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Cato Kwong #4
Heaven Sent
Detective Sergeant Philip ‘Cato’ Kwong is light on sleep but high on happiness with his new wife Sharon Wang and their baby girl. But contentment is not compatible with life in the Job, and soon a series of murders of Fremantle’s homeless people gets in the way of Cato’s newfound bliss. As New WAve journalist Norman Lip flirts online with the killer, it becomes apparent that these murders are personal — every death is bringing the killer one step closer to Cato.
328 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2018
19 people are currently reading
819 people want to read
About the author
Alan Carter
10 books91 followersAlan Carter is an award-winning crime author and sometimes television documentary director. His Cato Kwong series – Prime Cut, Getting Warmer and Bad Seed – has been published in the UK, France, Germany and Spain. His latest novel, Marlborough Man, is set in New Zealand. Alan was born in Sunderland, UK and immigrated to Australia in 1991. These days he divides his time between his house near the beach in Fremantle and a hobby farm up a remote valley in New Zealand. In his spare time he follows a black line up and down the local swimming pool. Alan Carter has won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel (2018) and the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction (2011).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 8, 2018
'The world is mired in lies, chaos and darkness, mate.'...'You're a bringer of truth, order and light.'
'Not any more, I've had enough.'
The fourth book in the Cato Kwong crime series goes beyond the thin blue line of crime fiction and delves deep into the personal lives of its characters to provide not only a well written police procedural, but a book that humanizes the darker elements unlawful acts have on those who serve and protect as well as their loved ones.
Immediately the thing that sticks out about Heaven Sent is the connection the author has with the characters who traverse the streets of Fremantle, Western Australia, on either side of the law; Kwong is complex and not without his flaws. He's instantly likable and a well defined character, his actions often to the detriment of his family but the betterment of the Fremantle public. While, the elusive murderer who taunts police in a macabre game of cat and mouse is omnipresent, growing more dramatic and menacing with each chapter.
The place-setting and pacing are on point, with each murder adding a notch of intensity to Kwong's plight; take down the serial killer who targets the homeless and taunts the police.
Throw in an interesting journalistic angle and some beefy side plots and Heaven Sent becomes one meaty read that doesn't disappoint.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Despite being the fourth book in the series, Heaven Sent is easily accessible to new readers, that said, I definitely want to check out the earlier books given how much I enjoyed this one. Highly recommend.
'Not any more, I've had enough.'
The fourth book in the Cato Kwong crime series goes beyond the thin blue line of crime fiction and delves deep into the personal lives of its characters to provide not only a well written police procedural, but a book that humanizes the darker elements unlawful acts have on those who serve and protect as well as their loved ones.
Immediately the thing that sticks out about Heaven Sent is the connection the author has with the characters who traverse the streets of Fremantle, Western Australia, on either side of the law; Kwong is complex and not without his flaws. He's instantly likable and a well defined character, his actions often to the detriment of his family but the betterment of the Fremantle public. While, the elusive murderer who taunts police in a macabre game of cat and mouse is omnipresent, growing more dramatic and menacing with each chapter.
The place-setting and pacing are on point, with each murder adding a notch of intensity to Kwong's plight; take down the serial killer who targets the homeless and taunts the police.
Throw in an interesting journalistic angle and some beefy side plots and Heaven Sent becomes one meaty read that doesn't disappoint.
My rating: 5/5 stars. Despite being the fourth book in the series, Heaven Sent is easily accessible to new readers, that said, I definitely want to check out the earlier books given how much I enjoyed this one. Highly recommend.
November 25, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Alan Carter is a Ned Kelly Award Winner, but until now I have not had the privilege of reading any of his work. I was assured by the author himself after listening to a talk given to celebrate the release of Heaven Sent, the fourth issue in the popular Cato Kwong crime thriller series, that newcomers can enjoy each novel in this series as a standalone. Heaven Sent, my freshman outing with Alan Carter, proved to be a most valuable reading experience. Based on my appreciation of Heaven Sent and the writing of Alan Carter, I am going to make it a priority to check out Carter’s previous novels.
Heaven Sent re-introduces Detective Sergeant Philip Cato Kwong to those who are fans of the series. For first timers, do not be discouraged, Carter fills in any gaps, so the reader never feels at a disadvantage. Cato has just entered a new phase in his life, he is content with his new wife and baby daughter. He is also back on his old stomping ground, working in the Major Crimes division in Fremantle. It doesn’t take long before Cato is fully immersed in a complex case involving a series of murders of homeless people inhabiting the Fremantle area and beyond. To complicate matters further, the killer sets their sights on Kwong himself and investigative journalist Norman Lip, who becomes heavily embroiled in this case. As the murders tally up, so do the false leads and dead ends. Cato is on a race against time to stop this killer in their tracks before they make a deadly move on his family.
