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Frank Swann #2
Zero at the Bone
For ex-detective Frank Swann, being on the outside of Western Australia's police force is the only way to get justice done. Perth in 1979 is a city of celebration and corruption. There are street parties, official glad-handing – even a royal visit – to commemmorate a century and a half since colonisation. But behind the festivities a new kind of land grab is going on, this time for mining leases. The price of gold is up, and few are incorruptible before its lure. When Swann is hired to probe the suicide of a well-regarded geologist, he's drawn into a mire of vice and fraud that has at its heart a lust for wealth that verges on a disease . . . By the author of the acclaimed Line of Sight, Zero at the Bone lifts the lid on Perth at the start of the mining boom to show a town where Chinatown meets Underbelly, and where the establishment and the lawless blend into one. 'Full of crooked cops, corrupt politicians and rapacious mining companies . . . I really enjoyed Zero at the Bone.' Michael Robotham 'Has all the economy, pace, unexpected humour and local colour we've come to expect from David Whish-Wilson. Highly recommended.' Adrian McKinty 'The plot is unexpected and intriguing, the action intense, but best of all is Whish-Wilson's ability to draw characters so familiar they could be next-door neighbours. Beautifully written ... An absorbing read and thoroughly recommended if you love a great story. You won't want to put this one down until the very last page.' West Australian 'Satisfying turns [hold] narrative interest in a complex plot... This heavily researched and painstaking attention to detail skilfully captures the essence of Perth in the late 1970s and bodes well for Whish Wilson.' ABR 'Zero at the Bone is a gritty and utterly absorbing read... I'll be going back for more.' Good Reading
245 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 21, 2013
4 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
About the author
David Whish-Wilson
23 books90 followersDavid Whish-Wilson is the author of eleven novels and three creative non-fiction books. He was born in Newcastle, NSW but raised in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, streetseller, petty criminal, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug trial guinea pig.
David is the author of four novels in the Frank Swann crime series and two in the Lee Southern series, two of which have been shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards. David wrote the Perth book in the NewSouth Books city series, which was shortlisted for a WA Premier’s Book Award. His latest novel, Cutler, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award and the BAD Sydney Danger Award.
He currently lives in Fremantle, WA, with his partner and three kids, and teaches creative writing at Curtin University
David is the author of four novels in the Frank Swann crime series and two in the Lee Southern series, two of which have been shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards. David wrote the Perth book in the NewSouth Books city series, which was shortlisted for a WA Premier’s Book Award. His latest novel, Cutler, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award and the BAD Sydney Danger Award.
He currently lives in Fremantle, WA, with his partner and three kids, and teaches creative writing at Curtin University
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 12, 2022
Zero At the Bone is the hardboiled sequel to David Whish-Wilson’s outstanding Line of Sight and reacquaints us with Frank Swann.
Swann is a former police detective, dismissed from the force in disgrace after turning whistle-blower at a Royal Commission into Police Corruption. He now works as a private detective but is constantly treading a careful line when it comes to his former colleagues – chief among them is the totally crooked cop Detective Inspector Ben Hogan.
In short order as things get underway we are made aware of a string crimes taking place across Perth. Horse doping, jewel heists, bank robberies and acts of arson all seem to touch Swann either directly or indirectly.
Among all of this he is hired by Jennifer Henderson to investigate the circumstances surrounding her husband, Max’s, suicide.
It turns out that Max was a geologist with a highly credible background in mining. He had made a ‘highly significant find’ when doing a geological survey of a piece of land in the desert.
A few notable points to be made about the company, Rosa Gold which owns this potential gold mine.
First, the company directors include a local mafia-like kingpin, a couple of bad cops, a bent bookie, a horse trainer who dopes his horses and a drug smuggler.
Next, the company isn’t yet listed on the Stock Exchange. Finally, it’s WA in the 1970s and the price of gold and silver is absolutely booming.
The ingredients are all in place for a bunch of money-hungry wrong-uns to make a killing with a goldmine.
And they definitely won’t take kindly to a whistle-blowing ex-cop snooping around the company. There’s a lot of money at stake and as one Gary Quinliven rationalised things:
“He hadn’t enjoyed the bashing last night, but he could rationalise it, understand why it was necessary. Violence was part of their business, a short cut to getting what you want.”
As we wade deeper into the story we find ourselves thrust into a pretty murky side of Perth in the 1970s. Frank finds himself on an absolute tightrope that is becoming more and more dangerous to walk.
He is slowly but surely uncovering the secrets of Rosa Gold and the group of crooks who own it. Meanwhile the corrupt cops involved have put out an “arrest on sight” on his head.
Max Henderson’s suicide was not as simple as a lonely old man who couldn’t face the world any more. It was definitely related to Rosa Gold but finding out how and why it was related will come close to costing Swann everything.
Rather than shy away from the fight, Frank Swann is the type of guy who will stride on in and take the knocks as they are dealt out to him. You find yourself admiring him even more for his chutzpah while, at the same time, becoming a little concerned that he is regularly unable to see the bigger picture.
Zero At the Bone exhibits all of the hallmarks of a classic hardboiled noir crime story. The violence is overt and frequent, whether it be from a shotgun or a ball-peen hammer and the danger is real and ever-present.
The case, which was never really satisfyingly defined, careens to its shocking conclusion with a level of violence that is wholly appropriate given the nature of the antagonists. Revenge is a chief theme that runs through the book and it makes a resounding impact on many levels.
There is a realness and authenticity to the story. It brought the city of Perth and its surrounds to life and served a subtle reminder of the greed upon which many cities have thrived as they’ve grown.
Swann is a former police detective, dismissed from the force in disgrace after turning whistle-blower at a Royal Commission into Police Corruption. He now works as a private detective but is constantly treading a careful line when it comes to his former colleagues – chief among them is the totally crooked cop Detective Inspector Ben Hogan.
In short order as things get underway we are made aware of a string crimes taking place across Perth. Horse doping, jewel heists, bank robberies and acts of arson all seem to touch Swann either directly or indirectly.
Among all of this he is hired by Jennifer Henderson to investigate the circumstances surrounding her husband, Max’s, suicide.
It turns out that Max was a geologist with a highly credible background in mining. He had made a ‘highly significant find’ when doing a geological survey of a piece of land in the desert.
A few notable points to be made about the company, Rosa Gold which owns this potential gold mine.
First, the company directors include a local mafia-like kingpin, a couple of bad cops, a bent bookie, a horse trainer who dopes his horses and a drug smuggler.
Next, the company isn’t yet listed on the Stock Exchange. Finally, it’s WA in the 1970s and the price of gold and silver is absolutely booming.
