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Four Days
Four days to locate the killer. Four days to take revenge. Four days to find redemption.
Jim Harris is a hard-drinking detective on his way to a nervous breakdown. Every day, he works alongside corrupt cops and dangerous crooks. That is, until a brutal murder case unravels his career, bringing past indiscretions to light. Alone, afraid, and out of control, Harris makes a pact with himself: finish it.
Jim Harris is a hard-drinking detective on his way to a nervous breakdown. Every day, he works alongside corrupt cops and dangerous crooks. That is, until a brutal murder case unravels his career, bringing past indiscretions to light. Alone, afraid, and out of control, Harris makes a pact with himself: finish it.
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2015
13 people are currently reading
821 people want to read
About the author
Iain Ryan
15 books82 followersIain Ryan grew up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. He predominantly writes in the hard-boiled/noir genre and his work has been previously published by Akashic Books Online, Crime Factory, Kill Your Darlings and Seizure.
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
His novella, Four Days, was published in November 2015 by small press Broken River Books (Portland, USA). The following year the book was shortlisted for the Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Debut Fiction). It didn’t win. Then Broken River Books folded, and the book fell out-of-print. On a roll, Ryan wrote and
self-published a trilogy of grimy romans durs, all set in the Queensland tropics: Drainland (2016), Harsh Recovery (2016), and Civil Twilight (2017).
Disillusioned with self-publishing, Ryan submitted the
manuscript for The Student to a single editor (Angela Meyer, an
acquaintance) and the book was published by Echo Publishing. In 2018, The Student was shortlisted for The Australian Crime Writing Association’s Ned Kelly Awards (Best Novel). In 2021, Echo Publishing and Bonnier Zaffre (UK) published Ryan’s third novel, The Spiral. Virtually no one liked it, except Ryan himself. In 2023, Ultimo Press published Ryan’s sixth novel The Strip. A QBD Book of the Month, The Strip is Ryan’s highest selling book to date and will be followed by sequel, The Dream (2024).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 19, 2017
*3.5 Stars*
This rugged, hard-boiled noir is a solid debut for Australian author Iain Ryan. It's a short, moody crime novel about a broken and self-destructive Brisbane detective with one foot forcefully out the door to retirement, who decides to go all the way out on his own terms and not only solve a haunting murder case, but also confront his demons and the corruption that he's been a part of for years.
It's a gloomy, fatalist story and I really enjoyed Ryan's use of language to illuminate it's flawed hero in Jim Harris. I only wish that less time was spent on the murder mystery element and more time on Jim himself, his backstory, and his struggle for redemption. Because when Ryan does focus on Jim's internal, personal struggle, that's when the book really shines!
This rugged, hard-boiled noir is a solid debut for Australian author Iain Ryan. It's a short, moody crime novel about a broken and self-destructive Brisbane detective with one foot forcefully out the door to retirement, who decides to go all the way out on his own terms and not only solve a haunting murder case, but also confront his demons and the corruption that he's been a part of for years.
It's a gloomy, fatalist story and I really enjoyed Ryan's use of language to illuminate it's flawed hero in Jim Harris. I only wish that less time was spent on the murder mystery element and more time on Jim himself, his backstory, and his struggle for redemption. Because when Ryan does focus on Jim's internal, personal struggle, that's when the book really shines!
The late night phone calls kept coming.
Harris knew this was it this time. It didn't matter who was on the other line or what the world thought of him. He was home now and all the ghosts were interconnected. They all knew where to find him. They were all calling. And they all had the same body.
He waited.
And she eventually came.
July 10, 2016
Jim Harris is a detective on the edge. He drinks to excess, he visits prostitutes on a regular basis. He works alongside crooked cops and dangerous crooks.
When the prostitute he had been seeing regularly winds up murdered, he becomes undone and is on the verge of losing his career. And then he finds out his girlfriend had AIDS.
He gets a blood test and will know in 4 days whether he lives or dies. He has 4 days to discover who killed the girlfriend. He finds out that she had a brother .. another cop.. but he has disappeared. Would he have killed his own sister? Why?
Harris does some things that only a rogue cop would do. He’s on a mission, on a time schedule, and he doesn’t have time to waste.
Jim Harris is not very likeable. He seems to have no redeeming qualities. It seemed like when he knew he might be dying, he began studying to get into heaven to make up for all he has done and is doing in the name of justice.
It wasn’t until his growing up years were explained that I began to see him as something more than a wastrel. At that point, I began to experience some empathy and could understand why he is the way he is.
There are all kinds of characters … some good, some bad, some are really bad. The action seems to be non-stop. There is so much packed into this not-so-long book that I found it hard to find a good place to stop, even if temporarily.
This was the first I’ve read of this author. His writing is dark and gritty. I look forward to reading his next book.
My thanks to the author who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
When the prostitute he had been seeing regularly winds up murdered, he becomes undone and is on the verge of losing his career. And then he finds out his girlfriend had AIDS.