This fourth outing in the Cato Kwong crime thriller series, has been eagerly anticipated by fans of the formidable Philip Cato Kwong. Heaven Sent is well worth the wait and it is a solid addition to this popular book series. What immediately struck me about Heaven Sent was the excellent balance Carter maintained between a cutting edge police procedural, a clever plot, the use of realistic characters and an evocative setting. It is always a little tricky for a writer to get all of these elements exactly right in a novel, but Alan Carter shows his audience he is a force to be reckoned with.
Heaven Sent would not be the great novel it is without the enigmatic Philip Cato Kwong. Carter clearly knows his lead inside and out. Carter completely embodies Cato and as a result, the reader sees all of his good points; such as his dedication to his job, his relentless attitude to the law, the love his has for family and the respect he has gained from his colleagues. However, Cato is far from perfect, which makes him all the more authentic. We see Cato’s failings as the book progresses, his ill choices and the struggles he faces between balancing work with fatherhood. Carter’s outline of his lead is second to none, it cannot be faulted and it is easy to see why this series is so popular. Likewise, readers will find the periphery characters add plenty of substance to this novel. The outer characters really stand on their own feet, thanks to their interactions with Cato on a personal and professional level, along with the haunting voice of the killer.
Alan Carter does a superb job of conveying his setting. It was a breath of fresh air to see such a well known location to me, Fremantle in Western Australia, captured in such a convincing manner by the author. Clearly Carter knows Fremantle like the back of his hand, but somehow Carter managed to tease out aspects of this local area that made me view Fremantle with a different set of eyes. Fremantle’s dark underbelly and social issues were spot on, thanks to Alan Carter’s top notch storytelling skills. I was also overjoyed to see my own local city, Rockingham, mentioned in the novel, what an added surprise! These aspects certainly contributed to my increased enjoyment of Heaven Sent.
In other reviews of this title, it has been mentioned that Alan Carter writes crime thriller novels with a conscious awareness of a social issue. I’m a keen to explore more of his back titles based on this new understanding. In Heaven Sent, Carter carefully unravels the sorry state of affairs around the homeless. In tackling this growing social issue, Carter unpacks any misconceptions and assumptions we may have about who becomes homeless and why. It was an eye opener and I liked the way in which Carter connected this issue to the broader focus of Heaven Sent. It was an interesting angle and it gave the book a sense of elevation.
Onto the central crime itself, a killer targeting the homeless around the Fremantle area and the subsequent focus on Detective Cato, this was an intriguing case. I enjoyed the ground work, the nitty gritty of the police tactics and the way in which the case was approached by Cato Kwong, along with his colleagues and the edgy journalist Norman Lip. What came as a surprise to me was the significant role the media can play in a case like the one presented in Heaven Sent. I appreciated the media influence aspects in the novel very much. Carter wraps his fourth instalment in the Cato Kwong series up well and for those who are fans of The Marlborough Man, you will be pleased with the brief link to this novel in Heaven Sent.
My fresh acquaintance with the work of Alan Carter, with his latest novel, Heaven Sent, has been such a welcome experience and I feel very fortunate to have discovered Carter’s work. If you have an appreciation for the fine art of crime writing from an Australian angle, Heaven Sent, or any of Alan Carter’s back list titles will be sure to fulfil any craving you have for good quality Australian crime writing.
Alan Carter is a Ned Kelly Award Winner, but until now I have not had the privilege of reading any of his work. I was assured by the author himself after listening to a talk given to celebrate the release of Heaven Sent, the fourth issue in the popular Cato Kwong crime thriller series, that newcomers can enjoy each novel in this series as a standalone. Heaven Sent, my freshman outing with Alan Carter, proved to be a most valuable reading experience. Based on my appreciation of Heaven Sent and the writing of Alan Carter, I am going to make it a priority to check out Carter’s previous novels.
Heaven Sent re-introduces Detective Sergeant Philip Cato Kwong to those who are fans of the series. For first timers, do not be discouraged, Carter fills in any gaps, so the reader never feels at a disadvantage. Cato has just entered a new phase in his life, he is content with his new wife and baby daughter. He is also back on his old stomping ground, working in the Major Crimes division in Fremantle. It doesn’t take long before Cato is fully immersed in a complex case involving a series of murders of homeless people inhabiting the Fremantle area and beyond. To complicate matters further, the killer sets their sights on Kwong himself and investigative journalist Norman Lip, who becomes heavily embroiled in this case. As the murders tally up, so do the false leads and dead ends. Cato is on a race against time to stop this killer in their tracks before they make a deadly move on his family.
