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Hirsch #4
Day's End
Hirsch’s rural beat is wide. Daybreak to day’s end, dirt roads and dust. Every problem that besets small towns and isolated properties, from unlicensed driving to arson. In the time of the virus, Hirsch is seeing stresses heightened and social divisions cracking wide open. His own tolerance under strain; people getting close to the edge.
Today he’s driving an international visitor around: Janne Van Sant, whose backpacker son went missing while the borders were closed. They’re checking out his last photo site, his last employer. A feeling that the stories don’t quite add up.
Then a call comes in: a roadside fire. Nothing much—a suitcase soaked in diesel and set alight. But two noteworthy facts emerge. Janne knows more than Hirsch about forensic evidence. And the body in the suitcase is not her son’s.
Today he’s driving an international visitor around: Janne Van Sant, whose backpacker son went missing while the borders were closed. They’re checking out his last photo site, his last employer. A feeling that the stories don’t quite add up.
Then a call comes in: a roadside fire. Nothing much—a suitcase soaked in diesel and set alight. But two noteworthy facts emerge. Janne knows more than Hirsch about forensic evidence. And the body in the suitcase is not her son’s.
400 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2022
153 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
About the author
Garry Disher
91 books742 followersGarry Disher was born in 1949 and grew up on his parents' farm in South Australia.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
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August 12, 2023
EXCERPT: Out in that country, if you owned a sheep station the size of a European principality you stood tall. If you were a rent paying public servant, like Hirsch, you stood on the summit of Desolation Hill.
Not much of a hill - but it was desolate. It overlooked patches of saltbush and mallee scrub and a broad, red-ochre gibber plain that stretched to the horizon; wilted wild-flowers here and there, deceived by a rare spring shower.
It also overlooked an image of Wildu, the spirit eagle, carved into the plain: spanning three kilometres from wingtip to wingtip and poised to strike. And Desolation Hill was one of the last places Willi Van Sant had visited before he disappeared.
ABOUT 'DAY'S END': Hirsch’s rural beat is wide. Daybreak to day’s end, dirt roads and dust. Every problem that besets small towns and isolated properties, from unlicensed driving to arson. In the time of the virus, Hirsch is seeing stresses heightened and social divisions cracking wide open. His own tolerance under strain; people getting close to the edge.
Today he’s driving an international visitor around: Janne Van Sant, whose backpacker son went missing while the borders were closed. They’re checking out his last photo site, his last employer. A feeling that the stories don’t quite add up.
Then a call comes in: a roadside fire. Nothing much—a suitcase soaked in diesel and set alight. But two noteworthy facts emerge. Janne knows more than Hirsch about forensic evidence. And the body in the suitcase is not her son’s.
MY THOUGHTS: Day's End is the fourth book in Garry Disher's Paul Hirschhausen series, and may very well be the best so far - although having said that, two others have also been five star reads. Although Day's End is part of a series it works well as a stand alone. The author provides enough background information without overwhelming the storyline to enable this.
Day's End is set during Covid, but again Disher doesn't let it overwhelm the storyline either, just works it in matter of factly, making good used of the differences in people's beliefs and the tensions that prevailed.
I love Hirsch's caring nature. He makes monthly sweeps of the outlying areas, calling in to remote dwellings to check on the occupants, alleviate their loneliness, and to observe. Most places he is welcome, some he isn't.
Tiverton, like most small remote towns, has fallen victim to the scourge of drugs. Unemployment is high, there's nothing for the youth to do other than to amuse themselves with petty, and not so petty, crime and get off their faces on whatever is to hand. In direct contrast to this is the lives lead by the privileged and wealthy in the area - new SUVs, a helicopter or two, boarding schools, and horses.
As is normal, there are several threads to this story: A missing man and his girlfriend; Hirsch's ongoing relationship with high school math teacher Wendy; bullying; racial tensions - I love the character of Aunty Steph! - including white supremacy; drugs; thefts; graffiti; and assaults. But there's also something big going down - Hirsch is ordered to pull his head in by the Federal Police who have suddenly appeared in his little corner of the world. Yet not one thread overwhelms another - they all meld seamlessly to create a masterful portrait of Hirsh's life.
I was immediately immersed in Hirsch's world from the first paragraph and was delighted to remain there until closing the cover on that final, and dramatic, ending.
Disher is an author who paints pictures with his words and brings his characters to life.
Favorite Line: 'Their high achiever was Jacob. Arrested for stealing a car, he'd arrived at his magistrate's hearing in a car he'd stolen to get himself there.'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DaysEnd #NetGalley
I: @serpentstail
T: @GarryDisher @serpentstail
THE AUTHOR: Garry Disher was born in 1949 and grew up on his parents' farm in South Australia.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full-time writer in 1988.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Serpent's Tail/Viper/Profile Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Day's End by Garry Disher for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Not much of a hill - but it was desolate. It overlooked patches of saltbush and mallee scrub and a broad, red-ochre gibber plain that stretched to the horizon; wilted wild-flowers here and there, deceived by a rare spring shower.
It also overlooked an image of Wildu, the spirit eagle, carved into the plain: spanning three kilometres from wingtip to wingtip and poised to strike. And Desolation Hill was one of the last places Willi Van Sant had visited before he disappeared.
ABOUT 'DAY'S END': Hirsch’s rural beat is wide. Daybreak to day’s end, dirt roads and dust. Every problem that besets small towns and isolated properties, from unlicensed driving to arson. In the time of the virus, Hirsch is seeing stresses heightened and social divisions cracking wide open. His own tolerance under strain; people getting close to the edge.
Today he’s driving an international visitor around: Janne Van Sant, whose backpacker son went missing while the borders were closed. They’re checking out his last photo site, his last employer. A feeling that the stories don’t quite add up.
Then a call comes in: a roadside fire. Nothing much—a suitcase soaked in diesel and set alight. But two noteworthy facts emerge. Janne knows more than Hirsch about forensic evidence. And the body in the suitcase is not her son’s.
MY THOUGHTS: Day's End is the fourth book in Garry Disher's Paul Hirschhausen series, and may very well be the best so far - although having said that, two others have also been five star reads. Although Day's End is part of a series it works well as a stand alone. The author provides enough background information without overwhelming the storyline to enable this.
Day's End is set during Covid, but again Disher doesn't let it overwhelm the storyline either, just works it in matter of factly, making good used of the differences in people's beliefs and the tensions that prevailed.
I love Hirsch's caring nature. He makes monthly sweeps of the outlying areas, calling in to remote dwellings to check on the occupants, alleviate their loneliness, and to observe. Most places he is welcome, some he isn't.
Tiverton, like most small remote towns, has fallen victim to the scourge of drugs. Unemployment is high, there's nothing for the youth to do other than to amuse themselves with petty, and not so petty, crime and get off their faces on whatever is to hand. In direct contrast to this is the lives lead by the privileged and wealthy in the area - new SUVs, a helicopter or two, boarding schools, and horses.
As is normal, there are several threads to this story: A missing man and his girlfriend; Hirsch's ongoing relationship with high school math teacher Wendy; bullying; racial tensions - I love the character of Aunty Steph! - including white supremacy; drugs; thefts; graffiti; and assaults. But there's also something big going down - Hirsch is ordered to pull his head in by the Federal Police who have suddenly appeared in his little corner of the world. Yet not one thread overwhelms another - they all meld seamlessly to create a masterful portrait of Hirsh's life.
I was immediately immersed in Hirsch's world from the first paragraph and was delighted to remain there until closing the cover on that final, and dramatic, ending.
Disher is an author who paints pictures with his words and brings his characters to life.
Favorite Line: 'Their high achiever was Jacob. Arrested for stealing a car, he'd arrived at his magistrate's hearing in a car he'd stolen to get himself there.'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DaysEnd #NetGalley
I: @serpentstail
T: @GarryDisher @serpentstail
THE AUTHOR: Garry Disher was born in 1949 and grew up on his parents' farm in South Australia.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full-time writer in 1988.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Serpent's Tail/Viper/Profile Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Day's End by Garry Disher for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
November 16, 2022
The fourth book in this great series. Paul Hirschhausen is back policing the small country town of Tiverton in South Australia. The town is small but the farming area around it is huge, and Hirsch is kept busy driving huge distances as part of his welfare duties.
In fact he is always busy. His home and office are in the same building and it seems he is always on call, although he does have backup from the team in nearby Redruth. And his job does not stop at policing smaller crimes. In Day's End he assists in searching for missing backpackers and is first responder to several serious events including a body in a suitcase, a plane crash, racist vandalism and a very nasty dog attack.
The book takes place in Covid times and Disher deals with this very well, especially the way he demonstrates how peoples' beliefs differed regarding vaccinations and the disease itself, and how this affected a very small community.