The ingredients are all in place for a bunch of money-hungry wrong-uns to make a killing with a goldmine.
And they definitely won’t take kindly to a whistle-blowing ex-cop snooping around the company. There’s a lot of money at stake and as one Gary Quinliven rationalised things:
“He hadn’t enjoyed the bashing last night, but he could rationalise it, understand why it was necessary. Violence was part of their business, a short cut to getting what you want.”
As we wade deeper into the story we find ourselves thrust into a pretty murky side of Perth in the 1970s. Frank finds himself on an absolute tightrope that is becoming more and more dangerous to walk.
He is slowly but surely uncovering the secrets of Rosa Gold and the group of crooks who own it. Meanwhile the corrupt cops involved have put out an “arrest on sight” on his head.
Max Henderson’s suicide was not as simple as a lonely old man who couldn’t face the world any more. It was definitely related to Rosa Gold but finding out how and why it was related will come close to costing Swann everything.
Rather than shy away from the fight, Frank Swann is the type of guy who will stride on in and take the knocks as they are dealt out to him. You find yourself admiring him even more for his chutzpah while, at the same time, becoming a little concerned that he is regularly unable to see the bigger picture.
Zero At the Bone exhibits all of the hallmarks of a classic hardboiled noir crime story. The violence is overt and frequent, whether it be from a shotgun or a ball-peen hammer and the danger is real and ever-present.
The case, which was never really satisfyingly defined, careens to its shocking conclusion with a level of violence that is wholly appropriate given the nature of the antagonists. Revenge is a chief theme that runs through the book and it makes a resounding impact on many levels.
There is a realness and authenticity to the story. It brought the city of Perth and its surrounds to life and served a subtle reminder of the greed upon which many cities have thrived as they’ve grown.
September 30, 2013
A couple of months ago I wrote an piece for the Guardian Australia’s Oz Culture Blog on why I think the most exciting crime fiction in Australia at the moment is coming out of the West.
It has something to do with the fact that the people are tough, the climate is harsh, and the mining boom has amplified everything and has given local writers a wealth of material and creative inspiration, as well as a real sense of vitality and realism.
If you want proof, look no further than Zero At the Bone, the latest book by Perth based crime writer, David Whish-Wilson.
Zero At the Bone is a sequel to Whish-Wilson’s 2010 book, Line of Sight, which established him firmly in my mind as the president of the, albeit very small, club of Australian writers who do noir fiction and do it well.
Based on real events, Line of Sight opens in 1975, six months after the murder of Perth brothel madam Ruby Devine, shot four times in the back of the head with a .22 the day before she was scheduled to give evidence to the tax office that would have implicated the senior police she bribed to stay open and certain high profile ‘secret investors’ in her operation.
Frank Swann is an old school cop who, convinced the police responsible for the murder are the same ones who are heading up the investigation to it, turns whistle blower for the Royal Commission called to investigate the murder and matters relating to it.
Swann is a great character, an old school cop, who as a youth dabbled in petty crime before being joining the police. The story is given added pathos by the fact that Swann’s teenage daughter is missing. His efforts to gather evidence on who really murdered the brothel madam are interspersed by encounters with prostitutes, street kids and other petty criminals as he attempts to locate his daughter.
Fast forward to 1979.
Perth is getting a make over to celebrate its 150th birthday and the mining boom is poised to take off. “The atmosphere was one of celebration and self-congratulation; the state was forging ahead. The price of silver and gold was rising, diamond production was up; it seemed the entire north-west was made of iron ore.”
Swann is out of the police force and his family is back together, although the rawness that marked his familial situation in Line of Sight lingers.
To make ends meet, he works as a private investigator, taking whatever jobs he can find or is given. A bikie wants his stolen Harley found, an old cop buddy wants help to track down some shop lifted jewels, and an attractive widow by the name of Jennifer Henderson wants to know why her geologist husband decided to blow his brains out.
No one else will touch the widow’s case, but Swann needs the money and he likes the woman. Swann knows something isn’t right about the suicide and there’s also a distinct feeling he can’t resist the opportunity to follow instincts in the hope there’ll be some payback on the people who drove him out of the police force.
He’s not half wrong. Henderson was working as a consulting geologist on a new gold mine, rumoured to be the largest Australia has ever seen. The board of directors comprise a who’s who of Western Australia’s criminal milieu, men intent of ensuring they maximise the return on their investment and ward off any unwelcome attention.
Zero At the Bone is a riveting crime story and a vivid examination of the political economy of Western Australia, “the birthing pangs of frontier capitalism”, as Whish-Wilson refers to it.
The period detail is terrific. Like an expert surgeon, the author cuts away to reveal an anatomical dissection of corruption and street level history, Perth’s geography, class relations, its tribes and sub-cultures, including the most ruthless tribe of all, the cabal of bent cops who act with impunity.
Whish-Wilson’s writing is terrific, both taunt and lyrical.
“Louise, who knew about these things, had told him that the skinheads held the prime real estate of the Mall, the Bogs had lower Wellington Street and the Blacks still had large parts of East Perth. But the skinheads didn’t look like an occupying army to Swann, more like the GIs stationed in Freemantle he remembered from the war: young, crew-cut, listless and bored, too far from home. ‘This town’s a graveyard with lights’, a US sailor had once said, folding the Mirror Swann sold him outside a brothel on Bannister Street.”
Or this passage:
“It was cool and quiet inside Company House. The old colonial building with its Donnybrook stone colonnades and ornately carved wooden doors, studded with black iron spikes, had been build like everything else from the period with gold-rush money. Inside the entrance was a bronze statue of a malnourished old miner wielding a pick over a lump of rock. The miner’s eyes were sightless and his mouth grim. His ribs showed through his tattered shirt, his hobnail boots cracked and split near the soles. Swann thought about the quote on Henderson’s desk. ‘I and my men suffer from a disease of the heart that can only be cured by gold.’”
Zero At the Bone has a feel of urgency and authenticity to it. It may be set 1979, but it could just as well be about contemporary events in Western Australia or anywhere where large amounts of money can be made from digging in the ground.
It has something to do with the fact that the people are tough, the climate is harsh, and the mining boom has amplified everything and has given local writers a wealth of material and creative inspiration, as well as a real sense of vitality and realism.
If you want proof, look no further than Zero At the Bone, the latest book by Perth based crime writer, David Whish-Wilson.
Zero At the Bone is a sequel to Whish-Wilson’s 2010 book, Line of Sight, which established him firmly in my mind as the president of the, albeit very small, club of Australian writers who do noir fiction and do it well.
Based on real events, Line of Sight opens in 1975, six months after the murder of Perth brothel madam Ruby Devine, shot four times in the back of the head with a .22 the day before she was scheduled to give evidence to the tax office that would have implicated the senior police she bribed to stay open and certain high profile ‘secret investors’ in her operation.