This fourth outing in the Cato Kwong crime thriller series, has been eagerly anticipated by fans of the formidable Philip Cato Kwong. Heaven Sent is well worth the wait and it is a solid addition to this popular book series. What immediately struck me about Heaven Sent was the excellent balance Carter maintained between a cutting edge police procedural, a clever plot, the use of realistic characters and an evocative setting. It is always a little tricky for a writer to get all of these elements exactly right in a novel, but Alan Carter shows his audience he is a force to be reckoned with.
Heaven Sent would not be the great novel it is without the enigmatic Philip Cato Kwong. Carter clearly knows his lead inside and out. Carter completely embodies Cato and as a result, the reader sees all of his good points; such as his dedication to his job, his relentless attitude to the law, the love his has for family and the respect he has gained from his colleagues. However, Cato is far from perfect, which makes him all the more authentic. We see Cato’s failings as the book progresses, his ill choices and the struggles he faces between balancing work with fatherhood. Carter’s outline of his lead is second to none, it cannot be faulted and it is easy to see why this series is so popular. Likewise, readers will find the periphery characters add plenty of substance to this novel. The outer characters really stand on their own feet, thanks to their interactions with Cato on a personal and professional level, along with the haunting voice of the killer.
Alan Carter does a superb job of conveying his setting. It was a breath of fresh air to see such a well known location to me, Fremantle in Western Australia, captured in such a convincing manner by the author. Clearly Carter knows Fremantle like the back of his hand, but somehow Carter managed to tease out aspects of this local area that made me view Fremantle with a different set of eyes. Fremantle’s dark underbelly and social issues were spot on, thanks to Alan Carter’s top notch storytelling skills. I was also overjoyed to see my own local city, Rockingham, mentioned in the novel, what an added surprise! These aspects certainly contributed to my increased enjoyment of Heaven Sent.
In other reviews of this title, it has been mentioned that Alan Carter writes crime thriller novels with a conscious awareness of a social issue. I’m a keen to explore more of his back titles based on this new understanding. In Heaven Sent, Carter carefully unravels the sorry state of affairs around the homeless. In tackling this growing social issue, Carter unpacks any misconceptions and assumptions we may have about who becomes homeless and why. It was an eye opener and I liked the way in which Carter connected this issue to the broader focus of Heaven Sent. It was an interesting angle and it gave the book a sense of elevation.
Onto the central crime itself, a killer targeting the homeless around the Fremantle area and the subsequent focus on Detective Cato, this was an intriguing case. I enjoyed the ground work, the nitty gritty of the police tactics and the way in which the case was approached by Cato Kwong, along with his colleagues and the edgy journalist Norman Lip. What came as a surprise to me was the significant role the media can play in a case like the one presented in Heaven Sent. I appreciated the media influence aspects in the novel very much. Carter wraps his fourth instalment in the Cato Kwong series up well and for those who are fans of The Marlborough Man, you will be pleased with the brief link to this novel in Heaven Sent.
My fresh acquaintance with the work of Alan Carter, with his latest novel, Heaven Sent, has been such a welcome experience and I feel very fortunate to have discovered Carter’s work. If you have an appreciation for the fine art of crime writing from an Australian angle, Heaven Sent, or any of Alan Carter’s back list titles will be sure to fulfil any craving you have for good quality Australian crime writing.
August 28, 2019
‘You don’t have to be a junkie or a f*ck-up to find yourself homeless in WA. Mortgages and rents the way they are at the moment there’s a lot of people only just two pay cheques away from the street. Fall ill, get evicted because your landlord wants to redevelop or up the rent even further, leave your abusive violent partner and click’ she snapped her fingers – ‘you’re one of the invisible.’
In this hard-hitting police drama Chinese-Australian DS Philip “Cato” Kwong of the Fremantle police is drafted onto the task force investigating the brutal and apparently senseless killing of homeless people from Fremantle down to Rockingham. He contacts the local agencies helping the homeless, seeking a common thread between the victims. An early suspect is a ranger, employed by the local council with move-on powers, and particularly callous in his approach, but is he the killer?
As the police struggle to made headway and are coming under criticism from an online journalist playing a dangerous game, Cato's wife Sharon and their eight-month old daughter attract the attention of a stalker, and his teenage son Jake, from his first marriage, finds himself adrift between parents, both remarried and with younger children, and is befriended by a tough young man at the gym.
Just south, Rockingham twinkled: the apartment blocks, the beachside mansions, everybody everywhere was settling down for a night in front of the idiot box – a bitchy food show maybe, or house makeovers turning family homes into bland show homes…
As the body count continues, Cato feels the stresses of the job impacting on his current and previous marriage, but is he and his family the target of someone from his past? To find answers he takes Sharon and the baby inland on a camping trip to the mining town of Laverton, then down to Norseman and Esperance, to a final confrontation in the coastal town of Hopetoun.