He gets a blood test and will know in 4 days whether he lives or dies. He has 4 days to discover who killed the girlfriend. He finds out that she had a brother .. another cop.. but he has disappeared. Would he have killed his own sister? Why?
Harris does some things that only a rogue cop would do. He’s on a mission, on a time schedule, and he doesn’t have time to waste.
Jim Harris is not very likeable. He seems to have no redeeming qualities. It seemed like when he knew he might be dying, he began studying to get into heaven to make up for all he has done and is doing in the name of justice.
It wasn’t until his growing up years were explained that I began to see him as something more than a wastrel. At that point, I began to experience some empathy and could understand why he is the way he is.
There are all kinds of characters … some good, some bad, some are really bad. The action seems to be non-stop. There is so much packed into this not-so-long book that I found it hard to find a good place to stop, even if temporarily.
This was the first I’ve read of this author. His writing is dark and gritty. I look forward to reading his next book.
My thanks to the author who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
October 18, 2015
I wouldn't say FOUR DAYS is an original novel, but it was a profoundly satisfying one. A great novel either overdelivers or surprises the hell out of you and this one definitely belong in the former category. It has everything I liked: fatality, visceral grudges, crooked cops, meaningful violence, understated emotional depth and even more crooked cops. I had ZERO time to read this last couple days, but I carved some for this bad boy.
I usually have cold feet about novels set in a location I don't know very well because the sense of place can be overbearing, but FOUR DAYS could've happened in any city in the world. If you're a fan of James Ellroy like me and wonder what would've become if Ellroy would've written novels set after the sixties, you've got your answer with FOUR DAYS, an era thriller with universal appeal. I had an absolute blast with this book.
I usually have cold feet about novels set in a location I don't know very well because the sense of place can be overbearing, but FOUR DAYS could've happened in any city in the world. If you're a fan of James Ellroy like me and wonder what would've become if Ellroy would've written novels set after the sixties, you've got your answer with FOUR DAYS, an era thriller with universal appeal. I had an absolute blast with this book.
November 13, 2015
3.5 stars
This book is set in early 1980's Australia & is not for the squeamish. It tells the story of Jim Harris, a middle aged cop whose self destructive habits are rooted in his childhood.
Originally from Cairns, he spent time as a big city detective in Brisbane before being sent home in disgrace. But working out of the Cairns station means bumping into all the old ghosts from his past including Sarah Hannan, a woman he's loved since he was a teenager. Despite her marriage, they soon pick up where they left off. When a corrupt colleague from Brisbane shows up in town, Jim gets pulled into something that will haunt him for years to come.
It all begins with the raid on a whorehouse. But as the story unfolds, it becomes obvious this is one tiny piece in a plot with tentacles that stretch in every direction. Murder, corruption, fraud, drugs, prostitution....you name it. If it's illegal you'll find it here.
But it's really the sad & bleak story of a man who probably never had a chance at "normal" life. A large part of the book deals with his problems inside one of the most corrupt police forces in the world at the time. For all his failings Jim is a smart & savvy cop, sometimes to his detriment.
But it's the gradual unveiling of his personal history that will take your breath away. It's deeply disturbing & at times difficult to read. Terms such as "hard boiled" & "noir" don't do justice to the gritty & ugly world depicted. This is a man staggering through a life completely devoid of hope & it's a testament to the author's lean, economical prose that we care about him in spite of wading through the horror of his story.
This won't appeal to everyone. It's not an inspirational or uplifting tale & as for happy endings...well, I guess it depends on how you define happy.
This book is set in early 1980's Australia & is not for the squeamish. It tells the story of Jim Harris, a middle aged cop whose self destructive habits are rooted in his childhood.
Originally from Cairns, he spent time as a big city detective in Brisbane before being sent home in disgrace. But working out of the Cairns station means bumping into all the old ghosts from his past including Sarah Hannan, a woman he's loved since he was a teenager. Despite her marriage, they soon pick up where they left off. When a corrupt colleague from Brisbane shows up in town, Jim gets pulled into something that will haunt him for years to come.
It all begins with the raid on a whorehouse. But as the story unfolds, it becomes obvious this is one tiny piece in a plot with tentacles that stretch in every direction. Murder, corruption, fraud, drugs, prostitution....you name it. If it's illegal you'll find it here.
But it's really the sad & bleak story of a man who probably never had a chance at "normal" life. A large part of the book deals with his problems inside one of the most corrupt police forces in the world at the time. For all his failings Jim is a smart & savvy cop, sometimes to his detriment.
But it's the gradual unveiling of his personal history that will take your breath away. It's deeply disturbing & at times difficult to read. Terms such as "hard boiled" & "noir" don't do justice to the gritty & ugly world depicted. This is a man staggering through a life completely devoid of hope & it's a testament to the author's lean, economical prose that we care about him in spite of wading through the horror of his story.
This won't appeal to everyone. It's not an inspirational or uplifting tale & as for happy endings...well, I guess it depends on how you define happy.
