Dead Point

Jack Irish #3

by Peter Temple

"One of the world's finest crime writers."—Times

"World-class."—The Washington Post

"Readers might be tempted to slow down and savor the prose if the plot line weren't so compelling."—LibraryJournal.com

"Temple's characters are complex, his plots complicated, his world smudged if not outright dirty - that is, his books are entirely credible." -HeadButler.com

"Peter Temple? Only one of the world's better novelists. But unknown to most American readers largely because he lives in Australia." -HeadButler.com

The woman in Jack Irish's life has reconnected with an old flame, and Jack's mind is not fully on the job he's being paid to do: find Robbie Colburn. But when he does get serious, Jack finds his target is of great interest to some powerful people, with some very bad habits and little respect for the criminal justice system.

Winner of multiple international literary awards, Peter Temple lives in Victoria, Australia.

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Australia, Thriller, Detective, Audiobook

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.

Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels (Bad Debts, Black Tide, Dead Point, and White Dog) are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist. He has also written three stand-alone novels: An Iron Rose, Shooting Star, In the Evil Day (Identity Theory in the US), as well as The Broken Shore and its sequel, Truth. He has won five Ned Kelly Awards for crime fiction, the most recent in 2006 for The Broken Shore, which also won the Colin Roderick Award for best Australian book and the Australian Book Publishers' Award for best general fiction. The Broken Shore also won the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger in 2007. Temple is the first Australian to win a Gold Dagger.

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 4 out of 5]

”I wrote out a bill for $120. He studied it, looked at me, studied it again. Then he unzipped his bag and put wads of notes on my table, fifties, twenties, perhaps five or six thousand dollars, more, in used notes.

Temptation had run its scarlet fingernails down my scrotum. What did it matter? A success fee, that’s all it was. Merchant bankers took success fees. But I wasn’t a merchant banker. People like that grabbed what they could within the law. In my insignificant way, I represented the law. I was a sworn officer of the court. I was a thread in an ancient fabric that made social existence possible.

I was the law.

Sufficiently psyched up by these thoughts, I leaned across the tailor’s table, plucked two soiled fifties and a twenty, pushed the rest back his way.

‘Lester,’ I said, ‘not all lawyers are the same.’”

I wanted to begin this review with this quote especially for those readers who haven’t met Jack Irish yet. This is the third of four novels that Peter Temple wrote with Irish as the protagonist. There are two seasons of the TV show, and, hopefully, there will be a third of Guy Pierce starring as Jack Irish. There are three standalone movies based on the books also starring Guy Pierce as well. Needless to say, as I read this book, Guy Pierce supplied the face of Jack Irish for me. The quote above really encapsulates who Jack is. The painful honesty, the sense of duty he feels, and the need to believe that any money he makes he earns. He feels vulnerable, as if one more mistake will be his last, but he can’t help keep putting himself out there, trying to be someone standing between those in need and those who take.

He was a high flying lawyer with nothing in front of him but blue skies and a fast escalator to the peaks of his profession, then tragedy struck. His wife was killed by one of his clients, and suddenly, the world did not make sense anymore. He was one of the chosen; there shouldn’t be a fall from grace. After he climbed out of the bottle, he apprenticed to a carpenter, and now he splits his time between “sawin’ and ‘lawin’”.

Jack Irish lives in Melbourne. ”Weather’s okay. I like it, very noir.” The book before this, Black Tide, there was so much of Melbourne in it that I finally pulled up a map of Melbourne so I could follow along with Jack as he moved about the city. I’m reasonably familiar with the streets and alleys of the city without ever having visited. Whenever a writer gets details like this correct it lends an extra layer of authenticity to the plot.

Jack has some horse businessmen friends, AKA gamblers, by the name of Harry Strang and Cameron Delray. They don’t break the rules, but they do bend them a bit. The novel begins with them at the racetrack watching a disaster strike. The only thing that could go wrong to completely bugger them happens. For Jack, it is a chance to achieve some financial stability. To make things even worse, one of their gambling associates is robbed and unnecessarily beaten, brutally.

Mercury, the bloated god of commerce, must be too jaded and knackered to do more than chuckle at the feeble attempts of Jack Irish to put his life back together. Aphrodite has also made him a favorite plaything. His girlfriend leaves him for someone else, and with his mind still whirling, an ex-girlfriend, Linda, blows back into town and wants to shag. She routinely drops into his life like a hurricane and just as quickly blows out with the next tropical storm.