Frank Swann is an old school cop who, convinced the police responsible for the murder are the same ones who are heading up the investigation to it, turns whistle blower for the Royal Commission called to investigate the murder and matters relating to it.
Swann is a great character, an old school cop, who as a youth dabbled in petty crime before being joining the police. The story is given added pathos by the fact that Swann’s teenage daughter is missing. His efforts to gather evidence on who really murdered the brothel madam are interspersed by encounters with prostitutes, street kids and other petty criminals as he attempts to locate his daughter.
Fast forward to 1979.
Perth is getting a make over to celebrate its 150th birthday and the mining boom is poised to take off. “The atmosphere was one of celebration and self-congratulation; the state was forging ahead. The price of silver and gold was rising, diamond production was up; it seemed the entire north-west was made of iron ore.”
Swann is out of the police force and his family is back together, although the rawness that marked his familial situation in Line of Sight lingers.
To make ends meet, he works as a private investigator, taking whatever jobs he can find or is given. A bikie wants his stolen Harley found, an old cop buddy wants help to track down some shop lifted jewels, and an attractive widow by the name of Jennifer Henderson wants to know why her geologist husband decided to blow his brains out.
No one else will touch the widow’s case, but Swann needs the money and he likes the woman. Swann knows something isn’t right about the suicide and there’s also a distinct feeling he can’t resist the opportunity to follow instincts in the hope there’ll be some payback on the people who drove him out of the police force.
He’s not half wrong. Henderson was working as a consulting geologist on a new gold mine, rumoured to be the largest Australia has ever seen. The board of directors comprise a who’s who of Western Australia’s criminal milieu, men intent of ensuring they maximise the return on their investment and ward off any unwelcome attention.
Zero At the Bone is a riveting crime story and a vivid examination of the political economy of Western Australia, “the birthing pangs of frontier capitalism”, as Whish-Wilson refers to it.
The period detail is terrific. Like an expert surgeon, the author cuts away to reveal an anatomical dissection of corruption and street level history, Perth’s geography, class relations, its tribes and sub-cultures, including the most ruthless tribe of all, the cabal of bent cops who act with impunity.
Whish-Wilson’s writing is terrific, both taunt and lyrical.
“Louise, who knew about these things, had told him that the skinheads held the prime real estate of the Mall, the Bogs had lower Wellington Street and the Blacks still had large parts of East Perth. But the skinheads didn’t look like an occupying army to Swann, more like the GIs stationed in Freemantle he remembered from the war: young, crew-cut, listless and bored, too far from home. ‘This town’s a graveyard with lights’, a US sailor had once said, folding the Mirror Swann sold him outside a brothel on Bannister Street.”
Or this passage:
“It was cool and quiet inside Company House. The old colonial building with its Donnybrook stone colonnades and ornately carved wooden doors, studded with black iron spikes, had been build like everything else from the period with gold-rush money. Inside the entrance was a bronze statue of a malnourished old miner wielding a pick over a lump of rock. The miner’s eyes were sightless and his mouth grim. His ribs showed through his tattered shirt, his hobnail boots cracked and split near the soles. Swann thought about the quote on Henderson’s desk. ‘I and my men suffer from a disease of the heart that can only be cured by gold.’”
Zero At the Bone has a feel of urgency and authenticity to it. It may be set 1979, but it could just as well be about contemporary events in Western Australia or anywhere where large amounts of money can be made from digging in the ground.
August 22, 2013
This review was first published on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
David Whish-Wilson's ZERO AT THE BONE captures the Windy City gangster era feel and brings it to boom town Perth at the height of mining's golden age. Police are mob, yet few dare tread where the hardest criminals fail - for PI Frank Swann, his footprint leaves traces of the dead and imprints of a failed justice as he chases down a sinister scheme which all started when geologist, Max Henderson, allegedly committed suicide prompting his wife, Jennifer Henderson, to enlist his services.
The former detective still feels the pain and loss stemming from the events in LINE OF SIGHT, the predecessor to this novel. The strong sense of continuity is apparent with the protagonist referring back to the past events, with the present day plot (circa 1979) very much attributed to the earlier novel. For Swann, this case unearths a deeper plot and exposes the criminal element attached to the Rosa Gold stake.
Drug dealers, bad cops, bent bookies, jewel thief's, and a widow's questionable motive ensure ZERO AT THE BONE keeps reader's guessing while providing plenty of criminal and good old fashion detective action.
Blue blood still runs rife within the veins of Swann with him coming across more cop than PI during the course of his investigation. I liked the balance in maintaining this persona from LINE OF SIGHT as it further built upon the Swann's already well articulated passion for truth and justice. Yet what most impressed me about ZERO AT THE BONE was the long game of revenge which played out in surprising and shocking fashion.
ZERO AT THE BONE is a distinctly Australian yet all consuming crime fiction novel that grips the reader from page one and demands attention through to its violent conclusion.
When the smoke clears and the smell of cordite resonates in the air, the sticky blood red writing on the wall reads that David Whish-Wilson is a force to be reckoned with in crime fiction.
David Whish-Wilson's ZERO AT THE BONE captures the Windy City gangster era feel and brings it to boom town Perth at the height of mining's golden age. Police are mob, yet few dare tread where the hardest criminals fail - for PI Frank Swann, his footprint leaves traces of the dead and imprints of a failed justice as he chases down a sinister scheme which all started when geologist, Max Henderson, allegedly committed suicide prompting his wife, Jennifer Henderson, to enlist his services.
The former detective still feels the pain and loss stemming from the events in LINE OF SIGHT, the predecessor to this novel. The strong sense of continuity is apparent with the protagonist referring back to the past events, with the present day plot (circa 1979) very much attributed to the earlier novel. For Swann, this case unearths a deeper plot and exposes the criminal element attached to the Rosa Gold stake.
Drug dealers, bad cops, bent bookies, jewel thief's, and a widow's questionable motive ensure ZERO AT THE BONE keeps reader's guessing while providing plenty of criminal and good old fashion detective action.
Blue blood still runs rife within the veins of Swann with him coming across more cop than PI during the course of his investigation. I liked the balance in maintaining this persona from LINE OF SIGHT as it further built upon the Swann's already well articulated passion for truth and justice. Yet what most impressed me about ZERO AT THE BONE was the long game of revenge which played out in surprising and shocking fashion.
ZERO AT THE BONE is a distinctly Australian yet all consuming crime fiction novel that grips the reader from page one and demands attention through to its violent conclusion.