July 11, 2016
Steeped in corruption, drugs, sex, and booze, Four Days delivers a fast-paced crime novel centering around a jaded detective embroiled in a case he's grown obsessed with and determined to solve.
The detective in this particular book isn't really one you'd consider a hero. On the verge of a nervous breakdown and a tendency to drown himself in booze, Jim Harris is surrounded by, and has grown accustomed almost, to the dangers and the dark side that go along with being a cop in Brisbane in the '80s. Bouncing between Brisbane and Queensland, Australia, Jim Harris works the mean streets and the seedy underbelly of these areas, day after day, night after night. Seemingly unaffected by all he's seen, it's not until the murder of a prostitute that a fire is lit under his ass to solve the case. Something about this murder hits deep with Harris and the events surrounding the murder are a catalyst for Harris to sort of redeem himself, if it isn't too late for any sort of redemption. He's got 4 days to solve the murder. If he doesn't lose it first.
Author Iain Ryan tells a dark and violent tale with Four Days, weaving fiction with a hint of realism, borrowing on the factual history of crime and corruption of the location and time period used for this story. While Jim Harris wasn't particularly likable, or even competent at times, there was certainly something that made me want to root for the guy. I wanted to see him restored, I wanted to see him in a more positive light, and in the end I found I did sort of like him after all.
Bottom line -- I recommend this for readers who like gritty and darker crime stories and ones who like a deeply flawed main character. Fast-paced and dirty, Four Days provided a quick read and I will certainly be on the lookout for anything else Iain Ryan has to offer.
**Many thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
The detective in this particular book isn't really one you'd consider a hero. On the verge of a nervous breakdown and a tendency to drown himself in booze, Jim Harris is surrounded by, and has grown accustomed almost, to the dangers and the dark side that go along with being a cop in Brisbane in the '80s. Bouncing between Brisbane and Queensland, Australia, Jim Harris works the mean streets and the seedy underbelly of these areas, day after day, night after night. Seemingly unaffected by all he's seen, it's not until the murder of a prostitute that a fire is lit under his ass to solve the case. Something about this murder hits deep with Harris and the events surrounding the murder are a catalyst for Harris to sort of redeem himself, if it isn't too late for any sort of redemption. He's got 4 days to solve the murder. If he doesn't lose it first.
Author Iain Ryan tells a dark and violent tale with Four Days, weaving fiction with a hint of realism, borrowing on the factual history of crime and corruption of the location and time period used for this story. While Jim Harris wasn't particularly likable, or even competent at times, there was certainly something that made me want to root for the guy. I wanted to see him restored, I wanted to see him in a more positive light, and in the end I found I did sort of like him after all.
Bottom line -- I recommend this for readers who like gritty and darker crime stories and ones who like a deeply flawed main character. Fast-paced and dirty, Four Days provided a quick read and I will certainly be on the lookout for anything else Iain Ryan has to offer.
**Many thanks to the author for providing a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 10, 2015
Short, sharp and to the point, FOUR DAYS delivers deepest and darkest noir in the unlikely setting of 1980’s Brisbane and Cairns. In the Sunshine State corruption is rife and nowhere more so than in the police force and the licensing department in particular.
Lone wolf Detective Jim Harris isn’t exactly lily-white himself, with a complicated backstory of illicit love affairs and drug use, to say nothing of family relationships that would challenge most genealogy software. He is, however, seemingly the only cop dedicated enough to pursue the truth behind the death of a prostitute and the disappearance of a young policeman.
All of which reads like the ideal recipe for a noir styled short novel, but FOUR DAYS is something more than just a formulaic run through of required elements. Written in a sparse, pointed, slightly ironic style it seamlessly folds a quintessentially Australian sensibility and location into a sub-genre that’s more synonymous with the mean streets of the US. Whilst setting and sense of place are marginally less important than character and motivation in this story, they provide a enough as commentary on sleepy, hot seaside paradises which are really rotten to the core. It is, however, the character studies that really stand out. The miniscule line between good and bad, the anti-hero, the dissolute, the lost with something left to prove.
As expected, the violence is extreme, and the drug-taking and sex scenes vivid and unflinching, avoiding voyeurism by sheer pace, never dwelling. FOUR DAYS isn’t supposed to be comfort reading, it may make readers squirm and it may even shock, but if that sort of approach is fine with them, it will definitely keep them reading.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Lone wolf Detective Jim Harris isn’t exactly lily-white himself, with a complicated backstory of illicit love affairs and drug use, to say nothing of family relationships that would challenge most genealogy software. He is, however, seemingly the only cop dedicated enough to pursue the truth behind the death of a prostitute and the disappearance of a young policeman.
All of which reads like the ideal recipe for a noir styled short novel, but FOUR DAYS is something more than just a formulaic run through of required elements. Written in a sparse, pointed, slightly ironic style it seamlessly folds a quintessentially Australian sensibility and location into a sub-genre that’s more synonymous with the mean streets of the US. Whilst setting and sense of place are marginally less important than character and motivation in this story, they provide a enough as commentary on sleepy, hot seaside paradises which are really rotten to the core. It is, however, the character studies that really stand out. The miniscule line between good and bad, the anti-hero, the dissolute, the lost with something left to prove.
