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Itinerant Mendicant #1
Death Leaves the Station
A nameless friar turns up at Halfwell Station at the same time that Ana, the adopted daughter of the station owners, discovers a body in the desert during her midnight walk. But when Ana returns to look for it, the body is gone.
Death Leaves the Station brings the cosy country-house intrigue of crime fiction's golden age to the Australian wheatbelt, and was written for fans of classic mystery and crime fiction.
Death Leaves the Station brings the cosy country-house intrigue of crime fiction's golden age to the Australian wheatbelt, and was written for fans of classic mystery and crime fiction.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2020
11 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Thorpe
2 books9 followersAlexander Thorpe is from Fremantle, Western Australia. He has written advertising copy for pool cleaners and concrete supply companies, taught English in Joseph Stalin’s hometown and almost managed to read half of James Joyce’s Ulysses twice (which is more or less the same as having almost managed to read the whole book). Alex has written for news outlets, travel journals, marketing companies and educational providers, and has recently completed his first novel, Death Leaves the Station.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 30, 2023
4★
“Following a moment’s healthy hesitation, the front door swung wide to admit the stranger, then closed once more upon silence.
Somewhere in the mulga, a mile or two to the south, a corpse lay slowly cooling.”
How could I resist? This is the early 1900s, Western Australia, and the discovery of the corpse in the bush, in the middle of the night, by an 18-year-old girl gives us a number of questions to be answered.
The station of the title is Halfwell Station, a large property owned by the Harris family, Neville and his wife and their adopted daughter, Mariana – the 18-year-old midnight rambler.
Ana has been given nothing from her parents but a locket with their photos, which she always wears. She’s been told she was born at sea to a Chilean mother who died when she was four months old, and her father rode galloping off with her mother’s body, never to be seen again.
But back to ‘our’ body, the corpse.. Who is it? In fact, where is it? But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The stranger at the front door in the opening sentence was a little man, a travelling friar, referred to here as the mendicant. He has stopped at the homestead where he’s been given a cup of tea and a few provisions to take with him to wherever he has camped for the night.
“Silence stole back through the dark to reclaim Halfwell Station, where it reigned until dawn, disturbed only briefly by the tired midnight protest of floorboards as an escape was effected.”
That would be Ana, sneaking out yet again to seek advice from the friar about the body she found. She wants to make a confession, or at least speak in confidence to someone other than her parents. He is not a priest but he agrees to follow her to the body. Where is it?
“In the darkness, the mendicant could not discern much in the way of geological detail, but even the heavy curtain of night could not hide the swathe of blood which slicked the surface of the nearest stone, reaching darkly out across the sand.
‘Madre de Dios, he was here,’ Ana said. ‘Just a moment ago, he was here.’”
All the signs show that a body was there, so there’s now no question that it will have to be reported. Ana has a good recollection of what the man looked like, so the police are able to put together a drawing with a description to circulate.
Cooper, the indigenous station hand, thinks he recognises the stranger’s face. The hunt is on.
Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes is in charge, he and his luxurious, ridiculous moustache, which cannot be ignored. Its history is funny and it is mentioned often, as if it is a character in its own right.
With Cooper driving, Parkes takes Ana and the mendicant by motor car to track the stranger, and they cross some interesting country. Note the one of many passing remarks on his moustache. It is a character in itself.
“The wind thrilled across the vehicle’s canvas canopy, adding a cacophonous flutter to the din of the engine and finally rendering all conversation impossible.
Even if the passengers had been able to talk, they would almost certainly have fallen silent at this point, as the rushing plains had thrown up something new and utterly alien. Stunted columns of red dirt struggled towards the sky, looking for all the world like the ruins of some Hittite city ground down by time and age. Parkes twisted in his seat to face the civilians.
‘Termite mounds,’ he moustached—the sheer scope of his facial foliage rendered him incapable of simply mouthing.”
I enjoyed many of the author’s descriptive passages about the landscape, the skies, the ocean when they near it. Mullewa is the town nearest the Halfwell Station, and the only one Ana knows.
“The town’s central street stretched out ahead, a beaten red-dirt ribbon lined with low, tin-roofed buildings. On the northern side crouched the post office, a wood-and-weatherboard assemblage whose telephone connection to Geraldton, first completed some four years earlier, was the talk of the town in a very literal sense. Beyond it, Ana could see the Railway Hotel, its roof sloping at a comfortable angle as if nodding across the street to its namesake.”
The solution of the mystery reminds me very much of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. There were some details I guessed, but the rest needed clarification. I have a couple of quibbles, but nothing that would spoil my enjoyment of this Aussie author’s first novel.
It is not a blood-thirsty thriller but an entertaining mystery with memorable characters, some admittedly outlandish, and I enjoyed it.
“Following a moment’s healthy hesitation, the front door swung wide to admit the stranger, then closed once more upon silence.
Somewhere in the mulga, a mile or two to the south, a corpse lay slowly cooling.”
How could I resist? This is the early 1900s, Western Australia, and the discovery of the corpse in the bush, in the middle of the night, by an 18-year-old girl gives us a number of questions to be answered.
The station of the title is Halfwell Station, a large property owned by the Harris family, Neville and his wife and their adopted daughter, Mariana – the 18-year-old midnight rambler.
Ana has been given nothing from her parents but a locket with their photos, which she always wears. She’s been told she was born at sea to a Chilean mother who died when she was four months old, and her father rode galloping off with her mother’s body, never to be seen again.
But back to ‘our’ body, the corpse.. Who is it? In fact, where is it? But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The stranger at the front door in the opening sentence was a little man, a travelling friar, referred to here as the mendicant. He has stopped at the homestead where he’s been given a cup of tea and a few provisions to take with him to wherever he has camped for the night.
“Silence stole back through the dark to reclaim Halfwell Station, where it reigned until dawn, disturbed only briefly by the tired midnight protest of floorboards as an escape was effected.”
That would be Ana, sneaking out yet again to seek advice from the friar about the body she found. She wants to make a confession, or at least speak in confidence to someone other than her parents. He is not a priest but he agrees to follow her to the body. Where is it?
“In the darkness, the mendicant could not discern much in the way of geological detail, but even the heavy curtain of night could not hide the swathe of blood which slicked the surface of the nearest stone, reaching darkly out across the sand.
‘Madre de Dios, he was here,’ Ana said. ‘Just a moment ago, he was here.’”
All the signs show that a body was there, so there’s now no question that it will have to be reported. Ana has a good recollection of what the man looked like, so the police are able to put together a drawing with a description to circulate.
Cooper, the indigenous station hand, thinks he recognises the stranger’s face. The hunt is on.
Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes is in charge, he and his luxurious, ridiculous moustache, which cannot be ignored. Its history is funny and it is mentioned often, as if it is a character in its own right.
With Cooper driving, Parkes takes Ana and the mendicant by motor car to track the stranger, and they cross some interesting country. Note the one of many passing remarks on his moustache. It is a character in itself.
“The wind thrilled across the vehicle’s canvas canopy, adding a cacophonous flutter to the din of the engine and finally rendering all conversation impossible.
Even if the passengers had been able to talk, they would almost certainly have fallen silent at this point, as the rushing plains had thrown up something new and utterly alien. Stunted columns of red dirt struggled towards the sky, looking for all the world like the ruins of some Hittite city ground down by time and age. Parkes twisted in his seat to face the civilians.
‘Termite mounds,’ he moustached—the sheer scope of his facial foliage rendered him incapable of simply mouthing.”
I enjoyed many of the author’s descriptive passages about the landscape, the skies, the ocean when they near it. Mullewa is the town nearest the Halfwell Station, and the only one Ana knows.
“The town’s central street stretched out ahead, a beaten red-dirt ribbon lined with low, tin-roofed buildings. On the northern side crouched the post office, a wood-and-weatherboard assemblage whose telephone connection to Geraldton, first completed some four years earlier, was the talk of the town in a very literal sense. Beyond it, Ana could see the Railway Hotel, its roof sloping at a comfortable angle as if nodding across the street to its namesake.”
The solution of the mystery reminds me very much of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. There were some details I guessed, but the rest needed clarification. I have a couple of quibbles, but nothing that would spoil my enjoyment of this Aussie author’s first novel.
It is not a blood-thirsty thriller but an entertaining mystery with memorable characters, some admittedly outlandish, and I enjoyed it.
July 13, 2024
“The truth will not be hidden forever. If you do not seek it, it will seek you. It will follow you over land and sea. It will devastate; it will lay you to waste.”
Death Leaves the Station is the first novel by Australian author, Alexander Thorpe. Nineteen-year-old Mariana (Ana) Harris, adopted daughter of wheat farmers Neville and Ruth, chooses a nameless friar with whom to share her greatest worry: what to do about the stranger who died right next to her at the old gold-mine site the previous night.
By the time Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his native tracker, Cooper arrive, it’s almost forty-eight hours since the man died, and the corpse has mysteriously disappeared. Parkes insists Ana accompany him to Geraldton to assist with a sketch of the man; to her parents’ consternation, she agrees, on condition that the friar comes along.
This unlikely quartet then sets forth: first to a nearby town en route, to spread the word via telegram; then to a grisly find at a pigsty; after their encounter with the sketch artist, they head south. Each stop garners further information, not all of it absorbed by Parkes, and ultimately, they are on the night train to Fremantle, where the excellent denouement takes place.
What a marvellous tale! Thorpe easily captures both the era and the setting with some superb descriptive prose; his characters are interesting; and his plot has sufficient intrigue, twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very last pages.
As fits the era, the dearth of technology necessitates ingenuity and talents of a classic type: the facial reconstruction sketch is achieved with artistic skill and anatomical knowledge (and the sketch artist is a delight!); careful observation and reasoned deduction are what solves the mystery.
Parkes is clearly not the smartest of detectives: the friar notes: “His investigative technique – which had all the subtlety of a tenderising mallet – was simply to hammer his suspects with the same question over and over again until cracks began to form in their stories.”
Another who is familiar with his work expresses her confidence in his ability thus: “I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll find the murderer. That is, as long as the man is so good as to handcuff himself to the telegraph pole beside the police station with a written admission pinned to his collar and an embroidered shirt bearing the legend ‘I did it’.”
The writing style and subject matter are heavily reminiscent of Arthur W. Upfield’s (that’s a compliment!) and Thorpe gives his characters subtle humour, wise words and insightful observations: “In my experience, it’s the incredible accounts which are most often true. Liars tend to keep their stories neat. Reality, on the other hand, is inherently untidy.” This is a very impressive debut novel, and more of the friar and the sketch artist, especially, but anything from Alexander Thorpe, will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Fremantle Press.
Death Leaves the Station is the first novel by Australian author, Alexander Thorpe. Nineteen-year-old Mariana (Ana) Harris, adopted daughter of wheat farmers Neville and Ruth, chooses a nameless friar with whom to share her greatest worry: what to do about the stranger who died right next to her at the old gold-mine site the previous night.
By the time Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his native tracker, Cooper arrive, it’s almost forty-eight hours since the man died, and the corpse has mysteriously disappeared. Parkes insists Ana accompany him to Geraldton to assist with a sketch of the man; to her parents’ consternation, she agrees, on condition that the friar comes along.
This unlikely quartet then sets forth: first to a nearby town en route, to spread the word via telegram; then to a grisly find at a pigsty; after their encounter with the sketch artist, they head south. Each stop garners further information, not all of it absorbed by Parkes, and ultimately, they are on the night train to Fremantle, where the excellent denouement takes place.
What a marvellous tale! Thorpe easily captures both the era and the setting with some superb descriptive prose; his characters are interesting; and his plot has sufficient intrigue, twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very last pages.
As fits the era, the dearth of technology necessitates ingenuity and talents of a classic type: the facial reconstruction sketch is achieved with artistic skill and anatomical knowledge (and the sketch artist is a delight!); careful observation and reasoned deduction are what solves the mystery.
Parkes is clearly not the smartest of detectives: the friar notes: “His investigative technique – which had all the subtlety of a tenderising mallet – was simply to hammer his suspects with the same question over and over again until cracks began to form in their stories.”
Another who is familiar with his work expresses her confidence in his ability thus: “I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll find the murderer. That is, as long as the man is so good as to handcuff himself to the telegraph pole beside the police station with a written admission pinned to his collar and an embroidered shirt bearing the legend ‘I did it’.”
The writing style and subject matter are heavily reminiscent of Arthur W. Upfield’s (that’s a compliment!) and Thorpe gives his characters subtle humour, wise words and insightful observations: “In my experience, it’s the incredible accounts which are most often true. Liars tend to keep their stories neat. Reality, on the other hand, is inherently untidy.” This is a very impressive debut novel, and more of the friar and the sketch artist, especially, but anything from Alexander Thorpe, will be most welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Fremantle Press.
September 13, 2021
This one was a lot of fun. If you can have a cosy murder mystery, in the hot, dry and dusty WA outback - then this is it.
In is 1927 (or so the back cover tells me, it is more of a era than a year) and we are on a remote, dry and dusty station in WA. A mendicant friar turns up at the station, on foot he is on his way to the nearest (small) town. Before he leaves, he will become involved in a murder mystery involving the eighteen year old adopted daughter of the house, a corpse who vanished and an annoyed policeman who hates his own moustaches.
