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Wyatt #2
Paydirt
Careful, exacting and ruthless, Wyatt is a consummate criminal and a solitary giant in Australian crime writing.
This time it’s a payroll and bank run in the north of South Australia, an outpost town suddenly transformed by a pipeline construction project that brings petty crime, prostitution—and opportunity. It’s a town with its own secrets and Wyatt isn’t quick to trust at the best of times. But he’s on the run and he can’t afford to be choosy.
This is another masterpiece of orchestration and unravelling, anchored by an unforgettable ticking-clock sequence that will keep you swiping those pages. Fans of Garry Disher’s other writing may recognise the landscape and some of the place names of The Sunken Road, and fans of noir and hard-boiled fiction will find a fascinating extension of the genre.
This time it’s a payroll and bank run in the north of South Australia, an outpost town suddenly transformed by a pipeline construction project that brings petty crime, prostitution—and opportunity. It’s a town with its own secrets and Wyatt isn’t quick to trust at the best of times. But he’s on the run and he can’t afford to be choosy.
This is another masterpiece of orchestration and unravelling, anchored by an unforgettable ticking-clock sequence that will keep you swiping those pages. Fans of Garry Disher’s other writing may recognise the landscape and some of the place names of The Sunken Road, and fans of noir and hard-boiled fiction will find a fascinating extension of the genre.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
74 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Garry Disher
92 books719 followersGarry Disher was born in 1949 and grew up on his parents' farm in South Australia.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
April 22, 2023
4★
“He lost control at one point, spinning around in gravel and slamming against a strainer post. It slowed him down. The side panel had buckled, scraping the front tyre, and he limped into Terowie, a small town on the Broken Hill road. General MacArthur had stopped there once, in 1942; that was all Wyatt knew about the place. Within five minutes he had stolen another car. He drove south this time, keeping to the main road. In Riverton he stole a third car.”
Wyatt is a dodgy character, up to no good and in it only for himself, but it’s hard not to feel compelled to see what scrapes he’s going to get into and how he’s going to get out of them. Jumping from stolen car to stolen car is just another day at work for him.
He’s a cold-hearted bank robber and thief who likes to ‘earn’ enough to take the winters off and go somewhere warm and pleasant for a few months.
“It was as though these banks, payroll deliveries, office safes and jewellers existed only for him.”
Ripe for the picking, so why not? He doesn’t seem to set out with murder on his mind, but he also doesn’t have any compunction about killing someone who crosses him, let alone those who are actively hunting him. The Sydney Outfit, for example – he crossed them – has an ex-cop working for them who has tracked Wyatt to his latest target, a payroll.
As always, Disher’s characters and landscape are wonderfully recognisable. Leah, a woman working with him, is approached by the man from the Sydney Outfit, Letterman.
“She smelt cop. He wasn’t dressed like one, and he wasn’t acting like one, but she smelt cop all the same. It was the suspicion, worn like a layer of skin, the contempt, the swagger of the heavy limbs. He had clever eyes in the whitest skin she’d ever seen on anyone and the sort of cop expression she knew well—permanent bleakness and cynicism. The eyes seemed to sum her up and toss her out.”
I love this sort of thing – how Disher describes a man’s gestures.
“Tobin was an uneducated man. Like many men who work at practical jobs, he relied on physical gestures to supplement speech. Wyatt glanced away from the road for a moment, to see how Tobin would answer this question, and saw an elaborate play of shoulders, mouth and hands, Tobin’s way of saying, ‘You got me there.’”
Letterman, in his business suit and polished shoes, goes to buy a bus ticket in the country.
“Letterman went into the bus station and stood in line at the ticket counter. He looked around while he waited. The linoleum floors were worn and dirty. There were scuff marks on the walls. The lockers were chipped and dented, the plastic seats spotted with cigarette burns. It was nine in the morning and the place was wall to wall human garbage and they were all eating hotdogs. Letterman pictured it: lock the doors, toss in a Molotov cocktail.”
Life on the road for Wyatt:
“Now and then he passed through small towns. At night they appeared to flatten their bellies to the ground. The shopfronts seemed to hide under drooping verandahs. Dewy cars turned their backs away and the street lamps were meek and blanketed. It was all depressing. Wyatt preferred the open road, where he had the sensation of riding across the roof of the world.”