As expected, the violence is extreme, and the drug-taking and sex scenes vivid and unflinching, avoiding voyeurism by sheer pace, never dwelling. FOUR DAYS isn’t supposed to be comfort reading, it may make readers squirm and it may even shock, but if that sort of approach is fine with them, it will definitely keep them reading.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
December 30, 2015
I’ve heard a lot of praise for Iain Ryan’s FOUR DAYS from authors and readers whose judgement I trust, so I was delighted when he contacted me and asked me if I’d like a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading FOUR DAYS, I realized immediately that Iain Ryan wasn’t your run of the mill not-quite-ready-for-primetime young author. Ryan’s the real deal and this book is the proof. Bearing slight flavors of Ellroy and Thompson, FOUR DAYS is a beautifully written, perfectly executed story of corruption and extreme dysfunction. Heavy on noir and hyperviolent action, it’s a super fast read peopled with a drastically flawed protagonist grinding his way toward a brutal finale and a disturbing, shocking revelation.
I’ve seen FOUR DAYS on many favorite reads lists, including my own and there’s a damn good reason for that. This book is perfect from cover to cover, with stunning, non-intrusive set building, rock solid character development, and natural sounding, believable dialogue. If you haven’t read FOUR DAYS yet, maybe it’s time to pull out that brand new Amazon gift card and go get it.
When I started reading FOUR DAYS, I realized immediately that Iain Ryan wasn’t your run of the mill not-quite-ready-for-primetime young author. Ryan’s the real deal and this book is the proof. Bearing slight flavors of Ellroy and Thompson, FOUR DAYS is a beautifully written, perfectly executed story of corruption and extreme dysfunction. Heavy on noir and hyperviolent action, it’s a super fast read peopled with a drastically flawed protagonist grinding his way toward a brutal finale and a disturbing, shocking revelation.
I’ve seen FOUR DAYS on many favorite reads lists, including my own and there’s a damn good reason for that. This book is perfect from cover to cover, with stunning, non-intrusive set building, rock solid character development, and natural sounding, believable dialogue. If you haven’t read FOUR DAYS yet, maybe it’s time to pull out that brand new Amazon gift card and go get it.
June 22, 2017
This slim novel packs a powerful punch. It isn't always comfortable reading, but it's pitch-black classic noir of the highest order - all the more remarkable given it's a debut from Queensland author Ryan.
Four Days is beyond gritty - it's grimy, seamy, like a dirty fingernail scratching at your skin as you saunter down a rancid alleyway. It's unpleasant. Many characters are unlikable. Corruption festers. But it's also fascinating, and has a strong voice and atmosphere. The pages whir on currents of fresh prose. This won't be for everyone, but overall it's a very slick tale that is very good.
Jim Harris is a detective who's barely hanging on. He's not just living on the edge, he's crossed far over it at times. They say you can tell a lot about a person from the people they spend the most time with: for Harris this is crooked cops, drug users and prostitutes, and dangerous criminals.
For all his own very-many faults, Harris seems to be the only detective interested in the death of a prostitute and the troubling disappearance of her brother, a fellow cop. He has four days until he gets his own life or death news. Four days to wade through the swamp of Australian policing in the 1980s, to find the truth, expose a killer/s, and maybe snatch at a tiny sliver of redemption.
There's a terrific blend of Aussie-ness with classic American noir here. Ryan brings the 1980s Australian setting to vivid life, delivered in sharp prose. Hot and sticky coastal towns, where corruption festers among those meant to serve and protect the citizenry.
This is a very well-written book, centred on a very unlikable central 'hero'. Harris has few redeeming qualities, but is fascinating, and Ryan creates a really strong narrative drive throughout Four Days, pulling you along even as you may be holding your nose, shaking your head, or grimacing in disgust at some of the scenes and the choices made by various characters.
It is not a book for the faint-hearted, or those easily put off by stories of illegal and immoral acts committed by those on both sides of the law.
If you want your heroes good and your villains bad, and never the twain shall meet, avoid Four Days. But if you can handle a fascinatingly dark tale of corruption and self-destruction, where the hero not only stumbles but falls, where only wisps of honour separate the evil from the less-bad, then dive in.
Four Days is beyond gritty - it's grimy, seamy, like a dirty fingernail scratching at your skin as you saunter down a rancid alleyway. It's unpleasant. Many characters are unlikable. Corruption festers. But it's also fascinating, and has a strong voice and atmosphere. The pages whir on currents of fresh prose. This won't be for everyone, but overall it's a very slick tale that is very good.
Jim Harris is a detective who's barely hanging on. He's not just living on the edge, he's crossed far over it at times. They say you can tell a lot about a person from the people they spend the most time with: for Harris this is crooked cops, drug users and prostitutes, and dangerous criminals.