His head isn’t really in the right place to look for a missing person. ”Oh, Lord, why hast thou anointed me the fixer of all things? And why hast thou ordained this in a cold season in which too many things need fixing?” It soon becomes apparent that the person he is looking for may not be the person he thinks he is looking for. He discovers that powerful people are very interested in his investigation. They have secrets, and as Jack gets closer to the truth, people start dying. It doesn’t take a slide rule or a TI-89 calculator to figure out that Jack is the next logical victim. His only safety is finding out the truth before he becomes a missing person. And there isn’t another Jack Irish to come looking for him.

Irish is the fictional protagonist that I’ve met recently who resonates with me the most. For him, living a respectful life is so much more important than acquiring piles and piles of money. He wants to do the right thing by others, despite the ease with which he could take advantage because he is smarter and more skilled. He uses his brains and tenacity to fight against the powerful people in mega-corporations, the equally powerful people who misuse positions of government authority, or on the other end of the spectrum, the local thugs using violence to inspire terror. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”― Edmund Burke. Jack Irish, as flawed as he is, is one of those special people who will step forward out of a crowd and say, enough is enough. He is the type of loyal friend that most of us wish we knew.


I was reading the first Jack Irish novel when I started watching the TV series. The series is not based on the novels, though they stay true to the concepts and ideas that Temple based his books on. The movies are based on the books, so you might want to read the books before venturing into the movies. I feel like watching the series and reading the book at the same time created some good synergy for me and increased my enjoyment of both.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/

[Vasilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book after I watched the TV adaptation with Guy Pearce. I was expecting to expect the plot, but in a stroke of genius from the TV producers, they had changed the plot, characters, and really only Jack Irish and a few smart lines had been retained. So I was as duped by anyone reading Dead Point. Thank goodness! How boring otherwise.

If you've heard anything about Peter Temple, you've heard that he is a Great of Australian Literature. It's true. I zoom through other books, but I have to take his slow, just to appreciate his dialogue and characters. He has such a skill with dialogue! If you're new to the Jack Irish books, by the way, maybe don't read this one first. It doesn't reveal any other book's secrets, but you want to step into Jack's life at the 'beginning' of his crime solving career, just for the pleasure of watching him slowly evolve.

Jack Irish is one of the more realistic characters I've ever met on a page - not for any good reason such as character flaws or arcs, but just because he is one of the few characters in crime fiction whose life is a big part of the story. His life has fallen to bits, but he doesn't seem to notice. He has working class and middle class friends, friends from his old life and his new life, friends from the dark side of the law and friends on the right side. And the thing is - you get to love all of them just as much as you love Jack Irish, just because they all have so much personality.

I've heard complaints about the Aussie slang in Temple's books. I have to say I didn't really notice it. I did notice that you have to be an actor to read the dialogue in your head - it doesn't make sense at first until you switch over to how real people talk, rather than how book characters talk, even if Temple's a bit wittier than most real people.

I'm getting addicted again - surely I have another Temple book lying around that I can read. It's rare to be so impressed by an author - and the funny thing is, he's impressive AND enjoyable AND fun. Amazing.

[Dillwynia Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Temple novels are givens: they will be tightly written, there will be a little bit of sex that falls into the realm of adult themes or soft porn, there will be clever dialogue. Jack Irish novels have the added sparkle of digs at Melbourne, and soft side swipes at other cities, and we will learn a bit more about horse racing, and AFL.

The usual formulae are followed with one to two cases being investigated that may or may not become related. They will become personal in some way and we learn a bit more of the character and personal history of our hero/ narrator. Being in the 1st person has the draw back that regardless of how many guns there are being waved about, our hero will live to tell the tale. The upside are the quips from Irish: his repartee always has been giggling or snorting – which is an attractive look on flights (or so I believe).

The biggest weakpoint was the title. We learn about its significance in the last 50 pages, but I think another title was more deserving. I kept saying: Is this it??!! Don’t let that deter you, this book is worthy of a read on either a summer beach, or locked in a cosy room during a miserable day.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. This is my first time reading about Melbourne lawyer, Jack Irish. I probably should have started the series from the start since this is book #3. There were lots of characters to keep track of and quite a few pages about AFL! Overall a very interesting story. Thanks to Text Publishing for my paperback copy of Dead Point by the late Peter Temple.

[Tundra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. A good bit of escapism. Gritty Melbourne underworld crime with a good dose of humour. Jack Irish is a not so squeaky clean ex-lawyer with plenty of interesting connections that make for a turbulent not so straightforward story.