I have to say I prefer reading about Disher’s good guys, of whom I become fond, but I can’t help admiring how he handles Wyatt and his (often useless and/or dangerous) companions.
I think this would just as enjoyable as a stand-alone.
The first in the Wyatt series is Kickback.
My review of Kickback
“He lost control at one point, spinning around in gravel and slamming against a strainer post. It slowed him down. The side panel had buckled, scraping the front tyre, and he limped into Terowie, a small town on the Broken Hill road. General MacArthur had stopped there once, in 1942; that was all Wyatt knew about the place. Within five minutes he had stolen another car. He drove south this time, keeping to the main road. In Riverton he stole a third car.”
Wyatt is a dodgy character, up to no good and in it only for himself, but it’s hard not to feel compelled to see what scrapes he’s going to get into and how he’s going to get out of them. Jumping from stolen car to stolen car is just another day at work for him.
He’s a cold-hearted bank robber and thief who likes to ‘earn’ enough to take the winters off and go somewhere warm and pleasant for a few months.
“It was as though these banks, payroll deliveries, office safes and jewellers existed only for him.”
Ripe for the picking, so why not? He doesn’t seem to set out with murder on his mind, but he also doesn’t have any compunction about killing someone who crosses him, let alone those who are actively hunting him. The Sydney Outfit, for example – he crossed them – has an ex-cop working for them who has tracked Wyatt to his latest target, a payroll.
As always, Disher’s characters and landscape are wonderfully recognisable. Leah, a woman working with him, is approached by the man from the Sydney Outfit, Letterman.
“She smelt cop. He wasn’t dressed like one, and he wasn’t acting like one, but she smelt cop all the same. It was the suspicion, worn like a layer of skin, the contempt, the swagger of the heavy limbs. He had clever eyes in the whitest skin she’d ever seen on anyone and the sort of cop expression she knew well—permanent bleakness and cynicism. The eyes seemed to sum her up and toss her out.”
I love this sort of thing – how Disher describes a man’s gestures.
“Tobin was an uneducated man. Like many men who work at practical jobs, he relied on physical gestures to supplement speech. Wyatt glanced away from the road for a moment, to see how Tobin would answer this question, and saw an elaborate play of shoulders, mouth and hands, Tobin’s way of saying, ‘You got me there.’”
Letterman, in his business suit and polished shoes, goes to buy a bus ticket in the country.
“Letterman went into the bus station and stood in line at the ticket counter. He looked around while he waited. The linoleum floors were worn and dirty. There were scuff marks on the walls. The lockers were chipped and dented, the plastic seats spotted with cigarette burns. It was nine in the morning and the place was wall to wall human garbage and they were all eating hotdogs. Letterman pictured it: lock the doors, toss in a Molotov cocktail.”
Life on the road for Wyatt:
“Now and then he passed through small towns. At night they appeared to flatten their bellies to the ground. The shopfronts seemed to hide under drooping verandahs. Dewy cars turned their backs away and the street lamps were meek and blanketed. It was all depressing. Wyatt preferred the open road, where he had the sensation of riding across the roof of the world.”
I have to say I prefer reading about Disher’s good guys, of whom I become fond, but I can’t help admiring how he handles Wyatt and his (often useless and/or dangerous) companions.
I think this would just as enjoyable as a stand-alone.
The first in the Wyatt series is Kickback.
My review of Kickback
April 29, 2021
This is a delightfully different series as Wyatt is the main character and also the main villain. He is super smart but almost totally cold and self contained, only maintaining relationships by learning the reactions he should have rather than feeling them himself. He kills without compunction when it is necessary for him to survive himself.
Garry Disher writes clever, convoluted crimes and in this one he gives us all he has got. I lost track of the bodies as they piled up and was amazed by the action in the closing pages. Paydirt did not finish the story arc by any manner of means. I cannot wait to see what happens next
Garry Disher writes clever, convoluted crimes and in this one he gives us all he has got. I lost track of the bodies as they piled up and was amazed by the action in the closing pages. Paydirt did not finish the story arc by any manner of means. I cannot wait to see what happens next
July 25, 2016
Wyatt was working in the Brava Construction repair shop in the small town in outback South Australia just north of Adelaide – but while he was getting himself dirty, he was keeping an eye on the Steelgard security van that had arrived with the money to pay the workers. A company filled with Chileans, the pay packets would be large – his intent on snatching a payroll was coming closer. Every Thursday he had sussed it out; kept an eye on proceedings. He had come to the conclusion that security was lax and the guards never changed their routine.
