St Kilda Blues: A Charlie Berlin Novel

Charlie Berlin #3

by Geoffrey McGeachin

A serial killer's work goes unnoticed until Detective Berlin is on the case in this third spine-tingling Charlie Berlin novel.It's 1967, the summer of love, and in swinging Melbourne Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin has been hauled out of exile in the Fraud Squad to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl, the daughter of a powerful and politically connected property developer. As Berlin's inquiries uncover more missing girls he gets an uneasy feeling he may be dealing with the city's first serial killer.Berlin's investigation leads him through inner-city discothèques, hip photographic studios, the emerging drug culture and into the seedy back streets of St Kilda. The investigation also brings up ghosts of Berlin's past as a bomber pilot and POW in Europe and disturbing memories of the casual murder of a young woman he witnessed on a snow-covered road in Poland in the war's dying days. As in war, some victories come at a terrible cost and Berlin will have to face an awful truth and endure an unimaginable loss before his investigation is over.St Kilda Blues is Geoffrey McGeachin's seventh book and third in the Charlie Berlin series. The first Berlin novel, The Diggers Rest Hotel, won the 2011 Australian Crime Writers Association's Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction with the follow up book, Blackwattle Creek, also winning the Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction in 2013.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Australia, Audiobook, Murder Mystery, Historical Fiction, Detective

Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

After a career as a world-travelling photographer and then photo-educator, Melbourne born Geoffrey McGeachin eventually settled in Sydney’s Bondi Beach where he decided one day to sit down and see if he had a book in him.

His first novel, the award winning Fat, Fifty and Fu*ked! (definitely not an autobiography) was published by Penguin and followed by three tongue-in-check spy novels featuring photographer/secret agent Alby Murdoch: D-E-D Dead, Sensitive New Age Spy, and Dead & Kicking.

In 2010 Geoffrey wrote the first of the Charlie Berlin trilogy, The Diggers Rest Hotel; followed by Blackwattle Creek and St Kilda Blues. The series, set in 1947, 1957 and 1967, earned him two prestigious Ned Kelly Awards (2011 and 2013) for Best Australian Crime Fiction.

In 2023 Clan Destine republished Fat, Fifty and Fu*ked!, praised by iconic author Kerri Greenwood as, ‘hilariously funny,’ adding, ‘this wonderful book . . . is a hymn of joyful praise for this Big, Brown Land. If you love Australia as it actually is, warts and all, then you will love this book.’

In 2025 McGeachin’s laconic larrikin photographer/spy Alby Murdoch is back in action with Clan Destine’s republication of D-E-D Dead, Sensitive New Age Spy, and Dead & Kicking.

Geoffrey now lives on the gorgeous NSW central coast.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and really enjoyed many parts of it, but it also irritated me in several ways. Although I enjoy historical information in a story there was actually too much in this one. Eventually I wanted to grab the author and say okay we know it's the swinging sixties - let's move on! Also having read the previous two books in the series I was bored by repetitive stories about Rebecca and about the war. And finally the whole last section felt tagged on to no purpose. That all makes it sound as though I did not like the book at all but I did. The story was good, it moved at a steady pace and it was nice to see Berlin being acknowledged for his success. (The book should really have stopped at that point though!!!). We wait now to see if the author makes this a trilogy or a series. If he writes another one I am sure I will read it.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Kilda Blues is the third Charlie Berlin Mystery by Australian author, Geoffrey McGeachin. Ten years have passed since the events at Blackwattle Creek, and Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin has been relegated to a back desk in the Fraud Squad after stepping on the wrong toes regarding three missing girls. But, six months later, fifteen-year-old Gudrun Scheiner goes missing, and her father, Gerhardt, a self-made construction magnate, has the ear of the Victorian Premier. Suddenly, Charlie is dragged back into the investigation, on the quiet, by his one-time protégé, Sergeant Rob Roberts.

Roberts is flashing some expensive gear, and his behaviour has Charlie a bit concerned: there’s a police corruption inquiry going on, and he wonders if Roberts will fall foul of it. It turns out that Gudrun could well be the ninth young girl to have disappeared under similar circumstances. When Charlie meets Scheiner, something about the man reminds his of an awful incident during his 20-day forced march in Poland at the end of the war. But the man is frantic about his daughter, and Charlie can empathise: seventeen-year-old Sarah is away on a kibbutz in Israel, and he misses her terribly. He promises Scheiner he will do all he can.

McGeachin uses a twin narrative to tell his tale: the events surrounding the investigation are narrated from Charlie’s perspective; the account of the early life of the unknown perpetrator describes the making of a cruel and perverted serial killer. Once again, McGeachin gives the reader an excellent murder mystery with the odd red herring and a dramatic climax. Setting the scene in late 1960s Melbourne is expertly achieved by the seamless incorporation of details like topical news stories, popular music, the new currency, fashion, air travel (on a jet with the door to the cockpit open to the public!!), politics and social mores.

