drugs have affected each of them. Mabey’s son is an addict, Ralston suffered neglect and abuse at the hands of her alcoholic mother. Habib is the straight Toyota mechanic in a family of criminals who saves his hard-earned money while being financed on expensive holidays by the proceeds of crime.
Mr Duffy’s novel moves at a good pace and contains more threads than your average crime novel. Particularly effective is his characterisation of John Habib, whose vernacular first person narrative is at times, very funny. Again, unlike the average crime novel, wider themes are apparent; the heavy responsibility of family ties, the price of loyalty and illusions of truth.
I was extremely impressed by this story. As compelling as Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin with an added depth that keeps you thinking about the story long after you’ve closed the book.
January 2, 2014
Jabber (( known as John) Habib is the 3 rd of 4 sons in a Sydney Lebanese family whose family business is crime. "The Papa" as John calls him has long ago drawn a line in the sand and john and his younger brother are the straight ones. That is until Rafiq is charged with murder.
Enter Bec Cole a young independent minded detective, drafted in to do paperwork. Something doesn't sit right with Bec about the case and encouraged by a colleague not directly involved she begins to sift through the evidence.
The plot is told from different perspectives: the police and the Habibs of the two it is John's voice that os the most compelling and distinctive. He knows,what the family does yet is blind to the more subtle dynamics and power plays going on. For Bec things are much more complicated. What she is learning is confusing and contradictory and she has no idea who to trust.
Although Drive By is not without flaws; the plot involving the police is very confusing with just perhaps a little too much thrown in, on the while the book is very hard to put down .
the author, Michael Duffy has written some true crime and one other work of fiction. I hope he will continue to do so as I for one want to read more.
Enter Bec Cole a young independent minded detective, drafted in to do paperwork. Something doesn't sit right with Bec about the case and encouraged by a colleague not directly involved she begins to sift through the evidence.
The plot is told from different perspectives: the police and the Habibs of the two it is John's voice that os the most compelling and distinctive. He knows,what the family does yet is blind to the more subtle dynamics and power plays going on. For Bec things are much more complicated. What she is learning is confusing and contradictory and she has no idea who to trust.
Although Drive By is not without flaws; the plot involving the police is very confusing with just perhaps a little too much thrown in, on the while the book is very hard to put down .
the author, Michael Duffy has written some true crime and one other work of fiction. I hope he will continue to do so as I for one want to read more.
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October 20, 2021Drive By is a book of two voices.
Voice 1 is by John Habib, a member of a Lebanese crime family in Sydney. John is the innocent hard-working one, deliberately left out of the 'family business' because of a 'line in the sand' drawn to keep the younger two brothers out of crime and held in reserve for a future when the family goes into straight enterprises. The plan starts going awry when the youngest brother, Radio, is charged with the murder of a rival gang associate.
The two rival gangs have been engaged in a war involving murders and riddling each other’s houses in drive by shootings, hence the title.
John is the narrator of the Habib family's struggle. Author Duffy does a good job with the Lebanese English patois in John's voice.
The other voice (though told in the 3rd person) is Detective Constable Bec Ralston who is thrown into the deep end when she is forced to be police OIC of the Habib murder trial when her boss decamped, giving her insufficient handover briefing. Bec finds herself pulled around in the currents of secret police business higher up in the command.
Bec's story also brings in the Crown Prosecutor in the murder trial, her politician husband and her dysfunctional son.
Told in 4 parts, the book is slow to get going. Parts 3 and 4 are worth persevering for. Great satisfying ending, for John at least.
Without being preachy or obvious, the book exposes the disaster that is the war on drugs.
Voice 1 is by John Habib, a member of a Lebanese crime family in Sydney. John is the innocent hard-working one, deliberately left out of the 'family business' because of a 'line in the sand' drawn to keep the younger two brothers out of crime and held in reserve for a future when the family goes into straight enterprises. The plan starts going awry when the youngest brother, Radio, is charged with the murder of a rival gang associate.
The two rival gangs have been engaged in a war involving murders and riddling each other’s houses in drive by shootings, hence the title.
John is the narrator of the Habib family's struggle. Author Duffy does a good job with the Lebanese English patois in John's voice.
The other voice (though told in the 3rd person) is Detective Constable Bec Ralston who is thrown into the deep end when she is forced to be police OIC of the Habib murder trial when her boss decamped, giving her insufficient handover briefing. Bec finds herself pulled around in the currents of secret police business higher up in the command.
Bec's story also brings in the Crown Prosecutor in the murder trial, her politician husband and her dysfunctional son.
Told in 4 parts, the book is slow to get going. Parts 3 and 4 are worth persevering for. Great satisfying ending, for John at least.
Without being preachy or obvious, the book exposes the disaster that is the war on drugs.
May 21, 2021
A surprisingly dense and layered novel, with plenty of intrigue and unexpected connections. It's at times a difficult read - the multi-perspective approach requires readers to piece details together on their own, and you rarely spend much time in any individual mindset in the novel's orientation.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews