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Quota
'What do you want me to say, Your Honour? Could you have cocked this thing up any worse? Bloody helpless kid and you know she's back out on the street now. You know it, don't you? You're known throughout the state as a heartless old prick and a drunk, and seeing I've gone this far, your daughter-in-law's appointment to the court is widely viewed as a grubby political payoff. She's got about as much ability as you have...'
CHARLIE JARDIM has just trashed his legal career in a spectacular courtroom meltdown, and his fiancee has finally left him. When an old friend slings him a prosecution brief that will take him to the remote coastal town of Dauphin, Charlie reluctantly agrees that the sea air might be good for him.
The case is a murder. The victim was involved in the illegal abalone trade and the even more illegal drug trade. and the witnesses aren't talking.
And as Dauphin closes ranks around him, Charlie is about to find his interest in the law powerfully reignited.
CHARLIE JARDIM has just trashed his legal career in a spectacular courtroom meltdown, and his fiancee has finally left him. When an old friend slings him a prosecution brief that will take him to the remote coastal town of Dauphin, Charlie reluctantly agrees that the sea air might be good for him.
The case is a murder. The victim was involved in the illegal abalone trade and the even more illegal drug trade. and the witnesses aren't talking.
And as Dauphin closes ranks around him, Charlie is about to find his interest in the law powerfully reignited.
251 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2014
21 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Jock Serong
9 books223 followersJock Serong lives and works on the far southwest coast of Victoria. He was a practising lawyer when he wrote Quota and is currently a features writer, and the editor of Great Ocean Quarterly. He is married with four children, who in turn are raising a black dog, a rabbit and an unknown number of guinea pigs. Quota was his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 14, 2019
I must say, for an award winning novel, I expected more of this book.. It wasn't bad, but it seemed to ramble a bit and to me it lacked sharpness. It sees disgraced lawyer Charlie being sent to the boondocks to try to get a witness in a murder trial to change his obviously bogus statement. You would think Charlie would be out to prove himself and atone for his errant ways when given a second chance, yet all he seems to do is succumb to alcoholism.
I'm glad this book was short as I lacked focus when reading it, I just wasn't sucked in to the narrative. It was okay, just not gripping or unputdownable.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm glad this book was short as I lacked focus when reading it, I just wasn't sucked in to the narrative. It was okay, just not gripping or unputdownable.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 27, 2019
Jock Serong's debut novel is a legal drama based around the murder of a man in the fictional small Victorian coastal fishing town of Dauphin. The town is more or less ruled by the Murchison family who hold one of the very limited lucrative licenses for abalone fishing, illegally boosted by selling over-quota abalone and top grade marijuana to buyers in Melbourne, with the local police firmly in their pocket.
The Lanegan brothers, Matthew and Patrick, sole carers of their three younger siblings, struggle to make a living out of fishing and Matthew has been working as a courier for the Murchisons. One night Matthew and Patrick attend a meeting off the coast with Skip Murchison and his mate Mick McVean and all hell breaks loose with Matthew killed, their boat set on fire and Patrick hiding underwater.
Fearing repercussions Patrick refuses to tell the police what happened that night so junior barrister Charlie Jardim is sent to Dauphin to talk to Patrick to see if he will change his statement and stand as a witness for the trial of Murchison and McVean. Charlie is lucky to be given this job by an old friend after being charged with contempt of court for calling a judge "a heartless old prick, so with his career under review he needs to convince Patrick to say what really happened.
Jock Serong's depiction of small town life on the coast is very evocative, with the country pub and row of shops the centre of life and gossip. That Serong was a lawyer himself also shows with the authentic feel of the court scenes and interactions of those in the legal profession. Charlie comes across a grumpy, lonely man who constantly feels disappointed by people and doesn't seem to know what he wants out of life. The childhood death of his brother and the effect on his parents is implicated to be responsible but I'm not sure that fully explained what made him tick. However, the trial and his time in Dauphin with Patrick seems to change him and soften his outlook on life. The wry little twist at the end of the novel was a nice touch to finish this excellent debut with.
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for a digital copy to review.
The Lanegan brothers, Matthew and Patrick, sole carers of their three younger siblings, struggle to make a living out of fishing and Matthew has been working as a courier for the Murchisons. One night Matthew and Patrick attend a meeting off the coast with Skip Murchison and his mate Mick McVean and all hell breaks loose with Matthew killed, their boat set on fire and Patrick hiding underwater.
Fearing repercussions Patrick refuses to tell the police what happened that night so junior barrister Charlie Jardim is sent to Dauphin to talk to Patrick to see if he will change his statement and stand as a witness for the trial of Murchison and McVean. Charlie is lucky to be given this job by an old friend after being charged with contempt of court for calling a judge "a heartless old prick, so with his career under review he needs to convince Patrick to say what really happened.
Jock Serong's depiction of small town life on the coast is very evocative, with the country pub and row of shops the centre of life and gossip. That Serong was a lawyer himself also shows with the authentic feel of the court scenes and interactions of those in the legal profession. Charlie comes across a grumpy, lonely man who constantly feels disappointed by people and doesn't seem to know what he wants out of life. The childhood death of his brother and the effect on his parents is implicated to be responsible but I'm not sure that fully explained what made him tick. However, the trial and his time in Dauphin with Patrick seems to change him and soften his outlook on life. The wry little twist at the end of the novel was a nice touch to finish this excellent debut with.
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for a digital copy to review.
January 1, 2015
I'm never indecisive about my star ratings, but this one is 3.5 stars.
In one breath I want to say what a cracking debut from this Aussie author Jock Serong, and in the other I'm not giving it 4 or 5 stars.. So I was disappointed in some respects.
Charlie Jardim is a junior prosecutor that has hit a cross roads in his professional and personal life, he's just unleashed a tirade in court, abusing the presiding judge, and labelling this judges daughter's appointment a 'political payoff" - his temperament doesn't seem to be overly controlled. We follow Charlie's next job (which he's surprised he even got) to a strange small fishing town where he needs to do some 'fishing' of his own to solve a case where the locals are insular and closed off. Here he reflects on his failed engagement and the death of his brother as a youngster.