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third in the Jack Irish series by Australian author Peter Temple.

What can I say? If you've never read Peter Temple, you’ve been missing out!

One of the most underrated authors in Australia; Temple effortlessly mixes detective work with a good dose of humor and surprises.

In a realistic description of Melbourne where corruption, politics, blackmail and footie all have a prominent role, Jack Irish is the lone ranger looking for the truth. Like a spider scaling a seemingly insurmountable wall he crawls to the top hopping from one string to the next in a web of lies and deceit, until....

Highly recommended reading for anyone that loves a good detective novel. Dead Point is expertly written by the master of Australian detective novels.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 -- this is a fun new (and probably addictive) series for me. I "borrowed" this book from a house guest who pointed out that I read too many British detective and police procedurals and need a bit of "real writing". This was great and now I'll begin at the beginning, with #1.

[Veronika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐

[Rupert Hogan-Turnbull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you want to be a lawyer who works part time as a carpenter but also a PI who knows horses.

[A.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library audio book#3 has a different narrator from the first two and I don’t know what they told him, but it’s clear he was told Cam is aboriginal and he’s chosen to make him sound like a teen boy from Purfleet. It’s pretty AWFUL. Which is bizarre as he does other accents well. [just checked and they return to the usual narrator for book#4 - thank goodness]
Jack has been asked by a Judge to find a missing man, Robbie Colburne. Barman at a new Irish pub frequented by Melbourne glitterati and property moguls. He’s found a few days later in his garage; overdosed inside his car. But oddly, someone had him under surveillance. That’s expensive. For a barman?
Even odder, they send Jack the VHS tape of the surveillance.
Something about the guy itches at Jack. No Medicare number, and too few details, so he digs deeper. The judge confesses it relates to blackmail and someone is trying to get him to make a particular decision for them. The judge won’t do it but he’d like his photo album back.
Cam and Harry are hunting down whoever it was that beat and robbed one of their bet layers. They take that very personally. The same occurs to another racing friend.
Jack is also trying to graft St Kilda onto the diehard Fitzroy supporters from the pub. He calls the ancient guys, who saw his father play Aussie Rules, the youth club. [average age in their eighties] For those who don’t know, Fitzroy was shuttered in Melbourne with the club and symbols being sold to another state to form the basis for the Brisbane Lions. But it’s pretty hard to go to home games two whole states away.
And he’s getting very distracted listening to his old flame Linda on the radio. Lyall, the photographer, has called their relationship off and moved on with an old flame.
But when Jack manages to find one of Robbie’s old school chums who isn’t dead, they don’t ID him from the surveillance photo; it’s his half Italian friend Marco Lucia. That name leads him to Serbian gangsters on the Gold Coast. But Milan doesn’t believe for a minute Marco was a drug user. His body was his trade, he’d look after it.
It all gets very complicated, as always.
I adore the way Jack looks after his own, even if it’s calling a lawyer and threatening her after she’s been collecting cash from an immigration client for years. ‘The one who shot those guys?’ she asks. He charges his client $120 for the job and gets back the entire $23,000 the man had paid. Free Vietnamese takeout forever. ‘Where’s your two, Jack?’ the man always asks when he orders takeout for one. Locals, eh?
So many passages that just made me laugh out loud.
High stakes for the suburban solicitor but as always, Jack somehow emerges from the dust; bruised, bloody, exhausted but alive.
5 stars

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

A different genre for me, but it actually kept my interest. A bit of a look at the sleazy side of town and set in Melbourne which I found interesting trying to place the many locations and references. Had no idea during the book how everything was going to link back up but just decided to go with the flow and not try to keep track of the involved plots. A good light hearted read. A bit like watching Underbelly it something of that ilk, maybe will try the author again.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Jack Irish tale of skulduggery with the usual assorted crew of villains. Once more, the crooks are often rich, powerful and devious, or just common or garden thugs. The Melbourne weather is miserable and bleak, the inner North locations utterly recognisable, and many of the old characters reappear in their usual habitats - the pub, the football or the races.
You don't have to know Melbourne well to enjoy these books, but it certainly adds to the pleasure.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did not rate this book quite as high as the previous two in the series, this was still a very enjoyable read. Jack Irish is a most interesting character and the plot, though perhaps a bit overcomplicated, kept me very engaged.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laconically Australian. Dry as a bone. Funny as.