But unknown to Wyatt his name was on a hit list – his previous job had caused major problems; he needed to be silenced and there was one man determined to do that job. All he had to do was find Wyatt’s current location – the word was out; he just had to wait…
As the day of the heist came ever closer, Wyatt was calm – meticulous in his organisation, he couldn’t say the same for those he had brought in to do the job with him. The payload would be huge – he could afford to pay attention to detail. But was Wyatt the only person who needed extra cash?
Paydirt by Aussie author Garry Disher is another fast paced crime novel which is set around career criminal Wyatt. An unusual plot line with the main character being a crook – but he’s a great character and I find myself on his side, as the bad guys he comes up against are usually worse than he is! I’m thoroughly enjoying Disher’s work, and plan to read much more! Highly recommended.
But unknown to Wyatt his name was on a hit list – his previous job had caused major problems; he needed to be silenced and there was one man determined to do that job. All he had to do was find Wyatt’s current location – the word was out; he just had to wait…
As the day of the heist came ever closer, Wyatt was calm – meticulous in his organisation, he couldn’t say the same for those he had brought in to do the job with him. The payload would be huge – he could afford to pay attention to detail. But was Wyatt the only person who needed extra cash?
Paydirt by Aussie author Garry Disher is another fast paced crime novel which is set around career criminal Wyatt. An unusual plot line with the main character being a crook – but he’s a great character and I find myself on his side, as the bad guys he comes up against are usually worse than he is! I’m thoroughly enjoying Disher’s work, and plan to read much more! Highly recommended.
July 2, 2023
Wyatt watched the traffic, the everyday commerce of the suburban streets. He did it automatically. It was as though these banks, payroll deliveries, office safes and jewellers existed only for him. At Victoria Park race course he was reminded of a job he had on hold, to snatch the gate receipts at a big sporting event someday, some place where the security had been allowed to get slack…
Paydirt follows on from Kickback, where Australia’s favourite antihero, professional thief Wyatt, is laying low after a big job in Melbourne went belly-up, an associate was killed and a Sydney mob has a contract out for him. Now in the back blocks of South Australia, he is working on the construction site of a major gas pipeline project, with many of the employees foreign nationals on working visas, keeping a watchful eye on the day the payroll truck arrives, its security, route and shortcuts taken by the driver. But when the authorities swoop upon the camp, Wyatt has to leg-it.
He crouched in the shadows. There were a couple of Kingswoods across the road in Triggs yard. Wyatt could hotwire Kingswoods with his eyes closed.
Aided by a ‘madam’ he’s known for years, a plan is hatched, vehicles acquired, an abandoned farmhouse set up, a techo recruited to jam radio transmissions and a haulage driver to cart the hijacked payroll van to where it could be opened and emptied while a police search was underway. As always, there is little honour among thieves: when a plan is good, someone else wants a part of it: desperate people.
I cannot speak highly enough of these earlier works by Garry Disher; his characters and descriptions of the terrain just flow. First published in 1992, Paydirt has been out of print for a while and I applaud publishers “untapped for bringing Australian contemporary classics titles to a new readership. At just over 160 pages it is relatively short read, with an ending that closes one chapter and opens a new one. Now I have to track down #3 in the series.
Paydirt follows on from Kickback, where Australia’s favourite antihero, professional thief Wyatt, is laying low after a big job in Melbourne went belly-up, an associate was killed and a Sydney mob has a contract out for him. Now in the back blocks of South Australia, he is working on the construction site of a major gas pipeline project, with many of the employees foreign nationals on working visas, keeping a watchful eye on the day the payroll truck arrives, its security, route and shortcuts taken by the driver. But when the authorities swoop upon the camp, Wyatt has to leg-it.
He crouched in the shadows. There were a couple of Kingswoods across the road in Triggs yard. Wyatt could hotwire Kingswoods with his eyes closed.
Aided by a ‘madam’ he’s known for years, a plan is hatched, vehicles acquired, an abandoned farmhouse set up, a techo recruited to jam radio transmissions and a haulage driver to cart the hijacked payroll van to where it could be opened and emptied while a police search was underway. As always, there is little honour among thieves: when a plan is good, someone else wants a part of it: desperate people.