I enjoyed this story, but was not emotionally invested in the main character Charlie nearly as much as I would have liked. This would have been partly attributed to his personality though, as he wasn't open in nature at all, and this left me lacking.
Great debut novel, I will look forward to more of this author.
In one breath I want to say what a cracking debut from this Aussie author Jock Serong, and in the other I'm not giving it 4 or 5 stars.. So I was disappointed in some respects.
Charlie Jardim is a junior prosecutor that has hit a cross roads in his professional and personal life, he's just unleashed a tirade in court, abusing the presiding judge, and labelling this judges daughter's appointment a 'political payoff" - his temperament doesn't seem to be overly controlled. We follow Charlie's next job (which he's surprised he even got) to a strange small fishing town where he needs to do some 'fishing' of his own to solve a case where the locals are insular and closed off. Here he reflects on his failed engagement and the death of his brother as a youngster.
I enjoyed this story, but was not emotionally invested in the main character Charlie nearly as much as I would have liked. This would have been partly attributed to his personality though, as he wasn't open in nature at all, and this left me lacking.
Great debut novel, I will look forward to more of this author.
December 29, 2019
Setting: Victoria, Australia. Barrister Charlie Jardim is thrown a lifeline by an old friend in the legal profession, having been judged to be in contempt of court when he verbally abused a judge in one of his family court cases. So Charlie is off to the small fishing port of Dauphin where, amidst rumours of an involvement in illegal abalone and drug smuggling, a local fisherman has been murdered, allegedly by one of the family which effectively runs the town and his henchman. But Charlie finds his presence is resented and witnesses won't talk to him, even though he believes that the victim's brother is not telling the truth and in fact witnessed the murder....
This is the third of this author's books I have read and, as ever, it is full of larger-than-life characters and great descriptions and dialogue. Although my favourite is still 'On the Java Ridge', this one is still an excellent read, but the somewhat inconclusive ending let it down a bit for me - 8/10.
This is the third of this author's books I have read and, as ever, it is full of larger-than-life characters and great descriptions and dialogue. Although my favourite is still 'On the Java Ridge', this one is still an excellent read, but the somewhat inconclusive ending let it down a bit for me - 8/10.
April 10, 2022
While reading this, I was was quite mindful of it being a debut novel. The storyline was a little clunky in parts, but on the whole (although I did initially struggle to get into it) I think it was for the most part well written.
Charlie Jardim is a young barrister with a hot temper. After abusing a judge and being professionally ostracised, he is thrown a lifeline by a mentor and sent off to a remote Victorian fishing town to investigate a witness statement in a murder. There he finds a closed town of suspicious locals who look after their own and mete out their own justice.
There are some incredible passages in this book, one that really got to me involved an accident with kangaroo vs car. It really got to me, and that was when I knew I had to keep going.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for me, I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.
Charlie Jardim is a young barrister with a hot temper. After abusing a judge and being professionally ostracised, he is thrown a lifeline by a mentor and sent off to a remote Victorian fishing town to investigate a witness statement in a murder. There he finds a closed town of suspicious locals who look after their own and mete out their own justice.
There are some incredible passages in this book, one that really got to me involved an accident with kangaroo vs car. It really got to me, and that was when I knew I had to keep going.
3.5 stars rounded to 4 for me, I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 17, 2021
Quota is the first novel by Australian lawyer, editor and features writer, Jock Serong. The audio version is narrated by Simon Harvey. After a courtroom episode (avidly described in legal circles as Jardim’s “brain snap”) that earns him two nights in the police cells, threatens his career as a barrister and contributes to the end of his engagement to dedicated junior lawyer, Anna Murdoch, Charlie Jardim is feeling tired, apathetic and indifferent to the whole business. But he finds that his old friend, senior barrister Harlan Weir is determined to thwart his exile and sends him to Dauphin, a small town on the Victorian south coast to check out the witness to a murder.
Charlie wonders if this brief will change everything and “make the….whole shitty game fall away from the foreground like cardboard theatre sets, revealing something that would expunge the futile ritual of his weeks”. Or will it be his last hurrah? Patrick Lanegan’s statement about his brother’s murder doesn’t quite ring true. Charlie and Harlan are in no doubt that defendants Skip and Mick murdered Matthew Lanegan, given the illegal abalone trade and the drug trade in which they were all involved, but a conviction seems unlikely unless Patrick is more forthcoming.
As he weaves a tale that will surprise the reader with some completely unexpected turns, Serong creates interesting and complex characters and treats the reader to some wonderfully evocative descriptive prose, to wit: “…Barry had traded in auto parts and hoarded information, the factual rubbish others would discard to keep their house-proud minds prim like a brick veneer. His was more of a two-bedroom hardiplank surrounded by rusty wreckage…” and “It took a few moments to find Patrick, reduced in the middle distance to a pair of pulsing black fins leaving stabs of silver bubbles, chattering consonants among the blue-green vowels of the reef”
Also “Here, now, the weather altered the very appearance of the world, by turns stripping and bleaching, shading and saturating the town’s colours. The wind, idle at the moment, was nonetheless integral to the shape of the trees, the mood of the sea. His static surrounds had hidden this reality from him: the world was in a state of incessant upheaval” and “The drivers headlight was gone, leaving a gory smashed eye socket.”
Serong’s depiction of a small Victorian town, with his description of the pub and its patrons, the Chinese café, the football game and the local characters, is perfect. Likewise, his courtroom scenes feel authentic, no doubt a product of his personal experience. Against the backdrop of a murder trial, Serong explores family loyalties, truth and justice, and the legal system: “Only through fanatical belief in the system could you devote such care to the construction of an argument but never fall for the hubris of it.” This work of literary crime fiction is a brilliant debut novel and readers will look forward to more from Jock Serong.
Charlie wonders if this brief will change everything and “make the….whole shitty game fall away from the foreground like cardboard theatre sets, revealing something that would expunge the futile ritual of his weeks”. Or will it be his last hurrah? Patrick Lanegan’s statement about his brother’s murder doesn’t quite ring true. Charlie and Harlan are in no doubt that defendants Skip and Mick murdered Matthew Lanegan, given the illegal abalone trade and the drug trade in which they were all involved, but a conviction seems unlikely unless Patrick is more forthcoming.
