The Long Con

The Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency #1

by Barry Weston

Frank Cousins is a knockabout bloke; an ex-Queensland cop turned private eye who - it has to be said - is his own worst enemy. Owner and sole employee of the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency in Hobart, Frank takes on three simple cases and soon finds himself up to his neck in bad guys, bad situations and, as usual, bad behaviour. Money-for-jam, these three cases: find a missing woman, get the dirt on a philandering state politician, and provide personal protection for a wealthy, elderly matriarch - figurehead of a Tasmanian environmental group. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as Frank's dear old departed Mum always said: 'nothing in life is what it first appears to be'.

Genres: Crime, Mystery

246 pages, Paperback

Published March 21, 2016

About the author

Artist turned crime writer Barry Weston was born in Brisbane, Queensland and now lives, with his wife and two chocolate Labradors, on a few acres on a small island south of Hobart, Tasmania overlooking the Great Southern Ocean.

In his many previous lives, Barry has been an advertising salesman, commercial printer, private teacher, railway porter, Painter and Docker, roof painter, signwriter, cleaner, barman and bouncer.

Barry is a graduate of the University of Tasmania with a Master's Degree in Visual Arts. His 40-odd-year career in the visual arts includes 38 solo/group exhibitions - regionally, nationally and internationally. He has taught tertiary-level visual arts at a few Australian universities, and was Artist-in-Residence at a few others.

After resigning his position as Head of Department in 1999 and opting for an island lifestyle, he has left the studio doors ajar but now focuses primarily upon writing.

The Long Con is the first novel in the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency series. The second novel in the series, The Big Rort was published in 2018.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable first outing by this author tells of the experiences of a private investigator in Tasmania of all places!

The main character is no innocent having escaped to Tassy from his previous employ as a policeman in a corrupt Queensland force. Once the Government investigations began he wisely created himself a new persona and fled south. The book tells of his cases as well as frequently dipping in to his experiences from the past.

I found it all very entertaining and frequently very amusing as long as you appreciate black humour. There's a lot of action, some very dubious characters and a good story which all makes me ready to read the next book. I passed this one over to my husband to read as well as I am sure he will appreciate it too. Four stars from me!

[Nat K · Rating 3 out of 5]

”If only I could bottle me. I would be worth an absolute bloody fortune.”

3.5★s for me.

Queensland was too hot, and I don’t mean the weather. Frank Cousins was a copper who had to do a quick hop-skip-jump to Oz’s southernmost state of Tassie** to escape the wrath of the Fitzgerald Royal Commission into police corruption. Not that he was the only copper in on “The Joke”, but he was smart enough to skedaddle before the proverbial hit the fan.

Frank finds himself in Hobart (as far away as you can get from Qld and still be in Oz), and sets up his own “private eye” biz. He’s a good bloke, a bit of a larrikin, doesn’t suffer fools, and is not averse to using his fists to settle an argument when words don’t suffice. But he’s loyal and good at what he does.

”Frank Cousins – that’s me. Ex-Queensland copper, owner and sole employee of the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency.”

Frank is helping the Tassie police track down a serial killer & has also been hired as protection for Margaret Meadley, a delightful older lady who has access to documents which are very valuable to someone in the government. Throw in a mafioso's daughter who’s eloped with a bikie for which Frank has been selected as her designated driver to return her to papa, so you could say Frank’s got his hands pretty full.

This book is witty, has plenty of Aussie-isms, and lots of blue language (look away if you’re easily offended).

I was grinning to myself through much of this story as there are plenty of clever one liners and observations on life. Frank’s view of the world is slightly weary, as he’s been around the block a few times. But he’s a bonza bloke.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment of Frank’s adventures and his Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency.

”...mine was a compulsive personality that kept me addicted to most of the major and minor vices of life. I thrived on whiskey, nicotine, sleeping tablets and the odd recreational drug. They got me through the night.”

** Tassie = Tasmania (Australia). Separated from the mainland via a wide body of sea named the Bass Strait.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★s

Frank Cousins, rough and ready, ex-cop from Queensland back in the day when corruption was rife. Now the owner and only member of staff for the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency in Hobart, Tasmania. His first two cases – find a missing young woman; discover if a husband was cheating on a wife – were easily remedied. Then came the babysitting case; protecting Margaret Meadley from the stand over criminals who were threatening her. Five days of around the clock care – couldn’t be too hard thought Frank – then he met the elderly Margaret…

The Long Con by Aussie author Barry Weston is the first in the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency series and it reminded me very much of Peter Corris’ Cliff Hardy series. Frank was a risk taker, knew a large number of criminals and always had someone there to help him out when he needed it. He also had an in with the local police, which was handy. I quite enjoyed The Long Con and will read #2 in the not too distant future.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Long Con is the first book in the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency series by Australian artist and author, Barry Weston. Frank Cousins has been a private investigator in Hobart for nearly thirty years, before which he was a cop in Queensland. He likes to think he has the experience to solve most cases, although not all yield to his expertise. Still, the wife of the State MP suspected of infidelity is not at all unhappy with the outcome of his investigations.

When Celia Petersen asks him to find her missing twenty-one-year-old daughter, Frank understands her concern: there have been several strange attacks on women in the City Centre recently. He proceeds with all the standard investigations, but soon realises the case is neither simple nor singular.

Frank calls in some reliable assistance for the 24/7 personal protection job on Ms Margaret Meadley. This elderly crusader for the environment doesn’t believe she needs a body guard, but her colleagues are concerned about threats made, and after a private chat with her, Frank is determined to do what he can to keep this spirited activist safe.

Despite his history as a corrupt Queensland cop, Weston’s protagonist is easy enough to like. As he describes the cases he is investigating, he often digresses to relate incidents in his life: his marriage, his early career, his one true love, previous cases. He does not hesitate to share episodes that reflect badly on his character if they illustrate a point he’s making. And his dear old mum’s aphorisms and adages are usually wise and to-the-point.

Weston gives the reader hard-boiled crime fiction that sits close to the border with cosy, except that there is a bit of violence, and the environmental issues mentioned are both topical and thought-provoking. There’s a generous dose of humour (some of it rather black) and Weston renders Hobart, the place and the people, with a deft hand. Weston’s characters have a decidedly familiar feel to them, even the quirky ones; his plots are credible, with a clever twist or two; and Frank’s detective work is satisfyingly sound.

Readers are warned that there are expletives but, apart from a profanity-laden tirade in which Frank’s foul-mouthed (soon-to-be-ex-)wife draws his attention to his shortcomings and to the writing on the wall, their use would probably not be considered excessive.

Weston takes the time in this first instalment to give the reader Frank’s backstory and set up the other regulars with little vignettes. This is an excellent example of the genre and readers will doubtless be pleased to encounter this cast of characters in the next instalment, The Big Rort. An outstanding debut novel.
This unsolicited and honest review is from a copy provided by the author.

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tubby said, ‘Perhaps you should take a holiday, Cousins. Or consider moving to the mainland, or New Zealand. I swear you create more havoc for this city than a bus full of f’cking town planners.’

Frank Cousins is a former Brisbane detective who in the mid-eighties did a runner ahead of the Royal Commission into corruption in the Qld Police force, moved to Hobart and reinvented himself as a private investigator. Most of his clients come by referrals from previous cases, and in this, Barry Weston's debut novel, Cousin investigates a philandering Tasmanian politician, the disappearance of a young woman - possibly abducted by a serial killer, and is asked to protect the elderly woman who is the figurehead of the environmental movement.

Margaret Meadley was something else. Something special. A relic from a time back when class actually meant more than social division…this fiery old lady was bashing a wasps nest with a stick, wearing only her undies.

The old lady has possession of documents incriminating a dodgy deal with an international power, with a tasty villain behind it.

He stood up. At full stretch, I could see he’d gone to seed a little around the middle but was as solid as a brick shithouse. He’d obviously been a physical hard worker in his day; you don’t get that frame from being a filing clerk and sitting on your blot all week.

Frank is not without help in the muscle department and can call in favours from Melbourne identity Aldo “Papa” Bartolini and his sidekick Gino “Capo” Fragolinni, Frank’s aging hippie tenant Angie Rainbow - locked into the seventies, Charlie at the “Duck” and former squeeze Det Sgt Sharon (Shazza) Becker.

I read the sequel, The Big Rort, about a year ago, and this is character-driven crime at its best, loaded with Aussie vernacular and humour, drawing on actual events in Queensland and Tasmanian history. For me this one dwelled a bit too long on past detail, but overall an engaging read. Hope there is a third on the way.

[Moraig · Rating 4 out of 5]

When adapting Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep to film, mystified scriptwriters asked, ‘Who killed the chauffeur?’ Chandler’s response: ‘I don’t know.’ But Chandler, a master of hard-boiled crime fiction who populated the seedy streets of his fictional Los Angeles with not-so-nice characters, may be forgiven a minor oversight. His sardonic wit and diamond-bright dialogue sparkles on every page. So it was a delight to discover Barry Weston’s The Long Con which, at times, smacks of Chandler's ironic humour, larger than-life characters and evocative descriptions. It's also refreshing to find a PI novel set, not in St Kilda or Kings Cross, but in the wind-swept and wintry streets of Hobart.