The author writes well and his descriptions of the scenery and events are vivid. I also very much enjoy the character of Paul Hirschhausen. He is smart, thoughtful and caring - just the person you would want to have around in an emergency. Altogether his was a great book and I hope there will be many more of them!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
In fact he is always busy. His home and office are in the same building and it seems he is always on call, although he does have backup from the team in nearby Redruth. And his job does not stop at policing smaller crimes. In Day's End he assists in searching for missing backpackers and is first responder to several serious events including a body in a suitcase, a plane crash, racist vandalism and a very nasty dog attack.
The book takes place in Covid times and Disher deals with this very well, especially the way he demonstrates how peoples' beliefs differed regarding vaccinations and the disease itself, and how this affected a very small community.
The author writes well and his descriptions of the scenery and events are vivid. I also very much enjoy the character of Paul Hirschhausen. He is smart, thoughtful and caring - just the person you would want to have around in an emergency. Altogether his was a great book and I hope there will be many more of them!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 25, 2022
4.5★
“Hirsch halted, his heart racing. Mapped out his next few seconds: three or four running steps to the closest fence post, right hand on top of it for leverage, a clean vault over into the paddock and then a racing zigzag across it… “
Day’s end, indeed. Hirsch’s days don’t end – he just forces himself to switch off until the phone rings in the middle of what passes for dinner or what passes for a good night’s sleep, demanding he come immediately.
As a country cop, demoted under a cloud (not his fault) some years earlier, Paul Hirschhausen is the only police officer in an area “the size of Belgium” north of Adelaide, South Australia. It’s a wonder his day ever ends.
“Out in that country, if you owned a sheep station the size of a European principality you stood tall. If you were a rent-paying public servant, like Hirsch, you stood on the summit of Desolation Hill.”
Investigating the disappearance of a 21-year-old European backpacker, Hirsch goes with the man’s mother to one such station, Dryden Downs, where Willi had last worked. There is a new sign on the gate.
“Unvaccinated visitors welcome here, and, in smaller type, We refuse to enforce unlawful directions from a government that would microchip its people.”
Another challenge for Hirsch. Disher doesn’t dwell on Covid, but he occasionally refers to someone smiling over their mask. It’s just another source of pressure on the subterranean unrest that is beginning to burble out from dangerous revolutionary chat rooms and into real life in small country towns, not just in big cities.
Sam Dryden greets Hirsch and Willi’s mother cordially, but it’s obvious that wife Mia is less restrained.
“Where her husband’s energy lay coiled, hers vibrated. Her eyes were bright; her teeth flashed; she was a ripple of movement; her words poured out as she skipped up the steps in an eddy of hot-day and horse-riding odours.
No, they have had no word since Willi left – with a new girlfriend – a few months ago, except for a postcard from Noosa, Qld (beach resort area, for non-Aussie readers). Kids? What are you going to do, eh? Probably just want to see the world.
Kids indeed. Hirsch’s partner Wendy teaches at the local high school and lives with her daughter, Kate, who is changing from the clever, affectionate kid who likes to tease Hirsch to a sometimes glum, troubled teen. She’s getting abusive texts, some of which seem to be connected to other delinquent activities in Tiverton.
Racist vandalism, Covid, drugs, online scams, and the usual drunks. What next? Next, who should arrive but some federal heavies who seem to be leaving Hirsch out of what looks like being a very Big Picture indeed.
Hirsch carries on, pinning a note on the police station door and packing his lunch as he makes his very long rounds, checking in on all of the outlying people he feels responsible for. There’s nothing quite like a corrugated rural road.
“Drive too slowly on these roads and your teeth shook out; too quickly and you might lose traction on a curve, roll your vehicle, lie pinned in the wreckage for hours, even days, before another vehicle happened along. You needed skill with a dash of nonchalance. Hirsch had been making these back-country ventures for three years now and was getting better at it.”
Not all properties are big stations like Dryden Downs of course.
“Weeds thrived in the drooping veranda gutter and choked the surviving shrubs and rosebushes. Lichen bloomed on the rust-fringed corrugated iron of the roof. Cobwebs hung from the eaves. A listing grey VW diesel van was parked in the driveway and a car rested on blocks on the front lawn.
. . .
Hirsch parked beside a defeated-looking wrought-iron gate in a low, collapsing wall…”
There is one absolutely horrific incident at this place, which leaves Hirsch (and readers) badly shaken. We expect far too much from our police. It is way too hard. His sergeant, who wasn’t there at the time, is also disturbed.
“Looking careworn again, Brandl said, ‘All right—but what a mess on top of everything else.’ She shook herself back into the shape of an officer in charge.”
I don’t even know how you’d do that. I’d be bent completely out of shape.
I always love Disher’s writing style, and I admire how he manages to incorporate current controversial issues (Covid, racism, politics) into a story with a light enough touch that we never forget the people and where they are – rural South Australia.
I have read the previous three books in this series, but I think I would have enjoyed this one even on its own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted.
“Hirsch halted, his heart racing. Mapped out his next few seconds: three or four running steps to the closest fence post, right hand on top of it for leverage, a clean vault over into the paddock and then a racing zigzag across it… “
Day’s end, indeed. Hirsch’s days don’t end – he just forces himself to switch off until the phone rings in the middle of what passes for dinner or what passes for a good night’s sleep, demanding he come immediately.
As a country cop, demoted under a cloud (not his fault) some years earlier, Paul Hirschhausen is the only police officer in an area “the size of Belgium” north of Adelaide, South Australia. It’s a wonder his day ever ends.
“Out in that country, if you owned a sheep station the size of a European principality you stood tall. If you were a rent-paying public servant, like Hirsch, you stood on the summit of Desolation Hill.”
Investigating the disappearance of a 21-year-old European backpacker, Hirsch goes with the man’s mother to one such station, Dryden Downs, where Willi had last worked. There is a new sign on the gate.
“Unvaccinated visitors welcome here, and, in smaller type, We refuse to enforce unlawful directions from a government that would microchip its people.”
Another challenge for Hirsch. Disher doesn’t dwell on Covid, but he occasionally refers to someone smiling over their mask. It’s just another source of pressure on the subterranean unrest that is beginning to burble out from dangerous revolutionary chat rooms and into real life in small country towns, not just in big cities.
Sam Dryden greets Hirsch and Willi’s mother cordially, but it’s obvious that wife Mia is less restrained.
“Where her husband’s energy lay coiled, hers vibrated. Her eyes were bright; her teeth flashed; she was a ripple of movement; her words poured out as she skipped up the steps in an eddy of hot-day and horse-riding odours.
No, they have had no word since Willi left – with a new girlfriend – a few months ago, except for a postcard from Noosa, Qld (beach resort area, for non-Aussie readers). Kids? What are you going to do, eh? Probably just want to see the world.
Kids indeed. Hirsch’s partner Wendy teaches at the local high school and lives with her daughter, Kate, who is changing from the clever, affectionate kid who likes to tease Hirsch to a sometimes glum, troubled teen. She’s getting abusive texts, some of which seem to be connected to other delinquent activities in Tiverton.
Racist vandalism, Covid, drugs, online scams, and the usual drunks. What next? Next, who should arrive but some federal heavies who seem to be leaving Hirsch out of what looks like being a very Big Picture indeed.
Hirsch carries on, pinning a note on the police station door and packing his lunch as he makes his very long rounds, checking in on all of the outlying people he feels responsible for. There’s nothing quite like a corrugated rural road.
“Drive too slowly on these roads and your teeth shook out; too quickly and you might lose traction on a curve, roll your vehicle, lie pinned in the wreckage for hours, even days, before another vehicle happened along. You needed skill with a dash of nonchalance. Hirsch had been making these back-country ventures for three years now and was getting better at it.”
Not all properties are big stations like Dryden Downs of course.
“Weeds thrived in the drooping veranda gutter and choked the surviving shrubs and rosebushes. Lichen bloomed on the rust-fringed corrugated iron of the roof. Cobwebs hung from the eaves. A listing grey VW diesel van was parked in the driveway and a car rested on blocks on the front lawn.
. . .
Hirsch parked beside a defeated-looking wrought-iron gate in a low, collapsing wall…”
There is one absolutely horrific incident at this place, which leaves Hirsch (and readers) badly shaken. We expect far too much from our police. It is way too hard. His sergeant, who wasn’t there at the time, is also disturbed.
“Looking careworn again, Brandl said, ‘All right—but what a mess on top of everything else.’ She shook herself back into the shape of an officer in charge.”
I don’t even know how you’d do that. I’d be bent completely out of shape.
I always love Disher’s writing style, and I admire how he manages to incorporate current controversial issues (Covid, racism, politics) into a story with a light enough touch that we never forget the people and where they are – rural South Australia.