For all his own very-many faults, Harris seems to be the only detective interested in the death of a prostitute and the troubling disappearance of her brother, a fellow cop. He has four days until he gets his own life or death news. Four days to wade through the swamp of Australian policing in the 1980s, to find the truth, expose a killer/s, and maybe snatch at a tiny sliver of redemption.
There's a terrific blend of Aussie-ness with classic American noir here. Ryan brings the 1980s Australian setting to vivid life, delivered in sharp prose. Hot and sticky coastal towns, where corruption festers among those meant to serve and protect the citizenry.
This is a very well-written book, centred on a very unlikable central 'hero'. Harris has few redeeming qualities, but is fascinating, and Ryan creates a really strong narrative drive throughout Four Days, pulling you along even as you may be holding your nose, shaking your head, or grimacing in disgust at some of the scenes and the choices made by various characters.
It is not a book for the faint-hearted, or those easily put off by stories of illegal and immoral acts committed by those on both sides of the law.
If you want your heroes good and your villains bad, and never the twain shall meet, avoid Four Days. But if you can handle a fascinatingly dark tale of corruption and self-destruction, where the hero not only stumbles but falls, where only wisps of honour separate the evil from the less-bad, then dive in.
January 21, 2016
More a long novella than a novel, Four Days is out at the end of October through Broken River Books, a Portland, Oregon based indie publisher that specialises in dark crime and weird fiction.
Four Days is a hardboiled police procedural set in the Queensland cities of Cairns and Brisbane in the 1980s, a time when the state’s police force was one of the most violent and corrupt in Australia. The plot revolves around Jim Harris a cop with a drinking problem, a borderline sociopathic personality and some serious sister issues. He becomes obsessed with the case of a murdered prostitute, whose death may be linked to other killings of sex workers. The police hierarchy, knee deep in funds from illegal sex work, don’t want to know anything about the murder, they may even be behind it, and frustrate Harris’s investigation at every turn.
The now Melbourne-based author grew up in Queensland in the eighties and it shows. Four Days reeks of booze, sweat, crap food and tropical damp. This may make it sound clichéd, but, having spent a fair bit of time in Queensland myself, I think he is largely on the money in terms of his description of the reality of corruption, sleaze and existential ennui that was of the Sunshine State in the eighties.
And Ryan can write. He cites his major influences as James Ellroy and his prose is a bit like his, too. Not the boated, self-indulgent writer whose latest novel Perfidia clocked in at seven hundred pages, but the lean, economical, author who penned brilliant novels like The Big Nowhere, Black Dahlia, White Jazz Ellroy.
'Harris woke at dawn. He was alone. The beach stretched out around him. He had sand in his hair. A warm six-pack of beer sat tucked in beside him. As soon as he sat up, the nausea hit him. He cracked a beer and pushed it down. He took another into the ocean. The water helped. As he dressed, he found a set of keys in his shoes. In the car park, a note sat under the front wiper of the squad car. It read: GLOVE BOX.
He got in behind the wheel and popped the box. Inside he found his service revolver and tied around the barrel was a used condom.
That was the end of the licensing boys.'
Four Days is not for everyone but I recommend it.
Four Days is a hardboiled police procedural set in the Queensland cities of Cairns and Brisbane in the 1980s, a time when the state’s police force was one of the most violent and corrupt in Australia. The plot revolves around Jim Harris a cop with a drinking problem, a borderline sociopathic personality and some serious sister issues. He becomes obsessed with the case of a murdered prostitute, whose death may be linked to other killings of sex workers. The police hierarchy, knee deep in funds from illegal sex work, don’t want to know anything about the murder, they may even be behind it, and frustrate Harris’s investigation at every turn.
The now Melbourne-based author grew up in Queensland in the eighties and it shows. Four Days reeks of booze, sweat, crap food and tropical damp. This may make it sound clichéd, but, having spent a fair bit of time in Queensland myself, I think he is largely on the money in terms of his description of the reality of corruption, sleaze and existential ennui that was of the Sunshine State in the eighties.
And Ryan can write. He cites his major influences as James Ellroy and his prose is a bit like his, too. Not the boated, self-indulgent writer whose latest novel Perfidia clocked in at seven hundred pages, but the lean, economical, author who penned brilliant novels like The Big Nowhere, Black Dahlia, White Jazz Ellroy.
'Harris woke at dawn. He was alone. The beach stretched out around him. He had sand in his hair. A warm six-pack of beer sat tucked in beside him. As soon as he sat up, the nausea hit him. He cracked a beer and pushed it down. He took another into the ocean. The water helped. As he dressed, he found a set of keys in his shoes. In the car park, a note sat under the front wiper of the squad car. It read: GLOVE BOX.
He got in behind the wheel and popped the box. Inside he found his service revolver and tied around the barrel was a used condom.
That was the end of the licensing boys.'
Four Days is not for everyone but I recommend it.
Read
October 30, 2016Tried, failed to read this book. Just no interest for me. Sorry. But no rating as I only got about one-fourth the way in.