I cannot speak highly enough of these earlier works by Garry Disher; his characters and descriptions of the terrain just flow. First published in 1992, Paydirt has been out of print for a while and I applaud publishers “untapped for bringing Australian contemporary classics titles to a new readership. At just over 160 pages it is relatively short read, with an ending that closes one chapter and opens a new one. Now I have to track down #3 in the series.
June 19, 2022
This is the second book in the Wyatt series and in this one Wyatt is planning to steal the wages from a pay delivery. Obviously this is set in the day when people were paid in cash for work. Set in rural South Australia, Wyatt scopes out the Steelguard van and its route.
Unbeknownst to Wyatt he has a hitman on his tail from a disgruntled Sydney crime group and he is also stomping on the territory of a local criminal.
Typical Disher, the story is delivered directly and unembellished. Looking forward to book 3.
Unbeknownst to Wyatt he has a hitman on his tail from a disgruntled Sydney crime group and he is also stomping on the territory of a local criminal.
Typical Disher, the story is delivered directly and unembellished. Looking forward to book 3.
March 3, 2015
Wyatt the cold, unfeeling, bastard heistman, on the run from a previous job gone wrong hides out in a small town and gets interested in a new job to recoup his losses. Sound familiar noir fans? That's because Wyatt is Australia's answer to Richard Stark's Parker. I've often said things like "nobody writes like Richard Stark" or "Parker is a one of a kind anti-hero" but having dipped my toes in to the world of Garry Disher's early 90s creation I'm going to have to amend that as Paydirt is on the same level as the best of the Stark/Parker series. Here Disher is much more than somebody simply writing in the style of a great of his field, he seems to have spotted some of the same weaknesses of some of the Parker books and fleshed out the supporting characters for example, I might even stretch to say that this is better than the majority of the Parker books that I've read thanks to the quality of back story provided and the structural choices made. It also helps that Wyatt's world is not a faceless urban centre but a beautifully realised portrait of the South Australian townships and farmlands that Disher himself grew up in and around.
It's got all the morally grey moments you look for in your Parker books and a toned down misogyny towards female characters, the cross-double cross scenarios that Stark loved to write by rote feel enhanced upon and seem quite a bit more than perfunctory in this instance. Whether the same level was achieved throughout the rest of the series I cannot say as yet but hopefully this level of pleasure can be maintained during future exploration of Wyatt's nihilist worldview and intricately plotted heists.
It's got all the morally grey moments you look for in your Parker books and a toned down misogyny towards female characters, the cross-double cross scenarios that Stark loved to write by rote feel enhanced upon and seem quite a bit more than perfunctory in this instance. Whether the same level was achieved throughout the rest of the series I cannot say as yet but hopefully this level of pleasure can be maintained during future exploration of Wyatt's nihilist worldview and intricately plotted heists.
January 17, 2016
This Aussie version of Parker doesn't seem to have a lick of luck. He's a bit desperate to recover from his last job, but makes some decisions that don't fit all that well with his character. I'll give it a pass, but that took some of the wind out of the book for me. Otherwise, it was pretty good. It's a real kick to read Australian pulp fiction. Love the similarities & differences in the life styles, language, & such. It's made even better by the character.
Unfortunately, there's a major unresolved issue so I have to read the next book. Last one if he doesn't at least start resolving it then, though.
Unfortunately, there's a major unresolved issue so I have to read the next book. Last one if he doesn't at least start resolving it then, though.
August 13, 2023
Nothing goes right for master thief Wyatt. This time he’s scoping out the payroll manoeuvres for a pipe laying company in the north of South Australia. He’s methodical, he’s planned for every contingency except the one that happens. My hunch is that Wyatt is slowly dying inside from the run of coincidences and bad luck that dogs him.
November 8, 2015
One of Gary Disher’s creations is Wyatt, a rather nasty fellow, living in Australia who likes to rob things. He’s obsessive about never leaving a trace so all paperwork and contact with the cops is to be avoided at all costs. His sometimes squeeze has told him about a sweet deal where a company has been hired to build a pipeline and has a substantial payday on a regular basis. It’s a score worth contemplating.
There are several complications, the most pressing being there’s a price on his head of twenty-thousand pounds offered by the mob that he had ripped off in a previous heist. Not to mention that the team he assembled is fracturing and they are aware of the bounty. Also to consider is that unbeknownst to Wyatt, there another group with a similar plan.