While bad boy cops can be fun, it is refreshing to have a main character who, despite his internal battles, is faithful to his wife, manages to give up alcohol and cigarettes, loves his children and acts with respect and integrity in his job. McGeachin throws him plenty of temptation, and hits him with a really rotten blow at the end (there are a few lump-in-the-throat moments in this instalment), but that just endears him to the reader even more. Will there be more of Charlie Berlin? (Please!) And will he be another ten years older next time we see him? This is Aussie crime fiction at its best.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Kilda Blues is book three in the Charlie Berlin series by Geoffrey McGeachin. When wealthy property developer's daughter Gudrun Scheiner went, missing Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin came out of exile and back into the investigation of the missing girls. However, during the investigation Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin found more then he expects. Also, the case bought up memories for Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin that he wanted to forget. The readers of St Kilda Blues will continue to follow Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin investigation and will he find Gudrun Scheiner live or dead.

I loved reading this series and St Kilda Blues did not disappoint. In parts of St Kilda Blues, I had to cry with what was happening to the characters. I love Geoffrey McGeachin portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other. St Kilda Blues was well written and researched by Geoffrey McGeachin. I like Geoffrey McGeachin description of his settings and plot.

The readers of St Kilda Blues will learn about the problems family have when someone close to you dies. Also, the readers of St Kilda Blues will learn about living in Melbourne during the 1960s.

I recommend this book.

[Jülie ☼♄  · Rating 5 out of 5]

St. Kilda Blues by Geoffrey McGeachin

I have just finished reading this 3rd book in the Charlie Berlin series, and what a great read it was!
I have read all three books in this series now and can say without reservation that I will be waiting with much anticipation for his next book in this series...if in fact there will be another, I certainly hope so.

In this third book of the Charlie Berlin series we are taken on yet another very well constructed and page turning investigation as Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin is invited to help his old friend and colleague Bob Roberts investigate the case of a missing girl, who happens to be the daughter of a very wealthy and prominent local businessman.

The story takes place in Melbourne in 1967, about ten years on from his previous story. Charlie is still deeply concerned that investigations seem to have stalled with regards to several missing girls in a case where he had discovered and pointed out, some anomalies concerning one of the missing girls', which didn't fit with the other disappearances, and now another girl has gone missing and his hands are tied.

Charlie had since been moved to the suburbs where his investigative powers were put to use in the Fraud Squad on what he considered more mundane police work...to keep him out of the way.
With the most recent disappearance being the only daughter of a prominent local businessman with lots of influence in political spheres, senior police officials were keen to have the girl found and to have the matter quickly solved, and the case closed.
As the days went by and the girl remained missing, concerns for her survival were mounting, as was the pressure from on high to solve the case.
Bob Roberts was given authority to choose any partner to help solve the case ASAP, and knowing that Charlie was the best, he chose him.
Bob was also aware of Charlie's short lived investigations into the previous missing girls, and knew his input would be invaluable to this case.

This latest in the series from Geoffrey McGeachin is clearly well researched, as it just goes from strength to strength with credible plots, characters and storylines!
It is fast paced with mystery, intrigue and a few added surprises.

I have no hesitation in recommending this series of books as a series, or as stand alone books, they are equally great!

4.5★s

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★s

Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin had been refused assistance in working on the suspicion that the three missing girls were somehow linked – in fact he had been shunted across to the Fraud Squad where he’d been cooling his heels for the past few months. Until one day an old friend in the force, Bob Roberts arrived to ask his assistance. It seemed another young girl had gone missing – but this one was the daughter of a powerful man with connections as high up as the premier. Berlin’s scepticism made him realize it was only the power of above which caused him to be brought into the investigation – but politics aside, he would put his heart and soul into this one.

1967 in Melbourne’s St Kilda had yet to see a serial killer, but Charlie’s feelings were leading him to believe he was looking for his first – as evidence of more missing girls surfaced, the body of a young girl was found, brutally beaten with terrible injuries. As he dug deeper into the seedier aspects of the city, he found himself coming into contact with newspaper photographers and their dodgy studios, dance music discos and even the gradual introduction of drugs. He also found constant reminders of his own war days when he was a POW, and the horrors he and his mates encountered.

But with the suddenness of the unexpected, Charlie found himself in extreme danger – his intelligence and powers of deduction kept him (just) one step ahead though. Could he find the latest missing girl before it was too late? Would he find the killer before he struck again? Charlie’s devotion to the job was tested in the worst possible way…

This is my first novel by Aussie author Geoffrey McGeachin and it won’t be my last. The pivotal character, Charlie Berlin, has an endearing personality even with all his problems. An absolutely gripping, fast paced story with an incredible plot, I thoroughly enjoyed the way it was written, with two different perspectives throughout. The twists and turns were chilling, with the final twist causing me to gasp out loud! I have no hesitation in recommending this police crime novel highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Australia for my copy to read and review.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had previously read, and thoroughly enjoyed Digger's Rest Hotel, and I was thrilled to find the high quality of the series has been maintained in Geoffrey McGeachin's latest release, St Kilda Blues - the 3rd instalment of the Charlie Berlin police procedural series.

Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin was cooling his heels, underutilised, underappreciated and undervalued in the Fraud Squad when asked to run a covert parallel investigation into the disappearance of a number of young Melbourne girls. Teamed up with his unorthodox old mate DS Bob Roberts, they sift their way through Melbourne's 1967 dodgy underworld in search of a serial killer.

Charlie Berlin suffers from undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He is scarred from the horror of being a WWII fighter pilot and then as a captured POW, he is haunted by witnessing the death of a young Jewish woman in Poland. A nightmare exacerbated in St Kilda Blues by the canny resemblance of one of the key characters to the German SS officer responsible for the killing. Despite his failings, Charlie is a clever intuitive policeman and the plot enables him to let his deductive skills shine through. He is a complex character, and his vulnerability and self-destructive streak coupled with obvious intelligence endear him to the reader.

Along the way the reader gets to enjoy the time-machine experience of the period. Life was 'groovy', vinyl record stores were commonplace and the social scene of the time well-researched. Go-Set was the trendy magazine, Johnny Farnham was just starting out, airline travel was rare, but was with either Ansett or TAA, cameras used film that needed developing, mini-skirts were in, bras were out and the pornographic and drug industries were busy establishing themselves in the burgeoning metropolis of post-war Melbourne.

Written in a clear and easy-to-read style, with a plot that draws the reader in from both the killer's perspective and Charlie's, I thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys police procedural crime novels, particularly in an Australian historical setting. In St Kilda Blues, Charlie has his resolve, relationships and his entire existence thoroughly tested. Yet Charlie is a survivor. Even better, the crumbs are left for the next Charlie Berlin mystery. The queue for which starts behind me.

Thankyou to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Books Australia for my Advanced Reader Copy.

[MaryG2E · Rating 4 out of 5]

4★s
St Kilda Blues is the third book in the series featuring police detective Charlie Berlin. All the books are set in Melbourne or regional Victoria in the post-World War 2 era, beginning in the late 1940s. This third instalment takes us through to 1967, at a time of social change in Australian society. I'm old enough to remember many of the events he describes in this volume, and its authenticity feels real to me.

While Charlie is a skilled and dedicated detective, he's also a bit of a maverick. He doesn't like the hierarchy and often finds himself on the outer with his colleagues and superior officers. In particular he is scornful of the police force bureaucracy and political shenanigans of the government of the day. In truth it was a deeply conservative administration, ruled with a steely will by the legendary Henry Bolte, Victoria's longest serving Premier, who reigned virtually unopposed from 1955 to 1972. McGeachin's story takes place against a backdrop of parliamentary and civil service corruption and a private sector motivated by vested interests to collude with government where money and power met.

In this case, Berlin has been ostracised by the upper echelons and dumped in a dead-end job with the fraud squad. His earlier work which had identified a potentially dangerous threat, with the mysterious disappearances of three girls, has been overlooked by the police hierarchy. Now, with the disappearance of the daughter of a prominent industrialist, the senior levels of the police force have been compelled to take notice. Gerhardt Scheiner is on personal terms with Mr Bolte, and his outrage at the vanishing of his beloved daughter Gudrun has galvanised the cops into action. Berlin and his trusty sergeant, Bob Roberts, are called in to carry out an unofficial investigation, drawing on his earlier, unrecognised efforts with the three missing girls.

McGeachin employs the novelist's trick of using two separate narrative voices to unfurl this story. We get the present moment perspective of Charlie Berlin, as the case emerges and gains momentum. In alternate chapters we get the back story of a sinister, unidentified person, who must be the kidnapper of the girls. Over a period of some 20 years, it spells out in chilling detail the creation from early childhood of a psychopathic killer. His voice stops when his story reaches the present day of the novel, leaving us with no clues as to his identity. It is up to Berlin and Roberts to track him down.

Parallel to the main detective story, a second plot line develops, which harks back to Berlin's experiences as a prisoner of war of the Germans, after his fighter plane is shot down. Berlin's profound grief at losing his crewmates is compounded by witnessing the cold-blooded murder of a Jewish woman prisoner at the hand of a Gestapo officer. When Berlin arrives at the Brighton mansion of Gerhardt Scheiner, he is catapulted back to that bleak time near the end of WW2. Is Scheiner that Gestapo officer, or simply a successful immigrant desperately missing his lost child?