Okay, maybe I should have tried harder, but at my age and with so many books to read and so little time, I give up on those which don't 'catch me.' This one didn't even graze me with its hook.
I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
Okay, maybe I should have tried harder, but at my age and with so many books to read and so little time, I give up on those which don't 'catch me.' This one didn't even graze me with its hook.
I won this through a Goodreads giveaway.
January 7, 2016
Four Days by Iain Ryan is an example of lean, mean, hardboiled fiction. Because there isn’t a lot in the way of filler - things that are not directly connected in one way or another to the ongoing story - the plot jumps around a bit and can seem a bit random, but ultimately it all comes together fairly well. There is strong language, sexual content, drug use and other adult situations. NOT for the easily offended.
Aussie detective Jim Harris isn’t a bad cop, but he's also no choirboy. He knows how to play ball. He’s “in on the joke” as they say, meaning he doesn’t turn his nose up at any favors that may come his way and he understands that these favors may require reciprocation from him at some point.
After Harris is banished north to his hometown of Cairns following a colossal blunder in Brisbane he falls into old habits - like drinking too much and sleeping with fellow cop Sarah Hannon. Sarah's an old flame... and a married woman.
When the boys from Brisbane (“notorious grafters & thugs”) show up in Cairns on a shady mission and need an extra hand they choose Harris - he performs well, so as a reward he has his penance cut short and gets called back to Brisbane. Back in Brisbane he is reunited with his partner, Dyer, a young second generation cop on the rise who has a bright future ahead of him if he can take a lesson from Harris and learn to play ball with the powers that be.
Almost immediately Harris and Dyer are stuck in the middle of a murder investigation involving a young prostitute with ties to Cairns. As the investigation progresses they are strongly encouraged to drop the case - bury it - for the good of everyone involved. Before it’s all over Harris gets sent back to Cairns in shame, obsessed with setting things right and solving the case no one wants solved.
Streamlined, and fast paced, Four Days jumps around some, the inattentive reader will find it a bit disorientating. Structured a bit different. It’s the type of story you have to pay attention to. Not a casual read in the sense that you can put it down and pick it up days later...once you start you’ll want to see it through.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys hardboiled fiction that’s a little bit different than the norm.
Aussie detective Jim Harris isn’t a bad cop, but he's also no choirboy. He knows how to play ball. He’s “in on the joke” as they say, meaning he doesn’t turn his nose up at any favors that may come his way and he understands that these favors may require reciprocation from him at some point.
After Harris is banished north to his hometown of Cairns following a colossal blunder in Brisbane he falls into old habits - like drinking too much and sleeping with fellow cop Sarah Hannon. Sarah's an old flame... and a married woman.
When the boys from Brisbane (“notorious grafters & thugs”) show up in Cairns on a shady mission and need an extra hand they choose Harris - he performs well, so as a reward he has his penance cut short and gets called back to Brisbane. Back in Brisbane he is reunited with his partner, Dyer, a young second generation cop on the rise who has a bright future ahead of him if he can take a lesson from Harris and learn to play ball with the powers that be.
Almost immediately Harris and Dyer are stuck in the middle of a murder investigation involving a young prostitute with ties to Cairns. As the investigation progresses they are strongly encouraged to drop the case - bury it - for the good of everyone involved. Before it’s all over Harris gets sent back to Cairns in shame, obsessed with setting things right and solving the case no one wants solved.
Streamlined, and fast paced, Four Days jumps around some, the inattentive reader will find it a bit disorientating. Structured a bit different. It’s the type of story you have to pay attention to. Not a casual read in the sense that you can put it down and pick it up days later...once you start you’ll want to see it through.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys hardboiled fiction that’s a little bit different than the norm.
November 14, 2015
An excellent piece of writing.
It's very, very dark. The layers of Harris' history and those of his colleagues and family are peeled back at a breathtaking pace. You have to know what unfolds next but almost can't bear to.
I do hope that an audio book is released at some stage (not for me, I'm deaf) but the story falls off the tongue so beautifully, it cries out for being recounted. And of course for being made into a film.
My tip is to read Four Days immediately so that in a couple of years you can loftily tell your movie-going friends "Oh, I read the original novel when it first came out".
Note: I was happy to receive an advanced reader copy of Four Days in exchange for an honest review here at GoodReads and at Amazon. I would have written the above had I paid cold hard cash for this novel and will indeed shell out the spondoolies on anything Mr Ryan writes in future. I hope that he is as prolific as he is talented because it's wonderful to find a writer of his calibre.
It's very, very dark. The layers of Harris' history and those of his colleagues and family are peeled back at a breathtaking pace. You have to know what unfolds next but almost can't bear to.
I do hope that an audio book is released at some stage (not for me, I'm deaf) but the story falls off the tongue so beautifully, it cries out for being recounted. And of course for being made into a film.
My tip is to read Four Days immediately so that in a couple of years you can loftily tell your movie-going friends "Oh, I read the original novel when it first came out".