Disher’s Wyatt is as good as Westlake’s Dortmunder or Collins’ Quarry but lacking the undercurrent of lightness. This stuff is much darker. But sometimes you need dark. It’s all in fun and makes for a nice read.
There are several complications, the most pressing being there’s a price on his head of twenty-thousand pounds offered by the mob that he had ripped off in a previous heist. Not to mention that the team he assembled is fracturing and they are aware of the bounty. Also to consider is that unbeknownst to Wyatt, there another group with a similar plan.
Disher’s Wyatt is as good as Westlake’s Dortmunder or Collins’ Quarry but lacking the undercurrent of lightness. This stuff is much darker. But sometimes you need dark. It’s all in fun and makes for a nice read.
January 20, 2024
Wyatt will dieses Mal den Geldtransporter mit den Lohngeldern einer großen Baufirma irgendwo im Outback abfangen. Doch kann er sich wirklich auf sein kleines Team verlassen? Denn weil er bei einem anderen Coup vor einigen Monaten anderen Gangster in die Quere kam, sinnen diese nun auf Rache.
Garry Disher ist einer der besten Krimiautoren der Welt. Sein Renommee gründet sich auch auf der Wyatt-Reihe, schnörkellose Gangsterromane mit einem wortkargen Profiverbrecher. „Dreck“ ist der zweite Band der Reihe aus dem Jahr 1992 und liest sich immer noch gut weg.
Garry Disher ist einer der besten Krimiautoren der Welt. Sein Renommee gründet sich auch auf der Wyatt-Reihe, schnörkellose Gangsterromane mit einem wortkargen Profiverbrecher. „Dreck“ ist der zweite Band der Reihe aus dem Jahr 1992 und liest sich immer noch gut weg.
February 25, 2017
Wyatt is a career criminal who does big jobs only. He is putting together a payroll hit in a South Australian country town with his usual meticulous planning. Unfortunately the last the last job in Melbourne went wrong and this has made it difficult for him to put together the team that he would like. Ahead of his time, he has a woman on the team plus two men he doesn't know well; an electronics man and the vehicle man. They are the unknown factors within the team.
What Wyatt doesn't know is that outside the team, the Melbourne job is still haunting him. He's upset the Sydney underbelly and they have put $20,000 on his head and sent a disgraced ex-cop to do the hit. Can Wyatt avoid the unknown killer while pulling off the job in spite of the problems in his team?
Disher does a fabulous of job of engaging us with Wyatt, the antihero. This is not by making Wyatt a deeply sympathetic character as Wyatt as frequently emotionless. It's his awareness of this characteristic and the problems it can sometimes cause, as well as his occasional surprise and gratification at the intimate offerings of others that draw us in.
Ally this with great mystery writer and this is an excellent book. My only qualification is that it ends in with the segue for the next book in place. Not my favourite style of ending.
Highly Recommended
What Wyatt doesn't know is that outside the team, the Melbourne job is still haunting him. He's upset the Sydney underbelly and they have put $20,000 on his head and sent a disgraced ex-cop to do the hit. Can Wyatt avoid the unknown killer while pulling off the job in spite of the problems in his team?
Disher does a fabulous of job of engaging us with Wyatt, the antihero. This is not by making Wyatt a deeply sympathetic character as Wyatt as frequently emotionless. It's his awareness of this characteristic and the problems it can sometimes cause, as well as his occasional surprise and gratification at the intimate offerings of others that draw us in.
Ally this with great mystery writer and this is an excellent book. My only qualification is that it ends in with the segue for the next book in place. Not my favourite style of ending.
Highly Recommended
August 20, 2015
PROTAGONIST: Wyatt
SETTING: Small town in Australia
SERIES: #2 of 7
RATING: 4.5
WHY: Wyatt is working on a construction site in a small town in Australia in preparation for hijacking the armored car van that stops there weekly. He hires on a small crew to help him out. His planning is meticulous, but he is double crossed. Meanwhile, there's a price on his head for a job he pulled in Melbourne. Wyatt is emotionless and cold, but oh what an interesting character!