A recurring theme in the three Charlie Berlin novels is his deep love for his beautiful and talented wife Rebecca, who is Jewish. Rebecca's role in this, the third instalment, increases, as her skills as a professional photographer are brought to bear on the investigation. It would seem that the disappearance of pretty young girls from Melbourne discos may be linked to a predatory photographer.

The author skilfully weaves together some meaningful threads - German migrant Scheiner's relationship with Gudrun parallels the relationship of Charlie and Rebecca to their daughter Sarah. Sarah takes no part in the action because she is in Israel exploring her Jewish roots, and indeed Jewishness is a recurrent theme. Their awkward son Peter, who vexes Berlin because of his contrariness, is himself in the military, serving in the Army in Vietnam, while events surrounding the downing of his plane in WW2 come back to haunt Charlie at a moment's notice. The personal tragedies that bedevil Charlie keep echoing in his professional life. His abstinence from alcohol is hard-won, after many battles with the bottle in the depths of despair. All these minor elements add richness to the main story, and I find they generally do not detract. Essentially they show Charlie Berlin as a real person, full of imperfections and contradictions, but at core he is a good man doing his best to get at the truth and solve crimes.

With the resolution of the Scheiner plot line, there is a sense that Charlie's story is complete, and possibly closed. It will be interesting to see if the author goes beyond a trilogy and revives Detective Berlin for another book. Hopefully it will be just as good a read as this one.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Kilda Blues is the third Charlie Berlin Mystery by Australian author, Geoffrey McGeachin. The audio version is narrated by David Tredinnick. Ten years have passed since the events at Blackwattle Creek, and Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin has been relegated to a back desk in the Fraud Squad after stepping on the wrong toes regarding three missing girls. But, six months later, fifteen-year-old Gudrun Scheiner goes missing, and her father, Gerhardt, a self-made construction magnate, has the ear of the Victorian Premier. Suddenly, Charlie is dragged back into the investigation, on the quiet, by his one-time protégé, Sergeant Rob Roberts.

Roberts is flashing some expensive gear, and his behaviour has Charlie a bit concerned: there’s a police corruption inquiry going on, and he wonders if Roberts will fall foul of it. It turns out that Gudrun could well be the ninth young girl to have disappeared under similar circumstances. When Charlie meets Scheiner, something about the man reminds his of an awful incident during his 20-day forced march in Poland at the end of the war. But the man is frantic about his daughter, and Charlie can empathise: seventeen-year-old Sarah is away on a kibbutz in Israel, and he misses her terribly. He promises Scheiner he will do all he can.

McGeachin uses a twin narrative to tell his tale: the events surrounding the investigation are narrated from Charlie’s perspective; the account of the early life of the unknown perpetrator describes the making of a cruel and perverted serial killer. Once again, McGeachin gives the reader an excellent murder mystery with the odd red herring and a dramatic climax. Setting the scene in late 1960s Melbourne is expertly achieved by the seamless incorporation of details like topical news stories, popular music, the new currency, fashion, air travel (on a jet with the door to the cockpit open to the public!!), politics and social mores.

While bad boy cops can be fun, it is refreshing to have a main character who, despite his internal battles, is faithful to his wife, manages to give up alcohol and cigarettes, loves his children and acts with respect and integrity in his job. McGeachin throws him plenty of temptation, and hits him with a really rotten blow at the end (there are a few lump-in-the-throat moments in this instalment), but that just endears him to the reader even more. Will there be more of Charlie Berlin? (Please!) And will he be another ten years older next time we see him? This is Aussie crime fiction at its best.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great surprise - a very good surprise. It is possibly the best Australian police crime thriller I have read and is at the top of my list of police crime thrillers worldwide. The reason is pretty simple - this book doesn't include any of the over the top unbelievable rubbish that so many thriller authors use to attract their audience. It is written in clear and mostly simple prose, with great characterisation, solid police work, good intertwining of police and personal plot lines, well researched historical background and above all lots of plot twists which come together with an amazing emotional impact.

The book is set in Melbourne in 1957 when Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin has been called out of exile in the Fraud Squad to investigate the disappearance the daughter of a rich and powerful property developer which may be connected with a serial killer. Charlie is a great detective but a flawed and troubled character after 29 bombing raids over Berlin and surviving near starvation as a POW. Charlie still has nightmares about witnessing the killing of a Jewish girl by an SS officer. The property developer, a German migrant, has an uncanny resemblance to that officer.

While Charlie and his colleague, DS Bob Roberts start to track down the killer and hopefully save the life of the teenage girl, the book flashes back to the development of the personality of the serial killer via foster homes and abuse at a religious seminary in the bush. The background setting of Melbourne in the 1950's is superbly researched and evocative (I started visiting the city in the early 1960's) featuring Holdens, Essendon's pathetic AFL performance, Jean Shrimpton, mini-skirts, hot pants, no bras, and marijuana,

This not just a crime thriller but also a story about someone who is still struggling with PTSD from the war and family stresses after both his son and daughter have left home under clouds to make their way in life. Charlie reflects "Life goes on. Life always goes on, he knew. Life was a bastard like that." This adds an extra, extremely strong, emotional element for Charlie to cope with as he uncovers clues to the killer.