Following The Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption, long-serving copper Frank Cousins quits Queensland in a hurry. His secret deposit box containing the proceeds of the police benevolent fund ‘The Joke’ has vanished along with his wife Greedy-Greedy-Cheryl who’s shacked up with real estate agent, Kenny-the-grub. When confronted by Frank and his aerodynamically inept footwear, Cheryl threatens to spill the beans.

Frank pulls in a few favours, acquires a new identity and relocates to Hobart, establishing The Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency where, for over twenty years, he's grubbed out an existence as its sole employee.

Solitary and single, Frank is sustained by caffeine, cigarettes, pizza, booze and his dreams of the unattainable Detective Sharon Becker. With three new jobs in the offing, he unglues his bum from the bar stool at The Ugly Duckling to pursue a cheating politician husband, track down a missing student and babysit an ageing but wealthy environmentalist. It seems Frank’s prospects are on the up and up.

But as his dear old mum used to say: ‘You make your own luck in this world.’ And Frank's luck isn't so good. Soon he's swimming in a ‘shit tsunami’ of conspiracy theories, political leaks, crooked land deals and stand-offs with a rather unusual hitman—all while hunting an escalating serial killer. With his pearl-bladed stiletto and gun ‘the Enforcer’, Frank is swept on a dangerous ride through the murky streets of downtown Hobart and Constitution Dock.

Weston, a retired artist, captures Hobart with a painter’s eye, deftly sketching the oil slicked roads, the wind-swept banks of Cornelian Bay, and Frank's local watering hole, The Ugly Duckling ‘encrusted with tobacco smoke and fly-droppings’. The bustling stalls of Salamanca Market and Queensland's garden city, Toowoomba with its ‘blot-sized village mentality’ are illuminated through the keen yet cynical eyes of Frank Cousins. With a few well-placed sentences, Weston’s world glowers like a storm cloud with sensory detail, creating a foreboding and oppressive milieu crucial to good crime fiction.

Frank, a typical hard-living PI, is quick with his fists and even faster with his mouth. But it’s his loyalty, like that of a favourite Labrador, and willingness for the sake of justice to risk personal injury while thumbing his nose at the police, that makes him so likeable. Weston’s minor characters are distinctive individuals, many with eccentric and endearing traits—an ageing yet radical environmentalist; a gentlemanly hitman; a dope growing, scatterbrained hippy neighbour, and drinking mate Charlie Ryan whose white hair is ‘parted on the left side so precisely it could have been done with a bushman's axe’. Weston’s snappy dialogue and cracking one-liners puts meat on the bones of his characters (which in the hands a less skilled writer could easily create paper-thin stereotypes).

Although I enjoyed The Long Con, occasionally, plot points were glossed over, at times Frank’s reasoning and actions are too hurried (and could have been avoided by slowing the action and elaborating on Frank's motivation). As the novel nears its conclusion, story threads are hastily drawn together, disrupting what is essentially a smooth-flowing narrative.

Despite the above reservations, the book is a fast-paced and enjoyable read. A few times, I found myself laughing aloud at Frank’s caustic remarks. Weston has set himself up as an author to follow; The Long Con is the first book in The Tasmania Investigation Agency trilogy and would not look out of place alongside novels by other hard-boiled Aussie writers.

The Long Con is a satisfying read for lovers of the PI genre and, as the title suggests, the story not only leaves a sting in the tail with a ‘long con’ but also reveals just what chauffeurs get up to in their spare time.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barry Weston's debut novel THE LONG CON, brings Queenslander and ex-cop, now PI, Frank Cousins to the mean streets of Hobart in search of a client, good pizza, a lot of booze and coffee, and with a bit of luck, Detective Sharon Becker. In the aftermath of The Fitzgerald Inquiry into Police Corruption in Queensland, Cousins was not best pleased to discover the funds he'd salted away from the backhanders known as 'The Joke', have relocated along with his wife. An unfortunate encounter with her and her new live-in lover means that Cousins has to make himself scarce in a big hurry.

After calling in a few favours, a new identity and a relocation later, the Tasmanian Private Investigation Agency has been ticking along now for 20 or so years when three new jobs meander their way into his office, causing Cousins to actually have a bit to do. Whilst tracking down a missing student, or getting the goods on a cheating politician husband might seem like regular tasks for a PI in Hobart, babysitting an aging, wealth female environmentalist isn't.

Cousins is a typical wise-cracking, loyal to friends, implacably opposed to the cops type of PI. He's often found welded to his chair in the pub, his office is scruffy, as is he and his capacity for cynicism boundless. For the expectedness of the character portrayal, the setting provides some unique aspects. Hobart isn't the mean and darkened streets of Sydney or Melbourne. The Salamanca Market is light and bright, the people slightly more laid back, the air a little clearer and the wind that bit crisper.