When the smoke clears and the smell of cordite resonates in the air, the sticky blood red writing on the wall reads that David Whish-Wilson is a force to be reckoned with in crime fiction.
August 29, 2013
Frank Swann is no longer a Superintendent in the Western Australian police. In fact he’s no longer anything in the police force, having been forced to resign after the Royal Commission into allegations of corruption. Swann’s old nemesis Detective Casey has been neatly disposed of but where one is cut down another rises and Swann is being targeted by a detective by the name of Hogan who has made it clear via the media that he considers Swann responsible for Casey’s death and that he will not forget it. He’s wrong, but that doesn’t matter.
The message could not be any clearer. Swann hasn’t been left to go quietly into a new life and sooner or later, someone will come looking for him and bang him up for something inconsequential, an incarceration he probably won’t survive. He ekes out a living as a PI to support his family – his wife, who has also gone back to work and his three daughters. Swann is hired to investigate the suicide of a world-renown geologist who was just about to strike it rich with a goldfield claim during the mining boom. Why did Max Henderson kill himself? Why are his partners in the mine crooked cops (including Hogan), bent horse trainers, bookies and local mafia bosses? The further Swann digs into this the more dirt he turns up, dirt that could not only threaten his life (again) and that of his family but also Max’s widow Jennifer, who inherited her late husband’s share in the mine.
Zero At The Bone is the second novel by David Whish-Wilson featuring Frank Swann. In the first he was a whistleblower on corruption who fought against various attempts to discredit him on the grounds of mental instability. Swann might be slightly mentally unstable, but not in the way in which they were attempting to paint him as. He’s sharp as a tack and incredibly brave bordering a little bit on idiocy. There are people that know when to walk away but Swann isn’t one of those. In fact, the more dangerous the situation is, the more he seems to excel in it.
Frank is back at home in this novel, although not for long. When he realises exactly who Max Henderson was tied up with in this mining claim, he again has to take steps to protect his family. I find the relationship between Frank and his wife Marion fascinating. They’ve been together a long time and Marion is a detective’s daughter but who also has family on the other side of the law. She’s tolerant and patient and incredible at anticipating Frank’s moves and also his needs. She never shows frustration at him when he’s been beaten half to death (again) or they have to leave their house and go and stay somewhere else for their own safety. She doesn’t do much in these books, she’s barely in the first one at all. She’s more present in this one but in a background manner, taking his messages and keeping him one step ahead of those that would like to put him six feet under for what he knows. They work together as a seamless team, despite the revelations in the first novel, Line Of Sight about their domestic situation. I find it incredible how vivid a picture the author managed to paint of their marriage and relationship through their brief interactions and Marion’s mostly-silent presence.
I don’t know much about mining – the WA boom happened before I was born and mostly what I know about it now is because of the environmental issues it raises, something that didn’t really seem to concern anyone at this time. A lot of WA was funded on the mining boom – luxurious new housing estates, high rises, apartment blocks and it seems that many people retired to a life of leisure on it too. The amount of kickbacks and bribes that must’ve been payable to get a claim through and up and operating must’ve been enormous – it was actually factored in to the budget for the claim in this book. Given these novels exist around a state of intense corruption from pretty much everyone to the top town, it might have been exaggerated slightly but it did make me think about applying it to reality and wondering just what it did take to get things pushed through. This is a novel about greed, about people who would do anything in order to finance something that would make them unbelievably filthy rich. It’s disconcerting that two of them are police officers and yet, it would be difficult to expect anything else after Line Of Sight. If anything, this book made me realise how powerful the lure of money is to some people, more money than they could ever know what to do with. For most people, that might be a daunting thing. But to some it is a drug that they become addicted to and they’ll do anything to keep sight of it.
I really developed an appreciation for Swann in the last book and I think this book only cemented my liking for him. He’s got a unique way of doing things and I love his ragtag little band of informants. He seems to collect people and has a knack for finding people who will help him find out exactly what he needs to know. He’s clever, managing to keep one step ahead of people who look like they’re trying to help him but will only sell him out at a later date. I also like the genuine Australian feel to these books – the footy clubs, the pubs, the old cars (well they’re old now, not quite sure about 1979!), everyone smoking everywhere including public sector buildings and the terrible 1970′s fashion! It makes it so easy for the reader to paint the picture in their head, see everything clearly. I’ve never been to the setting of these books but feels very much as though I have.
I hope we see more of Frank in the future, doing what he does best.
The message could not be any clearer. Swann hasn’t been left to go quietly into a new life and sooner or later, someone will come looking for him and bang him up for something inconsequential, an incarceration he probably won’t survive. He ekes out a living as a PI to support his family – his wife, who has also gone back to work and his three daughters. Swann is hired to investigate the suicide of a world-renown geologist who was just about to strike it rich with a goldfield claim during the mining boom. Why did Max Henderson kill himself? Why are his partners in the mine crooked cops (including Hogan), bent horse trainers, bookies and local mafia bosses? The further Swann digs into this the more dirt he turns up, dirt that could not only threaten his life (again) and that of his family but also Max’s widow Jennifer, who inherited her late husband’s share in the mine.
Zero At The Bone is the second novel by David Whish-Wilson featuring Frank Swann. In the first he was a whistleblower on corruption who fought against various attempts to discredit him on the grounds of mental instability. Swann might be slightly mentally unstable, but not in the way in which they were attempting to paint him as. He’s sharp as a tack and incredibly brave bordering a little bit on idiocy. There are people that know when to walk away but Swann isn’t one of those. In fact, the more dangerous the situation is, the more he seems to excel in it.
Frank is back at home in this novel, although not for long. When he realises exactly who Max Henderson was tied up with in this mining claim, he again has to take steps to protect his family. I find the relationship between Frank and his wife Marion fascinating. They’ve been together a long time and Marion is a detective’s daughter but who also has family on the other side of the law. She’s tolerant and patient and incredible at anticipating Frank’s moves and also his needs. She never shows frustration at him when he’s been beaten half to death (again) or they have to leave their house and go and stay somewhere else for their own safety. She doesn’t do much in these books, she’s barely in the first one at all. She’s more present in this one but in a background manner, taking his messages and keeping him one step ahead of those that would like to put him six feet under for what he knows. They work together as a seamless team, despite the revelations in the first novel, Line Of Sight about their domestic situation. I find it incredible how vivid a picture the author managed to paint of their marriage and relationship through their brief interactions and Marion’s mostly-silent presence.