I have read the previous three books in this series, but I think I would have enjoyed this one even on its own.
Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted.
October 19, 2022
In this fourth book in Garry Disher’s Paul Hirschhausen series, Hirsh is now very much at home in the small rural town of Tiverton north of Adelaide. He‘s still the sole police officer at his station, policing a huge rural area, but has good support from the regional station at nearby Redruth.
There’s a lot happening in this small town and it’s sparsely inhabited rural area. Going to the scene of a fire, Hirsch finds a heavily tattooed body in a suitcase. No one he recognises so not someone local and not the missing overseas backpacker Hirsch has been helping to look for. There is also a wave of anti-government and anti-racial sentiment flourishing amongst some of the younger members of town and hints of a far-right group being involved. On top of that there are scams involving house rentals and old furniture donated for charity. On a more personal level, Hirsch’s girlfriend Wendy’s normally sunny daughter Kate is unhappy due to being being bullied at high school and online and it seems Wendy, the high school Maths teacher is as much as a target of the online vitriol being sent Kate’s way.
Hirsch is rapidly becoming one of my favourite characters. A fair-minded man with patience and principles, willing to find the best in people. Disher has woven the covid pandemic into his tale, with the unbelievers, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists really testing Hirsch’s patience. Superbly written with warmth and humour, Disher catches the atmosphere and issues facing small country towns superbly. The pacing is fast with each of the many layers perfectly played out and the underlying tension resolving in an explosive ending.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy to read
There’s a lot happening in this small town and it’s sparsely inhabited rural area. Going to the scene of a fire, Hirsch finds a heavily tattooed body in a suitcase. No one he recognises so not someone local and not the missing overseas backpacker Hirsch has been helping to look for. There is also a wave of anti-government and anti-racial sentiment flourishing amongst some of the younger members of town and hints of a far-right group being involved. On top of that there are scams involving house rentals and old furniture donated for charity. On a more personal level, Hirsch’s girlfriend Wendy’s normally sunny daughter Kate is unhappy due to being being bullied at high school and online and it seems Wendy, the high school Maths teacher is as much as a target of the online vitriol being sent Kate’s way.
Hirsch is rapidly becoming one of my favourite characters. A fair-minded man with patience and principles, willing to find the best in people. Disher has woven the covid pandemic into his tale, with the unbelievers, anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists really testing Hirsch’s patience. Superbly written with warmth and humour, Disher catches the atmosphere and issues facing small country towns superbly. The pacing is fast with each of the many layers perfectly played out and the underlying tension resolving in an explosive ending.
With thanks to Text Publishing for a copy to read
November 1, 2022
What I love about the Senior Constable Paul Hirschhausen series by Garry Disher is that the books are so quintessentially Australian. They depict small town life brilliantly. I have lived in 3 small towns myself (still do). Hirsch, as he is known, has a multi-faceted job that entails policing and seeing to the welfare of the townspeople. He is the lone police officer in Tiverton and has a huge area to police. His nominal boss is Sergeant Brandl from Redruth, a larger town about half an hour’s drive away.
This story is set firmly in the days of COVID with divisions between those who are vaccinated and the anti vax movement. The influence of far right hate groups is gaining a foothold in the town and there are also tensions as many people are being priced out of the Adelaide (state capital) housing market and look to rural towns for affordable accommodation.
Hirsch is also investigating the disappearance of a Belgian backpacker and his girlfriend. The boy’s mother, who happens to be a forensic specialist, has come to Tiverton to see for herself what’s going on. She turns out to be a very smart cookie and has an important role later in the story.
Things are never quiet though, there’s a lot going on in this book ranging from the tragic accident variety to the nefarious plot and the bumbling scammer variety. So while Tiverton may be a small town, life there is certainly never boring as Hirsch attempts to keep the peace without being too heavy handed. He nearly comes to grief this time though!
I’ve read three of the books in this series and I hope there will be more to come. Many thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
This story is set firmly in the days of COVID with divisions between those who are vaccinated and the anti vax movement. The influence of far right hate groups is gaining a foothold in the town and there are also tensions as many people are being priced out of the Adelaide (state capital) housing market and look to rural towns for affordable accommodation.
Hirsch is also investigating the disappearance of a Belgian backpacker and his girlfriend. The boy’s mother, who happens to be a forensic specialist, has come to Tiverton to see for herself what’s going on. She turns out to be a very smart cookie and has an important role later in the story.
Things are never quiet though, there’s a lot going on in this book ranging from the tragic accident variety to the nefarious plot and the bumbling scammer variety. So while Tiverton may be a small town, life there is certainly never boring as Hirsch attempts to keep the peace without being too heavy handed. He nearly comes to grief this time though!
I’ve read three of the books in this series and I hope there will be more to come. Many thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
October 20, 2022
Senior Constable Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) lived in the small outback town of Tiverton, where he looked after the locals, ran his small police station, and did weekly patrols out through the vast area to the properties and beyond; that was his beat. The day he was driving an international visitor, Janne Van Sant, who was searching for her backpacking son, Willi, they headed to the station where he last worked. Finding that he and his girlfriend had headed for the Gold Coast, Hirsch and Janne headed back to Tiverton where they discovered a suitcase on fire in a culvert. Dousing the flames, neither of them recognised the body in the suitcase...
With some of the locals into criminal activity, and the house where the main culprits lived always under Hirsch's watchful eye, it wasn't long before the Adelaide detectives were involved. Covid had been making a lot of people stir-crazy, with the long lockdowns, so Hirsch was concerned that was causing more problems. Would Hirsch sort all the issues that were occurring across his patch?
Day's End is the 4th in the Paul Hirschhausen series by Aussie author Garry Disher and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Hirsch is a great character, down to earth, a kind-hearted friend to the people, firm with those who needed it and not afraid to do what was necessary. Wendy and her daughter Kate featured well in this episode, and I'm looking forward to #5 already. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Text Publishing for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With some of the locals into criminal activity, and the house where the main culprits lived always under Hirsch's watchful eye, it wasn't long before the Adelaide detectives were involved. Covid had been making a lot of people stir-crazy, with the long lockdowns, so Hirsch was concerned that was causing more problems. Would Hirsch sort all the issues that were occurring across his patch?
Day's End is the 4th in the Paul Hirschhausen series by Aussie author Garry Disher and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Hirsch is a great character, down to earth, a kind-hearted friend to the people, firm with those who needed it and not afraid to do what was necessary. Wendy and her daughter Kate featured well in this episode, and I'm looking forward to #5 already. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Text Publishing for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
October 15, 2022
Day’s End is the fourth book in the Paul Hirschhausen series by popular Australian author, Garry Disher. Early spring, and Senior Constable Paul Hirschhausen is kept busy with his twin roles, “law-upholder and welfare worker”, which currently includes escorting Dr Janne Van Sant, the mother of a missing Belgian backpacker, Willi Van Sant around his last known locations. She is unconvinced by the story his last employers tell.
A detour on their return to Tiverton involves a body in a burning suitcase (not Willi’s, his mother confirms), requiring Homicide Squad involvement, on top of the necessary follow up on the backpacker, and a visit to a recently arrived family steeped in criminal culture. And so ends another week as sole cop in a rural South Australian small town.
Before the month is out, Hirsch has dealt with racist and slanderous graffiti, online bullying, neighbourhood harassment, an internet home rental scam, the sharing of racist and elder-abuse videos, an assault on a local school teacher, and encounters with what he terms “covid morons”.
He attends a light plane crash, and deals with a vicious dog at a PTSD-inducing scene, endures an uncomfortable zoom conference with his superior and an Internal Investigations interview. The exciting climax involves some very nasty members of a right-wing paramilitary group, and by the final pages there is a not inconsiderable body count.
Disher always manages to insert some (often dark) humour, as when Hirsch has a run-in with the Australian Federal Police:
“‘We snatched you off the street, as you put it, because we want you to back off.’
‘Back off from what?’
‘Poking your nose in where you shouldn’t. This is a need-to-know situation, and you don’t need to know.’
It was like being in a bad spy film.”
Disher is a master of descriptive prose and expertly conveys the atmosphere and attitude of the rural town: his cast of townspeople will likely be familiar to anyone who has visited such a place. Actual residents of the area would be able to say for sure, but Disher’s depiction of South Australia’s mid-north certainly feels authentic.
Amid a glut of flawed heroes, Hirsch is a refreshing protagonist: comfortable in his own skin; not perfect but certainly principled; not battling drugs or alcohol, not tempted by illegal or immoral activity; an essentially tireless cop, exuding integrity, dedicated to enforcement and protection tempered with the judgement calls essential in rural policing. Each additional dose of Hirsch makes him more likeable: another instalment will be very welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing
A detour on their return to Tiverton involves a body in a burning suitcase (not Willi’s, his mother confirms), requiring Homicide Squad involvement, on top of the necessary follow up on the backpacker, and a visit to a recently arrived family steeped in criminal culture. And so ends another week as sole cop in a rural South Australian small town.