Brothers and fathers and sons, the age-old story. Ever since the Old Testament, revenge – a game the whole family can play.
This was the first in the Cato Kwong series I have read and found it gritty, brilliantly written, the characters well-drawn, with the tension mounting until the hairs raised on my neck. There are brief references to his standalone book, Marlborough Man – based in New Zealand and which I enjoyed. I will certainly be looking out for earlier books in the series.
In this hard-hitting police drama Chinese-Australian DS Philip “Cato” Kwong of the Fremantle police is drafted onto the task force investigating the brutal and apparently senseless killing of homeless people from Fremantle down to Rockingham. He contacts the local agencies helping the homeless, seeking a common thread between the victims. An early suspect is a ranger, employed by the local council with move-on powers, and particularly callous in his approach, but is he the killer?
As the police struggle to made headway and are coming under criticism from an online journalist playing a dangerous game, Cato's wife Sharon and their eight-month old daughter attract the attention of a stalker, and his teenage son Jake, from his first marriage, finds himself adrift between parents, both remarried and with younger children, and is befriended by a tough young man at the gym.
Just south, Rockingham twinkled: the apartment blocks, the beachside mansions, everybody everywhere was settling down for a night in front of the idiot box – a bitchy food show maybe, or house makeovers turning family homes into bland show homes…
As the body count continues, Cato feels the stresses of the job impacting on his current and previous marriage, but is he and his family the target of someone from his past? To find answers he takes Sharon and the baby inland on a camping trip to the mining town of Laverton, then down to Norseman and Esperance, to a final confrontation in the coastal town of Hopetoun.
Brothers and fathers and sons, the age-old story. Ever since the Old Testament, revenge – a game the whole family can play.
This was the first in the Cato Kwong series I have read and found it gritty, brilliantly written, the characters well-drawn, with the tension mounting until the hairs raised on my neck. There are brief references to his standalone book, Marlborough Man – based in New Zealand and which I enjoyed. I will certainly be looking out for earlier books in the series.
March 17, 2025
I love these novels. I take a while reading them but they are so well-constructed and the characters are so well-drawn. Excellent and highly recommended. I do suggest you start at the beginning of the series though.
January 19, 2021
Heaven Sent is book four in the Cato Kwong series by Alan Carter. Detective Sergeant Philip Kwong and his wife Sharon Wang celebrate their first child's arrival, and he felt content with life. However, Detective Sergeant Philip Kwong's contentment ended when he became involved in the investigation to find the murder of homeless men around Freemantle and Perth. Heaven Sent's readers will continue to follow Detective Sergeant Philip Kwong investigation to find out what happens.
Heaven Sent is the second book I have read of Alan Carter, and I had trouble engaging with this book. However, I did finish reading Heaven Sent, and I would recommend this book. Reading is personnel, and we all have different ways of engaging with the written word. Heaven Sent was well written and research by Alan Carter. I love Alan Carter's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. I like Alan Carter's description of Heaven Sent's settings that compliment the plot of this book.
The readers of Heaven Sent will learn about law enforcement investigation in Freemantle Western Australia. Heaven Sent's readers will also learn about problems that the homeless community can encounter on Western Australia's streets.
I will recommend this book.
Heaven Sent is the second book I have read of Alan Carter, and I had trouble engaging with this book. However, I did finish reading Heaven Sent, and I would recommend this book. Reading is personnel, and we all have different ways of engaging with the written word. Heaven Sent was well written and research by Alan Carter. I love Alan Carter's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. I like Alan Carter's description of Heaven Sent's settings that compliment the plot of this book.
The readers of Heaven Sent will learn about law enforcement investigation in Freemantle Western Australia. Heaven Sent's readers will also learn about problems that the homeless community can encounter on Western Australia's streets.
I will recommend this book.
November 19, 2018
Sometimes you start reading a series book about a favourite character, and really start to wonder if the author is annoyed with them, subconsciously punishing them for being too popular, or just enjoying applying the thumb screws for a change. Whatever is going on, Alan Carter isn't making it easy for the popular, easy-going, and seemingly content Philip 'Cato' Kwong in HEAVEN SENT.
Settled in his personal life with a new wife, new daughter and a tricky but improving relationship with his teenage son, Kwong's professional life is relatively stable as well - at least he's not serving his time in the remote reaches of WA on the "stock squad". He's back in Fremantle, and seconded to major crime when a series of murders of homeless people escalates. Whilst Kwong is dealing with the more traditional elements of a serial killer investigation, journalist Norman Lip is taking a more dangerous path - flirting online with the killer. Especially as it starts to look like this killer has thought this through much more carefully than Lip and has a very personal grudge against Cato Kwong.