I don’t know much about mining – the WA boom happened before I was born and mostly what I know about it now is because of the environmental issues it raises, something that didn’t really seem to concern anyone at this time. A lot of WA was funded on the mining boom – luxurious new housing estates, high rises, apartment blocks and it seems that many people retired to a life of leisure on it too. The amount of kickbacks and bribes that must’ve been payable to get a claim through and up and operating must’ve been enormous – it was actually factored in to the budget for the claim in this book. Given these novels exist around a state of intense corruption from pretty much everyone to the top town, it might have been exaggerated slightly but it did make me think about applying it to reality and wondering just what it did take to get things pushed through. This is a novel about greed, about people who would do anything in order to finance something that would make them unbelievably filthy rich. It’s disconcerting that two of them are police officers and yet, it would be difficult to expect anything else after Line Of Sight. If anything, this book made me realise how powerful the lure of money is to some people, more money than they could ever know what to do with. For most people, that might be a daunting thing. But to some it is a drug that they become addicted to and they’ll do anything to keep sight of it.
I really developed an appreciation for Swann in the last book and I think this book only cemented my liking for him. He’s got a unique way of doing things and I love his ragtag little band of informants. He seems to collect people and has a knack for finding people who will help him find out exactly what he needs to know. He’s clever, managing to keep one step ahead of people who look like they’re trying to help him but will only sell him out at a later date. I also like the genuine Australian feel to these books – the footy clubs, the pubs, the old cars (well they’re old now, not quite sure about 1979!), everyone smoking everywhere including public sector buildings and the terrible 1970′s fashion! It makes it so easy for the reader to paint the picture in their head, see everything clearly. I’ve never been to the setting of these books but feels very much as though I have.
I hope we see more of Frank in the future, doing what he does best.
August 1, 2013
I started reading this book because of its associations with Perth WA in the 1970’s. I have lived most of my life in Perth and as a reader was interested to see this town through someone else’s eyes. What a surprise I got! In the late 70’s I was a teenager just finishing high school and entering the work force. I was innocent to the ways of the bigger world, to the greed and corruption that was insinuating itself in the town I grew up in...I still believed that the police were there to serve the public and that bad things did not happen to good people....I believed in goodness. How naive I was...for a while.
To read David Whish-Wilson’s Perth was initially like reading of an account of a war zone in another country, a country with similar landmarks to my own but so vastly different in habits and culture that it felt alien, though the longer I read this book the more comfortable I became with this landscape. It is this very credible and visual account which pricked in my mind vague memories of newspaper and TV news headlines that as a teenager/young adult I had paid little account to, events this books alludes to – the rising tide of illicit drug use, corruption in government and public offices and greed and the opportunity for some, for instant immense wealth facilitated by the mining boom, the illicit drug trade and other illegal activities; a time of excesses.
Whish-Wilson does an excellent job of setting time and place; from fashions, haircuts, popular culture references, local landmarks, politics, characters, cars and celebrations relevant to that period, the author has researched his narrative to such a degree this almost reads like his own memory of that time. What a superb effort, what painstaking details he has collated and incorporated into this story of crime.
Though violence is the trade mark of the clandestine world we are observing, the violence is not gratuitous; the narrative is considered, intelligent and engaging. The characters are well developed – and in particular that of ex Detective Frank Swann is well drawn, empathetic, and heroic. He loves his family, his love glows on the page. He is a loyal friend, a mate; he has ethics, which at times are compromised by the situations that leave him no choice in his actions or reactions...he is human and his frailties attest to this.
My final words; the plot is fantastic! The twists and turns, the corruption, the strategies being played out and the final sting in this tale were totally unforeseen and unexpected. A triumph!
To read David Whish-Wilson’s Perth was initially like reading of an account of a war zone in another country, a country with similar landmarks to my own but so vastly different in habits and culture that it felt alien, though the longer I read this book the more comfortable I became with this landscape. It is this very credible and visual account which pricked in my mind vague memories of newspaper and TV news headlines that as a teenager/young adult I had paid little account to, events this books alludes to – the rising tide of illicit drug use, corruption in government and public offices and greed and the opportunity for some, for instant immense wealth facilitated by the mining boom, the illicit drug trade and other illegal activities; a time of excesses.
Whish-Wilson does an excellent job of setting time and place; from fashions, haircuts, popular culture references, local landmarks, politics, characters, cars and celebrations relevant to that period, the author has researched his narrative to such a degree this almost reads like his own memory of that time. What a superb effort, what painstaking details he has collated and incorporated into this story of crime.
Though violence is the trade mark of the clandestine world we are observing, the violence is not gratuitous; the narrative is considered, intelligent and engaging. The characters are well developed – and in particular that of ex Detective Frank Swann is well drawn, empathetic, and heroic. He loves his family, his love glows on the page. He is a loyal friend, a mate; he has ethics, which at times are compromised by the situations that leave him no choice in his actions or reactions...he is human and his frailties attest to this.
My final words; the plot is fantastic! The twists and turns, the corruption, the strategies being played out and the final sting in this tale were totally unforeseen and unexpected. A triumph!
June 15, 2017
A delicious story of 1979 Perth and its underside. With side trips to the Western Australian gold country around Cue. I love books that teach me new words, slang, and evocative terminology. I learned about plants such as samphire, curara, beefwood and caustic bush. And lizards such as perenti and bunggara, the song of zebra finches and namma holes that could save your life.
April 10, 2023
This is the second in the Frank Swann series and I enjoyed it for all the same reasons that I did the first.
This is corrupt West Australian politics and policing at its best. Much of my enjoyment came from my interest in the period, as well as what I learned about the culture and contemporary history of the state when I lived in Perth.
Shady characters, questionable integrity, dodgy deals and loose ethics abound, leaving you wondering just how much is the truth and how much is made up for the story.
A great read, especially for those with a connection to the state.
This is corrupt West Australian politics and policing at its best. Much of my enjoyment came from my interest in the period, as well as what I learned about the culture and contemporary history of the state when I lived in Perth.
Shady characters, questionable integrity, dodgy deals and loose ethics abound, leaving you wondering just how much is the truth and how much is made up for the story.
A great read, especially for those with a connection to the state.
June 22, 2018
It's been a while since I read the first Frank Swann book and I enjoyed revisiting this character in an era in Perth that I lived through and recognise at every turn. Love Whish-Wilson's accurate depiction of the Australian character and of my hometown of Perth. At times dark and disturbing it is scary but highly believable that these things could happen behind a thriving criminal scene in the familiar backdrop of our city.
December 6, 2020
The third of Whish-Wilson's four (so far) tales following the rise and fall of DI Frank Swann of the Perth CIB. The noir-west series is set in Perth and Fremantle during the 1970s-80s mining boom, with licit and illicit fortunes made overnight. The corrupt hierarchy and detectives of WA Police have no room for an honest cop in their midst.