Before the month is out, Hirsch has dealt with racist and slanderous graffiti, online bullying, neighbourhood harassment, an internet home rental scam, the sharing of racist and elder-abuse videos, an assault on a local school teacher, and encounters with what he terms “covid morons”.
He attends a light plane crash, and deals with a vicious dog at a PTSD-inducing scene, endures an uncomfortable zoom conference with his superior and an Internal Investigations interview. The exciting climax involves some very nasty members of a right-wing paramilitary group, and by the final pages there is a not inconsiderable body count.
Disher always manages to insert some (often dark) humour, as when Hirsch has a run-in with the Australian Federal Police:
“‘We snatched you off the street, as you put it, because we want you to back off.’
‘Back off from what?’
‘Poking your nose in where you shouldn’t. This is a need-to-know situation, and you don’t need to know.’
It was like being in a bad spy film.”
Disher is a master of descriptive prose and expertly conveys the atmosphere and attitude of the rural town: his cast of townspeople will likely be familiar to anyone who has visited such a place. Actual residents of the area would be able to say for sure, but Disher’s depiction of South Australia’s mid-north certainly feels authentic.
Amid a glut of flawed heroes, Hirsch is a refreshing protagonist: comfortable in his own skin; not perfect but certainly principled; not battling drugs or alcohol, not tempted by illegal or immoral activity; an essentially tireless cop, exuding integrity, dedicated to enforcement and protection tempered with the judgement calls essential in rural policing. Each additional dose of Hirsch makes him more likeable: another instalment will be very welcome.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing
August 2, 2023
This is such a great series, and the fourth instalment - Day's End - is no exception.
Police Constable Paul Hirschhausen is solely responsible for the extensive rural area surrounding the small fictional town of Tiverton in eastern South Australia. In Day's End, he must manage a range of emerging issues in and around the town, including the disappearance of two international backpackers from their farm jobs, the discovery of human remains in a suitcase, a series of online scams, the horrific death of a young child, and a crash involving an ultra-light aircraft.
As readers have come to expect, Garry Disher's characters, sense of setting and the pacing of the plot are superlative. Regional Australia's experience of the Covid-19 pandemic provides an interesting backdrop for the police procedural plot, as Hirsch must maintain the peace between reinforcing government policy and keeping the peace amongst the many locals who remain suspicious of the mandates. Some of the themes will be confronting for readers, especially the storyline involving a domestic dog attack. A dramatic confrontation at the conclusion of the story draws together many of the sub-plots and cements Hirsch's standing as an unassuming community hero.
I'd enthusiastically recommend Day's End and the whole Hirschhausen series to any reader who loves well-written Aussie Noir fiction.
My thanks to the author, Garry Disher, publisher Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent title.
Police Constable Paul Hirschhausen is solely responsible for the extensive rural area surrounding the small fictional town of Tiverton in eastern South Australia. In Day's End, he must manage a range of emerging issues in and around the town, including the disappearance of two international backpackers from their farm jobs, the discovery of human remains in a suitcase, a series of online scams, the horrific death of a young child, and a crash involving an ultra-light aircraft.
As readers have come to expect, Garry Disher's characters, sense of setting and the pacing of the plot are superlative. Regional Australia's experience of the Covid-19 pandemic provides an interesting backdrop for the police procedural plot, as Hirsch must maintain the peace between reinforcing government policy and keeping the peace amongst the many locals who remain suspicious of the mandates. Some of the themes will be confronting for readers, especially the storyline involving a domestic dog attack. A dramatic confrontation at the conclusion of the story draws together many of the sub-plots and cements Hirsch's standing as an unassuming community hero.
I'd enthusiastically recommend Day's End and the whole Hirschhausen series to any reader who loves well-written Aussie Noir fiction.
My thanks to the author, Garry Disher, publisher Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent title.
November 9, 2022
I have to admit, this is probably a biased review as I just love this particular series! I also think this author is brilliant.
This is the fourth book in the 'Hirsch' series, and once again in this rural policeman finds trouble on his patch. There is a missing international backpacker, a social media hate campaign and a body found in a suitcase. Are these related or a series of unfortunate events?
The book covers many contemporary issues including anit-vax sentiments, sovereign rights, racism, drug taking as well as cyberbullying. For some the book may be triggering, there is one distressing scene involving a quite graphic description of a dog attack on a child.
For me 4.5 stars rounded up to 5, highly recommended. Thank you Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.
This is the fourth book in the 'Hirsch' series, and once again in this rural policeman finds trouble on his patch. There is a missing international backpacker, a social media hate campaign and a body found in a suitcase. Are these related or a series of unfortunate events?
The book covers many contemporary issues including anit-vax sentiments, sovereign rights, racism, drug taking as well as cyberbullying. For some the book may be triggering, there is one distressing scene involving a quite graphic description of a dog attack on a child.
For me 4.5 stars rounded up to 5, highly recommended. Thank you Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.
October 13, 2022
The 4th book in the Paul Hirschhausen series by Garry Disher, Day’s End returns the reader to the small central north South Australian town of Tiverton where Hirsch is the local cop. More than simply a crime novel, Day’s End delivers a small town experience that effectively immerses you in the rural locale and the energy of the residents surviving the harshly beautiful conditions.
Right from the start we are inundated with a series of small (and one not so small) tasks that illustrate the far-reaching purview of Hirsch’s job. Due to the seemingly mundane nature of the crimes and misdemeanours demanding Hirsch’s attention we are somewhat lulled into underestimating the undercurrents of tension within the town.
Through most of the incidents Hirsch is confronted with on a daily basis he remains calm and unperturbed. Indeed, this is a hallmark of Disher’s writing style throughout the series. At times the understatement took me by surprise. The most obvious example of this comes quite early when Hirsch is called to a fire in a wheat field and discovers a suitcase doused in diesel and set alight. Inside the suitcase is a dead body. Rather than be overtly shocked, repulsed or emotionally affected by what he has found he sets about dousing the fire.
I must say, I was quite bemused by this entire scene, wondering when, or if, normal human reactions might kick in. But when he “called it in and daydreamed through the next ninety minutes” I feared a little for his sanity but soon came to realise this was more about his coping mechanism.
Disher has used the Covid pandemic and woven his story around it, picking up on the fears of people who feel they’re being controlled. The late-Covid climate means that conspiracy theories have been festoring and flourishing, people have felt they now have permission to voice their prejudices and minor uprisings against the government are beginning to build. The frequent use of the phrase ‘sovereign right’ throughout the book reflects upon the discontent, not only in the town of Tiverton and its surrounds, but the entire globe.
Tiverton, in South Australia, may be representative of many small towns in the country. The youth become bored and disillusioned and turn to finding ways to keep themselves amused. Not all of their pursuits are legal or socially acceptable. In Day’s End they manifest themselves as cyberbullying, racist acts and slurs, scamming neighbours, petty theft and, of course, drug use.
But sometimes, things get taken too far and the idea of reclaiming the ‘sovereign right’ means that Hirsch’s job has just become far more complicated.
Day’s End is a superb entry in the Paul Hirschhausen series. Hirsch is proving to be a far more complex character than first appearance may have us believe. His laid back nature and sensitivity to others makes him truly relatable. This is a must-read for fans of high quality Australian small town police procedural crime fiction.
My thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy for review.
Right from the start we are inundated with a series of small (and one not so small) tasks that illustrate the far-reaching purview of Hirsch’s job. Due to the seemingly mundane nature of the crimes and misdemeanours demanding Hirsch’s attention we are somewhat lulled into underestimating the undercurrents of tension within the town.
Through most of the incidents Hirsch is confronted with on a daily basis he remains calm and unperturbed. Indeed, this is a hallmark of Disher’s writing style throughout the series. At times the understatement took me by surprise. The most obvious example of this comes quite early when Hirsch is called to a fire in a wheat field and discovers a suitcase doused in diesel and set alight. Inside the suitcase is a dead body. Rather than be overtly shocked, repulsed or emotionally affected by what he has found he sets about dousing the fire.
"The sudden jolt had caused the contents to shift, and strain the zip or the fabric so that a pale, hooked, tubular shape was exposed.
And just as the realisation hit Hirsch, Dr Van Sant got there first. ‘A human elbow’.
‘My first body in a suitcase,’ Hirsch said, but it fell flat.
She was right; he could smell it now, a dense layer under the weak acidity of the smoke.