For readers new to this series, you'll find plenty here to give you hints and tips about Cato Kwong's background - including the acquiring of his nickname. You'll find out enough about his policing past to fill in the gaps, and more than enough about his personal life to explain his satisfaction with his current circumstances, and his almost wilful blindness to some of the struggles his wife Sharon is experiencing with new motherhood. If it's any consolation his domestic blindspot also includes his teenage son who is struggling with two parents who have moved onto other partners, other kids, and other lives. There's plenty there to make the reader really want to give Kwong a good shouting at in places. Which is the great part of this series - Kwong feels like a real person, he's a good cop, who is capable of making good, inspired and profoundly daft decisions. He's a good bloke who loves his family and totally and utterly doesn't get what's happening around him all at the same time. He's caring, concerned, blithely ignorant and utterly interconnected. In other words he's real, and annoying and endearing all at the same time.
The plot here is also something that readers who are new to the series will be able to go with also, as will welded on fans (HEAVEN SENT is book number 4). As always there's a social issue at the core - in this case homelessness in a society that's seemingly well off and privileged. The sense of community is strong, with homeless support services, police and local government all too aware of the people who live rough in the place. The fact that the killer is also able to tap into that local knowledge creates a claustrophobic overlay, reminding you that few people are ever really truly under the radar.
Dotted throughout, as always, are perfect little observations, Sharon Wang in her struggles with new motherhood and isolation, is still able to summons a bit of fierce when required. Kwong's old love interest and colleague Tess, reminds us of the never-ending problem of toxic male violence that many women live with. Naomi Lip, journalist Norman's sister, wheelchair bound and physically restricted reminds us that mental acuity, wit and ability are often less visible, but much stronger.
HEAVEN SENT has been much anticipated, as it's been a bit of a gap since the last outing with Cato Kwong. Let's hope there's plenty more to come.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Settled in his personal life with a new wife, new daughter and a tricky but improving relationship with his teenage son, Kwong's professional life is relatively stable as well - at least he's not serving his time in the remote reaches of WA on the "stock squad". He's back in Fremantle, and seconded to major crime when a series of murders of homeless people escalates. Whilst Kwong is dealing with the more traditional elements of a serial killer investigation, journalist Norman Lip is taking a more dangerous path - flirting online with the killer. Especially as it starts to look like this killer has thought this through much more carefully than Lip and has a very personal grudge against Cato Kwong.
For readers new to this series, you'll find plenty here to give you hints and tips about Cato Kwong's background - including the acquiring of his nickname. You'll find out enough about his policing past to fill in the gaps, and more than enough about his personal life to explain his satisfaction with his current circumstances, and his almost wilful blindness to some of the struggles his wife Sharon is experiencing with new motherhood. If it's any consolation his domestic blindspot also includes his teenage son who is struggling with two parents who have moved onto other partners, other kids, and other lives. There's plenty there to make the reader really want to give Kwong a good shouting at in places. Which is the great part of this series - Kwong feels like a real person, he's a good cop, who is capable of making good, inspired and profoundly daft decisions. He's a good bloke who loves his family and totally and utterly doesn't get what's happening around him all at the same time. He's caring, concerned, blithely ignorant and utterly interconnected. In other words he's real, and annoying and endearing all at the same time.
The plot here is also something that readers who are new to the series will be able to go with also, as will welded on fans (HEAVEN SENT is book number 4). As always there's a social issue at the core - in this case homelessness in a society that's seemingly well off and privileged. The sense of community is strong, with homeless support services, police and local government all too aware of the people who live rough in the place. The fact that the killer is also able to tap into that local knowledge creates a claustrophobic overlay, reminding you that few people are ever really truly under the radar.
Dotted throughout, as always, are perfect little observations, Sharon Wang in her struggles with new motherhood and isolation, is still able to summons a bit of fierce when required. Kwong's old love interest and colleague Tess, reminds us of the never-ending problem of toxic male violence that many women live with. Naomi Lip, journalist Norman's sister, wheelchair bound and physically restricted reminds us that mental acuity, wit and ability are often less visible, but much stronger.
HEAVEN SENT has been much anticipated, as it's been a bit of a gap since the last outing with Cato Kwong. Let's hope there's plenty more to come.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
December 24, 2021
A pick up from a literary festival, I’d passed this book over in favour of the others I’d purchased, unsure if it was really ‘me’.