In pursuit of the identity of the missing corpse and his identity this unlikely duo, sometimes accompanied by Cooper, the 'native' tracker wander around the WA outback and then on to the coast. If, at times, the reader wonders slightly if Parks really needs to take them with him the whole way? Well, it is a fun enough trip and a nicely enough conceived story with excellent characters - so one does not wonder too hard.
The historical settings and context are excellent. In so many small ways this comes out and make the book what it is. I totally respect the research the author has put into it, the light hand he uses to describe settings and the stark portrayal of the prejudices of the times.
Really enjoyed it.
In is 1927 (or so the back cover tells me, it is more of a era than a year) and we are on a remote, dry and dusty station in WA. A mendicant friar turns up at the station, on foot he is on his way to the nearest (small) town. Before he leaves, he will become involved in a murder mystery involving the eighteen year old adopted daughter of the house, a corpse who vanished and an annoyed policeman who hates his own moustaches.
In pursuit of the identity of the missing corpse and his identity this unlikely duo, sometimes accompanied by Cooper, the 'native' tracker wander around the WA outback and then on to the coast. If, at times, the reader wonders slightly if Parks really needs to take them with him the whole way? Well, it is a fun enough trip and a nicely enough conceived story with excellent characters - so one does not wonder too hard.
The historical settings and context are excellent. In so many small ways this comes out and make the book what it is. I totally respect the research the author has put into it, the light hand he uses to describe settings and the stark portrayal of the prejudices of the times.
Really enjoyed it.
September 29, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
3.5 stars
Death Leaves the Station is the first short form novel by Alexander Thorpe, released by Fremantle Press. A historical mystery based tale, Death Leaves the Station sees author Alexander Thorpe successfully turn back the clock, immersing his audience in the 1927, Australia. In this bite sized mystery, the reader is confronted with a missing corpse, an eighteen year old woman determined to locate the missing body, a friar, an offbeat detective and a tracker. This is an eclectic cast, but Thorpe brings to life this unusual group through his solid characterisation. A bush based sojourn ensues, as the group resolve to locate the body that made a strange disappearing act. It is a journey that brings shocks, twists, turns, red herrings and more. The overwhelming sense of isolation that comes from this stark wheatbelt based locale works to heighten the atmosphere of this bush based crime tale. Thorpe ensures that his readership are able to play an active role in solving this perplexing case, thanks to the old fashioned detective work of Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his unlikely search party. Death Leaves the Station was a little too short in length for my reading preferences, but it is still a worthy debut.
*Thanks is extended to Better Reading/Fremantle Press for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
3.5 stars
Death Leaves the Station is the first short form novel by Alexander Thorpe, released by Fremantle Press. A historical mystery based tale, Death Leaves the Station sees author Alexander Thorpe successfully turn back the clock, immersing his audience in the 1927, Australia. In this bite sized mystery, the reader is confronted with a missing corpse, an eighteen year old woman determined to locate the missing body, a friar, an offbeat detective and a tracker. This is an eclectic cast, but Thorpe brings to life this unusual group through his solid characterisation. A bush based sojourn ensues, as the group resolve to locate the body that made a strange disappearing act. It is a journey that brings shocks, twists, turns, red herrings and more. The overwhelming sense of isolation that comes from this stark wheatbelt based locale works to heighten the atmosphere of this bush based crime tale. Thorpe ensures that his readership are able to play an active role in solving this perplexing case, thanks to the old fashioned detective work of Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his unlikely search party. Death Leaves the Station was a little too short in length for my reading preferences, but it is still a worthy debut.
*Thanks is extended to Better Reading/Fremantle Press for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
June 26, 2024
There's a really nice interpretation of classic golden age mystery styling at the heart of this lovely little novel set in the early white settlement period of rural, remote Western Australia.
Cleverly balanced between the personal story of Ana, the adopted daughter of the owners of Halfwell Station, and the search for a murder victim whose body she came across in the bush, late at night when reportedly star gazing, there's a lot of intrigue going on here. It's not just the nameless friar who appears at the Station at the time that Ana reports (to the friar initially and not her parents) discovering a man's body very near the homestead. Nor is it the obvious story behind a victim who was there (and left blood and some signs of a struggle at the location), but whose body has now disappeared. Nor is it just about the people charging around the bush on the same night, or the odd disappearance of Ana's birth parents, the strange circumstances of Ana's own life and her relationship with her adopted parents. You need to add to all of that a very unusual investigating detective, a most unexpected police artist, and Cooper, the taciturn, and very able, Aboriginal tracker.
Of course, astute readers may be forgiven for wondering why a policeman investigating this odd occurrence would so willingly drag a young girl and a friar (identikit sketch of the man not withstanding) here and there on the investigative trail, but you'd be forgiven for really not caring about the little details that much, it just kind of works.
Mostly because the character development that occurs in such a short novel is strong, presenting the reader almost instantaneously with a great little band of intrepid investigators, travelling great distances by horse, foot, and train to try to identify the alleged victim, and then establish if he was a victim after all.
There's also plenty of opportunity, following the classic "golden age" type mystery tradition, for the reader to get on board with the mystery solving team, with lots of clues, some expected and not so predictable red herrings, and twists and turns, and a rollicking bit of storytelling along the way.
The historical setting for this novel feels just right, there's really strong character development and an excellent amount of intrigue and action, fitted nicely into a novel that's less than 200 pages in length. All of which was quite astounding given that this is also novelist Alexander Thorpe's debut novel. Here's hoping it's the start of many more.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
Cleverly balanced between the personal story of Ana, the adopted daughter of the owners of Halfwell Station, and the search for a murder victim whose body she came across in the bush, late at night when reportedly star gazing, there's a lot of intrigue going on here. It's not just the nameless friar who appears at the Station at the time that Ana reports (to the friar initially and not her parents) discovering a man's body very near the homestead. Nor is it the obvious story behind a victim who was there (and left blood and some signs of a struggle at the location), but whose body has now disappeared. Nor is it just about the people charging around the bush on the same night, or the odd disappearance of Ana's birth parents, the strange circumstances of Ana's own life and her relationship with her adopted parents. You need to add to all of that a very unusual investigating detective, a most unexpected police artist, and Cooper, the taciturn, and very able, Aboriginal tracker.
Of course, astute readers may be forgiven for wondering why a policeman investigating this odd occurrence would so willingly drag a young girl and a friar (identikit sketch of the man not withstanding) here and there on the investigative trail, but you'd be forgiven for really not caring about the little details that much, it just kind of works.