As he weaves a tale that will surprise the reader with some completely unexpected turns, Serong creates interesting and complex characters and treats the reader to some wonderfully evocative descriptive prose, to wit: “…Barry had traded in auto parts and hoarded information, the factual rubbish others would discard to keep their house-proud minds prim like a brick veneer. His was more of a two-bedroom hardiplank surrounded by rusty wreckage…” and “It took a few moments to find Patrick, reduced in the middle distance to a pair of pulsing black fins leaving stabs of silver bubbles, chattering consonants among the blue-green vowels of the reef”
Also “Here, now, the weather altered the very appearance of the world, by turns stripping and bleaching, shading and saturating the town’s colours. The wind, idle at the moment, was nonetheless integral to the shape of the trees, the mood of the sea. His static surrounds had hidden this reality from him: the world was in a state of incessant upheaval” and “The drivers headlight was gone, leaving a gory smashed eye socket.”
Serong’s depiction of a small Victorian town, with his description of the pub and its patrons, the Chinese café, the football game and the local characters, is perfect. Likewise, his courtroom scenes feel authentic, no doubt a product of his personal experience. Against the backdrop of a murder trial, Serong explores family loyalties, truth and justice, and the legal system: “Only through fanatical belief in the system could you devote such care to the construction of an argument but never fall for the hubris of it.” This work of literary crime fiction is a brilliant debut novel and readers will look forward to more from Jock Serong.
October 29, 2019
With his relationship over and his career as a barrister virtually in tatters, Charlie Jardim accepts a lifeline from a mentor to assist on the prosecution of the the two men charged over the murder of Victorian fisherman Matt/Mags Lanegan. The first task for Charlie is to head down to the small coastal town of Dauphin to see if he can persuade a key witness to tidy up his clearly bogus evidence. The fact that the witness is Patrick Lanegan, brother of the deceased, does raise a red flag for Charlie, but he decides to tread carefully and see what happens. What he doesn't immediately realise is that one of the accused, Skip Murchison, is the son of Dauphin's 'first couple', Alan and Delvene Murchison - owners of multiple businesses around town including some more legal than others. So when Patrick proves to be intractable and the town closes ranks, Charlie is just about ready to return to Melbourne with his tail between his legs.
This is Jock Serong's prize-winning debut novel. I really admire this author and have now read all four of his books published to date. Quota is not my favourite (nor my least), but it is still a very accomplished novel. Where I think this one was patchy, was in character development - if Charlie had been more well-rounded I would have cared more. Serong's writing and storytelling has improved with each subsequent novel. Still, this is a solid example of Australian crime fiction.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is Jock Serong's prize-winning debut novel. I really admire this author and have now read all four of his books published to date. Quota is not my favourite (nor my least), but it is still a very accomplished novel. Where I think this one was patchy, was in character development - if Charlie had been more well-rounded I would have cared more. Serong's writing and storytelling has improved with each subsequent novel. Still, this is a solid example of Australian crime fiction.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
May 27, 2014
Quota is the first novel by Australian lawyer, editor and features writer, Jock Serong. After a courtroom episode (avidly described in legal circles as Jardim’s “brain snap”) that earns him two nights in the police cells, threatens his career as a barrister and contributes to the end of his engagement to dedicated junior lawyer, Anna Murdoch, Charlie Jardim is feeling tired, apathetic and indifferent to the whole business. But he finds that his old friend, senior barrister Harlan Weir is determined to thwart his exile and sends him to Dauphin, a small town on the Victorian south coast to check out the witness to a murder. Charlie wonders if this brief will change everything and “make the….whole shitty game fall away from the foreground like cardboard theatre sets, revealing something that would expunge the futile ritual of his weeks”. Or will it be his last hurrah? Patrick Lanegan’s statement about his brother’s murder doesn’t quite ring true. Charlie and Harlan are in no doubt that defendants Skip and Mick murdered Matthew Lanegan, given the illegal abalone trade and the drug trade in which they were all involved, but a conviction seems unlikely unless Patrick is more forthcoming. As he weaves a tale that will surprise the reader with some completely unexpected turns, Serong creates interesting and complex characters and treats the reader to some wonderfully evocative descriptive prose, to wit: “…Barry had traded in auto parts and hoarded information, the factual rubbish others would discard to keep their house-proud minds prim like a brick veneer. His was more of a two-bedroom hardiplank surrounded by rusty wreckage…” and “It took a few moments to find Patrick, reduced in the middle distance to a pair of pulsing black fins leaving stabs of silver bubbles, chattering consonants among the blue-green vowels of the reef” also “Here, now, the weather altered the very appearance of the world, by turns stripping and bleaching, shading and saturating the town’s colours. The wind, idle at the moment, was nonetheless integral to the shape of the trees, the mood of the sea. His static surrounds had hidden this reality from him: the world was in a state of incessant upheaval” and “The drivers headlight was gone, leaving a gory smashed eye socket.” Serong’s depiction of a small Victorian town, with his description of the pub and its patrons, the Chinese café, the football game and the local characters, is perfect. Likewise, his courtroom scenes feel authentic, no doubt a product of his personal experience. Against the backdrop of a murder trial, Serong explores family loyalties, truth and justice, and the legal system: “Only through fanatical belief in the system could you devote such care to the construction of an argument but never fall for the hubris of it.” This work of literary crime fiction is a brilliant debut novel and readers will look forward to more from Jock Serong.
July 6, 2021
I was blown away by Jock Serong’s On the Java Ridge and since then I have wanted to read all of this authors works and at long last I picked up Quota, I loved this one too, though perhaps just slightly less.
Still, a great little literary crime fiction set in the fictional remote coastal fishing town of Dauphin, Victoria.
A spectacular courtroom meltdown, murder, abalone and drug trading, fantastic descriptive passages makes this a book well worth reading.
Enjoyed the courtroom drama enormously. Always a favourite of mine.