This is #3 in the Charlie Berlin series and is written so that it can be easily read as a stand alone book. I will certainly go back and read the earlier books in the series. At the end McGeachin leaves us with a seed to a further book in the series which I eagerly await.

5 stars, highly recommended.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

ST KILDA BLUES is the third Charlie Berlin novel from dual Ned Kelly Award winning author Geoffrey McGeachin. Starting out just after WWII, this series is as much a character study of Charlie Berlin and the after affects of war, as it is a police procedural. It's the great strength of these 3 books, and why they are increasingly earning the attention and commendation that they deserve.

McGeachin doesn't make things easy for his central character though. Berlin is still suffering the after affects of the war, even though it's 1967, the summer of love, and Melbourne is changing rapidly. His family is also changing, with his daughter travelling overseas, his son in the Army and his wife increasingly working on her own career. Berlin's happy for his wife, worried about his daughter, and troubled by his son. The background to all of these changes in the family are elegantly dotted throughout the story, although, as with any series with such a strong focus on character, it's best if you can read them all in order. The other factor that's not changed much is the perilous nature of his policing career. ST KILDA BLUES starts out with Berlin sidelined in the fraud squad, pulled back into the disappearance of a young girl because of the pressure from above to solve the case quickly.

Alongside the brilliant character portrayal there's also a really strong sense of place and time. Melbourne in the late 1960's comes alive through McGeachin's obviously, photographer's eye. The place, people, culture and fashions are all vividly described, as are the little touches of change - the increasing availability of food from other cultures, the changes in social structures, even the driving routes through the city. For somebody who knows the place it's pitch perfect, if you've never been there, and certainly not in that era, then you've got a time and place to explore, and picture clearly.

Both of these aspects pull no focus away from plot however, and despite this being "yet another serial killer" novel, that aspect is handled as you'd expect from an author like this. It's horrendous what is happening to these young girls, but it's handled respectfully. The killer might be an awful human being, but there is some explanation as to why, and absolutely no excusing. There's small insights into his mind, into events in his early life that are chilling, but not gratuitous. What's particularly sobering is the affect that the extent of the crimes have on a straight down the line, upright, and loving, decent bloke like Berlin.

But those affects are nothing compared to the finale of this book. After the case is solved, after the victim's are acknowledged and the families given an answer to their disappearances, life goes on. Even allowing for the cards that Berlin's been played in his life, what comes next is devastating. An unusual conclusion to a police procedural, the ending of ST KILDA BLUES will be hard for fans of Charlie Berlin. But life's not easy, and police, as with the rest of us, have lives to lead, families to raise, people to love. And to lose.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

l liked this book a lot. No spoilers from me. This series of books where set I. Melbourne Australia that's why l liked them all. There are three books in the series.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 5 out of 5]

My View:
This is my first foray into the work of Geoffrey McGeachin and now have dipped my toes into the work of this 5 star crime writer I am ready to plunge in and read his other works!

This narrative has superb settings; the late 60’s early 70’s vibe and voice is authentic with meaningful references to the popular culture and social movements of the era. Scarily frightening is the almost low key, matter of fact presentation of life post war London and the life and times of child migrants heading to Australia and the unfortunate experience so many encountered at the hands of religious institutions – abuses that are just seeing the light of public reaction now. McGeachin’s low key descriptions and statements somehow conjure up images of depravation without being sensational and this gives the reader powerful insights without personal emotions tangling the view; very well presented.

Then there is the chilling depiction of evil that is the antagonist in this narrative – this voice scared me; a true sociopath and monster. The dual perspectives, that of Charlie Berlin, our protagonist, alternating against the view point and story of the antagonist was a brilliant move. There was some light relief to be had in reading the alternate voice of humanity – with all its foibles, in the character of Charlie Berlin; a perfect foil to our villain.

The back story was interesting, absorbing and presented many moral and ethical dilemmas and is left unfinished which leads me to hope that another episode of the Charlie Berlin narrative is planned.

This is a 5 star read.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

In St Kilda Blues, by award winning author Geoffrey McGeachin, ex-World War II bomber pilot and POW, Victorian police detective Charlie Berlin, is unceremoniously yanked from exile in the fraud squad to run a covert investigation into the disappearance of a teenage girl. Under pressure from shadowy top brass and the girl's well connected father, Charlie, along with his one time protege Bob Roberts, finds himself on the trail of a serial killer.

The third installment of this intelligent and entertaining police procedural series offers superb characterisation, an intriguing investigation and interesting insight into the pathology of a sociopath with a secondary narrative that reveals the chilling evolution of the killer Charlie is hunting.