Hirsch turned, saw that Bob was trotting over with the hose. ‘Ah good.’ "
I must say, I was quite bemused by this entire scene, wondering when, or if, normal human reactions might kick in. But when he “called it in and daydreamed through the next ninety minutes” I feared a little for his sanity but soon came to realise this was more about his coping mechanism.
Disher has used the Covid pandemic and woven his story around it, picking up on the fears of people who feel they’re being controlled. The late-Covid climate means that conspiracy theories have been festoring and flourishing, people have felt they now have permission to voice their prejudices and minor uprisings against the government are beginning to build. The frequent use of the phrase ‘sovereign right’ throughout the book reflects upon the discontent, not only in the town of Tiverton and its surrounds, but the entire globe.
Tiverton, in South Australia, may be representative of many small towns in the country. The youth become bored and disillusioned and turn to finding ways to keep themselves amused. Not all of their pursuits are legal or socially acceptable. In Day’s End they manifest themselves as cyberbullying, racist acts and slurs, scamming neighbours, petty theft and, of course, drug use.
But sometimes, things get taken too far and the idea of reclaiming the ‘sovereign right’ means that Hirsch’s job has just become far more complicated.
Day’s End is a superb entry in the Paul Hirschhausen series. Hirsch is proving to be a far more complex character than first appearance may have us believe. His laid back nature and sensitivity to others makes him truly relatable. This is a must-read for fans of high quality Australian small town police procedural crime fiction.
My thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy for review.
November 13, 2022
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
For all the Aussie rural noir fans out there, Day's End by Garry Disher is for you!
Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) is the rural senior constable in the small South Australian town of Tiverton, he lives out of the small police staton there and mans it alone. I found Hirsch to be a wonderful character, so down to earth and caring and loving his job.
Hirsch is currently escorting the mother of a missing Belgian backpacker who disappeared 2-3 months ago. There is a body found in a burning suitcase is it her son?
There’s a brutal and sickening fatal dog attack, racist acts, online bullying, conspiracy theorists, COVID pandemic and enough criminal activity in this small town to have your head spinning.
The pacing is slow at the start but it soon ramps up.
We see Hirsch deal with some emotional issues when he encounters a disturbing incident involving a baby and we see his usually calm character become emotionally affected. I found this part of the story distressing to read.
This story is well crafted rural noir, I love Disher’s ability to immerse you into the sights and sounds of the setting.
This is the fourth book in the Paul Hirschhausen series and I recommend anyone who loves Aussie crime to check it out!
Publication Date 01 November 2022
Publisher Text Publishing
Thank you to Text Publishing for a review copy of the book.
For all the Aussie rural noir fans out there, Day's End by Garry Disher is for you!
Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) is the rural senior constable in the small South Australian town of Tiverton, he lives out of the small police staton there and mans it alone. I found Hirsch to be a wonderful character, so down to earth and caring and loving his job.
Hirsch is currently escorting the mother of a missing Belgian backpacker who disappeared 2-3 months ago. There is a body found in a burning suitcase is it her son?
There’s a brutal and sickening fatal dog attack, racist acts, online bullying, conspiracy theorists, COVID pandemic and enough criminal activity in this small town to have your head spinning.
The pacing is slow at the start but it soon ramps up.
We see Hirsch deal with some emotional issues when he encounters a disturbing incident involving a baby and we see his usually calm character become emotionally affected. I found this part of the story distressing to read.
This story is well crafted rural noir, I love Disher’s ability to immerse you into the sights and sounds of the setting.
This is the fourth book in the Paul Hirschhausen series and I recommend anyone who loves Aussie crime to check it out!
Publication Date 01 November 2022
Publisher Text Publishing
Thank you to Text Publishing for a review copy of the book.
May 18, 2025
Wow, this series just keeps getting better and better! In a way I'm glad I wasn't ready to read this one when it was first published in late 2022, because it would have been to-the-minute topical, and I suspect I may have found that quite triggering in some respects. But now I'm up to date and ready for #5, which will be published later this year.
Day's End sees Hirsch still in Tiverton, settled into the routines necessitated by his solo policing role in a large patch of rural South Australia. Except that it's in the Covid-times. Mask-wearing, vaccinations, conspiracy theories, sovereign citizens and all that... We remember. All these things not just problems of the metropolises. They provide the background or colour to the story, which as we've come to expect has several different perplexing threads. There's a missing backpacker, a suspicious death, online bullying, fraud and an overdue ultralight aircraft. And not to mention an incident that sends even the usually unflappable Hirsch off to therapy. As is his way, Disher brings all of these different strands together by the end of the book, and I closed it with a sense of satisfaction that only certain authors can give me.
Well, in fact I didn't close it as I was listening to the audiobook, once again narrated by Steve Shanahan, whose voice and delivery are so perfectly suited to this story.
Highly recommended (but this is a series that benefits from reading in order).
Day's End sees Hirsch still in Tiverton, settled into the routines necessitated by his solo policing role in a large patch of rural South Australia. Except that it's in the Covid-times. Mask-wearing, vaccinations, conspiracy theories, sovereign citizens and all that... We remember. All these things not just problems of the metropolises. They provide the background or colour to the story, which as we've come to expect has several different perplexing threads. There's a missing backpacker, a suspicious death, online bullying, fraud and an overdue ultralight aircraft. And not to mention an incident that sends even the usually unflappable Hirsch off to therapy. As is his way, Disher brings all of these different strands together by the end of the book, and I closed it with a sense of satisfaction that only certain authors can give me.
Well, in fact I didn't close it as I was listening to the audiobook, once again narrated by Steve Shanahan, whose voice and delivery are so perfectly suited to this story.
Highly recommended (but this is a series that benefits from reading in order).
May 12, 2025
“There’s only me,” Hirsch said, “policing an area the size of Belgium.”
My fourth visit to Tiverton in the Australian Outback, where constable Paul Hirschhausen tries to manage his jurisdiction all by his lonesome. Tiverton would qualify as a one horse town if the locals were still using horses, but even with his trusty four wheeler instead of the saddle, Hirsch struggles to keep ahead of his busy schedule and of the crime sprees that arrive more regularly than the rains.
In additional to the usual list of petty crimes and his rounds of welfare checks on isolated farms, Hirsch is asked to look for a missing backpacking young man who disappeared during the pandemic isolation. His mother comes from Belgium to find out what happened to her son, only to stumble across a dead body in a burning suitcase. It is not her son, but Hirsch suspects something weird is going on in his district.
He’d knock on doors – a round trip of three hundred kilometers in that country – and got nowhere.
As with previous episodes, there are multiple paths to follow, all of them linked to the history of the Outback or to the influence of the Melbourne and Adelaide criminal underworld. Specific to this episode is the fallout from the Covid pandemic, the rise of armed militias fed on conspiracy theories, elderly abuse, racism and misappropriations of aboriginal culture. Hirsch must find out the link between all these apparently unrelated events. Such as a farmer whose prize ram was shot with sniper rifle, a fake tourist attraction in the desert, hate speech within the ranks of the Redruth police, repeated defacing of the Ngadjuri cultural center, a family of local rednecks who deal in drugs and stolen property, confidence scams in real estate and a very rich family who likes their privacy a little too much.
Some hero with a grader had scored the eagle into the ground in the mid1980s. No one had ever said who. The overseer, station hands and absentee property owner denied all knowledge.
Unvaccinated visitors welcome here, and, in smaller type, We refuse to enforce unlawful directions from a government that would microchip its people.
The boy shot Hirsch a complicated look that he was all to familiar with. It was in the air, in the water, in stories told at the knee and passed down in kitchens and school playgrounds: the cops hassled you. Hassled you for being black on the footpath, in charge of a car, in a shop or a train. For even existing.
>>><<<>>><<<
This is a solid addition to the series, maybe a little slower paced and less flashy that earlier episodes and rather too Hollywood-western scripted for the final showdown. But I liked my return visit to Tiverton, the constant abuse from weather and the continuing efforts of Hirsch to integrate in his small community and to do the best job he can with the limited resources at his disposal.
The social commentary regarding the toxic influence of social media and the rise of fringe terrorist groups, as well as the mistreatment of aboriginal people was a welcome addition to the usual plot of crime in an isolated community.
I hope the next Paul Hirschhausen book, scheduled for November 2025, will also find its way to my shelves soonish.
November 27, 2022
I do love a rural crime novel, and Garry Disher always delivers. This is the fourth book featuring Hirsh and he is an interesting character. He is everything that you want in a cop, he cares and is determined to do the right thing by the people in his town.
Days End is set in the midst of the pandemic, and he has work cut for him with anti vaxxers and restrictions. Tensions are high and there is so much happening for a small town. He is searching for missing backpackers, find a boy in a suitcase, is called to the scene of a brutal dog attack, has to deal with cyber bulling, racism and a plane crash to name but a few things. Never a dull moment in Tiverton, South Australia.