With Cousins the focus of this novel he's got some heavy lifting to do. Following in the footsteps of a huge cast of wise-cracking, hard headed PI's is always going to be a tricky prospect - there's a fine line between pastiche and caricature which Weston manages to negotiate, despite some slightly odd verbal "quirks" that Cousins is prone to indulge in. Obviously the quoting of "dear old mum's sayings" are, in the main, amusing, but after a while they get a tiny bit predictable shall we say. Other aspects of the dialogue are considerably more successful and there's something quite realistic about it that makes you comfortable with the idea that Cousins is an old bloke whose been there, done that, and will never fit into the t-shirt again.

Given this is a debut novel, with a big concentration on establishing the character, there are some plot elements which are a little wobbly. Cousin's reasoning gets a bit perfunctory at times, and some plot points are just dumped into the fray with little expansion or qualification. Personally this reader would also have preferred that some of the info dump about The Fitzgerald Inquiry had been worked into the narrative more - keeping pace and story progression early in the book. There is also a slight feeling of panic towards the end as it seems like a lot of threads are desperately hauled together.

Those sorts of slight glitches and niggles are not unknown though in first novels - especially where there's so much heavy lifting going on to get a central character established and some background / motivation defined, and they are balanced out by some very good points. Cousin's is a fun sort of PI and there's a trilogy of books planned in the Tasmanian Investigation Agency series for those that really like their PI's hard-boiled, sarcastic and just a bit dodgy.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome debut novel by Barry Weston that captures the zeitgeist of today's Tasmania and of Hobart in particular. I hope to see more from this engaging and witty rascal in the near future.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smoothly written, down-and-dirty private eye noir with plenty of sharp wit and wry humor.
Frank Cousins is a rough-and-tumble P.I. out of Hobart, Tasmania.
He opened up his agency almost 30 years ago after leaving the Queensland police force to avoid possible corruption charges.
First up: The wife of a state politician suspects her husband is cheating on her. She asks Frank to
check it out. That case ends in an unexpected way.
Next: Frank is requested to look into the case of a young woman who has been missing for sixty
hours. This case goes differently and soon he's working along side with Detective Sharon
Becker, a good friend and former flame.
The bulk of the story, however, involves Frank being asked by a board member of TIME (Tasmanian Independent Movement for the Environment) to provide personal protection for their figurehead and spokesperson, the elderly and wealthy Margaret Meadley.
Ms. Meadley is in possession of documents that expose corrupt land deals between foreign corporations and the Tasmanian government.
She is scheduled to speak in front of the U.N. in New York in five days.
There are bad men who do not want that to happen and they want those documents.

I like how the back story is interspersed with tales of Frank's past escapades.
It's a gritty tale but it's also quite funny. I found myself laughing out loud at times.
I will seek out "The Big Rort" which is the second book in the series.

Remember, as Frank's dear old departed Mum always said; "Nothing in life is what it first appears to be".

This was an ARC giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not normally into PI fiction, all that first person cooler than thou cynical know it all stuff. But thought the Hobart setting worth giving this one a go. It did feel very Spillane for the first three quarters of the book, though very well written and internally consistent. Kudos to the editing work. The plot then explodes and the book becomes unputdownable through to the end. Hoping this first book is a bit of a set up for the series, explaining the slower start. Looking forward to picking up Weston’s next book.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rip-roaring private detective mystery in the hardboiled P.I. tradition, with an authentically Australian flavour, The Long Con is bound to appeal to afficionados of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. It's fast-paced and gritty, with beautifully defined characters and flashes of humour and warmth, and there is not a dull page in it.

The narrative has that authentic 'personal autiobiography' sound to it, and I was surprised on reading the author's bio to discover that he is not, in fact, a retired police detective.

A particular delight to me was the wonderful use of dialogue in Chapter 10. No spoilers, but this was a real writer's treat.

A very welcome addition to the Australian literary scene.

[David Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flatfoot detective drama. First in series.

I borrowed this from City of Sydney Library.

[Ren Adsett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weston captures "character" in classic stand 'em up and knock 'em down style. Warts and all, hangovers and heart starters. Marvellous introduction to the second life of Frank Cousins.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an interesting PI novel. Anyone who enjoys the genre will likely enjoy reading it. As a first novel, it proves to be good.


*won as a GoodReads Giveaway*

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

Won this through a goodreads giveaway in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
---

Won this last year... I think? Not sure... put it aside because i wasn't in the mood then I forgot where I put in on my shelves than some personal stuff happened... :(

Anyways, couldn't get into it, not my cuppa unfortunately :(