Oh, that ending - nice one!
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #35 - A book whose title starts with ‘Q,’ ‘X,’ or ‘Z’:
Still, a great little literary crime fiction set in the fictional remote coastal fishing town of Dauphin, Victoria.
A spectacular courtroom meltdown, murder, abalone and drug trading, fantastic descriptive passages makes this a book well worth reading.
Enjoyed the courtroom drama enormously. Always a favourite of mine.
Oh, that ending - nice one!
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #35 - A book whose title starts with ‘Q,’ ‘X,’ or ‘Z’:
June 17, 2018
Not his best work but there is a chapter where he describes the decrepit town which shows how great Serong can write. The characters are all a bit dark and battling. The book's focus is on the legal process behind the murder in a remote Victorian coastal town so it has a long passage on a cross examination and summing up speech. Hopefully Serong's next book will get back to the level of his first two.
March 9, 2019
Loved this novel. Admittedly, it got off to a slowish start, but once the author put the pedal down, it took off.
The second half in the courtroom was a joy to read. Well done, Mr Serong. I have another of your books in my possession, and can't wait to get stuck into it.
Interesting moments for me:
1. The protagonist's supersonic hearing after partaking in dope mirrors something that happened to me in Amsterdam years ago. Vindication I wasn't imagining it!!!
2. I thought "tipstaff" was something you did at restaurant. Now I know it's also a court official,
The second half in the courtroom was a joy to read. Well done, Mr Serong. I have another of your books in my possession, and can't wait to get stuck into it.
Interesting moments for me:
1. The protagonist's supersonic hearing after partaking in dope mirrors something that happened to me in Amsterdam years ago. Vindication I wasn't imagining it!!!
2. I thought "tipstaff" was something you did at restaurant. Now I know it's also a court official,
November 3, 2019
I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Jack Serong, and Text Publishing. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this mystery of my own volition, and this review reflects my personal opinion of this work. I am happy to recommend this tale to friends and family. It is an interesting look into the insular, coastal lifestyle in a small fishing town, Dauphin, in the land down under and an interesting mystery as well.
Lots of lovely word pictures in this work, and an undercurrent of lawlessness that I found slightly old west type threatening. We have two families as the basic protagonists - neither of them angels, but one much more sympathetic than the other.
The several generations of the Murchison family own most of the small town of Dauphin including the pub and the hotel and control the little they don't own with bullying tactics and a tight fist on the money. Michael John McVean is an employee of the Murchison family, a man who handles some of their dirty tricks. The family abalone business is conducted on the 'Open Quest', a fancy fishing boat, and their other businesses, both legal and not, are lucrative as well.
The family Lanegan is a much different kettle of fish. The parents both died when the family was young, father Dennis first with drinking and pancreatic problems eight years ago when the twins were expected, mother Trish when the twins were small, and the family has muddled on, barely scraping by with the older brothers taking over the running of the household and facing the occasional custody battle with family services. At the time of this catastrophe when Matthew-Matt-Mags (dob '89) was murdered and their fishing boat was set afire, Patrick (dob '91) may or may not have been a witness to that murder, sister Millie was 15 years and the twin boys Ben and Jack were 8 years old. The main source of income for this family was fishing from their shark boat 'Caravel' and runs, some illegal, for the Murchison family, ferrying abalone caught over the Murchisons' legal licensed quota into private Melbourne markets, and occasionally 'soft' drugs to and from the city in the 'Caravel' or the Lanegan's van.
Our story is told from the viewpoint of several key characters. Harlin Weir seems to have a finger on the pulse of the small village of Dauphin despite his isolation in Melbourne. Barry Egan is a middle-aged, recent widower who pops into the story here and there, a native Dauphin resident familiar with the characters of all those who make up our cast. Leshter is the long-time bartender at the local pub, the Normans Woe, a man who sees all, knows-all, and seems to keep his own counsel.
Charlie Jardim is a soft city boy, a lawyer currently in trouble for his runaway mouth, just dumped by his fiancee, and at present appointed by his boss Harlan Wier SC to do an in-depth study of the situation in Dauphin and confirm or refute evidence collected in personal interviews with emphases on the sworn testimony of Patrick Lanegan. It doesn't seem to matter to SC Wier how long this will take. And then we have the trial...
pub date May 28, 2014,
received August 26, 2019
Text Publishing
Reviewed on Nov 3, 2019 at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes & Noble, BookBub, Kobo and GooglePlay.
Lots of lovely word pictures in this work, and an undercurrent of lawlessness that I found slightly old west type threatening. We have two families as the basic protagonists - neither of them angels, but one much more sympathetic than the other.
The several generations of the Murchison family own most of the small town of Dauphin including the pub and the hotel and control the little they don't own with bullying tactics and a tight fist on the money. Michael John McVean is an employee of the Murchison family, a man who handles some of their dirty tricks. The family abalone business is conducted on the 'Open Quest', a fancy fishing boat, and their other businesses, both legal and not, are lucrative as well.
The family Lanegan is a much different kettle of fish. The parents both died when the family was young, father Dennis first with drinking and pancreatic problems eight years ago when the twins were expected, mother Trish when the twins were small, and the family has muddled on, barely scraping by with the older brothers taking over the running of the household and facing the occasional custody battle with family services. At the time of this catastrophe when Matthew-Matt-Mags (dob '89) was murdered and their fishing boat was set afire, Patrick (dob '91) may or may not have been a witness to that murder, sister Millie was 15 years and the twin boys Ben and Jack were 8 years old. The main source of income for this family was fishing from their shark boat 'Caravel' and runs, some illegal, for the Murchison family, ferrying abalone caught over the Murchisons' legal licensed quota into private Melbourne markets, and occasionally 'soft' drugs to and from the city in the 'Caravel' or the Lanegan's van.
Our story is told from the viewpoint of several key characters. Harlin Weir seems to have a finger on the pulse of the small village of Dauphin despite his isolation in Melbourne. Barry Egan is a middle-aged, recent widower who pops into the story here and there, a native Dauphin resident familiar with the characters of all those who make up our cast. Leshter is the long-time bartender at the local pub, the Normans Woe, a man who sees all, knows-all, and seems to keep his own counsel.