SETTING: Small town in Australia
SERIES: #2 of 7
RATING: 4.5
WHY: Wyatt is working on a construction site in a small town in Australia in preparation for hijacking the armored car van that stops there weekly. He hires on a small crew to help him out. His planning is meticulous, but he is double crossed. Meanwhile, there's a price on his head for a job he pulled in Melbourne. Wyatt is emotionless and cold, but oh what an interesting character!
June 1, 2011
One of the great joys of my reading life is the occasional chance to wander back through a much loved series. And what's not to absobloodylutely love about the Wyatt series from Garry Disher.
Taut as, these books are short, sharp and to the point. 173 pages short. A salient reminder to the reader that you don't actually need 500 or so pages in which to develop a storyline, build a character, create some tension, get in some action, build up a bit of angst, bring in a few double-crossers, and get Wyatt out of trouble by the skin of his teeth.
If that doesn't appeal then consider Wyatt - unrepentant, unapologetic thief. Controlled, self-contained, a crook with none of that fluffy heart-of-gold bullshit. Wyatt is clinical, careful, considered and out to ensure that Wyatt survives. This series is different, fantastic and it just got better and better. It's no trial to reread these. They are the perfect solution to the reading slump that hits even somebody as addicted to a book in hand as me.
Taut as, these books are short, sharp and to the point. 173 pages short. A salient reminder to the reader that you don't actually need 500 or so pages in which to develop a storyline, build a character, create some tension, get in some action, build up a bit of angst, bring in a few double-crossers, and get Wyatt out of trouble by the skin of his teeth.
If that doesn't appeal then consider Wyatt - unrepentant, unapologetic thief. Controlled, self-contained, a crook with none of that fluffy heart-of-gold bullshit. Wyatt is clinical, careful, considered and out to ensure that Wyatt survives. This series is different, fantastic and it just got better and better. It's no trial to reread these. They are the perfect solution to the reading slump that hits even somebody as addicted to a book in hand as me.
July 21, 2019
Paydirt is book two in the Wyatt series by Garry Disher. Wyatt is on the run and running out of money he accepts a job from a friend Leah to rob the Belcowie payroll. However, for Wyatt, with all his planning, the robbery failed. To make his life worse, someone out to kill him. The readers of Paydirt will continue to follow Wyatt to see if he survives.
I am amazed how Garry Disher can portray a master thief like Wyatt in a way that engages me with the characters and the plot of books in this series. Paydirt is an enjoyable book to read, and I like the way Garry Disher describes the settings. I love Garry Disher portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Paydirt is well written and researched by Garry Disher. The way Garry Disher describes his settings allowed me to imagine living in the small town of Belcowie South Australia.
The readers of Paydirt will find out the consequences of revenge for everyone involved. Also, the readers will learn about building a pipeline in South Australia.
I recommend this book.
I am amazed how Garry Disher can portray a master thief like Wyatt in a way that engages me with the characters and the plot of books in this series. Paydirt is an enjoyable book to read, and I like the way Garry Disher describes the settings. I love Garry Disher portrayal of his characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Paydirt is well written and researched by Garry Disher. The way Garry Disher describes his settings allowed me to imagine living in the small town of Belcowie South Australia.
The readers of Paydirt will find out the consequences of revenge for everyone involved. Also, the readers will learn about building a pipeline in South Australia.
I recommend this book.
March 25, 2022
First read 2008(?)
Reread 2022
Reread 2022
March 31, 2023
Another solid outing with Wyatt, who is definitely an interesting character to read. Some unexpected twists and turns, and I am looking forward to more from the series.
August 12, 2025
Gritty Wyatt novella. Cleverly written so the reader is always onside with the law breaking central character. Sparse, stylish prose. Even a love interest! 3.5 stars 🌟
April 6, 2023
Wyatt book two a worthy successor of Parker. Great setting of a payroll heist in an isolated South Australian construction town.
February 13, 2010
Wyatt is planning a hit on an armored car that delivers a payroll to a company way out in the country every week employing $1,500 a week pipeline construction workers. He'd taken a job there to case the layout and had the job planned when immigration raided the job.
He makes his escape even as they are arresting a number of illegal South Americans.
Unwilling to give up the job, he comes at it from a different angle, making a new plan and lining up men for the job.
At the same time, a hit man was tracking him down, a contract taken out by the outfit because of his hit on one of their front businesses. He'd put out feelers of a reward for the man who pointed him to Wyatt.