DS Cato Kwong is settling into life with a new wife and baby, when a series of murders in his home turf of Fremantle brings old stories and grudges to the surface. The interference of a local, antagonistic journalist believing he has the scoop of the century puts many in danger, and as the book progresses, events spiral to their denouement in an action filled final quarter.
Firstly: when I bought this, I knew it was local (Australian reader here), but was pleasantly surprised to find out how local. Places, people, events are all very familiar, which for me, added to the interest in the book, however will that translate for overseas readers? Time will tell. It’s very laconically Australian in its writing:
‘What do you want from us?’
‘Nothing’
‘We’re going to kill you, f***face.’
‘I’ll be waiting.’ The phone died.
Pavlou stared at him. ‘You haven’t done the latest hostage negotiation course, have you?’
I particularly enjoyed the dry wit and humour that is associated with Aussies, and this book is very much written in that style. Perhaps not for you if you’re offended by swearing - as you’d expect, there’s quite a bit.
Secondly: again, when I bought this, I was unaware it was 4th in a series. This made no difference to my reading enjoyment, there were no gaping holes that took from my understanding of the story, and what references there were to previous books’ events, were alluded to in enough detail to explain the story, but still leave you wanting to read the other books.
Which I’ll be doing, certainly.
DS Cato Kwong is settling into life with a new wife and baby, when a series of murders in his home turf of Fremantle brings old stories and grudges to the surface. The interference of a local, antagonistic journalist believing he has the scoop of the century puts many in danger, and as the book progresses, events spiral to their denouement in an action filled final quarter.
Firstly: when I bought this, I knew it was local (Australian reader here), but was pleasantly surprised to find out how local. Places, people, events are all very familiar, which for me, added to the interest in the book, however will that translate for overseas readers? Time will tell. It’s very laconically Australian in its writing:
‘What do you want from us?’
‘Nothing’
‘We’re going to kill you, f***face.’
‘I’ll be waiting.’ The phone died.
Pavlou stared at him. ‘You haven’t done the latest hostage negotiation course, have you?’
I particularly enjoyed the dry wit and humour that is associated with Aussies, and this book is very much written in that style. Perhaps not for you if you’re offended by swearing - as you’d expect, there’s quite a bit.
Secondly: again, when I bought this, I was unaware it was 4th in a series. This made no difference to my reading enjoyment, there were no gaping holes that took from my understanding of the story, and what references there were to previous books’ events, were alluded to in enough detail to explain the story, but still leave you wanting to read the other books.
Which I’ll be doing, certainly.
September 1, 2018
Enjoyable read.
March 16, 2022
Life is rosy for Detective Sergeant Philip (Cato) Kwong. He has a new wife, new baby, and is determined not to make the same mistakes that caused his first marriage to crumble, and wrecked the relationship he had with his son.
Until someone starts murdering members of Fremantle's homeless population, and it becomes clear the killings are related to an investigation Kwong was involved in. But which one? As more people die Cato begins to fear for his life and the safety of his family and friends, as it also becomes clear the motivation behind the killings originated in the killer's hatred of Cato.
This winner of the Ned Kelly Award for best first fiction portrays a real sense of Australia. The characters are realistic, their circumstances relatable, and the story line is a doozy.
Until someone starts murdering members of Fremantle's homeless population, and it becomes clear the killings are related to an investigation Kwong was involved in. But which one? As more people die Cato begins to fear for his life and the safety of his family and friends, as it also becomes clear the motivation behind the killings originated in the killer's hatred of Cato.
This winner of the Ned Kelly Award for best first fiction portrays a real sense of Australia. The characters are realistic, their circumstances relatable, and the story line is a doozy.
December 17, 2018
I'd forgotten how wild and violent the preceding novel to this book was. Well, this one is set quite a few years later. It's very entertaining although I found the ending on the edge of just too violent.
November 20, 2018
Really enjoy these books. Keep them coming Mr Carter (and find a way to keep Hutchens in there somewhere please!)
November 17, 2018
Hope this isn't the end of the Cato Kwong series. So good. Cool to link this story to Malborough Man as well. Love the local setting once again.
January 8, 2022
There is no question Alan Carter can do crime fiction and maybe my irritation with this book is that it was the fourth crime fiction book I read in a row. Or perhaps the need for the escapism of the exotic that I don't get in a book set very firmly in my home town. Certainly there is a great escalation here, the body count rises and each one a little closer to home. There are also the usual tropes and red herrings. Although surely the detective with great insight to everything but his own self is due for retirement? This faulty self awareness could be reality - for we are all great at what we do other than looking after our own - but reality does not make for fresh or interesting stories.
Although this book is compelling to read and I can recommend it to lovers of crime fiction, there are a couple more things I will discuss without spoiling (I hope), the reason I rather harshly award it only three stars. These are the things that lift a novel into the realm of greatness.