Days End is another stellar example of the fantastic rural noir that is coming out of Australia at the moment, and I am here for it all! May it continue to thrive.
Thank you to Text Publishing for my copy of this book to read. Days End is out now.
Days End is set in the midst of the pandemic, and he has work cut for him with anti vaxxers and restrictions. Tensions are high and there is so much happening for a small town. He is searching for missing backpackers, find a boy in a suitcase, is called to the scene of a brutal dog attack, has to deal with cyber bulling, racism and a plane crash to name but a few things. Never a dull moment in Tiverton, South Australia.
Days End is another stellar example of the fantastic rural noir that is coming out of Australia at the moment, and I am here for it all! May it continue to thrive.
Thank you to Text Publishing for my copy of this book to read. Days End is out now.
March 21, 2023
DNF. The endless rants about people who don't wear masks was too intrusive, too on the nose. Of course, our Glorious Hero, Hirsch, stands proudly on the Right Side of History and has all the correct opinions and views on everything. Urgh.
I'm 4x vaccinated, I mask where appropriate, I obeyed lockdown rules. I'm also a lifelong Labor voter, centre-Left. But I wanted to read a novel about crime in rural South Australia, not relentless propaganda about Liberal voters being fuckwits. It'll age poorly, I feel.
I'm 4x vaccinated, I mask where appropriate, I obeyed lockdown rules. I'm also a lifelong Labor voter, centre-Left. But I wanted to read a novel about crime in rural South Australia, not relentless propaganda about Liberal voters being fuckwits. It'll age poorly, I feel.
Read
February 8, 2024The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Day's End
'Garry Disher is a national treasure and Hirsch is one of my favourite characters. Day’s End is unmissable.’
Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town
‘Enjoyable and engaging, a book you don’t want to put down.’
David Grigg, Through the Biblioscope
‘[In Day’s End] the characters are depicted with nuance and emotion and even the minor players feel very fleshed out and real. Disher’s ear for dialogue is pitch perfect and his pacing and sustained tension make for a page-turning read.’
Cass Moriarty
‘By setting his action in a small community, Disher is able to explore a number of disparate threads without anything feeling contrived or forced…Day’s End is another great rural crime novel.’
Robert Goodman, Pile by the Bed
‘Garry Disher is not just a master of this genre but is also the social chronicler of our times with contemporary Australia reflected in his work…Hirsch is seeing social cracks in his community with the pressure of the pandemic…A book of our times!’
Fairfield Books
‘For a cracking good read with a clever plot and relatable hero, Day’s End is another winner for Garry Disher and for Australian rural noir.’
Good Reading
‘Disher manages to describe [Hirsch] as a very believable, fair person who takes his duties, both of solving crimes and watching over vulnerable people very seriously. [Hirsch] is intelligent and observant, and his wry comments alleviate the underlying tension in the story…There are many layers to Day’s End…[it] is a great read.’
Pat Pledger, ReadPlus
‘Day's End, with its complex plot and empathetic policeman, is crime fiction at its best…culminat[ing] in an ending that took this reader's breath away.’
Anna Creer, Canberra Times
‘Garry Disher is the master of Australian crime fiction…Day's End, is more of the good stuff.’
Sally Pryor, Canberra Times
‘Well written and very powerful, Day’s End once more confirms Disher’s place as the master of outback noir.’
Jeff Popple, Canberra Weekly
‘[Day’s End,, the] latest from the prolific and highly acclaimed Australian crime writer [Garry Disher] is a new instalment in his popular series centred on Paul “Hirsch” Hirschhausen…In true Disher style, it’s a tightly plotted rural noir…wind[ing] its way towards a satisfying conclusion.’
Gemma Nisbet, West Australian
‘Disher is a master at controlling his material, taking his readers along the dusty, rutted roads that always pop up when we expect bitumen smoothness. But it’s a journey worth taking, for the pure his of the writing.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
‘Disher once again masterfully soaks readers in the millieu of rural Australia, delivering a riveting crime tale centred on a likeable hero, threaded with relevant issues.’
Craig Sisterson, New Zealand Listener
‘Garry Disher fans will rejoice in this latest novel.’
Weekend Australian
‘Public library staff from 53 library services and 318 branches across Victoria, Australia voted Gary Disher’s Day’s End as their favourite nominee for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.’
Dublin Literary Awards, State Library of Victoria
'Garry Disher is a national treasure and Hirsch is one of my favourite characters. Day’s End is unmissable.’
Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town
‘Enjoyable and engaging, a book you don’t want to put down.’
David Grigg, Through the Biblioscope
‘[In Day’s End] the characters are depicted with nuance and emotion and even the minor players feel very fleshed out and real. Disher’s ear for dialogue is pitch perfect and his pacing and sustained tension make for a page-turning read.’
Cass Moriarty
‘By setting his action in a small community, Disher is able to explore a number of disparate threads without anything feeling contrived or forced…Day’s End is another great rural crime novel.’
Robert Goodman, Pile by the Bed
‘Garry Disher is not just a master of this genre but is also the social chronicler of our times with contemporary Australia reflected in his work…Hirsch is seeing social cracks in his community with the pressure of the pandemic…A book of our times!’
Fairfield Books
‘For a cracking good read with a clever plot and relatable hero, Day’s End is another winner for Garry Disher and for Australian rural noir.’
Good Reading
‘Disher manages to describe [Hirsch] as a very believable, fair person who takes his duties, both of solving crimes and watching over vulnerable people very seriously. [Hirsch] is intelligent and observant, and his wry comments alleviate the underlying tension in the story…There are many layers to Day’s End…[it] is a great read.’
Pat Pledger, ReadPlus
‘Day's End, with its complex plot and empathetic policeman, is crime fiction at its best…culminat[ing] in an ending that took this reader's breath away.’
Anna Creer, Canberra Times
‘Garry Disher is the master of Australian crime fiction…Day's End, is more of the good stuff.’
Sally Pryor, Canberra Times
‘Well written and very powerful, Day’s End once more confirms Disher’s place as the master of outback noir.’
Jeff Popple, Canberra Weekly
‘[Day’s End,, the] latest from the prolific and highly acclaimed Australian crime writer [Garry Disher] is a new instalment in his popular series centred on Paul “Hirsch” Hirschhausen…In true Disher style, it’s a tightly plotted rural noir…wind[ing] its way towards a satisfying conclusion.’
Gemma Nisbet, West Australian
‘Disher is a master at controlling his material, taking his readers along the dusty, rutted roads that always pop up when we expect bitumen smoothness. But it’s a journey worth taking, for the pure his of the writing.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
‘Disher once again masterfully soaks readers in the millieu of rural Australia, delivering a riveting crime tale centred on a likeable hero, threaded with relevant issues.’
Craig Sisterson, New Zealand Listener
‘Garry Disher fans will rejoice in this latest novel.’
Weekend Australian
‘Public library staff from 53 library services and 318 branches across Victoria, Australia voted Gary Disher’s Day’s End as their favourite nominee for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.’
Dublin Literary Awards, State Library of Victoria
November 8, 2022
Day’s End is the fourth book in the Paul Hirschhausen series by popular Australian author, Garry Disher. THe audio version is narrated by Steve Shanahan. Early spring, and Senior Constable Paul Hirschhausen is kept busy with his twin roles, “law-upholder and welfare worker”, which currently includes escorting Dr Janne Van Sant, the mother of a missing Belgian backpacker, Willi Van Sant around his last known locations. She is unconvinced by the story his last employers tell.
A detour on their return to Tiverton involves a body in a burning suitcase (not Willi’s, his mother confirms), requiring Homicide Squad involvement, on top of the necessary follow up on the backpacker, and a visit to a recently arrived family steeped in criminal culture. And so ends another week as sole cop in a rural South Australian small town.
Before the month is out, Hirsch has dealt with racist and slanderous graffiti, online bullying, neighbourhood harassment, an internet home rental scam, the sharing of racist and elder-abuse videos, an assault on a local school teacher, and encounters with what he terms “covid morons”.
He attends a light plane crash, and deals with a vicious dog at a PTSD-inducing scene, endures an uncomfortable zoom conference with his superior and an Internal Investigations interview. The exciting climax involves some very nasty members of a right-wing paramilitary group, and by the final pages there is a not inconsiderable body count.
Disher always manages to insert some (often dark) humour, as when Hirsch has a run-in with the Australian Federal Police:
“‘We snatched you off the street, as you put it, because we want you to back off.’
‘Back off from what?’
‘Poking your nose in where you shouldn’t. This is a need-to-know situation, and you don’t need to know.’
It was like being in a bad spy film.”