The day of the job, things begin to go wrong. Betrayal from two fronts, a second crew after the payroll complicate things. It also pisses off Wyatt. He's a man who doesn't like to be crossed. Killing only when necessary, he won't hesitate when it does become necessary.
The second novel featuring Australia's Parker.
He makes his escape even as they are arresting a number of illegal South Americans.
Unwilling to give up the job, he comes at it from a different angle, making a new plan and lining up men for the job.
At the same time, a hit man was tracking him down, a contract taken out by the outfit because of his hit on one of their front businesses. He'd put out feelers of a reward for the man who pointed him to Wyatt.
The day of the job, things begin to go wrong. Betrayal from two fronts, a second crew after the payroll complicate things. It also pisses off Wyatt. He's a man who doesn't like to be crossed. Killing only when necessary, he won't hesitate when it does become necessary.
The second novel featuring Australia's Parker.
January 29, 2022
In this second instalment in the series Wyatt is
on the run and moves to South Australia till ‘the heat’ dies down. Desperate for cash he plans a job to rob the payroll van of a pipeline project in a country town. Once again he has to rely on others to pull off the job and things don’t go to plan. Wyatt’s meticulous timeline for the heist ensures some cracking tension during the raid and afterwards as he races to escape realising the money’s already been stolen in a double-cross. He’s really angry and intent on finding out who crossed him. There’s some rough justice meted out but the money is already on its way to a criminal enterprise in Melbourne in payment of a debt by the double-crosser. The scene is set for Wyatt to target them for payback…
I’m still enjoying this noir series although I’m starting to think Wyatt is really out of luck after yet another double-cross. For a smart operator he should be doing better! Being Australian, I love the local settings. They’re well drawn and the familiarity adds to my enjoyment.
on the run and moves to South Australia till ‘the heat’ dies down. Desperate for cash he plans a job to rob the payroll van of a pipeline project in a country town. Once again he has to rely on others to pull off the job and things don’t go to plan. Wyatt’s meticulous timeline for the heist ensures some cracking tension during the raid and afterwards as he races to escape realising the money’s already been stolen in a double-cross. He’s really angry and intent on finding out who crossed him. There’s some rough justice meted out but the money is already on its way to a criminal enterprise in Melbourne in payment of a debt by the double-crosser. The scene is set for Wyatt to target them for payback…
I’m still enjoying this noir series although I’m starting to think Wyatt is really out of luck after yet another double-cross. For a smart operator he should be doing better! Being Australian, I love the local settings. They’re well drawn and the familiarity adds to my enjoyment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2022
Got to love the Wyatt series. I read these on release and am revisiting now, still brilliant flowing romps with the quintessential Australian bent.
October 18, 2024
In this second entry in the Wyatt series, I learned that I am not going to continue with the series. Again, Wyatt basically does everything he did in the first novel, planning a robbery, involving people he's not sure about, getting cheated, etc. And, although I forgot to mention it, the book just ends with us hanging in a way that feels unsatisfactory. I am fine when a series author gives us a hint of what is to come, but only if I find the story I was reading was satisfactorily resolved. In both Kickback and Paydirt, it just drifts off and part of the same situation in one book continues into the next book when it feels to me like the first book's plot needed that. I do not have the time or patience to read what is essentially a serial novel as opposed to a series involving the same protagonist.
Also the plot was as unoriginal as Kickback with many similar elements. Maybe some more gruesome bad guys but really, I can read about psychopaths in books by fabulous writers who engage my attention and deeply concern themselves with good plotting and much less shallow characters. It's a cartoonish approach many would enjoy. The writing is good. For its kind. Not for me.
Also the plot was as unoriginal as Kickback with many similar elements. Maybe some more gruesome bad guys but really, I can read about psychopaths in books by fabulous writers who engage my attention and deeply concern themselves with good plotting and much less shallow characters. It's a cartoonish approach many would enjoy. The writing is good. For its kind. Not for me.
October 3, 2021
I'm getting to like Wyatt, the criminal who fights for his life and financial future with great intelligence in pre millennial times that seem simpler and more clear cut than modern crimes.
This book presents the second installment in the story of a smart man who has been targetted by a criminal gang after his previous job disrupted their organisation. Wyatt targets the delivery of pay to a large organisation by a security company in country South Australia, from the days when cash was delivered in sacks in trucks and paid in envelopes to employees. Even the details make you nostalgic!