We all behave in certain ways according to our character, and in writing to create a character we can use quirks to make this imagined person more real and to set them apart from others in the story. You meet two girls at the coffee shop. A flick of the hair, repeated, sets apart the blond from the brunette. Or, in this case, one of them says something and 'moves her fingers in the air to make air quotes', and this defines both the tone of the talk and the persona of the character and it could be a great writers trick to say more with a few words than the written dialogue. But you can't have several people do the same thing or it leaves gives the impression the writer does not like people who do 'air quotes'. A writer needs to be invisible in the story.
Similarly, the setting within a specific location, in this case Fremantle, my home town, can be a great way of adding believability to a story. The Melbourne of Peter Temple is real and yet fictionalised, and Philip Marlowe walks a believable yet fictional Los Angeles. In Dave Warner's 'Clear to the Horizon' he writes locality detail but his book is based on a real crime. In 'Heaven Sent' Alan Carter gives I think too much specific detail and it pulls me out of the story because I know this exact place. If you are not a local you don't need the detail and for a local it distracts. After all, the murder of a homeless man only needs a park and the dark of night and a bloody body found lying up against the rubbish bins behind the cafe. Specifics are needed only when it is for a purpose.
Likewise vernacular language. Of course you might craft a character who says 'down south', this being a particular we say in Western Australia despite the fact we all know south is no more down than north is up, but under the rule of saying two things with one sentence if being 'down south' is not important lets just say they were out of town.
Characters also need to behave consistently and believable to how they have been created. A policeman who interviews witnesses and asks pointedly why a thing was not reported to the police cannot then ignore it when things that ought to be reported happen to themselves and they don't report. So that is my third irritation with this book. I had trouble believing it.
In summary, this book has a great story but could be tighter. This is quite a long review and it might seem negative, but Crime Fiction fans will have little to complain about. I am just a fussy reader and frustrated writer.
Although this book is compelling to read and I can recommend it to lovers of crime fiction, there are a couple more things I will discuss without spoiling (I hope), the reason I rather harshly award it only three stars. These are the things that lift a novel into the realm of greatness.
We all behave in certain ways according to our character, and in writing to create a character we can use quirks to make this imagined person more real and to set them apart from others in the story. You meet two girls at the coffee shop. A flick of the hair, repeated, sets apart the blond from the brunette. Or, in this case, one of them says something and 'moves her fingers in the air to make air quotes', and this defines both the tone of the talk and the persona of the character and it could be a great writers trick to say more with a few words than the written dialogue. But you can't have several people do the same thing or it leaves gives the impression the writer does not like people who do 'air quotes'. A writer needs to be invisible in the story.
Similarly, the setting within a specific location, in this case Fremantle, my home town, can be a great way of adding believability to a story. The Melbourne of Peter Temple is real and yet fictionalised, and Philip Marlowe walks a believable yet fictional Los Angeles. In Dave Warner's 'Clear to the Horizon' he writes locality detail but his book is based on a real crime. In 'Heaven Sent' Alan Carter gives I think too much specific detail and it pulls me out of the story because I know this exact place. If you are not a local you don't need the detail and for a local it distracts. After all, the murder of a homeless man only needs a park and the dark of night and a bloody body found lying up against the rubbish bins behind the cafe. Specifics are needed only when it is for a purpose.
Likewise vernacular language. Of course you might craft a character who says 'down south', this being a particular we say in Western Australia despite the fact we all know south is no more down than north is up, but under the rule of saying two things with one sentence if being 'down south' is not important lets just say they were out of town.
Characters also need to behave consistently and believable to how they have been created. A policeman who interviews witnesses and asks pointedly why a thing was not reported to the police cannot then ignore it when things that ought to be reported happen to themselves and they don't report. So that is my third irritation with this book. I had trouble believing it.
In summary, this book has a great story but could be tighter. This is quite a long review and it might seem negative, but Crime Fiction fans will have little to complain about. I am just a fussy reader and frustrated writer.
March 16, 2020
Where does reality stop and dream begin? This book is located in the places I walk by in Fremantle every day. No need to look up what I feel is my Fremantle in google like I have to look up the Galway of Dervla McTiernan, the London of Robert Galbraith, or the Belfast of Adrian McKinty. But actually I do need to look up some places in Alan Carter’s Fremantle. No matter how often I have walked along High Street by the cop shop or walked my dog on South Beach, Carter points out so many things behind the scenes, missed by the casual eye. Whether homeless or well off, bogan or scholar, each Fremantle person carries a vast inner world of experiences and ideas. Carter spins a story out of these close intersections.