Disher is a master of descriptive prose and expertly conveys the atmosphere and attitude of the rural town: his cast of townspeople will likely be familiar to anyone who has visited such a place. Actual residents of the area would be able to say for sure, but Disher’s depiction of South Australia’s mid-north certainly feels authentic.
Amid a glut of flawed heroes, Hirsch is a refreshing protagonist: comfortable in his own skin; not perfect but certainly principled; not battling drugs or alcohol, not tempted by illegal or immoral activity; an essentially tireless cop, exuding integrity, dedicated to enforcement and protection tempered with the judgement calls essential in rural policing. Each additional dose of Hirsch makes him more likeable: another instalment will be very welcome.
A detour on their return to Tiverton involves a body in a burning suitcase (not Willi’s, his mother confirms), requiring Homicide Squad involvement, on top of the necessary follow up on the backpacker, and a visit to a recently arrived family steeped in criminal culture. And so ends another week as sole cop in a rural South Australian small town.
Before the month is out, Hirsch has dealt with racist and slanderous graffiti, online bullying, neighbourhood harassment, an internet home rental scam, the sharing of racist and elder-abuse videos, an assault on a local school teacher, and encounters with what he terms “covid morons”.
He attends a light plane crash, and deals with a vicious dog at a PTSD-inducing scene, endures an uncomfortable zoom conference with his superior and an Internal Investigations interview. The exciting climax involves some very nasty members of a right-wing paramilitary group, and by the final pages there is a not inconsiderable body count.
Disher always manages to insert some (often dark) humour, as when Hirsch has a run-in with the Australian Federal Police:
“‘We snatched you off the street, as you put it, because we want you to back off.’
‘Back off from what?’
‘Poking your nose in where you shouldn’t. This is a need-to-know situation, and you don’t need to know.’
It was like being in a bad spy film.”
Disher is a master of descriptive prose and expertly conveys the atmosphere and attitude of the rural town: his cast of townspeople will likely be familiar to anyone who has visited such a place. Actual residents of the area would be able to say for sure, but Disher’s depiction of South Australia’s mid-north certainly feels authentic.
Amid a glut of flawed heroes, Hirsch is a refreshing protagonist: comfortable in his own skin; not perfect but certainly principled; not battling drugs or alcohol, not tempted by illegal or immoral activity; an essentially tireless cop, exuding integrity, dedicated to enforcement and protection tempered with the judgement calls essential in rural policing. Each additional dose of Hirsch makes him more likeable: another instalment will be very welcome.
November 29, 2022
(Spoiler alert) Disher's latest novel left me disappointed and more than a bit confused. His characterisation of the physically and emotionally exhausted detective, Hirsch, was insightful and detailed. However, this portrayal was not enough for me. I found the plot moving in too many directions at the same time, proposing a multitude of ultimately linked crimes that took the reader from missing persons to corruption to drug use/abuse/dealing to murder and, ultimately, to domestic terrorism. My head was spinning as I tried unsuccessfully to sort out the identities of all the players and their specific involvement in what was unravelling in Hirsch's latest case. As well, although I'm not an avid reader of crime fiction, I sense that the "Australian rural noir" genre is being overused in recent publications. The ending, particularly, left me unimpressed.
November 11, 2022
‘One hopes,’ Dr Van Sant said, ‘but suffers misfortune—and so is desolate.’
Day’s End is the fourth book in Garry Disher’s stellar crime fiction series featuring South Australian police officer Paul Hirschhausen.
Driving back from a large station on the edge of his rural beat with the mother of a missing Austrian backpacker, Hirsch is diverted to a fire in a culvert where he discovers a body in a smouldering suitcase. He doesn’t recognise the man, but is relieved at least he bears no resemblance to the son of his passenger. Though Hirsch is curious about both cases, neither are his direct responsibility, and there’s plenty else to keep him busy. A new family in town is causing a few headaches; Kate is being cyber-bullied, though she’s refusing Hirsch’s help; a white supremacist group is recruiting local teens; and Hirsch is in trouble after losing his temper with an abusive anti-vaxxer.
Disher’s plotting is masterful as always, and in Day’s End, the crimes Hirsch investigates often overlap and connect in unexpected ways. Disher manages the multiple threads skilfully, connecting seemingly disparate people and events in a manner that feels credible. There’s plenty of well timed action that drives the story at a good pace but without sacrificing suspense, or emotion. The book’s final scenes in particular are very tense and exciting.
Set roughly in the present day, Disher incorporates current social issues into the story including the rent crisis, increased economic pressures, and the rise in hateful rhetoric and actions stimulated by the Covid pandemic. This helps to ground the story in time and place, and enhances its sense of authenticity.
After three years in Tiverton Hirsch is feeling more comfortable and confident, both professionally and personally. He is a methodical investigator who believes in the law but also understands the importance of community policing, and adapts easily to the differing demands of the job. Usually easygoing and even tempered, there are events in Day’s End that shake him (TW: infant death), and it will be interesting to see how that might play out in future instalments.
Like it’s predecessors, Bitter Wash Road, Peace and Consolation, Day’s End is a gripping read, and this brilliant series remains as one of my favourites.
Day’s End is the fourth book in Garry Disher’s stellar crime fiction series featuring South Australian police officer Paul Hirschhausen.
Driving back from a large station on the edge of his rural beat with the mother of a missing Austrian backpacker, Hirsch is diverted to a fire in a culvert where he discovers a body in a smouldering suitcase. He doesn’t recognise the man, but is relieved at least he bears no resemblance to the son of his passenger. Though Hirsch is curious about both cases, neither are his direct responsibility, and there’s plenty else to keep him busy. A new family in town is causing a few headaches; Kate is being cyber-bullied, though she’s refusing Hirsch’s help; a white supremacist group is recruiting local teens; and Hirsch is in trouble after losing his temper with an abusive anti-vaxxer.
Disher’s plotting is masterful as always, and in Day’s End, the crimes Hirsch investigates often overlap and connect in unexpected ways. Disher manages the multiple threads skilfully, connecting seemingly disparate people and events in a manner that feels credible. There’s plenty of well timed action that drives the story at a good pace but without sacrificing suspense, or emotion. The book’s final scenes in particular are very tense and exciting.
Set roughly in the present day, Disher incorporates current social issues into the story including the rent crisis, increased economic pressures, and the rise in hateful rhetoric and actions stimulated by the Covid pandemic. This helps to ground the story in time and place, and enhances its sense of authenticity.
After three years in Tiverton Hirsch is feeling more comfortable and confident, both professionally and personally. He is a methodical investigator who believes in the law but also understands the importance of community policing, and adapts easily to the differing demands of the job. Usually easygoing and even tempered, there are events in Day’s End that shake him (TW: infant death), and it will be interesting to see how that might play out in future instalments.
Like it’s predecessors, Bitter Wash Road, Peace and Consolation, Day’s End is a gripping read, and this brilliant series remains as one of my favourites.
January 31, 2023
What a load of rubbish. Garry Disher is quite the woke little social justice warrior isn't he? Unfortunately he seemed to get so caught up in lecturing people about wearing masks and getting vaccinated and tackling cyberbullying and racism etc that he forgot to come up with a good plot and likeable characters and it all just ended up a bit of a mess. I hated the characters even more than I hated the plot (I still can't believe a murder mystery could be quite this dull!!) and I felt annoyed as hell from reading the repeated digs at people who are against the vax, but one of the worst things for me was the horribly pretentious tedious writing style. I absolutely recommend this only to the people who are scared of well written books with interesting storylines. Anybody else should give this a big miss!
June 16, 2023
So I’m rolling through a few select Gary Disher novels. This is the 4th in the Paul Hirschhausen series. Hirsch is still in Tiverton. Wendy’s daughter Katie is older. Sone discussion around land appropriation historically fron Aboriginals. There’s white supremacists suddenly popping up, media bullying and of course dead bodies. As always very gritty.
December 15, 2023
Too much covid inspired political drivel.
January 12, 2024
As a committed Garry Disher fan, I have to say this was not his best book. The Covid context will date this one.
December 22, 2025
Excellent. I don’t know how I missed this on audible. His Wyatt books are too dark for me but I love the rest of his novels.
August 27, 2023
Well I personally am pleased to report Disher has regained his form somewhat over the last dreary installment in this series. While senior constable P.H. can still be an exceptionally whiny beta character (how many times in a series can a police officer get his ass handed to him? 1? 10?? Man up dude); the rural flashes of insight related to Australia are a delight. I do enjoy Disher's prose and his ability to paint a rural Australian setting in golden hues and amber light. Ok enough of that shit, lets get to the story shall we? One element I grow exceptionally tired of is the liberal tripe BIG GOVERNMENT IS GOOD AND HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. Newsflash no it fucking does not. Get a clue Disher, mask and vaccine mandates were a scam. Straight big brother, now that all the research has proven masks to be completely ineffective your harping on them in the book paints you as a bit of a gobment stooge guy. Also, how many children now have developed serious cardiac issues as a result of vaccine mandates? That's right Garry do the Emu and keep your head in the sand. Ok rant mostly satisfied. The story starts with P.H. finding a burned body in a suitcase and culminates in finding the killers. Along the way we deal with the devilish white supremacy because migrants are never a threat to sovereign governments. 911 anyone? While I enjoy his stories of rural policing he can stick his politics firmly in his ass.