Note: I was happy to receive an advanced reader copy of Four Days in exchange for an honest review here at GoodReads and at Amazon. I would have written the above had I paid cold hard cash for this novel and will indeed shell out the spondoolies on anything Mr Ryan writes in future. I hope that he is as prolific as he is talented because it's wonderful to find a writer of his calibre.
November 13, 2015
A dark and brooding noir which cuts a bloody trail across the streets of Brisbane and Cains in the 1980's. Corruption runs rampant and self destruction is a given as the characters of FOUR DAYS battle criminals, comrades and their own inner demons.
Buried beneath the underworld facade is the murder of a prostitute and the disappearance of a policeman begging to be solved and a lone detectives determination to issue justice. Complimenting the core story is Detective Jim Harris' background, misguided love interest and strange family relations which provides readers with a nice side bar to the main event.
FOUR DAYS is a quick read and easily consumable in a single sitting. A nice addition to the growing catalog of dark Australian crime fiction.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Buried beneath the underworld facade is the murder of a prostitute and the disappearance of a policeman begging to be solved and a lone detectives determination to issue justice. Complimenting the core story is Detective Jim Harris' background, misguided love interest and strange family relations which provides readers with a nice side bar to the main event.
FOUR DAYS is a quick read and easily consumable in a single sitting. A nice addition to the growing catalog of dark Australian crime fiction.
http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
July 9, 2016
Probably the greatest crime novel ever written. But more so, just the best novel I've ever written. Actually, it's the only novel I've written. And let me say this: it's short.
April 30, 2016
I won this book in from the giveaways and was very happy when it arrived as it was right before my spring-break. I enjoyed reading it not because it was a short read but because it was fast paced and the main character likable. I finished it on the plane taking me for a spring-break, good that I had more books with me and by shear coincident all of them were set in Australia. One message I got from reading all these set in Australia stories is: they sure drink a lot down there. I am a big fun of crime stories set around a detective/policeman who is an outsider and fights lonely battle. The main character here is a guy with serious addiction problems and who manages to have no friends, by either being weird or getting the ones close to him killed. He is a kid form small town that managed to get away and is send back due to his unprofessional conduct as a policeman. With all his vices he proves to be one of the most righteous policemen, getting down a corruption circle and saving one good kid. The book is written in a series of short chapters, each unavailing another scene. It is a fast pace story, there seems to be no unnecessary characters or descriptions, it is down to the point. The picture of corruption brings to mind mafia stories from Chicago. The setting is in Brisbane and Cairns and I hope that it is a lot safer there than described.
September 17, 2016
Jesus. This thing rips from the start, like a lightning rod of dark energy, and it only gets worse from there, in a good way. Ryan's prose is clean and mean, so minimalistic you can occasionally lose your footing in the moment, but all eventually comes to light, and every awful detail comes into stark focus by the end of this slim novella. If you start it and struggle, exercise some patience; it's a quick read, and the payoff is ferocious. I've seen some folks draw comparisons to Ellroy; the tone is similar in that absolutely hard boiled, everyone is damned and everything is awful kind of way, but the actual prose is quite different, neither better or worse. Ryan is much more spare, less ornate (not a complaint); I was occasionally reminded of a few of Georges Simenon's darker books (e.g, Dirty Snow), though Ryan's prose does feel much more modern. I'm not versed enough in modern crime fiction to draw sharper comparisons, so I'll leave it at that. Highly recommended, and I look forward to tearing into Drainland, the first full length novel in Ryan's upcoming Tunnel Island trilogy (Four Days is the prequel).
January 12, 2016
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
This is a tough. gritty, down and dirty story. The plot is gripping from the start and never lets go. Its like watching a train, moving slowly at first, then picking up speed until it going full tilt, knowing that its going to come to that gorge where the bridge is out at the end.
The characters are very real, but at the same time they are sparse. Its like seeing a well done painting or photo. You can see the essence of the person just from that one image.
The writing is really good. It was a little choppy at times, cutting quickly from one situation to another. At times, that made it a bit difficult to follow events.
If you can handle the consistent despair and desperation that's all to common in the world, this is a terrific book.
This is a tough. gritty, down and dirty story. The plot is gripping from the start and never lets go. Its like watching a train, moving slowly at first, then picking up speed until it going full tilt, knowing that its going to come to that gorge where the bridge is out at the end.
The characters are very real, but at the same time they are sparse. Its like seeing a well done painting or photo. You can see the essence of the person just from that one image.
The writing is really good. It was a little choppy at times, cutting quickly from one situation to another. At times, that made it a bit difficult to follow events.
If you can handle the consistent despair and desperation that's all to common in the world, this is a terrific book.
December 3, 2015
I was a little slow getting into the story and feeling oriented to the setting (Brisbane, Cairns, police stations, cops) but at some point fairly early on, the story grabbed me and didn't let go. I read most of it in one sitting. It is very dark, and the suffering of the main character is believable and affecting.
April 7, 2016
This book has it all! Sex, murder, drugs, booze, police corruption and gangsters, plus more.