Unusually McGeachin chooses to leap ahead a decade in each installment of this series. Set in 1967, McGeachin creates a authentic sense of time and place in St Kilda Blues as Melbourne is buffeted by the winds of change wrought by the era of 'free love' and the Vietnam War.

Charlie has changed little in the last ten years, retaining his strong sense of justice and dedication to his job. Still frustrated with the politics and corruption in the force, his focus is on finding the missing girl, no matter the consequences for his career. He is impatient with the inequities of justice that allowed the killer to torture and murder nine young women, the self serving politicians suddenly demanding results, and the ineptitude of the official investigators.

Berlin does find himself distracted though by the resemblance of the teen's father to an SS officer he witnessed murder a young woman during his time as a POW. For Berlin, the memories of his wartime experiences are never far from his mind. In addition, Charlie is worried about his wayward son, Peter, serving in the army and his adored daughter, Sarah, spending a year on a philanthropic mission in Israel.

Though St Kilda Blues works as a stand alone, the nuances of Charlie's character are cumulative and the experience of reading this novel is richer if you first read The Diggers Rest Hotel and Blackwattle Creek.

St Kilda Blues is a fine example of Australian crime fiction that combines outstanding character with accomplished storytelling, and I recommend it and the entire series without hesitation.

[Barbara Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you omit the first 10% and the last 10% of the book, you have quite an interesting read and mystery. I enjoyed the setting of St Kilda in Melbourne as well as the time period in the late 60s. I was a teenager then and the language is spot on. But overall I think this book suffers from some structural problems. The interweaving of two stories works quite well until it ends and becomes part of the main story. Actually that isn't strictly true because one story effectively ends or becomes subsumed by the other - an unfortunate turn I think. I feel as though the author has lost the plot with the last 10% of the book which comes after the climax. While it is supposedly to solve the last bit of the mystery, it is obvious to any astute reader what the outcome will be and could have been included before the climax of the main mystery. In the meantime the other more interesting subplot involving the killer and his psychology is just abandoned when he takes on a new identity.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a brilliant start, it ended up being only a 3 star read. This is because there were too many story threads, at least 4, which made for too complex and confusing a read.

A pity, because the writing really is excellent.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The atmosphere of 60s Melbourne is wonderfully created in this story. Police were tough and were not afraid to throw their weight around (both the good guys and the corrupt). Policeman Charlie Berlin is asked to do a parallel investigation into a series of missing girls. Not only is he running out of time to find the last missing girl, but he has to deal a police corruption commission and the ghosts of his past. It was compelling to read the development of the killer alongside the investigation - he was a nasty fellow. This story was not only about solving the mystery but also how Charlie was still haunted by his WWII past and dealing with family life and tragedy, which added extra layers to the story.

[Penne Moschetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

What made this book so readable was that it was set in a time and place so relevant to me. The language and the characters were well fleshed out in a crime genre type. When I read a book so quickly I know I have enjoyed it very much.

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this, because the scenes giving the background of the killer were brutal, unpleasant and upsetting. These scenes were not in the second half of the book. Putting aside the brutality, I loved visiting with Charlie, Rebecca, Bob Roberts and the kids ten years on. Geoffrey McGeachin really captures the feeling of St Kilda - and Melbourne in general - in the '60. I love a book with a really strong sense of place, and this character driven detective fiction has that and more.

[Jessica (Read book. Repeat) · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 2.5 stars

1967 in Melbourne, Australia. Detective Charlie Berlin has been approached by Bob Roberts, he's on a case, and it's one that needs Berlin's expertise. The daughter of a powerful businessman has gone missing, and she's not the first. Berlin needs to find this girl before she ends up like the rest, dead. His investigation takes him through the 60s of Melbourne, discotheques and photography studios where drugs are the norm. The case and the missing girl's father has brought back memories of Berlin's time in the war, as a pilot and as a POW, and he is now asking questions about a scene he witnessed in the snow as he was marched across the unforgiving land amongst other unfortunate prisoners of war. Berlin will have to pull himself together in order to solve the case, and save the girl, as well as to uncover the truth about his personal demons.

St. Kilda Blues is the third book in the Charlie Berlin series, however, it's the first one that I've read. This book came to me from the local book club that I'm apart of, and I must say, I find it strange for a book club pick. The first book in the series I could understand, but the third? And to my knowledge, the other books have not been on the rotating reading list before either. So I was going into this knowing that it was the third book, but I was optimistic that it wouldn't ruin the story for me, as they must know what they're doing to choose this as a read.

I love a good crime novel, and the gruesome details don't phase me, I'm a horror movie lover so I guess you could say I'm a bit desensitised to it all. The mystery, the suspense, the thrill, I just love it. So I was a little excited when this book was slid across the counter to me in the local library, I was thinking, "Finally! something that seems right up my alley." This did not turn out to be the case unfortunately.