Mostly because the character development that occurs in such a short novel is strong, presenting the reader almost instantaneously with a great little band of intrepid investigators, travelling great distances by horse, foot, and train to try to identify the alleged victim, and then establish if he was a victim after all.
There's also plenty of opportunity, following the classic "golden age" type mystery tradition, for the reader to get on board with the mystery solving team, with lots of clues, some expected and not so predictable red herrings, and twists and turns, and a rollicking bit of storytelling along the way.
The historical setting for this novel feels just right, there's really strong character development and an excellent amount of intrigue and action, fitted nicely into a novel that's less than 200 pages in length. All of which was quite astounding given that this is also novelist Alexander Thorpe's debut novel. Here's hoping it's the start of many more.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 27, 2022
Not a bad book but it did nothing for me.
June 28, 2021
I heard the author talk at the Perth Literary Festival in Fremantle 2021 and had to get a copy of his book. It is set in various country towns of Western Australia with a "clergyman" as the main protagonist. We lived in Geraldton in the 80's and I am familiar with many of the places mentioned, so I was curious and it did not disappoint. I loved the setting, the language and the writing style too. The book is well researched and there were many laugh out loud moments for me. The book kept me in suspense right up till the end. I hope his next book is published soon!
Some links
Alexander Thorpe interview on Fremantle Press website
Review by Karen Chisholm on austcrimefiction website
Monsignor John Hawes Heritage trail and website
Some links
Alexander Thorpe interview on Fremantle Press website
Review by Karen Chisholm on austcrimefiction website
Monsignor John Hawes Heritage trail and website
September 2, 2021
A movie should be 90 minutes to 2 hours, no more. A book should be 200 - 300 pages, again, no more. I'm tempted to send this to Robert Galbraith/JK Rowling and say "read this! There's character development; there's twists in the plot; there's thoughtful writing and it's not 600 pages!!!""
Death leaves the Station is set in 1920s rural Australia. The blurb told me that; the reviews told me that. So why I didn't make the connection with the word STATION, and expected that there would be a body at a railway station...I was quite perplexed at first. But indeed, this starts with a body found on an Australian sheep and cattle station, in the back of beyond, in the red heartland. The body is found by a young woman, who tells an itinerant Friar...it sounds quite ridiculous.
And yet within the 192 pages is a tale of people and the lies they tell; the harsh lives lived by the poor in Europe and the racism meted out to Indigenous Australians. The book is definitely a whodunnit, and I certainly was left turning pages to the end, I had no clue who had done it. It was satisfying and I would love Alexander Thorpe to write more stories like this, and I would love to know what happens next to some of the characters. Original, short, sympathetic and enjoyable.
Death leaves the Station is set in 1920s rural Australia. The blurb told me that; the reviews told me that. So why I didn't make the connection with the word STATION, and expected that there would be a body at a railway station...I was quite perplexed at first. But indeed, this starts with a body found on an Australian sheep and cattle station, in the back of beyond, in the red heartland. The body is found by a young woman, who tells an itinerant Friar...it sounds quite ridiculous.
And yet within the 192 pages is a tale of people and the lies they tell; the harsh lives lived by the poor in Europe and the racism meted out to Indigenous Australians. The book is definitely a whodunnit, and I certainly was left turning pages to the end, I had no clue who had done it. It was satisfying and I would love Alexander Thorpe to write more stories like this, and I would love to know what happens next to some of the characters. Original, short, sympathetic and enjoyable.
February 6, 2021
Enjoyed the storytelling and the nods to mystery canon.
I read a lot of reviews saying this was like a parlour cosy, but it’s not really. A lot of shout outs to Agatha Christie’s works, but not really cosy crime in my opinion. Great to see an Australian take on it.
I read a lot of reviews saying this was like a parlour cosy, but it’s not really. A lot of shout outs to Agatha Christie’s works, but not really cosy crime in my opinion. Great to see an Australian take on it.
November 2, 2021
Oh! This is a delightful read. I do agree that it is unnecessary to write a doorstop of a book to fit in a good plot and character development. This is a complete and engaging mystery in under 200 pages - just the way they used to be written.
I love the historical setting, 1920s Western Australia. I can feel that dust-laden wind on my skin & in my hair, & grating on my teeth, if I have any left after bouncing along those bumpy tracks in an old rattletrap of a car.
I love the historical setting, 1920s Western Australia. I can feel that dust-laden wind on my skin & in my hair, & grating on my teeth, if I have any left after bouncing along those bumpy tracks in an old rattletrap of a car.
November 13, 2020
The highly ingenious plot of this extremely well written novel unfolds slowly which I'd say is a good thing given its intricacies and the need to pay close attention. The writing is brilliant and very funny and I laughed out loud quite a few times. I loved reading Death Leaves the Station and look forward to reading more by its talented author Alexander Thorpe.
July 13, 2024
“The truth will not be hidden forever. If you do not seek it, it will seek you. It will follow you over land and sea. It will devastate; it will lay you to waste.”
Death Leaves the Station is the first novel by Australian author, Alexander Thorpe. The audio version is narrated by Saul Reichlin. Nineteen-year-old Mariana (Ana) Harris, adopted daughter of wheat farmers Neville and Ruth, chooses a nameless friar with whom to share her greatest worry: what to do about the stranger who died right next to her at the old gold-mine site the previous night.
By the time Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his native tracker, Cooper arrive, it’s almost forty-eight hours since the man died, and the corpse has mysteriously disappeared. Parkes insists Ana accompany him to Geraldton to assist with a sketch of the man; to her parents’ consternation, she agrees, on condition that the friar comes along.
This unlikely quartet then sets forth: first to a nearby town en route, to spread the word via telegram; then to a grisly find at a pigsty; after their encounter with the sketch artist, they head south. Each stop garners further information, not all of it absorbed by Parkes, and ultimately, they are on the night train to Fremantle, where the excellent denouement takes place.
What a marvellous tale! Thorpe easily captures both the era and the setting with some superb descriptive prose; his characters are interesting; and his plot has sufficient intrigue, twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very last pages.
As fits the era, the dearth of technology necessitates ingenuity and talents of a classic type: the facial reconstruction sketch is achieved with artistic skill and anatomical knowledge (and the sketch artist is a delight!); careful observation and reasoned deduction are what solves the mystery.
Parkes is clearly not the smartest of detectives: the friar notes: “His investigative technique – which had all the subtlety of a tenderising mallet – was simply to hammer his suspects with the same question over and over again until cracks began to form in their stories.”