Four Days has only 167 pages but packs a punch. The book is a little on the dark side so be aware. It will also have some unexpected surprises. I recommend this book.
I received this book free through Goodreads, in exchange for a honest review.
Four Days has only 167 pages but packs a punch. The book is a little on the dark side so be aware. It will also have some unexpected surprises. I recommend this book.
I received this book free through Goodreads, in exchange for a honest review.
November 18, 2015
Fantastic! Reminded me much like Paul Anderson's The Robbers. Good stuff.
December 31, 2017
Sometimes I feel overdosed on the hard-drinking detective stories. This one did not include a single likeable character. The story itself nibbles at the edges of the darkness in the past as Harris, the detective, bounces into troubles in Brisbane and his home town, Cairns. The narrative is structured so the reader gains knowledge along with Harris, but Harris has memories of the past the reader is not privy too. As a result, the action is a little confusing at times. Finding the battered body of a young prostitute lights off a fuse that eventually will result in disruption of the Queensland police and the mobs running the areas. The writing is especially good in depicting the interactions between the different characters as they clash. If you want to wallow in the depths of human depravity, this is a good book to start with.
August 3, 2017
I went into this read thinking that I'm going to enjoy it...but in the end, I was so lost for two-thirds of this book that I couldn't completely enjoy the read. The plot that was described in this novel takes place in the last section, and could have been stretched out a little bit longer, rather than getting page upon page of backstory. Sure, I'm all for getting backstory at some point, but I would have preferred to have it intermixed with the main plot. Other than that, it was a good read. I enjoy detective novels, and this one, with a protagonist with absolutely nothing to lose, is rather intriguing. Don't let my review sway you away from this read, dive deep into the mystery. Can you solve the case and keep your head?
May 16, 2017
5/16/17
FOUR DAYS
Iain Ryan
A hard biting, dark book about crooked cops in Brisbane Australia during the 1980's. It is a very dark time and corruption is rampant. Jim Harris is the flawed hero of this short but action packed book. You find yourself taken aback by his faults but can see his good points and his reason for acting as he does.
Although it is a little dark for me and the Australian terminology is sometimes confusing, it is a very good novel from a new author. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a hard gritty type of detective novel.
FOUR DAYS
Iain Ryan
A hard biting, dark book about crooked cops in Brisbane Australia during the 1980's. It is a very dark time and corruption is rampant. Jim Harris is the flawed hero of this short but action packed book. You find yourself taken aback by his faults but can see his good points and his reason for acting as he does.
Although it is a little dark for me and the Australian terminology is sometimes confusing, it is a very good novel from a new author. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a hard gritty type of detective novel.
May 22, 2017
FOUR DAYS by Iain Ryan. We meet an Australian detective, a hard drinking man, trying to deal with the corruption, in the law enforcement A murder is unraveling his career, he makes a pact 4 Days. This is a fast moving, as you follow Harris, He's ready for retirement, so what has he to loose, he wants to even the score on his terms. A good plot, the dialog has a moody feel, keeps you to the end. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
September 24, 2018
Jim Harris is a hard drinking detective who works in Brisbane. He gets sent to Cairn as a punishment for screwing up. While there he helps crooked cops raid a brothel! When one of the cops drags a young girl out and disappears. While back in Brisbane he discovers the same girl murdered. It leads to many twists and turns and surpises. This was a complex, action packed,twisty turns book. It was really interesting book. I recommend this book!
May 1, 2021
They paid the price for their indiscretions......The prequel to the Tunnel Island Mysteries series takes you to Queensland in the 80s, when I’d visited Brisbane, Cairns and Port Douglas. I followed the various dark twists and turns, learning about police politics; at a time when ‘punishment postings’ were not infrequent. Corruption among the police was rife, as well as their complex relationship with prostitutes
......I eventually worked out the reason for the title.
......I eventually worked out the reason for the title.
May 31, 2021
Iain Ryan has a very unique hard-hitting get to the point type of writing but as you get involved with the story you begin to realize Iain is not only telling a great story but in the telling, he is unveiling inner layers of crooked cops, drugs, prostitution, murder and the dirty secrets of at least three families. Hold onto your hats because you are in for a roller coaster ride that will keep you wanting another Iain Ryan tale..
May 9, 2017
A very intense thriller, really enjoyed it. Great characters and a fabulous storyline of corruption, loyalty, dysfunctional families and situations spiralling out of control. Would recommend this book
August 12, 2017
This was an extremely dark debut crime novel set during the mid eighties in Brisbane and Cairns Australia. The writing was lean with a very unsettling story line, complex characters, and lots of violence.
August 28, 2023
Iain RyanFour Days
Iain Ryan
Hardboiled/noir Brisbaine writer. Corrupt cops, hard drinking as well it would seem along with drug popping. The writer uses Aussie turns of expression and colloquial terms that take some deciphering.
Iain Ryan
Hardboiled/noir Brisbaine writer. Corrupt cops, hard drinking as well it would seem along with drug popping. The writer uses Aussie turns of expression and colloquial terms that take some deciphering.
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