The crime aspect of the novel was good, it was an intriguing case and the way it was written I hadn't come across before. The story, for the first third odd, alternates chapters. One is written from Charlie's side of the story, and the other is written from the side of an unknown character. We meet this character when he is just a boy, he knew he was different to the others, and of course, he's a sociopath, this is obvious from the get go. He soon discovers that he gets a sick thrill from seeing things die and then finds out, it's even better when he's responsible for their death. We follow this character as they are shipped out to Australia from England and are taken in as an orphan to a priesthood, or monastery? It's not overly clear which one it is, and as I'm not religious, I'm assuming it's a monastery due to the brown robes and minimalist surroundings. I'm sure you can guess what happens from here, the boy grows up giving sexual favours to a priest and doesn't really care because he's a sociopath and doesn't quite feel anything unless he's killing things. I did find this a little hard to read and a bit grim, it's not incredibly in depth detail with these scenes, but I do want to add it as a trigger warning for those who struggle to read such things. So! Anyway, we can tell pretty much from the first view of this character that this is being told from the side of our killer. I did find this incredibly interesting and clever, though once the killer's story line seems to reach the present day of Charlie's story line, we are no longer given these insights into the killer's mind, as it were. That was okay, I feel like it would have given too much away if it had have kept going. As it was, as soon as we meet the killer in the present day, I knew exactly who it was from first glance. This does not excite me, this does not make me love a book unfortunately. I can handle cliches and stuff, but giving the killer away so early in the book annoyed me a tad as I knew who it was and was extremely frustrated that Berlin did not. Now, the reading knowing who the killer was, may have been how McGeachin wanted it, I honestly don't know. But for me, I prefer not to know until the big reveal where the character finds out, it makes it more thrilling as you work with what you're given to try and unmask the culprit.

Something else I had a lot of trouble with, which may have been caused by not reading the previous two books in the series, was Berlin's constant recounting of his war and POW days. I get it, he fought in the war, his crew died, he suffers PTSD and his POW days are haunting him as of course they would anyone who experienced such brutality. But that is not what I was here for. It felt like the two story lines were fighting each other for the spotlight, and I found myself growing increasingly bored when the story began to veer into the memory territory. I was ready for a crime novel where our haunted detective has to race in order to solve the crime, save the girl and win the day. I was not interested in his awful past. I feel like it detracted from the story a lot for me. If I was looking for a story to do with reminiscing about the war, I'd probably have enjoyed this. But in my mind, the case needed to be the forefront and it just wasn't. I found myself growing increasingly agitated, especially when Berlin is doing something as incongruous as walking down a street, and a plane flies over head and suddenly he's transported back into the cockpit of his plane and he's flying over Germany trying to stay alive while the guns are firing and people are dying. That was probably a bit of an exaggeration on how these memories turned up, but you get my drift. I just. Did. Not. Care. So this really detracted from the story for me.

And once the crime was solved, the story still had 9 odd chapters left! Granted something devastating happens and we follow the characters as they navigate this new life and the tragedy that they have to deal with, but to be honest, it was a lot more recounting of the war and Berlin trying to get answers to this burning question about our powerful, politically connected businessman who's daughter went missing, starting off this whole story. I skimmed through the last chapters once the crime was solved, I just did not have it in me to care about the story anymore.

The writing was okay, it had a nice flow to it, and the crime was interesting but a bit lacklustre. I feel like the author was trying to cram as many Australian stereotypes into the book as possible. In the first chapter or two, there were so many little things thrown in, it didn't bother me as such, but I just feel like the author was trying too hard some times.

The characters were likeable enough but for someone who didn't want to be involved in whatever Bob Roberts was up to, Berlin sure didn't try very hard to stay away.

All in all, it wasn't a super terrible book, I feel like I would have had more of a connection to the characters had I read the first two books, but after reading this one, I honestly don't have the urge to see what I've missed. Charlie Berlin and his investigations just aren't for me I'm afraid.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melbourne, Australia circa 1967 is rocked with the multiple disappearances of young women. Detective Charlie Berlin is tasked to find one of these in a parallel investigation covertly running alongside the public police hunt.

The missing teenager is the daughter of a prominent local identity with important political connections. To aid Berlin’s quest to track down the missing teen is the dapper detective with questionable allegiances Bob Roberts. The duo makes for interesting reading with one clearly on the take while the other is by-the-book and a seemingly honest hardworking cop.

As the two swim through the current of Melbourne’s underbelly they learn more about the depths of despair drowning many a family who are enduring a loss equal to that of the lead investigation. When one of the missing girls is found dead, the pressure mounts from the public and secretive sides of the investigation ultimately sending Berlin down a spiralling path that leads him to confront some of his past horrors.