Another who is familiar with his work expresses her confidence in his ability thus: “I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll find the murderer. That is, as long as the man is so good as to handcuff himself to the telegraph pole beside the police station with a written admission pinned to his collar and an embroidered shirt bearing the legend ‘I did it’.”
The writing style and subject matter are heavily reminiscent of Arthur W. Upfield’s (that’s a compliment!) and Thorpe gives his characters subtle humour, wise words and insightful observations: “In my experience, it’s the incredible accounts which are most often true. Liars tend to keep their stories neat. Reality, on the other hand, is inherently untidy.” This is a very impressive debut novel, and more of the friar and the sketch artist, especially, but anything from Alexander Thorpe, will be most welcome.
Death Leaves the Station is the first novel by Australian author, Alexander Thorpe. The audio version is narrated by Saul Reichlin. Nineteen-year-old Mariana (Ana) Harris, adopted daughter of wheat farmers Neville and Ruth, chooses a nameless friar with whom to share her greatest worry: what to do about the stranger who died right next to her at the old gold-mine site the previous night.
By the time Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and his native tracker, Cooper arrive, it’s almost forty-eight hours since the man died, and the corpse has mysteriously disappeared. Parkes insists Ana accompany him to Geraldton to assist with a sketch of the man; to her parents’ consternation, she agrees, on condition that the friar comes along.
This unlikely quartet then sets forth: first to a nearby town en route, to spread the word via telegram; then to a grisly find at a pigsty; after their encounter with the sketch artist, they head south. Each stop garners further information, not all of it absorbed by Parkes, and ultimately, they are on the night train to Fremantle, where the excellent denouement takes place.
What a marvellous tale! Thorpe easily captures both the era and the setting with some superb descriptive prose; his characters are interesting; and his plot has sufficient intrigue, twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing to the very last pages.
As fits the era, the dearth of technology necessitates ingenuity and talents of a classic type: the facial reconstruction sketch is achieved with artistic skill and anatomical knowledge (and the sketch artist is a delight!); careful observation and reasoned deduction are what solves the mystery.
Parkes is clearly not the smartest of detectives: the friar notes: “His investigative technique – which had all the subtlety of a tenderising mallet – was simply to hammer his suspects with the same question over and over again until cracks began to form in their stories.”
Another who is familiar with his work expresses her confidence in his ability thus: “I’d say there’s a good chance he’ll find the murderer. That is, as long as the man is so good as to handcuff himself to the telegraph pole beside the police station with a written admission pinned to his collar and an embroidered shirt bearing the legend ‘I did it’.”
The writing style and subject matter are heavily reminiscent of Arthur W. Upfield’s (that’s a compliment!) and Thorpe gives his characters subtle humour, wise words and insightful observations: “In my experience, it’s the incredible accounts which are most often true. Liars tend to keep their stories neat. Reality, on the other hand, is inherently untidy.” This is a very impressive debut novel, and more of the friar and the sketch artist, especially, but anything from Alexander Thorpe, will be most welcome.
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May 12, 2021This review was first published on the Underground Writers website: http://underground-writers.org/review...
Are you a fan of Agatha Christie? Are you longing to read a mystery set in Australia? Are you looking for a mystery which doesn’t drag out for so long that by the time you reach the end you can’t remember the start? Well, Alexander Thorpe’s debut novel, Death Leaves the Station, is the book for you! It is set in the blistering summer of 1927 in Western Australia, it has historical content, it has an intriguing—and at times feuding—ensemble of characters, it has you guessing until the end, and it has the perfect mix of familiar and peculiar elements while being under 200 pages long!
The setting of rural Western Australia (hometown represented!) piqued my interest, but I was immediately hooked by the mystery. The novel opens to the large estate (Halfwell Station)—out of place by its Lancashire design—in rural Western Australia with a nameless friar asking the station mistress for food. The mystery storyline of a body discovered in the desert by the adopted daughter of the station owners, Ana, was quickly introduced. I thought that the body disappearing when Ana tries to show the friar what she discovered was definitely unexpected…and very ominous. Instead of waiting for the action to unfold Thorpe jumps right into the mystery plotline—which I loved! I adore snuggling under my doona with a mystery book, so I appreciated diving right into the mystery instead of reading a slow leadup.
The novel was fast paced. Hints dropped continuously along the way—to my obliviousness. While the mystery of who is the dead man?, where did the body vanish to?, and who is the murderer? kept the plot rolling, it was the characters that I found to be equally, if not more, intriguing. I have to confess that I have a soft spot for Detective Parkes. I mean, who wouldn’t chuckle at the first line which introduces him: “Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes hated his moustache”. The continuous jabs at poor Detective Parkes’ moustache continue throughout. While Ana—as the only witness to the disappearing corpse—and the nameless friar serve as the main characters, attention is dispersed to the secondary characters and helps to build the world around them. This attention to detail is also due to the beautiful prose Thorpe uses to describe the landscape. Perhaps it is my own adoration for Western Australia, but all Western Australian writers (Thorpe included) capture the raw beauty of the land perfectly.
Thorpe’s debut novel is a fantastic mix of historical fiction, mystery, and crime. As the cold winds of winter start to sweep down on us, grab yourself a copy of Death Leaves the Station and warm yourself in the sizzling heat of 1927 Western Australia.
Are you a fan of Agatha Christie? Are you longing to read a mystery set in Australia? Are you looking for a mystery which doesn’t drag out for so long that by the time you reach the end you can’t remember the start? Well, Alexander Thorpe’s debut novel, Death Leaves the Station, is the book for you! It is set in the blistering summer of 1927 in Western Australia, it has historical content, it has an intriguing—and at times feuding—ensemble of characters, it has you guessing until the end, and it has the perfect mix of familiar and peculiar elements while being under 200 pages long!
The setting of rural Western Australia (hometown represented!) piqued my interest, but I was immediately hooked by the mystery. The novel opens to the large estate (Halfwell Station)—out of place by its Lancashire design—in rural Western Australia with a nameless friar asking the station mistress for food. The mystery storyline of a body discovered in the desert by the adopted daughter of the station owners, Ana, was quickly introduced. I thought that the body disappearing when Ana tries to show the friar what she discovered was definitely unexpected…and very ominous. Instead of waiting for the action to unfold Thorpe jumps right into the mystery plotline—which I loved! I adore snuggling under my doona with a mystery book, so I appreciated diving right into the mystery instead of reading a slow leadup.