April 14, 2022
Another instalment in the life of Cato/Philip Kwong. I thought I had skipped a book as in the prev story Cato and Sharon had not even dated and in this next book they are married with a baby! This is a cracker of a story as there is a serial killer on the loose who has Cato in his sight. The killer draws in Sharon and Cato's son Jake and they have no idea they are being targeted. The killer is complex and interesting as are all the minor characters including the homeless men and the reporter. The reporter was an incredibly annoying character and I was not sad to see the end of him!
June 28, 2019
Whoop whoop - another instalment of D/Sgt Cato Kwong!! Cato is married to Sharon Wang and proud dad to Ella. But who has a vendetta against Freemantle's homeless? Cato struggles to balance his new family life while investigating a growing number of homicides.
Thoroughly enjoy Carter's sharp, pacey writing. Love his turns of expression, witticisms and descriptions of WA. The characters are all fleshed out enough and engaging, and Cato flaws and all is a favourite. Highly recommend.
Thoroughly enjoy Carter's sharp, pacey writing. Love his turns of expression, witticisms and descriptions of WA. The characters are all fleshed out enough and engaging, and Cato flaws and all is a favourite. Highly recommend.
August 30, 2019
This book is set in Fremantle which is familiar to me. It made it very easy to picture where the murders were.
I feel that I have read another of Alan Carter’s books so I was familiar with Cato.
In this particular book he tries to find the murderer of homeless people. His research takes him to Laverton and Esperance.
Cato’s personal life isn’t happy and at the end of this book he says he is giving up being a police officer, but there are hints that he won’t.
I feel that I have read another of Alan Carter’s books so I was familiar with Cato.
In this particular book he tries to find the murderer of homeless people. His research takes him to Laverton and Esperance.
Cato’s personal life isn’t happy and at the end of this book he says he is giving up being a police officer, but there are hints that he won’t.
January 19, 2019
Another enjoyable instalment in the Cato Kwong franchise. The characters are well crafted and Carter's narrative style is suspenseful and engaging. I'm not sure if Kwong as sleuth and the focus of the killer's vendetta really works. It adds an air of predictability to the book and takes away the whodunit suspense.
December 6, 2020
I'm trying to decide whether I'm giving this book 4 stars just because I loved all the references to Fremantle (Culley's, South Beach, the Roundhouse) or because Mr Carter has written a good police procedural with plenty of good characterisations and enough mystery to last through to the end. It doesn't really matter. It's a good read.
May 27, 2021
I never take long to read an Alan Carter crime novel. Love the local Fremantle descriptions & also of other WA towns like Boulder, Esperance and Hopetoun. ‘.Cato’ Kwong really does drive me crazy at times & this plot had plenty of times when I literally screamed at him & his decision making particularly in relation to his teenage son, Jake. Very easy to read novel and well planned plot too.
July 1, 2021
Another page turner by Alan Carter with his flawed lead Phillip ‘Cato’ Kwong. A gripping story about tracking down a serial killer in Fremantle. I love his asides about Australian social and political issues and the story is set in the context of today’s Western Australia.
There’s even a fleeting reference to NZ Nick Chester ( Marlborough Man).
There’s even a fleeting reference to NZ Nick Chester ( Marlborough Man).
January 16, 2022
What an enjoyable series. Each novel improves on the prior offering and Kwong #4 is no different. The conclusion in this novel is probably the most enjoyable of all thus far. For those that haven't come across this author, the Cato Kwong series is highly recommended, as is the NZ based Nick Chester series.
April 1, 2019
This author is only getting better. Love the series, the development of the characters and the local locations (I'm a Perth lad and it's set around here). I'm really taking note of how this author writes, it's having a big impact on my own novels. Well done, Alan!
May 7, 2019
So close to a five, set epin West Australia, the homeless in our country and across the world. A murder mystery as good as it gets. The Brits and the American have some good writers, Alan Carter is up there with them!
June 30, 2021
Can't get enough Kwong and love the fact that all the action takes place in Perth and Freo, including places where I've worked. He's a deeply flawed character and is forever on the end of a beating, but you love him just the same. Keep an eye out for the link to the Nick Chester series set in NZ.
December 12, 2018
A really thrilling read. I really enjoyed it.
December 23, 2018
Fantastic- DS Cato Wong returns in Book 4 where everyone he loves is threatened. Such a wonderful sense of place. Hurry up Book 5
December 30, 2018
and 1/2. This was my first but will go back and read the others in the Cato Kwong series as this was a good read. AC writes this genre very well giving the reader a fast paced page turner.
February 2, 2019
Marlborough Man still my favorite - but Thank you Alan Carter
November 16, 2019
3.5 rounded up to 4. Not the best of the Cato Kwong books but still an enjoyable read.
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