ST KILDA BLUES is the third book to feature Charlie Berlin and despite not being familiar with the previous books, I found ST KILDA BLUES to be an easily readable standalone.

There is a lot to take in with author Geoffrey McGeachin going to great lengths to provide an insight into the criminal mind as well as articulating Berlin’s POW and confrontation flash blacks. Whilst adding context it did have a tendency to dilute the primary story.

One of the more enjoyable aspects of ST KILDA BLUES is the fact that it goes beyond the standard issue police procedural with the later stages in particular providing a great amount of emotional turmoil for some of the characters.

Having read ST KILDA BLUES, I’ll certainly be looking to track down copies of THE DIGGERS REST HOTEL (published 2010) and BLACKWATTLE CREEK (2012).

This review first published on Just A Guy That Likes To Read: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this audiobook and was sad when it finished. Getting into my car for the daily commute was like a journey in a time capsule to the 1960's, with a suspenseful thriller thrown into the mix. I loved the historical elements of Charlie's wartime reflections and found myself totally engrossed in all aspects of the storyline. I will definitely read the other books in the series and hope that this one won't be the last of Charlie Berlin's cases.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the investigation itself is commonplace, McGeachin immerses his protagonist in the details of history, presenting a time capsule of Australian—in particular, Melburnian—culture in the late 1960s. Stolid ex-WWII bomber pilot Charlie Berlin shows mettle worthy of the character study.

[Marg D'arcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved recognising the places

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some months ago and forgot to review it but I remember very well how much I enjoyed it. This is the third Charlie Berlin book and an excellent series. Charlie has survived WWII service, POW camp and the PTSD. He is married and his children are young adults. He is an excellent detective but not necessarily good at toeing the line which has lead to him languishing in Fraud.

Then he is approached by a former protegee who asks him to look into the case of a missing girl. She is the daughter of a very wealthy and well connected man which is the only thing keeping Charlie on the case against the wishes of the corrupt police machinery. Charlie realises with dread that this girl may be one of string of missing girls. He is drawn into Victoria's developing pop and drug scene as he witnesses first hand the pros and cons of the burgeoning freedoms for women.

Will he be able to save the girl and stop more murders from occurring or will the corrupt police and politicians who are threatening him and his offsider, bring his career or even his life, to an end first?

Highly recommended

[Vicki Robe · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1967, Detective Sargeant Charlie Berlin is required to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl who is the daughter of a powerful Property Developer in Melbourne. As Berlin's inquiries uncover more missing girls he fears he may be dealing with a serial killer.

The investigation has Berlin in city discos, photo studios, and the darker side of St Kilda and the emerging drug trade. It also brings back memories from his war days when he saw a young woman gunned down.

As he continues to investigate he endures some great losses himself.

A great read with many twists ans turns!

[Catsalive · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*
Absolutely brilliant. I've loved reading & listening to all three Charlie Berlin books & I'm just sorry there are no more.

The main focus is the utterly gruesome crimes against several missing girls & Charlie is back working with Bob Roberts. Having read all three in quick succession, the repetition of information from the previous books was a bit of a bore, but otherwise I enjoyed the historical detail. What happened to Sarah seemed unnecessary to me, but it did serve to get Charlie back on a plane.

Regarding the VicPolice corruption inquiry, I believe the Police Association got involved, strikes were threatened & they all got away with it at that time, despite the findings. I imagine several Bob's got sent to one-person police stations for their pains.

[Tien · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧

I enjoyed this series because the detective protagonist actually has a good solid relationship with his wife. The crime is well set up though it is a bit jarring that each book is set 10 years apart. However, that showcased the author's skill in a well-researched time setting and as characters grow and matured in the time between. The ending of this one is a little bit sad and yet, hopeful, and again, I just have to say that it's really good to see a solid relationship in a crime novel.

[Dead John Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last one in the series and I'm sorry there's not more.

Having read so much mediocre drivel under the guise of "literature", I no longer care what so called genre a book is. All I care about is the quality of the reading experience. If you look down on a book because it is popular or so called "low brow" then you are a shallow muppet indeed.

Sure, this is a crime novel but you will not find tighter writing in many other books, get over yourself already!

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent outing with Charlie Berlin, McGeachin's troubled protagonist from The Digger's Rest Hotel and Black Wattle Creek. Again, McGeachin brings us a world that contains no anachronisms, no political correctness that wasn't extant in the time or place, and some perceptions about humanity and character that ring true. Highly recommend along with the other two Berlin books. I hope McGeachin writes more - even if that means setting them in the intervals between each book in the trio.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is so much more than a mystery. Like the other Charlie Berlin novels, the novel is a period piece. This novel took place in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1960's and it captures many aspects of changes taking place in society. I also really enjoy the characters in this series. I hope the author keeps writing Charlie Berlin books.