The novel was fast paced. Hints dropped continuously along the way—to my obliviousness. While the mystery of who is the dead man?, where did the body vanish to?, and who is the murderer? kept the plot rolling, it was the characters that I found to be equally, if not more, intriguing. I have to confess that I have a soft spot for Detective Parkes. I mean, who wouldn’t chuckle at the first line which introduces him: “Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes hated his moustache”. The continuous jabs at poor Detective Parkes’ moustache continue throughout. While Ana—as the only witness to the disappearing corpse—and the nameless friar serve as the main characters, attention is dispersed to the secondary characters and helps to build the world around them. This attention to detail is also due to the beautiful prose Thorpe uses to describe the landscape. Perhaps it is my own adoration for Western Australia, but all Western Australian writers (Thorpe included) capture the raw beauty of the land perfectly.
Thorpe’s debut novel is a fantastic mix of historical fiction, mystery, and crime. As the cold winds of winter start to sweep down on us, grab yourself a copy of Death Leaves the Station and warm yourself in the sizzling heat of 1927 Western Australia.
December 13, 2020
This is the first novel by Alexander Thorpe, although reading his “About the author” section he seems to have lived a most interesting life and should have plenty of experiences to incorporate into future works.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Thorpe’s use of language and description is masterful and once started I didn’t want to put it down.
The tale commences with a grinning little man knocking on the door of the house at Halfwell Station, on the edge of the West Australian Outback. When the lady of the house, Mrs Harris answers the door she is confronted by the man, dressed in a long brown shift or cassock, who politely requests “a spot of tea.” As Mrs Harris agrees, and lets him in, we are told that “Somewhere in the mulga, a mile or two to the south, a corpse lay slowly cooling.”
And with that enigmatic beginning we meet the Harris’, Ruth Harris, a short wiry woman of middle age, Neville Harris, a farmer who believes as the man of the house he is entitled to speak for the women, Mariana, their daughter and the little grinning man, a friar who claims to have no name.
With the discovery of a dead body on the property by Mariana, that magically disappears before anyone else gets to see it, we are introduced to Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes of Geraldton Police Station (and his moustache) and his indigenous tracker, Cooper.
The search for answers, where has the corpse gone, who was the corpse, why was he killed etc will bring up more questions, and answers, for all involved. As Parkes, Cooper, Mariana, and the nameless friar embark on a search that will lead them from the goldfields to the city, admissions and discoveries will occur that will rock everyone’s world.
In telling this tale Thorpe has not attempted to play down the attitudes, ideas and prejudices that were prevalent at the turn of the 20th century, in his own words “I have included these in the interests of providing an accurate historical setting and in the recognition that the damaging legacy of racism should not be hidden or downplayed. No disrespect is intended.”
Many thanks to Fremantle Press for the opportunity to read and review this book, and to share it with members of Beauty and Lace BookClub. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did.
Highly recommended for lovers of Cozy Mysteries, historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a good read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, Thorpe’s use of language and description is masterful and once started I didn’t want to put it down.
The tale commences with a grinning little man knocking on the door of the house at Halfwell Station, on the edge of the West Australian Outback. When the lady of the house, Mrs Harris answers the door she is confronted by the man, dressed in a long brown shift or cassock, who politely requests “a spot of tea.” As Mrs Harris agrees, and lets him in, we are told that “Somewhere in the mulga, a mile or two to the south, a corpse lay slowly cooling.”
And with that enigmatic beginning we meet the Harris’, Ruth Harris, a short wiry woman of middle age, Neville Harris, a farmer who believes as the man of the house he is entitled to speak for the women, Mariana, their daughter and the little grinning man, a friar who claims to have no name.
With the discovery of a dead body on the property by Mariana, that magically disappears before anyone else gets to see it, we are introduced to Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes of Geraldton Police Station (and his moustache) and his indigenous tracker, Cooper.
The search for answers, where has the corpse gone, who was the corpse, why was he killed etc will bring up more questions, and answers, for all involved. As Parkes, Cooper, Mariana, and the nameless friar embark on a search that will lead them from the goldfields to the city, admissions and discoveries will occur that will rock everyone’s world.
In telling this tale Thorpe has not attempted to play down the attitudes, ideas and prejudices that were prevalent at the turn of the 20th century, in his own words “I have included these in the interests of providing an accurate historical setting and in the recognition that the damaging legacy of racism should not be hidden or downplayed. No disrespect is intended.”
Many thanks to Fremantle Press for the opportunity to read and review this book, and to share it with members of Beauty and Lace BookClub. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did.
Highly recommended for lovers of Cozy Mysteries, historical fiction and anyone who enjoys a good read.
September 14, 2020
‘The truth will not be hidden forever. If you do not seek it, it will seek you.’
On night, in the summer of 1927 at Halfwell Station in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, eighteen-year-old Mariana Harris encounters two strangers. The first is a corpse that Mariana encounters during her solitary midnight walk admiring the skies, the second is a nameless friar who calls into the station. But the corpse has disappeared by the time Mariana takes the friar to it, although bloodstained stones remain. The police are called in. Mariana and the friar join the search, together with the powerfully moustachioed Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and Cooper the tracker. Their search (which will include Mariana’s third trip in a car) will take them from the goldfields to the city and will uncover several secrets. This is a journey through a racist Australia, where the treatment of Cooper (and others) is particularly uncomfortable. Who does the corpse belong to, who moved it and to where?
Mr Thorpe combines an interesting caste of characters and an intriguing mystery (or two). I enjoyed this novel, a comparatively quick read at just under 200 pages.
‘A slow understanding spread throughout the room.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On night, in the summer of 1927 at Halfwell Station in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, eighteen-year-old Mariana Harris encounters two strangers. The first is a corpse that Mariana encounters during her solitary midnight walk admiring the skies, the second is a nameless friar who calls into the station. But the corpse has disappeared by the time Mariana takes the friar to it, although bloodstained stones remain. The police are called in. Mariana and the friar join the search, together with the powerfully moustachioed Detective Sergeant Arnold Parkes and Cooper the tracker. Their search (which will include Mariana’s third trip in a car) will take them from the goldfields to the city and will uncover several secrets. This is a journey through a racist Australia, where the treatment of Cooper (and others) is particularly uncomfortable. Who does the corpse belong to, who moved it and to where?
Mr Thorpe combines an interesting caste of characters and an intriguing mystery (or two). I enjoyed this novel, a comparatively quick read at just under 200 pages.
‘A slow understanding spread throughout the room.’
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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December 4, 2020This review was first written and published for Beauty and Lace.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to review Death Leaves the Station by Alexander Thorpe. I will start by saying this was not at all what I expected, and that is not a bad thing. The murder mystery transports the reader back to a different time, a time that you often hear about, but in different settings to this. Here we have regional Western Australia, with indigenous slaves and trackers, self important police officers and a way of life not many are used to anymore. A somewhat romantic notion of train travel, from regional WA right through to Perth and Fremantle, takes in all walks of life and attitudes of all. The story is sure to keep you guessing- while I wondered who had committed the murder throughout, I found myself much more intrigued by the surrounds, the characters and the rest of the story. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.