Charlie Jardim is a soft city boy, a lawyer currently in trouble for his runaway mouth, just dumped by his fiancee, and at present appointed by his boss Harlan Wier SC to do an in-depth study of the situation in Dauphin and confirm or refute evidence collected in personal interviews with emphases on the sworn testimony of Patrick Lanegan. It doesn't seem to matter to SC Wier how long this will take. And then we have the trial...
pub date May 28, 2014,
received August 26, 2019
Text Publishing
Reviewed on Nov 3, 2019 at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes & Noble, BookBub, Kobo and GooglePlay.
September 12, 2024
As I retired lawyer, I do not like courtroom scenes. Generally, they are unrealistic. This author's approach was refreshing. If anything, there was a hint of sarcasm underlying the courtroom antics. The novel showcased clever craftsmanship by the author, with its colorful characters and realistic dialogue.
August 24, 2015
In great timing, Reviewing the Evidence have just published my review of the winner of the 2015 Ned Kelly for Best First Crime Fiction.
It's not unknown for crime fiction followers to point out that the genre frequently explores the rights and wrongs of society and human behaviour.
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/r...
It's not unknown for crime fiction followers to point out that the genre frequently explores the rights and wrongs of society and human behaviour.
http://www.reviewingtheevidence.com/r...
July 20, 2020
Another solid novel by Jock Serong, which I enjoyed.
The story was believable, the characters well drawn, and the pace well set. However, unlike other novels by this author, this one did not draw me in from the very start, though it gradually gripped me and I wanted to know what the outcome would be.
The story was believable, the characters well drawn, and the pace well set. However, unlike other novels by this author, this one did not draw me in from the very start, though it gradually gripped me and I wanted to know what the outcome would be.
January 19, 2021
I’m not sure how Jock Serong made it onto my TBR list, but I’m very glad he did as I enjoyed Quota. A book about justice – formal justice being seen to be done and informal justice at community level. Charlie Jardim, a barrister, has a meltdown in court, and is surprised to be asked to take on a murder case by a prosecutor. In order to check witness statements, he goes to Dauphin a small seaside town near Melbourne. I enjoyed Charlie’s cynical personality and the pace of the novel, set partly in the town and partly in court. Loved the twist in the plot at the end. We’ve driven through these small seaside towns and the setting resonated with me – those beautiful beaches and fishing boats. Definitely reading more by this author.
April 2, 2017
Charlie Jardim is a barrister who thinks he has gutted his career by bagging a judge. But a prosecutor throws Charlie a lifeline and get him to visit a small town to check a witness statement. Once in the small town of Dauphin, Charlie is unwelcome virtually everywhere. Clearly, the town doesn’t want the status quo upset. The court case that follows is virtually open and shut. And then the unthinkable happens to Charlie’s mentor. Charlie is shattered and seemingly finished as a barrister. But as always there is a twist in the tail. The ending was unexpected and pleasantly different. I give the book 4 stars out of 5.
January 30, 2022
An interesting book with an interesting perspective on what is effectively 'Crime Genre'. It wouldn't have been the kind of book I would have selected from the shelves of a bookstore or library but having started with other Jock Serong books which I had genuinely enjoyed, I am eager to read his back catalogue to see where he takes me.
The book is his first novel. It is my though that first novels are either brilliant, show the promise of the author, or crap. This one was firmly in the middle. The narrative seemed a little forced at time, jumping from underbelly type crime to court procedural. Still it was entertaining and I will keep reading what he has written because his later work is delivering on that first book promise.
The book is his first novel. It is my though that first novels are either brilliant, show the promise of the author, or crap. This one was firmly in the middle. The narrative seemed a little forced at time, jumping from underbelly type crime to court procedural. Still it was entertaining and I will keep reading what he has written because his later work is delivering on that first book promise.
August 11, 2022
Having read 'The Rules of Backyard Cricket' and raved about it, I wanted to read Jock Serong's debut. It's a real insight - the same genuine quality in the writing but a touch chaotic in terms of the structure, which maybe needed a little help from his editing team. I'm up for his next one, that's for sure - he's a very talented writer.
May 4, 2017
Enjoyable crime novel set in southwestern Victoria. Fleshing out the main character a bit more would have made it a 4 star read
September 14, 2024
I did not enjoy reading this book.
August 29, 2014
I had ‘The Broken Shore’ and ‘The Grand Hotel’ (http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/g...) rolling round in my head while I was reading this. The main action of the novel takes place in Dauphin, a fictional town that would probably be somewhere close in reality to more run-down version of Port Fairy or a smaller version of Warrnambool. That this writer is good at is re-creating the feel of a town that is malnourished, inbred and just a bit dangerous and paranoid. A stranger comes to town, his name is Charlie and he’s a barrister on a mission to find out more about a murder for a case he’s working on. He, of course, is damaged goods. The story moves between this location and the eventual trial in Melbourne of two locals for murder. Charlie sees Dauphin as a ‘land arranged in a code he couldn’t decipher. He had left the language of his world behind and this place would offer him no translation, merely reflecting his troubles blankly back at him’. (http://www.killyourdarlingsjournal.co...)
I liked it a lot. It’s well-written and interesting. He’s good at taking you into a scene; whether it be a kangaroo hitting a car, a rocky car-ride along a beach or a stand-off in a small town Chinese restaurant. The author was a barrister for a time and said in one interview: ““Legal writing is exacting, but it's exacting in the opposite direction [to writing fiction],” said Serong in an interview with Swellnet last year. “What you're trying to do when you write legally is suppress the human instinct and strive for great accuracy and objectivity. And when you write fiction you generally head in the other direction.” (http://www.swellnet.com/news/depth-te...)
I would have liked slightly more character development in terms of Charlie (and maybe a couple of others). We know he’s damaged but not quite enough about why. (His brother died when he was young but he has been able to put a life together; that event does not really explain what a lonely character he seems.) And how the damage has played out. But this is being picky; it’s a good, atmospheric read.