December 24, 2024
Hadn't read the previous Frank Swann novel but this is a great stand-alone read anyway. Anyone from Perth/WA will enjoy all of the city's landmarks getting a mention. A great tale written in great detail. Thoroughly enjoyable read
July 19, 2019
Love reading about Frank Swann and in my home town.
February 14, 2020
Another engaging read...DWW captures the 1970's in WA perfectly and one just shakes their head when pondering the police corruption then and now in all of the State's police force.
February 16, 2020
Brilliant, tightly written crime fiction straight out of WA. Very enjoyable.
July 25, 2020
Love David's books as they bring back so many memories of my time in Perth and Fremantle in the 80s.
November 7, 2020
This one had me hooked. A very clever plot, and further development of the Frank Swann character. Lots of corruption and a ripper ending.
June 6, 2021
Fun to read about Perth in the 70s but a bit too blokey for me!
March 3, 2022
Enjoyable book live in the city it had familiarity plus some great twist and turns.
March 9, 2022
Ive read all this authors books & enjoyed them all
June 12, 2025
Three and a half stars
October 6, 2013
Heat, grit and the scent of blood rise from the pages of David Whish-Wilson 's latest novel book Zero at the Bone. In this dark, convincing tale of greed and corruption in 1979 Western Australia, Whish-Wilson manages to combine the pace of a hard-boiled thriller with a lyricism that makes you pause and catch your breath, before plunging back in for more.
The story pits flawed but incorruptible ex-copper Frank Swann, the whistleblower in 2010's Line of Sight, against an unholy alliance of local mafia, drug dealers, race fixers, businessmen and, in Ben Hogan, one of the nastiest corrupt cops seen in crime fiction since Dudley Smith first made his appearance in James Ellroy's The Big Nowhere. Turns out what has brought the alliance members together is a stake called Rosa Gold, situated deep in the desert northeast of Perth, and with it a chance to make 'the only matter that matters' in the Western Australian capital: mining money. As an associate of Swann's explains:
The narrative point of view shifts between Swann and Gary Quinlivan, a judge's son turned bad who fancies himself as 'the only one with business smarts' among the Rosa Gold directors. While there is clearly a good guy and a bad guy, it is a measure of Whish-Wilson's skill that the bad guy is not entirely unsympathetic and the good guy not without his faults.
The novel opens with the suicide of Max Henderson, a renowned geologist responsible for the promising finds at the Rosa Gold lease. Swann, now a private investigator and desperate for work, agrees to look into Henderson's death at the request of his widow, Jennifer. In a case of 'doesn't rain, it pours', other jobs quickly follow, one for Percy Dickson, an ex-cop turned private security operator, another for Gus Riley the sergeant-at-arms of the Nongs, a local bikie gang. Jewellery stores are being ripped off, a heritage listed block in Little Italy is burning, and someone is using Riley's bike in a spate of bank robberies.
Whish-Wilson reveals the connections among these various narrative threads without ever resorting to coincidence, deftly directing his large ensemble cast around the suburbs of Perth, with a brief detour to the Rosa Gold stake, situated in a desert Whish-Wilson describes with respect, even awe.
Whish-Wilson evokes 1979 Perth with a light but effective touch. Swann scrounges for ten cent pieces to make calls from public phones. Quinlivan is reminded of the TV cop shows, Homicide and Division 4, he grew up with. Prince Charles is in the papers being kissed on the beach by a model during a visit for Perth's 150th anniversary celebrations.
But for all the historical authenticity, the story feels contemporary, it themes of speculation, exploitation and the power of mining money as relevant to Western Australia now as they were thirty years ago.
Whish-Wilson is a master of the art of 'show, don't tell'. Take the following example:
But it is Whish-Wilson's evocation of violence that really blows me away (no pun intended). The violence in Zero at the Bone is brutal, frightening, but never gratuitous. At one point, Swann is savagely beaten by Hogan and taken to a lock-up in the same police station where he once served. Swann is sweating, concussed, but conscious enough to makes the following, chilling observation:
Your classic 'Can't stop reading/don't want it to end' kind of novel, Zero at the Bone is simply one of the best books I've read this year in any genre. Don't miss it.
The story pits flawed but incorruptible ex-copper Frank Swann, the whistleblower in 2010's Line of Sight, against an unholy alliance of local mafia, drug dealers, race fixers, businessmen and, in Ben Hogan, one of the nastiest corrupt cops seen in crime fiction since Dudley Smith first made his appearance in James Ellroy's The Big Nowhere. Turns out what has brought the alliance members together is a stake called Rosa Gold, situated deep in the desert northeast of Perth, and with it a chance to make 'the only matter that matters' in the Western Australian capital: mining money. As an associate of Swann's explains:
A mine this size -- they'll be the envy of the city. Impossibly rich. All their misdeeds forgiven. Blood washed from their hands. They'll be courted by politicians, feted like rock stars.
The narrative point of view shifts between Swann and Gary Quinlivan, a judge's son turned bad who fancies himself as 'the only one with business smarts' among the Rosa Gold directors. While there is clearly a good guy and a bad guy, it is a measure of Whish-Wilson's skill that the bad guy is not entirely unsympathetic and the good guy not without his faults.
The novel opens with the suicide of Max Henderson, a renowned geologist responsible for the promising finds at the Rosa Gold lease. Swann, now a private investigator and desperate for work, agrees to look into Henderson's death at the request of his widow, Jennifer. In a case of 'doesn't rain, it pours', other jobs quickly follow, one for Percy Dickson, an ex-cop turned private security operator, another for Gus Riley the sergeant-at-arms of the Nongs, a local bikie gang. Jewellery stores are being ripped off, a heritage listed block in Little Italy is burning, and someone is using Riley's bike in a spate of bank robberies.
Whish-Wilson reveals the connections among these various narrative threads without ever resorting to coincidence, deftly directing his large ensemble cast around the suburbs of Perth, with a brief detour to the Rosa Gold stake, situated in a desert Whish-Wilson describes with respect, even awe.
[T]he first night was always the hardest--the eerie stillness after the rattling day on the road. Voices carried in the stillness and were muffled by the endlessness of the land. The feeling of being watched as you clung to the campfire when the darkness fell... Talking in whispers for no reason but the feeling that there was listening.
Whish-Wilson evokes 1979 Perth with a light but effective touch. Swann scrounges for ten cent pieces to make calls from public phones. Quinlivan is reminded of the TV cop shows, Homicide and Division 4, he grew up with. Prince Charles is in the papers being kissed on the beach by a model during a visit for Perth's 150th anniversary celebrations.
But for all the historical authenticity, the story feels contemporary, it themes of speculation, exploitation and the power of mining money as relevant to Western Australia now as they were thirty years ago.