A very different novel to what I have recently read, but an interesting tale nonetheless.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to review Death Leaves the Station by Alexander Thorpe. I will start by saying this was not at all what I expected, and that is not a bad thing. The murder mystery transports the reader back to a different time, a time that you often hear about, but in different settings to this. Here we have regional Western Australia, with indigenous slaves and trackers, self important police officers and a way of life not many are used to anymore. A somewhat romantic notion of train travel, from regional WA right through to Perth and Fremantle, takes in all walks of life and attitudes of all. The story is sure to keep you guessing- while I wondered who had committed the murder throughout, I found myself much more intrigued by the surrounds, the characters and the rest of the story. And I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.
A very different novel to what I have recently read, but an interesting tale nonetheless.
September 19, 2020
Death Leaves the Station is a well-written, engaging novel. The description of the isolation and distance, typical of the area, is excellent, as is the depiction of the characters, each of whom has some interesting quirks to their personalities. The racial prejudices of the time, which are apparent in the story, form part of the authenticity of the novel and are acknowledged in an author's note at the start of the book to"...have since been recognised as intolerant or harmful," and that "...the damaging legacy of racism should not be hidden or downplayed."
This novel seems to have the flavour of an Australian Agatha Christie, especially towards the end, when the process of how the various clues are pieced together to solve the crime is elucidated, Poirot-like, by one of the key characters.
I thoroughly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more from Alexander Thorpe. Thanks to Better Reading and Fremantle Press for the advanced reading copy.
This novel seems to have the flavour of an Australian Agatha Christie, especially towards the end, when the process of how the various clues are pieced together to solve the crime is elucidated, Poirot-like, by one of the key characters.
I thoroughly recommend this novel and look forward to reading more from Alexander Thorpe. Thanks to Better Reading and Fremantle Press for the advanced reading copy.
September 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this debut novel by Alexander Thorpe set in the 1920s in Western Australia.
This is an intriguing story surrounding the mystery of a dead body which has been discovered ….. but then goes missing! A nameless friar, 18 year old Mariana who first discovered the body, the local detective and a tracker set off together in search of the missing body.
The author cleverly takes us along with this unlikely group on their mission to discover the truth, giving us clues and discovering secrets along the way. As well as the mystery in the story I also thoroughly enjoyed the historical content, learning about the 1920s way of life in Australia. The racism encountered by the Aboriginal people during this era is distressing but an important element for people to read.
The mystery of the dead body kept me turning pages until the end and I look forward to the authors next novel. Thank you to Better Reading and Fremantle Press for the opportunity to preview this book.
This is an intriguing story surrounding the mystery of a dead body which has been discovered ….. but then goes missing! A nameless friar, 18 year old Mariana who first discovered the body, the local detective and a tracker set off together in search of the missing body.
The author cleverly takes us along with this unlikely group on their mission to discover the truth, giving us clues and discovering secrets along the way. As well as the mystery in the story I also thoroughly enjoyed the historical content, learning about the 1920s way of life in Australia. The racism encountered by the Aboriginal people during this era is distressing but an important element for people to read.
The mystery of the dead body kept me turning pages until the end and I look forward to the authors next novel. Thank you to Better Reading and Fremantle Press for the opportunity to preview this book.
September 28, 2020
“Death Leaves The Station” by Alexander Thorpe takes you on a daring adventure. The novel is set in 1927 and we are transported back in time with the vivid scenery in outback WA and the tough demands of life in that era.
The story plot of the corpse leaves you suspecting everyone along the way. The Friar, Mariana Harris, Cooper - the local tracker and the Detective Sergeant all well formed characters that you can imagine what they look like and keeps you wondering more about who they really are and if there is another story brewing below their personalities.
For me the novel digs deeper than a mystery, crime fiction it unfolds choices and consequences even in the darkest hours. Life intersections are intriguing places as the Friar recounts “In Mullewa, at the Railway Hotel, I told you that the time for honesty would come. I believe that time is at hand”
Thorpe weaves through the twists and turns and the end is not what I guessed but totally intriguing.
The story plot of the corpse leaves you suspecting everyone along the way. The Friar, Mariana Harris, Cooper - the local tracker and the Detective Sergeant all well formed characters that you can imagine what they look like and keeps you wondering more about who they really are and if there is another story brewing below their personalities.
For me the novel digs deeper than a mystery, crime fiction it unfolds choices and consequences even in the darkest hours. Life intersections are intriguing places as the Friar recounts “In Mullewa, at the Railway Hotel, I told you that the time for honesty would come. I believe that time is at hand”
Thorpe weaves through the twists and turns and the end is not what I guessed but totally intriguing.
November 29, 2020
Death Leaves the Station may be slim on pages but the text upon them is an artfully distilled vintage of the mystery genre.
Thorpe’s omniscient third-person narrative is like a dog on a leash, ostensibly restrained but alert to any opportunity to hide delightful literary whimsy in plain sight.
The wry humour that crackles just below the surface is as dry as this crime mystery’s sunbaked outback setting, and a delight to read.
But, racial and gender tensions also simmer. And, over the course of the criminal investigation, Thorpe offers modern readers timely reminders of the fickle and arbitrary societal inequities that were commonplace less than a century prior. Continue reading>> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...
Thorpe’s omniscient third-person narrative is like a dog on a leash, ostensibly restrained but alert to any opportunity to hide delightful literary whimsy in plain sight.
The wry humour that crackles just below the surface is as dry as this crime mystery’s sunbaked outback setting, and a delight to read.
But, racial and gender tensions also simmer. And, over the course of the criminal investigation, Thorpe offers modern readers timely reminders of the fickle and arbitrary societal inequities that were commonplace less than a century prior. Continue reading>> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/...
June 26, 2024
This first book in this cosy mystery series is as good as it's sequel.
Set in 1920's WA, a nameless monk finds himself at Halfwell, a farm run by the Harris family. While he is there, their adopted daughter, Mariana, finds a body on the outskirts of the farm. When she shares this information with the monk and they go to see the body, it has disappeared.
This sets in motion an almost cat and mouse chase by the police, an indigenous tracker, the monk and Mariana as they look for the elusive body. Or is he still alive?
With an interesting look at the sensibilities and morals of 1920's Australia there are a few issues raised in this book that are topical, even today.
I liked the feel of this book and how the story was wrapped up. I enjoyed the way, as a reader, that the conclusion was explained and it reminded me of Murder she wrote or Miss Marple.