Things go wrong despite his careful planning and he is forced to run to survive, and then to track down the money, while a paid assassin is on his trail.
Great story and sparse writing make this an easy read, and maintain the aura of the lone man outsmarting the world. The ending leaves the story incomplete, Wyatt is looking for his money and taking on the criminal underworld. Bring it on.
This book presents the second installment in the story of a smart man who has been targetted by a criminal gang after his previous job disrupted their organisation. Wyatt targets the delivery of pay to a large organisation by a security company in country South Australia, from the days when cash was delivered in sacks in trucks and paid in envelopes to employees. Even the details make you nostalgic!
Things go wrong despite his careful planning and he is forced to run to survive, and then to track down the money, while a paid assassin is on his trail.
Great story and sparse writing make this an easy read, and maintain the aura of the lone man outsmarting the world. The ending leaves the story incomplete, Wyatt is looking for his money and taking on the criminal underworld. Bring it on.
March 22, 2022
I am enjoying listening to the Wyatt series and the narrator, Dorje Swallow, is perfect for these books. He has the right voice and sets the right tone. The way the book is written is perfect for the character too. Short, sharp sentences and no wasted words. Just like Wyatt himself who doesn't bother with niceties.
I won't go into the plot, plenty of others have done that but I like the way the books follow on from each other. The ending of the first one left an opening for a sequel but this second one just begs you to go and get the third book! Luckily I was able to get it and am listening to it now.
In this book, Wyatt is so far down on his luck, totally without any friends or contacts he can trust and yet he always manages to come up with a way to get him out of a tight spot or an idea to give him an angle into a new job. Amazing stuff!
I won't go into the plot, plenty of others have done that but I like the way the books follow on from each other. The ending of the first one left an opening for a sequel but this second one just begs you to go and get the third book! Luckily I was able to get it and am listening to it now.
In this book, Wyatt is so far down on his luck, totally without any friends or contacts he can trust and yet he always manages to come up with a way to get him out of a tight spot or an idea to give him an angle into a new job. Amazing stuff!
January 13, 2020
Again the Australian setting is a character on its own, giving the story a very strong sense of time and place. Telling that story from the perspective of the thief, however, was less than satisfactory; Disher got the procedural elements right, but did not really get us cheering for the main character. The insights about his motivation were missing.
February 6, 2021
Fast moving well written Australian crime thriller told from the a "professional" criminal's point of view.
Unlike some Australian set thrillers, Gary Disher fails to get over any concept of the heat, dryness etc. of the landscape.
The first two books, at least, are each just about a single "job" and so leave the endings a bit open to encourage you to read the next in the series.
Unlike some Australian set thrillers, Gary Disher fails to get over any concept of the heat, dryness etc. of the landscape.
The first two books, at least, are each just about a single "job" and so leave the endings a bit open to encourage you to read the next in the series.
December 29, 2021
My first Wyatt novel
Wow! What a great read. I read lots of crime fiction but this is my first book where the crook is the main character.
You might doubt how Wyatt gets out of some bad situations but you can't put the book (or iPad in my case) down until he's done it.
This has been a great Xmas holidays read. Highly recommended.
Regards, Peter
Wow! What a great read. I read lots of crime fiction but this is my first book where the crook is the main character.
You might doubt how Wyatt gets out of some bad situations but you can't put the book (or iPad in my case) down until he's done it.
This has been a great Xmas holidays read. Highly recommended.
Regards, Peter
February 27, 2022
I find Gary’s stories intriguing because they are written about the underbelly of society and yet the bad guy is the main character . His story is told warts and all, with plenty to engage the reader and not a lot of good triumphing over evil!!
March 14, 2022
Much like the opening book in the series this was still a total Parker rip-off but at least it was entertaining enough to overlook that. I took a star off towards the end as there were just too many double-crosses and back-stabs for my liking.
April 16, 2023
Wyatt, master criminal or vey lucky?
As Wyatt, try’s to find the next payday, the old saying of the criminal world, don’t truss anybody comes to the fore.
Learn the story of what happens when you double cross and you want is yours.
Another great read read in the Wyatt series.
As Wyatt, try’s to find the next payday, the old saying of the criminal world, don’t truss anybody comes to the fore.
Learn the story of what happens when you double cross and you want is yours.
Another great read read in the Wyatt series.
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