Whish-Wilson is a master of the art of 'show, don't tell'. Take the following example:
[T]he Swanbourne chapter of the Returned Serviceman's League looked like a toilet block on a neglected rural oval: heavily painted besser brick and rusting zinc roof leading to a car park laid over the humped roots of Norfolk Island Pine.
Swann parked next to a Kingswood, a Falcon 500, a Chrysler, an identical pair of white Belmonts, one Rover--all in immaculate condition. Not a Mercedes, Datsun or Toyota in sight.
But it is Whish-Wilson's evocation of violence that really blows me away (no pun intended). The violence in Zero at the Bone is brutal, frightening, but never gratuitous. At one point, Swann is savagely beaten by Hogan and taken to a lock-up in the same police station where he once served. Swann is sweating, concussed, but conscious enough to makes the following, chilling observation:
They hadn’t taken Swann’s belt, or shoelaces, as they were supposed to.
Now he had to wait, for what happened next. For the darkness to fall, for the early hours, when they would come at him, and string him up. Paint it as an act of desparation, and despair.
Your classic 'Can't stop reading/don't want it to end' kind of novel, Zero at the Bone is simply one of the best books I've read this year in any genre. Don't miss it.
August 29, 2013
Having instigated a Royal Commission into police corruption in Line of Sight, Detective Superintendent Frank Swann is now out on his own. Forced to resign, accused of corruption by the men who he attempted to expose, he works as a private investigator while trying to avoid the retribution of his former colleagues.
When Swann is hired to investigate the suicide of a renowned geologist, he discovers the man was about to strike it rich in Western Australian's gold fields. A little more digging reveals the dead man had partnered with Perth's underworld elite - corrupt cops, mafia bosses, bookies and politicians, all intent on cashing in on the state's mining boom - and now Swann is in their way.
Zero at the Bone has the tone of a hard-boiled detective novel with a distinctly Australian twist. It is a provocative story of corruption, greed and fraud in 1970's Perth. There is plenty of action, violence is ever present in the city's underground with the corruption amongst officials simply adding to it. The pace is fast, the narrative is sharp and the dialogue authentic.
Swann has more enemies than friends and his investigation is hampered by his need to avoid the manipulations of those who view him as an inconvenience. For his part Swann shows little fear despite the ever present threat of danger, previous events have obviously affected Swann deeply and he is willing to risk his life to take down the men corrupting his city. His motive is not entirely altruistic though, he has a personal axe to grind with the Head of the Fraud Squad, Ben Hogan and his corrupt supporters. Swann is a likeable character driven by a personal set of ethics which means he does not always keep to the right side of the law himself yet he evokes sympathy and admiration.
I particularly enjoyed Whish-Wilson's depiction of time and place, though I am too young to be familiar with his vision of my hometown. The details feel authentic though and I do vaguely remember the sesquicentennial celebrations - I even still have a souvenir mug!
Entertaining, gritty and provocative, Zero at the Bone is an impressive crime fiction novel. I'm sure Fran Swann will be back, and I am looking forward to it.
March 14, 2014
Disclaimer: I won this book as part of the Goodreads first-read program.
Max Henderson, a world famous geologist, has just committed suicide on the verge of his greatest success. He has found one of the largest gold strikes ever to be found in Australia. Everyone one wants a piece of the pie, so why would Max take his own life? Jennifer Henderson, Max's wife,wants some answers. Enter Frank Swann, former Superintendent of Detectives in the Perth Police department.
Frank has now become a private Investigator after having been forced from his previous job in public disgrace.(This story is told in Mr. Whish Wilson's earlier book "Line of Sight".) Or has he really left the Police Department due to the rampant corruption. He will look into Max's death and try to find out why a man on the verge of vast wealth would want to die.
Frank discovers the cast of characters that Max has become involved with. The men that will invest their savings to bring the Rosa Gold mine into production are thieves, drug dealers, bank robbers, race track cheats and corrupt police detectives working at the highest level. Each doing what they need to do to get their share of money to invest in Rosa Gold.
Gary Quinlivan is a Federal Judge's son turned bank robber, Tommaso Adamo is a mafia boss in drug trafficking and is also a slum lord, and Detective- Inspector Ben Hogan who takes graft and looks the other way as Quinlivan robs banks and turns a share over to Hogan. Plus Ben Hogan is out to get Frank Swann because of events from their mutual past.
This is a very well written book set in and around Perth of 1979. For someone who has never been to Australia this is a fascinating look into the culture of, to me, a foreign country. The language, idioms and customs of the people are shared in this story. We watch as Frank discovers what is really going on and tries to out fox the thugs and thieves all while staying ahead of Ben Hogan who is to arrest him are better yet kill Frank.
The story is well paced and very well written as it lays the stories foundation. Then rushes to an end that is surprising and very unexpected. I hope Mr. Whish-Wilson will continue writing Frank Swann stories.
Max Henderson, a world famous geologist, has just committed suicide on the verge of his greatest success. He has found one of the largest gold strikes ever to be found in Australia. Everyone one wants a piece of the pie, so why would Max take his own life? Jennifer Henderson, Max's wife,wants some answers. Enter Frank Swann, former Superintendent of Detectives in the Perth Police department.
Frank has now become a private Investigator after having been forced from his previous job in public disgrace.(This story is told in Mr. Whish Wilson's earlier book "Line of Sight".) Or has he really left the Police Department due to the rampant corruption. He will look into Max's death and try to find out why a man on the verge of vast wealth would want to die.
Frank discovers the cast of characters that Max has become involved with. The men that will invest their savings to bring the Rosa Gold mine into production are thieves, drug dealers, bank robbers, race track cheats and corrupt police detectives working at the highest level. Each doing what they need to do to get their share of money to invest in Rosa Gold.
Gary Quinlivan is a Federal Judge's son turned bank robber, Tommaso Adamo is a mafia boss in drug trafficking and is also a slum lord, and Detective- Inspector Ben Hogan who takes graft and looks the other way as Quinlivan robs banks and turns a share over to Hogan. Plus Ben Hogan is out to get Frank Swann because of events from their mutual past.
This is a very well written book set in and around Perth of 1979. For someone who has never been to Australia this is a fascinating look into the culture of, to me, a foreign country. The language, idioms and customs of the people are shared in this story. We watch as Frank discovers what is really going on and tries to out fox the thugs and thieves all while staying ahead of Ben Hogan who is to arrest him are better yet kill Frank.
The story is well paced and very well written as it lays the stories foundation. Then rushes to an end that is surprising and very unexpected. I hope Mr. Whish-Wilson will continue writing Frank Swann stories.