May 2, 2025
Constable Hirschhausen ist mal wieder auf Streife auf den staubigen Straßen Tivertons im Norden von South Australia. Dabei kontrolliert er von seiner kleinen Ein-Mann-Polizeistation ein “Gebiet von der Größe Belgiens” - bei allerdings nur wenigen tausend Einwohnern. Breit gefächert sind die Dinge, um die er sich auch in diesem vierten Band kümmern muss: Verkehrsverstöße, ein erschossener Schafsbock, Mobbing, Hassparolen am Kulturhaus der Ureinwohner, Konflikte im Wartezimmer der lokalen Ärztin. Es ist noch die Zeit der Pandemie und das zehrt mal mehr mal weniger an den Nerven der Menschen - auch in Australien regt sich Widerstand gegen die Pandemiepolitik. Zwei Fälle ragen heraus: Ein Backpacker aus Belgien wird vermisst, sein letzter bekannter Aufenthaltsort war ausgerechnet eine Farm, auf der man sich gegen die Staatsmacht positioniert hat. Und ein brennender Koffer im Straßengraben, in dem eine Leiche gefunden wird. Scheinbar ein Mord im Drogenmilieu, nicht Hirschs Zuständigkeit, dennoch wird der Fall ihn wieder einholen.
Garry Disher ist für mich immer noch das oberste Regal im Krimihandwerk. Mit souveräner Hand zeichnet er auch hier wieder ein präzises Bild vom Kosmos einer Kleinstadt und ihren Menschen mit Stärken und Schwächen im australischen Hinterland. Wenn man allerdings etwas anmerken will, dann dass bei ihm die Komposition der Handlungsstränge schon mal stärker war. Gerade der Fall des Backpackers gerät etwas aus dem Fokus, um dann am Ende geradezu zu eskalieren. Manch einer mag sich auch an klaren Meinung reiben, die der Autor in Sachen Covid transportiert. Nichtsdestotrotz verfügt auch “Desolation Hill” über weite Strecken über die unbestritten großen Fähigkeiten des Autors, einen authentischen, stimmungsvollen Kriminalroman zu verfassen. Insofern habe ich wieder gerne eine Runde mit Hirsch durch Tiverton gedreht.
Garry Disher ist für mich immer noch das oberste Regal im Krimihandwerk. Mit souveräner Hand zeichnet er auch hier wieder ein präzises Bild vom Kosmos einer Kleinstadt und ihren Menschen mit Stärken und Schwächen im australischen Hinterland. Wenn man allerdings etwas anmerken will, dann dass bei ihm die Komposition der Handlungsstränge schon mal stärker war. Gerade der Fall des Backpackers gerät etwas aus dem Fokus, um dann am Ende geradezu zu eskalieren. Manch einer mag sich auch an klaren Meinung reiben, die der Autor in Sachen Covid transportiert. Nichtsdestotrotz verfügt auch “Desolation Hill” über weite Strecken über die unbestritten großen Fähigkeiten des Autors, einen authentischen, stimmungsvollen Kriminalroman zu verfassen. Insofern habe ich wieder gerne eine Runde mit Hirsch durch Tiverton gedreht.
December 10, 2022
2.5 Way too much going on
August 25, 2023
Disappointing, protracted, twisted, too many characters & in the end a little bit too convoluted.
December 8, 2022
In the Australian bush crime genre Garry Disher is the most prodigious writer. In this genre I don’t think he gets the recognition that he deserves.
My previous read was Jane Harper’s Exiles so when this book became available, I grabbed it. I thought comparing the characters Aaron Falk and Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch to his friends and readers) would be an interesting endeavour. Undoubtedly the similarities outweigh their differences. Both are kind, deliberate and considerate public order officials. They work at the opposite end of the law enforcement continuum but are deliberate and consistent in their investigations. They both have Renaissance Man tendencies, and I am sure to many female readers that would be seen as ideal men.
Both Harper and Disher write character driven stories, and this is where I believe Disher achieves greater quality. He doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time introducing characters, but he does it effectively and succinctly.
Another strength in this publication is Disher highly effectively placing the social issues of racism, ageism, far-right political madness (anti-COVID actions, anti-science, homophobia, denial of indigenous rights.) However, these issues don’t cramp the story line and the readers doesn’t feel that they’re being lecture to by the author.
There is plenty happening in this story, and it is only at the end is there “action”.
There are two main stories, one involving a criminal family involved in drugs, stealing, internet crime and eventually murder. The second one is centred around anti-vaxxers come far-right extremists. Disher handles both plots and characters well. He captures the characters and their behaviour exceptionally well. Sadly, the influence of right-wing nutters is growing in our society. Disher mentions the infiltration of these types into the Liberal Party. There have been real examples in the recent federal election and in the coming Victorian election.
The novel opens with a Belguim woman searching for her backpacking son and she returns to play a key role at the end.
Another satisfying Disher read.
My previous read was Jane Harper’s Exiles so when this book became available, I grabbed it. I thought comparing the characters Aaron Falk and Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch to his friends and readers) would be an interesting endeavour. Undoubtedly the similarities outweigh their differences. Both are kind, deliberate and considerate public order officials. They work at the opposite end of the law enforcement continuum but are deliberate and consistent in their investigations. They both have Renaissance Man tendencies, and I am sure to many female readers that would be seen as ideal men.
Both Harper and Disher write character driven stories, and this is where I believe Disher achieves greater quality. He doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time introducing characters, but he does it effectively and succinctly.
Another strength in this publication is Disher highly effectively placing the social issues of racism, ageism, far-right political madness (anti-COVID actions, anti-science, homophobia, denial of indigenous rights.) However, these issues don’t cramp the story line and the readers doesn’t feel that they’re being lecture to by the author.
There is plenty happening in this story, and it is only at the end is there “action”.
There are two main stories, one involving a criminal family involved in drugs, stealing, internet crime and eventually murder. The second one is centred around anti-vaxxers come far-right extremists. Disher handles both plots and characters well. He captures the characters and their behaviour exceptionally well. Sadly, the influence of right-wing nutters is growing in our society. Disher mentions the infiltration of these types into the Liberal Party. There have been real examples in the recent federal election and in the coming Victorian election.
The novel opens with a Belguim woman searching for her backpacking son and she returns to play a key role at the end.
Another satisfying Disher read.
October 29, 2022
Consolation by Garry Disher was the first book I'd read by the respected and renowned Australian author. It was the third book in his Constable Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) series and had won the 2021 Ned Kelly award for Best Crime Fiction in 2021. Disher came highly recommended, as did Consolation.
And though I enjoyed it, I didn't love it.
I suspect my expectations were a tad high and though really liked Hirsch, it featured one of my pet hates - having multiple plots that don't mesh or otherwise merge conveniently (though not logically) at the end.
Interestingly, though the disappearance of backpacker Willi Van Sant and his girlfriend opens this book, it's not revisited again for some time. Even the dead body in the suitcase that briefly distracts Hirsch and his colleagues is handed off to someone else. Instead Hirsch gets bogged down in local politics and the ugly world of extremism. Here in the form of racism and conspiracy theorists.
Though several cases merge into one here, it's more seamlessly done and makes sense. I was also more conscious Disher's writing here. Short chapters in conversational style prose that are easy to read and beg you to keep going. And though written in third person from Hirsch's point of view there's a real narratorial presence that I often associate with Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy crime fiction series. I should also mention that Disher does an excellent job at sharing the vast but beautiful emptiness of Australia's outback.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
Interestingly, though the disappearance of backpacker Willi Van Sant and his girlfriend opens this book, it's not revisited again for some time. Even the dead body in the suitcase that briefly distracts Hirsch and his colleagues is handed off to someone else. Instead Hirsch gets bogged down in local politics and the ugly world of extremism. Here in the form of racism and conspiracy theorists.
Though several cases merge into one here, it's more seamlessly done and makes sense. I was also more conscious Disher's writing here. Short chapters in conversational style prose that are easy to read and beg you to keep going. And though written in third person from Hirsch's point of view there's a real narratorial presence that I often associate with Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy crime fiction series. I should also mention that Disher does an excellent job at sharing the vast but beautiful emptiness of Australia's outback.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
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