I liked it a lot. It’s well-written and interesting. He’s good at taking you into a scene; whether it be a kangaroo hitting a car, a rocky car-ride along a beach or a stand-off in a small town Chinese restaurant. The author was a barrister for a time and said in one interview: ““Legal writing is exacting, but it's exacting in the opposite direction [to writing fiction],” said Serong in an interview with Swellnet last year. “What you're trying to do when you write legally is suppress the human instinct and strive for great accuracy and objectivity. And when you write fiction you generally head in the other direction.” (http://www.swellnet.com/news/depth-te...)
I would have liked slightly more character development in terms of Charlie (and maybe a couple of others). We know he’s damaged but not quite enough about why. (His brother died when he was young but he has been able to put a life together; that event does not really explain what a lonely character he seems.) And how the damage has played out. But this is being picky; it’s a good, atmospheric read.
October 23, 2019
Quota
by
Jock Serong
4 Stars
Quota is a great legal thriller, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlie Jardim is an attorney who’s just thrown his career in the trash with a frustrated outburst aimed at the wrong judge. His career is seemingly ruined, his girl friend has left him, and yet an old friend and mentor takes him on to assist in the prosecution of a high profile murder case. Jardim finds himself in a small fishing town where he’s at times ignored, at times badly snubbed, and once beaten up. His time in the village not only fulfills the mission he was sent on, but becomes a healing journey for Jardim.
The writing is excellent, the characters well-developed and easy to identify with, and the book is tough to put down once you get started. Highly recommended.
by
Jock Serong
4 Stars
Quota is a great legal thriller, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlie Jardim is an attorney who’s just thrown his career in the trash with a frustrated outburst aimed at the wrong judge. His career is seemingly ruined, his girl friend has left him, and yet an old friend and mentor takes him on to assist in the prosecution of a high profile murder case. Jardim finds himself in a small fishing town where he’s at times ignored, at times badly snubbed, and once beaten up. His time in the village not only fulfills the mission he was sent on, but becomes a healing journey for Jardim.
The writing is excellent, the characters well-developed and easy to identify with, and the book is tough to put down once you get started. Highly recommended.
May 15, 2022
Quota
by Jock Serong
Quota is a fantastic little mystery involving abalone, intergenerational poverty, the finer points of the Australian legal system, and snorkelling; it's not a huge shock that I enjoyed this one very much.
So often, the characters in these books tend to strike a wrong note, but whether the old fart lawyers or the rough and ready fisherman, Sarong hits the mark here.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
Quota is a fantastic little mystery involving abalone, intergenerational poverty, the finer points of the Australian legal system, and snorkelling; it's not a huge shock that I enjoyed this one very much.
So often, the characters in these books tend to strike a wrong note, but whether the old fart lawyers or the rough and ready fisherman, Sarong hits the mark here.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
August 12, 2020
This book reads like it’s written by someone familiar with the realities and banalities of the Australian legal system. The problem is that Jock Serong has included it all in the story instead of filtering through them and including only the parts that make a great story.
Charlie Jardim is a prosecution lawyer on the outer. After calling a judge a heartless, corrupt, drunk, old prick during court proceedings and spending two nights in the cells on contempt charges, almost nobody wants to work with him and his mortified girlfriend (also a lawyer) has returned the engagement ring he gave her. (“I’m not going to give you that crap about it being me, because it isn’t,” she says. “It’s you.”) So he’s surprised when he’s assigned as junior counsel for a murder case in a little country town.
Harlan Weir, the senior counsel and the only person still willing to work with him, says the statement from the victim’s brother is clearly missing some vital information and he wants Charlie to head to Dauphin, a fishing town on a blustery coastline, to fill in the gaps.
Dauphin is a stereotypical small town full of blue collar workers, dodgy establishment types, the uneducated and assorted criminals. Everyone there is wary of an outsider like Charlie and none of them are inclined to help him out. Only Les, the barman at the local hotel, shows him some courtesy, offering him a place to stay and some friendly advice.
Matthew Lanegan was shot in the head, dumped on his fishing boat and set on fire after going to a meeting with Skip Murchison, the son of the richest family in town, to demand payment for delivering an illegal abalone haul to the city. Patrick Lanegan, his brother, insists he wasn’t there but Charlie doesn’t believe he would let Matthew go to the meeting alone. And he’s not going back to the city until he gets the truth out of him.
For a lawyer who is supposed to be working, Charlie spends an awful lot of time drinking at the local pub, drinking at his short-term accommodation, tagging along to parties, doing drugs, attending the football, diving in the ocean for crayfish, eating at the local Chinese restaurant and pretty much anything else he can think of to try to ingratiate himself with the townsfolk. It doesn’t work. He’s beaten up and threatened repeatedly and yet, inexplicably, Patrick decides to tell Charlie the whole story of what happened on the boat. He refuses to make an official statement though and when it comes time for the trial, it seems pretty bloody obvious that the defence lawyers are going to accuse him of lying through his teeth one way or the other.
There are so many problems with this book. First, there are very few women in it and those that do appear briefly are hopelessly stereotypical: the nagging girlfriend, the protective mother, the innocent sister. Second, Charlie is not in the least leading man material. He has a sad back story (dead brother) but no real reason for being the way he is (jaded, bland and completely uncompelling). Third, the murder that is the basis for the whole book is a bit ho hum with unsympathetic victims, dumb perpetrators and a fairly obvious trial outcome.
Nothing about this book feels original. It isn’t even worthy of being called a new take on a familiar theme. It’s just dull. I probably should have known from reading the blurb but I am always so eager to give new authors a chance that I overlooked the very vague description that was (so obviously now) concealing the complete lack of an interesting plot.
This was Jock Serong’s first book and a succession of others have followed but I won’t be reading any of them.
Charlie Jardim is a prosecution lawyer on the outer. After calling a judge a heartless, corrupt, drunk, old prick during court proceedings and spending two nights in the cells on contempt charges, almost nobody wants to work with him and his mortified girlfriend (also a lawyer) has returned the engagement ring he gave her. (“I’m not going to give you that crap about it being me, because it isn’t,” she says. “It’s you.”) So he’s surprised when he’s assigned as junior counsel for a murder case in a little country town.