September 13, 2013
This is the first book of Whish-Wilson's that I've read and I thought it was an accomplished effort. The setting is Perth in 1979 and our PI is Frank Swann, who was previously a policeman. I think this is a quasi-sequel to Line of Sight but I could be mistaken. Perth 1979 really came alive for me in this book and I think that that was Whish-Wilson's biggest achievement here. He writes in a spare style appropriate for the genre, but his descriptive writing is probably above what you'd expect in an ordinary crime novel. Having lived in Perth for a long time now (not since 1979) I can attest to the accuracy of the depiction of the city here (physically at least).
The plot concerns a gold deposit in the desert and the plans of a small company, Rosa Gold, to exploit it. One of the company directors, Max Henderson, kills himself unexpectedly in the opening and thereafter we are introduced to a whole world of crooked cops and dodgy entrepreneurs. Frank Swann plays the kind of role you'd pretty much expect a PI to play in a such a book (indefatigable, beset from all sides) and Max's wife plays the teary widow who knows more than she's letting on. Basically I got a Raymond Chandler vibe from Zero at the Bone, which is definitely a good thing in my book. Whish-Wilson does for late seventies Perth what Chandler did for thirties and forties Los Angeles. Hopefully Whish-Wilson will roll Frank Swann out again for some WA Inc shenanigans in the eighties.
The plot concerns a gold deposit in the desert and the plans of a small company, Rosa Gold, to exploit it. One of the company directors, Max Henderson, kills himself unexpectedly in the opening and thereafter we are introduced to a whole world of crooked cops and dodgy entrepreneurs. Frank Swann plays the kind of role you'd pretty much expect a PI to play in a such a book (indefatigable, beset from all sides) and Max's wife plays the teary widow who knows more than she's letting on. Basically I got a Raymond Chandler vibe from Zero at the Bone, which is definitely a good thing in my book. Whish-Wilson does for late seventies Perth what Chandler did for thirties and forties Los Angeles. Hopefully Whish-Wilson will roll Frank Swann out again for some WA Inc shenanigans in the eighties.
October 22, 2013
Given crime is not my preferred reading genre, I enjoyed this satirical story set in Perth, the city of my youth. Setting, characters, plot and pacing, all the narrative elements, combine to create an excellent crime noir novel.
On the side of justice is Swann the paternal, archetypal ex-detective hero, the heart of the story supported by his family and afflicted friends. Crooked cops, bikies, corrupt business men, miners, politicians, dodgy horse trainers (all of whom are recognisable) make up the malevolent and wicked side. The plot centres around a conflicted widow and her geologist, husband's suicide. A colourful cast of fully-realised characters with period-perfect names provide an entertaining read.
As engaging as the characters are I believe the strength of Whish-Wilson's novel is the veritable and eloquent depiction of Perth and Cue in 1979. The details of the cars, the language of the dialogue, the clothes (footballers wearing ball-tight shorts) made for a wistful and at times humorous reading experience.
Knock the top off an Emu Bitter (or a Swan Gold) beer and crack 'Zero at the Bone's' spine for a very cool read this summer.
On the side of justice is Swann the paternal, archetypal ex-detective hero, the heart of the story supported by his family and afflicted friends. Crooked cops, bikies, corrupt business men, miners, politicians, dodgy horse trainers (all of whom are recognisable) make up the malevolent and wicked side. The plot centres around a conflicted widow and her geologist, husband's suicide. A colourful cast of fully-realised characters with period-perfect names provide an entertaining read.
As engaging as the characters are I believe the strength of Whish-Wilson's novel is the veritable and eloquent depiction of Perth and Cue in 1979. The details of the cars, the language of the dialogue, the clothes (footballers wearing ball-tight shorts) made for a wistful and at times humorous reading experience.
Knock the top off an Emu Bitter (or a Swan Gold) beer and crack 'Zero at the Bone's' spine for a very cool read this summer.
November 7, 2013
I know it is only early into November, but I think I've read the best book of the year. But don't just take my word for it, Angela Savage thinks so too.
David has set himself a huge task: setting a crime novel in the sleepy city of Perth Western Australia and making the hard-boiled-thriller work. Let's just say that I'm glad I was too young to experience the Perth David has crafted in Zero at the Bone.
If you read Angela's review, she has summed up the story and highlighted David's skilled writing. I've previously discussed David's previous novel, Line of Sight, as being a great novel; this one is even better.
David has set himself a huge task: setting a crime novel in the sleepy city of Perth Western Australia and making the hard-boiled-thriller work. Let's just say that I'm glad I was too young to experience the Perth David has crafted in Zero at the Bone.
If you read Angela's review, she has summed up the story and highlighted David's skilled writing. I've previously discussed David's previous novel, Line of Sight, as being a great novel; this one is even better.
July 1, 2014
Set around Perth, circa 1979, the book is a follow up to "Line of Sight" which was set in 1975. It is as brilliant a study of municipal corruption as James Ellroy's LA Quartet.
DWW effortlessly describes Perth and the surrounding area and wonderfully plots a tale that meshes mining and civic corruption.
The sense of place, the characters, the era are authentically portrayed. A great book, following up another great book.
If you like Ellroy, or David Peace Red Riding books, you'll love this.
DWW best noir writer in quite a while.
DWW effortlessly describes Perth and the surrounding area and wonderfully plots a tale that meshes mining and civic corruption.
The sense of place, the characters, the era are authentically portrayed. A great book, following up another great book.
If you like Ellroy, or David Peace Red Riding books, you'll love this.
DWW best noir writer in quite a while.
September 17, 2013
In Zero at the Bone, the second book in this series, Frank Swann has moved more sideways than on. Working as a PI, he finds himself dragged into the suicide of geologist Max Henderson, whose wife Jennifer enlists Swann’s services to find out the reasons for his death – there is no doubt about the manner of it. Full Review: http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2013/...
January 2, 2014
I was lucky enough to receive this as a Goodreads giveaway. I hadn't read any of David Whish-Wilson's other books previously, but thoroughly enjoyed this tale set in pre-mining boom Perth. I thought the writing was excellent and found it very interesting being set in places that I know. A great Aussie book, and I look forward now to reading more of Whish-Wilson's work as soon as I can get my hands on it.
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March 25, 2014The concept of corruption that goes undiscovered and undefeated, and criminals that are not just hiding but also running things, creates an exciting read. The story concluded in a very satisfactory manner, but just not an expected one... Read the full review here: http://blog.thatbookyoulike.com.au/tr...
October 16, 2013
This is hardly a detective mystery - you basically know what will transpire pretty early in the book - and why oh why does Whish Wilson use the real names for every Perth suburb mentioned except Northbridge for which he conjures up a similar name - really quite silly. And Perh really wasn't as gloomy as he paints it in 1981.
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