[Ian Sowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superlative crime fiction from one of my favorite writers in any genre. I just wish he'd put out books more often.

[Margaret Stringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Temple. JACK IRISH!
'Nuff said.

[Jacq · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’re not familiar with Jack Irish – go back to the beginning. This is literary crime and you need to know the characters and appreciate their lives before you dive into the third novel.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the third of Peter Temple's Jack Irish novels, Dead Point, Melbourne's favorite threadbare attorney-detective-gambler is in a bleak mood: A sure thing horse that Harry Strang's racing cartel is backing breaks a leg closing in on the finishing line, and the horse has to be put down. Large sums of money are lost, and worse, Cynthia, one of the cartel partners, is badly beaten and robbed. Jack's been paid to look for a missing part-time bartender name Robbie Colburne, but with these matters on his mind, his attention is elsewhere.

Then, Robbie is found in a carpark, dead of an unlikely heroine overdose, and the real reason someone wanted him found is revealed. Robbie had stolen compromising material in order to blackmail the judge presiding over a major drug case. Jack and the ever-dapper-and-dangerous Cam Delray are still looking for the people who put Cynthia in the hospital, but Jack brings renewed focus to finding what Robbie stole. As he digs, Jack discovers that his quarry was entangled not only in the drug case, which deeply embarrassed the Australian Federal Police, but appears to have played a role in influencing which company won a prized contract to develop a multi-million dollar ski resort. There are mysterious and dangerous figures in Robbie's orbit, and now they are starting to notice Jack's interest.

Dead Point is a bit darker than it's predecessors. Temple's crackling wit, bristling dialogue, and evocative imagery are all still there ("She rang when hope was gone. I was at the freezer, looking at my personal Antarctic, Scott knew no bleaker moment.") but Jack is worn down by the loss of friends and lovers, and the world around him seems a bit grimmer by the day.

As with most of Temple's books, there is a lot going on, and Dead Point feels just a touch over-stuffed. While it won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel (Australia's most prestigious mystery writer's award), the second Jack Irish book, Black Tide is just a bit superior. But that's picking nits; nobody writes like Peter Temple, and this is top shelf Peter Temple.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I have to tell you sports fans such a refreshing change. I love me some Aussie crime fiction and having just read 70+ year old woke Garry Disher it is nice to read Peter Temple. Now this book takes place in the early 2000's but the men have balls and the woman are long legged and feminine. No nonsense with anything but two genders. Who would have thunk it? This installment finds Jack Irish embroiled in a dirty aussie land deal. Are there any other kind! Corruption is a foot and Jack Irish is ready to expose the dirty bastards. We also have a heavy dose of horse racing and physical justice meted out vigorously. Basically everything you look for in good contemporary crime fiction. Alas our author passed a few years ago so I have been reading these slowly. The Jack Irish series with the amazing Guy Pierce AKA Edmund Exley of L.A. Confidential can be found in the tv series online. I highly recommend both the books and the movies.

[Zac Stojcevski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The psychogeography of the Jack Irish series add to the pleasure of watch not fellow Jack's - Reacher or Ryan - but and antipodean Irish, slumming it in the process of saving the southern hemisphere; well at least a few individuals as he reveals the sordid underbelly of Melbourne from the bluestone alleys and gutters of Fitzroy (inner Melbourne). In this offering, fraud, adult entertainment, corruption at the highest levels, stand over tactics, race fixing, drug dealing, bribery and perverting the course of justice, breaking and entering, profiting by deception, murder, attempted murder, identity theft, grievous bodily assault, burglary, illegal firearms, narcotics importation are better displayed than in an undergraduate law course - well, at least more entertaining. Truly engaging and enjoyable. Not bad for a semi respectable suburban lawyer cum wood craftsman apprenticed.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Temple won't be writing any more Jack Irish novels as he departed this world earlier in the year. That's a shame as they are extremely entertaining examples of Melbourne noir. The regular characters, from the old codgers sitting in Jack's local pub & bemoaning the demise of their beloved Fitzroy Lions (a club Jack's dad once played for) through to Cam, the fixer for a colourful racing identity, are beautifully drawn. Those that drift in & out are just as interesting. The plots, in line with virtually all noir novels, are completely incomprehensible. But that never stopped me enjoying Raymond Chandler's stories either. Guy Pearce has made Jack his own in the TV adaptations. If you enjoyed those check out the source material. There are only 4.

[Laraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. The fourth book in Temple's Jack Irish series was a convoluted but ultimately satisfying read. I honestly didn't know how to rate this, as I found the first part of the book to be confusing and with a lot going on. Irish is a Melbourne lawyer, but he also seems to be a fixer with all kinds of interesting connections and friends. Jack's horse racing gambling team has been robbed, and he is tasked with finding a missing man. But this missing man has connections to powerful people who don't play nice. I love noir novels and this one came together in the end. A mixed bag of a read.

[Eion Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Jack Irish series, so getting used to the writing, although had an overload of characters towards the end, was bordering on confusing as to what connected where.

Unfortunately noted a gratuitous amount of particular obtuse language, to the extent it was overdone, as realise this was part of the character, but overdone, as feel this character development would have been just as effective with other means and descriptions.

Interesting style of writing, as picking up at times background scene descriptions that are insignificant to the the story or setting, as distracts the reader from the core content, not adding any value.

[M.S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Peter Temple's quick wit is still on full display here, it felt to me like he was getting bored of the format. He rushes through important sections as if he can't wait to be done with it. The story/evidence/reveals are more contrived than previous entries. Somehow, the staples (such as the radio announcing political news that ends up being heavily involved) feel more tired here than usual. I love Jack Irish, and I'd happily read a million of these - but I'm not so sure Temple was happy writing even three of them. Interested to see if he was re-energised for the fourth and final book, White Dog.

[Mikebee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, witty protagonist and nice plot. This is my second book that I’ve read by Peter Temple, and it shares the same flaw. I found the first third to be hard reading, the development is largely by dialog that wasn’t easy to follow. The rest of the book flowed well. Overall I liked he book, but I’m not sure that I want to put this much concentration into any future Temple books, despite their satisfying conclusions.

[Any Length · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many people to follow the action, too many distractions like those old guys and their football obsessions and drinking beer in a "has been pub" and that guy who does horse racing. All too complicated. And the main guy doing carpentry work when he is already a solicitor and a private detective of sorts. I keep trying to read these books to find one that I like, but they are hard work and about 3/4 through I don't care who did what I just want to book to end.

[David C Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad; 3.75 stars. A little more low key than the previous Irish books - not as much intricate detail on the usual main plot device: real estate development and political corruption. The familiar local color of horse racing, cabinet maker and Aussie rules. I’m not entirely clear where and when the Serbian mobster came in, X is such a fake Irishman you know he’s a bad guy, and the multiple misidentifications of the corpse that starts everything off is a bit incredible.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Irish is asked by an old friend of his father to find his son. And a woman who collects bets for horse racing has been savagely beaten. As Jack is trying to find Robbie and the persons who beat up Cynthia, he runs into even more trouble.

I liked this book. It has some interesting, entertaining, and funny dialogs. The Australian dialect is different, but my ebook reader gave me good definitions on most of the words. And I like knowing more about Australia.

[A.J. Blanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a few lackluster books in recent months, it was nice to get back into the world of Jack Irish. Dead Point (DP) is book three (of only four sadly) and was much less convoluted than the previous story. Paraphrasing what it says on the back cover: Jack has been hired to find someone who turns up dead shortly thereafter, but that's not the end of the job. Harry's horse racing days may be at an end as well after a commissioner and friend is brutally beaten and their winnings taken; not a random attack.

I've watched the movies and show before reading the books but I didn't really remember this one, so I re-watched DP after reading and noticed a few differences that surprised me, other than the numerous more details. While the movie was easier to follow, as is typically the case, it also changed something fairly important to the plot revolving around the identity of the dead person. There were two people in question early in the investigation, who looked similar in appearance and hung out together in school, yet at no time did anyone wonder if the dead person could've been either man. I'm trying to avoid spoilers so sorry if that's confusing. In any case, I felt the movie made more sense in this one area.

If you like murder mysteries and wouldn't mind trying to experience them from someone other than a police officer's perspective, I recommend reading (and watching) this series. The cases are interesting, it's a bit noir at times, and you end up liking some of the side characters as much as (if not more) than the main. This book in particular also had some great comradery between Jack and his former law partner Andrew Greer; it was like watching a real life friendship. Normally I don't do stories featuring lawyers; I'm around them in real life too much as it is, but Jack Irish isn't your typical barrister (if I'm using the term correctly), in many ways. Cheers

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great humor as we continue to follow Jack Irish and his cronies, in his parallel lives, in Melbourne. Who knew being a private lawyer and part-time woodworker and Australian rule football fan and horse racing aficionado could be so potentially dangerous!