Harlan Weir, the senior counsel and the only person still willing to work with him, says the statement from the victim’s brother is clearly missing some vital information and he wants Charlie to head to Dauphin, a fishing town on a blustery coastline, to fill in the gaps.
Dauphin is a stereotypical small town full of blue collar workers, dodgy establishment types, the uneducated and assorted criminals. Everyone there is wary of an outsider like Charlie and none of them are inclined to help him out. Only Les, the barman at the local hotel, shows him some courtesy, offering him a place to stay and some friendly advice.
Matthew Lanegan was shot in the head, dumped on his fishing boat and set on fire after going to a meeting with Skip Murchison, the son of the richest family in town, to demand payment for delivering an illegal abalone haul to the city. Patrick Lanegan, his brother, insists he wasn’t there but Charlie doesn’t believe he would let Matthew go to the meeting alone. And he’s not going back to the city until he gets the truth out of him.
For a lawyer who is supposed to be working, Charlie spends an awful lot of time drinking at the local pub, drinking at his short-term accommodation, tagging along to parties, doing drugs, attending the football, diving in the ocean for crayfish, eating at the local Chinese restaurant and pretty much anything else he can think of to try to ingratiate himself with the townsfolk. It doesn’t work. He’s beaten up and threatened repeatedly and yet, inexplicably, Patrick decides to tell Charlie the whole story of what happened on the boat. He refuses to make an official statement though and when it comes time for the trial, it seems pretty bloody obvious that the defence lawyers are going to accuse him of lying through his teeth one way or the other.
There are so many problems with this book. First, there are very few women in it and those that do appear briefly are hopelessly stereotypical: the nagging girlfriend, the protective mother, the innocent sister. Second, Charlie is not in the least leading man material. He has a sad back story (dead brother) but no real reason for being the way he is (jaded, bland and completely uncompelling). Third, the murder that is the basis for the whole book is a bit ho hum with unsympathetic victims, dumb perpetrators and a fairly obvious trial outcome.
Nothing about this book feels original. It isn’t even worthy of being called a new take on a familiar theme. It’s just dull. I probably should have known from reading the blurb but I am always so eager to give new authors a chance that I overlooked the very vague description that was (so obviously now) concealing the complete lack of an interesting plot.
This was Jock Serong’s first book and a succession of others have followed but I won’t be reading any of them.
February 3, 2019
HIS HONOUR: Mr Jardim, withdraw that comment immediately.
MR JARDIM: Your Honour, I'm not withdrawing it because it's got nothing to do with the merits of this case, just as your small-minded treatment of my client has got nothing to do with the merits of the case. I mean, could you have cocked this thing up any worse? Bloody helpless kid and you know she's back out on the street now. You're known throughout the state as a heartless old prick and a drunk, and seeing I've gone this far, your daughter-in-law's appointment to the court is widely viewed as a grubby political payoff. Today's pretty much the lowest I've seen you stoop but it's been a rich field of excrem—
HIS HONOUR: Senior, will you have Mr Jardim removed?
QUOTA takes an unusual case, the murder of an abalone fisherman who is also dabbling in drug distribution.
Charlie Jardim is trying to put together a case to prosecute the victim's murderers. The account given of events by the victim's brother just does not hang together so Jardim travels to a small seaside Victorian town to see if he can get people to talk.
On the way to Dauphin he hits a kangaroo and wrecks his car. He is easily identified as a city man, and outsider, and before long every knows the Prosecutor is in town. Only the pub owner will talk to him.
Eventually he befriends the victim's brother and gets a different version of what occurred, and more importantly, gets him to agree to replace the original statement that the police have on record. But this is just the start of the plot.
There is a strong Australian flavour to this recording reinforced both by the language particularly the dialogue, but also by the narrator's voice. There are superb descriptions of the Victorian countryside, of the heat, of the declining nature of the town, of the way things are ruled by one family, and the way others have to take drastic measures to survive.
MR JARDIM: Your Honour, I'm not withdrawing it because it's got nothing to do with the merits of this case, just as your small-minded treatment of my client has got nothing to do with the merits of the case. I mean, could you have cocked this thing up any worse? Bloody helpless kid and you know she's back out on the street now. You're known throughout the state as a heartless old prick and a drunk, and seeing I've gone this far, your daughter-in-law's appointment to the court is widely viewed as a grubby political payoff. Today's pretty much the lowest I've seen you stoop but it's been a rich field of excrem—
HIS HONOUR: Senior, will you have Mr Jardim removed?
QUOTA takes an unusual case, the murder of an abalone fisherman who is also dabbling in drug distribution.
Charlie Jardim is trying to put together a case to prosecute the victim's murderers. The account given of events by the victim's brother just does not hang together so Jardim travels to a small seaside Victorian town to see if he can get people to talk.
On the way to Dauphin he hits a kangaroo and wrecks his car. He is easily identified as a city man, and outsider, and before long every knows the Prosecutor is in town. Only the pub owner will talk to him.
Eventually he befriends the victim's brother and gets a different version of what occurred, and more importantly, gets him to agree to replace the original statement that the police have on record. But this is just the start of the plot.
There is a strong Australian flavour to this recording reinforced both by the language particularly the dialogue, but also by the narrator's voice. There are superb descriptions of the Victorian countryside, of the heat, of the declining nature of the town, of the way things are ruled by one family, and the way others have to take drastic measures to survive.
October 28, 2019
Quota is a legal thriller about a murder at sea off the coast of Dauphin, a fictitious fishing port in Victoria. The Murchisons have an abalone licence that permits them to ring in a set quota of this valuable shell-fish. When the quota is exceeded, there is a choice between putting the abalone back in the sea or selling it on the black market. Abalone licences are valuable – worth millions of dollars – and the quotas are heavily policed. So a black market abalone operation is a plausible basis for a murder mystery…
Two families in Dauphin – the Murchisons and the Lanegans – have been involved in the illicit trade. A Lanegan is dead, their boat has been torched, and a Murcheson is on trial for murder alongside a sidekick called McVean.