Certainly an author to watch.
Set in 1920's WA, a nameless monk finds himself at Halfwell, a farm run by the Harris family. While he is there, their adopted daughter, Mariana, finds a body on the outskirts of the farm. When she shares this information with the monk and they go to see the body, it has disappeared.
This sets in motion an almost cat and mouse chase by the police, an indigenous tracker, the monk and Mariana as they look for the elusive body. Or is he still alive?
With an interesting look at the sensibilities and morals of 1920's Australia there are a few issues raised in this book that are topical, even today.
I liked the feel of this book and how the story was wrapped up. I enjoyed the way, as a reader, that the conclusion was explained and it reminded me of Murder she wrote or Miss Marple.
Certainly an author to watch.
September 7, 2020
#BRPreview Death Leaves the Station by Alexander Thorpe.
Overall, a decent story that I was able to read quite quickly, despite the writing to be, in my opinion, excessively verbose, overly descriptive and in many places, too complex for the story.
I found the ‘sub-plot’ revolving around Detective Sergeant Parkes’ moustache to be mostly pointless and annoying. I don’t believe it added to the story in any way.
The ending appeared almost like a comedy of errors, too convenient - tied up with a neat bow.
An enjoyable enough story and I hope this author will continue to write books with a distinctly Aussie flavour. I look forward to reading them.
Thanks to Better Reads for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Overall, a decent story that I was able to read quite quickly, despite the writing to be, in my opinion, excessively verbose, overly descriptive and in many places, too complex for the story.
I found the ‘sub-plot’ revolving around Detective Sergeant Parkes’ moustache to be mostly pointless and annoying. I don’t believe it added to the story in any way.
The ending appeared almost like a comedy of errors, too convenient - tied up with a neat bow.
An enjoyable enough story and I hope this author will continue to write books with a distinctly Aussie flavour. I look forward to reading them.
Thanks to Better Reads for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
January 4, 2021
The first thing that struck me with this novel is that there is little background given early in the book. We meet the characters pretty much at the scene of the crime and it is from there that their stories develop and we learn about them as they learn about each other.
I did struggle to remain enthusiastic about reading this book and only read a few pages at a time. It wasn't until the story unravels that I became enthralled in this remarkable murder mystery. Each character had their own history and issues, and it was the revelation of these that finally starts to put the puzzle pieces together.
Thank you to Alexander Thorpe, Fremantle Press and Beauty & Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read this novel. It was an interesting read and I would happily share this with friends.
I did struggle to remain enthusiastic about reading this book and only read a few pages at a time. It wasn't until the story unravels that I became enthralled in this remarkable murder mystery. Each character had their own history and issues, and it was the revelation of these that finally starts to put the puzzle pieces together.
Thank you to Alexander Thorpe, Fremantle Press and Beauty & Lace Book Club for the opportunity to read this novel. It was an interesting read and I would happily share this with friends.
July 19, 2021
Now this is a hard one. The use of the English language in this book is exceptional and one you would expect was written many, many years ago. But you would be wrong. The descriptive adjectives, prepositions and overall grammar are a thing of the past, whilst the story has great depth and interest. There are sections describing issues with no relationship to the plot, i.e. dreams, landscape, events that could have been left out. These I found tedious and skipped.
Getting back to the plot, it is a good one and has as many twists and turns as Agatha Christie's, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn Alexander THORPE was a fan of hers.
It does take some time to get accustomed to the phraseology, nevertheless, it is worthwhile reading or listening to as I did.
Recommended.
Getting back to the plot, it is a good one and has as many twists and turns as Agatha Christie's, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn Alexander THORPE was a fan of hers.
It does take some time to get accustomed to the phraseology, nevertheless, it is worthwhile reading or listening to as I did.
Recommended.
May 28, 2024
This was a good debut novel set in WA in 1927.
18-year-old Ana Harris lives on isolated Halfwell Station, east of Geraldton, and stumbles across a body which soon disappears, but the Geraldton police and an Aboriginal tracker find the mangled remains whose identity remains a mystery. A wandering friar becomes involved and eventually unveils the solution in Perth.
It's a brief but involving read even if vocabularies are far too sophisticated, flowery language (“the pigsty’s olfactory presence” stood out as an example) and some 21st century terms take you out of the time period and setting.
18-year-old Ana Harris lives on isolated Halfwell Station, east of Geraldton, and stumbles across a body which soon disappears, but the Geraldton police and an Aboriginal tracker find the mangled remains whose identity remains a mystery. A wandering friar becomes involved and eventually unveils the solution in Perth.
It's a brief but involving read even if vocabularies are far too sophisticated, flowery language (“the pigsty’s olfactory presence” stood out as an example) and some 21st century terms take you out of the time period and setting.
September 13, 2020
Noticing that I've been trending towards Australian bush crime novels, the blurb was intriguing and up my alley. Set in the summer of 1927, this novella captured the facets of station living and the city.
Overallz an enjoyable read although in parts I struggled with the relationship arc of the main characters. A good twist that I didn't pick up on. I will reread again to see if I can see the clues.
Overall, a solid read with some great historical content. 3.5 stars
Thanks to betterreading for my arc
Overallz an enjoyable read although in parts I struggled with the relationship arc of the main characters. A good twist that I didn't pick up on. I will reread again to see if I can see the clues.
Overall, a solid read with some great historical content. 3.5 stars
Thanks to betterreading for my arc
September 4, 2020
This mystery gives a good insight on the way people lived in 1927 and their relationships with local Aborigines. The characters are very individual and the descriptions of the land and customs back then are amazing. The ending was unexpected, which is always great. If you are looking for a mystery and learn something about WA history at the same time, I recommend this book, which I rate at 4 1/2 stars
September 22, 2020
This was a clever tale set in the 1920’s with an interesting cast of characters. The language of the book was verbose and descriptive and set the tone perfectly for the era it was set in. Based in outback Western Australia, the book takes us on a journey short in length to solve the mystery of the body found on an outback station, plus more as the novel reveals it self. A quick and easy read by new author Alexander Thorpe.
December 27, 2020
A clever mystery set in 1927 makes for interesting premise when the dead body disappears. This has a feel of Agatha Christie and great characters who I would love to read more about. This early Australian life, hard and tough for everyone, makes it even harder to dig deep into their past to unravel the secrets and lies to solve the case.
March 28, 2021
Powered through this book, great story-telling, contemporary writing about a crime in rural Australia in the 1920's - the set up weaves in multiple insights into the history and culture of the times, not heavy handed but poignant and while it could quite rightly be the beginning of a new detective series; I would love a book 2 to hear what happens next in a number of the characters lives.
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