Maverick lawyer, Charlie Jardim, is rescued from professional purgatory and sent to Dauphin to beef up the prosecution case by getting Patrick Lanegan to change his police statement.
I’m afraid the result is rather dull. Alcoholic lawyer ends up in hick town full of unwelcoming inbreds, living there for weeks to carry out a fairly straightforward task, ends up in the middle of a feud between two indistinguishable families, and the murder case turns out to have been a [little] bit more complicated than it first seemed.
The plot is complex and hard to follow. The characters are rather clichéd and hard to tell apart. The town never really feels real and crucial developments require the reader to create a detailed image of the layout of the interior of the fishing boats. Oh, and there are lengthy legal scenes and statements that might add verisimilitude (they are the only parts of the text that ever feel solid) but wreck the pacing.
I’m afraid Quota was really rather hard going. If you want to read a better investigative novel set in regional Australia, try Chris Hammer’s Scrublands.
Two families in Dauphin – the Murchisons and the Lanegans – have been involved in the illicit trade. A Lanegan is dead, their boat has been torched, and a Murcheson is on trial for murder alongside a sidekick called McVean.
Maverick lawyer, Charlie Jardim, is rescued from professional purgatory and sent to Dauphin to beef up the prosecution case by getting Patrick Lanegan to change his police statement.
I’m afraid the result is rather dull. Alcoholic lawyer ends up in hick town full of unwelcoming inbreds, living there for weeks to carry out a fairly straightforward task, ends up in the middle of a feud between two indistinguishable families, and the murder case turns out to have been a [little] bit more complicated than it first seemed.
The plot is complex and hard to follow. The characters are rather clichéd and hard to tell apart. The town never really feels real and crucial developments require the reader to create a detailed image of the layout of the interior of the fishing boats. Oh, and there are lengthy legal scenes and statements that might add verisimilitude (they are the only parts of the text that ever feel solid) but wreck the pacing.
I’m afraid Quota was really rather hard going. If you want to read a better investigative novel set in regional Australia, try Chris Hammer’s Scrublands.
September 16, 2022
We start with a court scene which has little to do with what follows, except that the lawyer, Charlie, is the central figure thereafter. Then we go to Dauphin, a small fishing village in Victoria, to a Barry Egan who sought of putters about here and again at the end. Barry watches two fishing boats, one badly burnt as is the body on board, the other with two very nasty characters, Murchison and McVean. Patrick Lonergan, his family small-town enemies of the Murchisons, is there too and writes a false statement to the police. Charlie is sent to Dauphin to clear up non sequiturs in Patrick’s statement. One of those very nasty characters is Murchison whose family run Dauphin. Charlie s warned off: he is an outsider meddling in the town’s business. The story finally ends up in court, Murchison and McVean are charged with murder. Patrick as main witness gives a new version, the reader knows it’s the true one, but he is shredded by the defence lawyer. The prosecution fails, and two very nasty men are free. But their smuggling gains in over quota abalone and in hash fall into the right hands after all. The plot is thin, especially when Barry reappears and many characters are too nasty, too vulnerable or like Charlie, evince little sympathy. Anna seems to be Charlie's ex, but she is entirely superfluous to the story. It is Serong’s first book and it shows. His later works are much better. Writing this, I’m tempted to down grade to a **.
November 13, 2018
I'm walking backwards for Christmas - thanks Spike - yes while others are leaping on Preservation, newly released, I have just read the first. Quota was published in May 2014 and that seems a very long time ago, as three other novels have appeared since - all very well received. Hopefully a few new readers will find their ways back to Quota after reading Preservation or ... Backyard Cricket because Quota is a great read - real fishing [not angling], commercial realities, small towns, desperate crime especially with abalone, drugs and cash, and a courtroom or two.
Settings aside, the characters are loveable, hateable or able to be despaired over [great sentence that!]. The Charlie courtroom tirade, now infamous, is a magic piece of writing, worthy of a cheer squad complete with floggers. And yes, Charlie is a flawed character who interacts [sometimes with violence] with other flawed characters - some forgivable and some real turds.
It is a fabulous book and worthy of a horde of new readers who missed it at the time, perhaps essential for potential seachangers, judgement damaged by Diver Dan et al.
Settings aside, the characters are loveable, hateable or able to be despaired over [great sentence that!]. The Charlie courtroom tirade, now infamous, is a magic piece of writing, worthy of a cheer squad complete with floggers. And yes, Charlie is a flawed character who interacts [sometimes with violence] with other flawed characters - some forgivable and some real turds.
It is a fabulous book and worthy of a horde of new readers who missed it at the time, perhaps essential for potential seachangers, judgement damaged by Diver Dan et al.
February 1, 2021
Its been a long time since I've read a good thriller, and, truth be told, a while since I've read much fiction. I tend to be more of a non-fiction person, so I took a punt and borrowed this book from the library. As his first novel, I thought it was fantastic. There was enough pace to the story, without losing out on some great descriptive passages. The characters were realistic, the story had me gripped and the ending was subtle and just about right.
I also loved the fact that this is a standalone. So many crime novels are part of endless series, and although I do like getting to know a character, sometimes its nice to meet them, get to know them, then say goodbye to them. I really enjoyed the construction of Charlie Jardim as well as Patrick Lannigan, but I was also satisfied by the conclusion and didn't feel the burning desire for the story to continue. I, actually, thought that was a strength.
I am going to have a go at more of this author. His is a distinctly Australian voice and his story is set in a distinctly Australian setting which I loved. A highly recommended first novel.
I also loved the fact that this is a standalone. So many crime novels are part of endless series, and although I do like getting to know a character, sometimes its nice to meet them, get to know them, then say goodbye to them. I really enjoyed the construction of Charlie Jardim as well as Patrick Lannigan, but I was also satisfied by the conclusion and didn't feel the burning desire for the story to continue. I, actually, thought that was a strength.
I am going to have a go at more of this author. His is a distinctly Australian voice and his story is set in a distinctly Australian setting which I loved. A highly recommended first novel.
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