Review: Black Tide

Snappy, slangy, eloquent prose and a smart, complicated, witty narrator makes Australian writer Temple’s latest Jack Irish book a standout despite its overly complex plot. A Melbourne solicitor with an ambiguously shady clientele, Jack does elegant cabinetry in his spare time. He’s also pining for his girlfriend, Linda, who has taken on a new TV broadcasting job in Sydney and seems to be breaking things off.

After helping a client organize an alibi and clear a debt, Jack takes on a favor for Des Connor, an old friend of his father’s, mostly in return for stories about the father he never knew. Des, in a moment of weakness, lent his ne’er-do-well son Gary $60,000, money Des had inherited. Now it appears Gary has taken out a mortgage on the house his father lives in (left to Gary by his mother), defaulted on the loan and disappeared. Des is about to be destitute and on the street.

Jack soon discovers Gary is not the only one suspiciously missing and he is not the only one searching for him. Whatever Gary was into involves a many-tentacled company with dangerous executives and a pedigree hidden in a tangle of offshore finance. It may also involve the government, or at least some people who want Jack to think they are government, black ops style.

In addition to tracking Gary, Jack trails along with another client who is doing something confusing with racing and horses. These two operations take him all over Australia, though he’s never gone from Melbourne for long, and provide plenty of opportunity for mayhem, particularly during the prolonged, action-oriented finale.

The main plot involves a plethora of characters and tangled knots, which is both the book’s strength and its weakness. Strength because the complex plot gives Jack a chance to shine at what he does best, using his brain; weakness because some readers may give up in confusion long before Jack does, thereby missing the bang-up finale. In addition, there is a crowd of secondary characters, from the finicky, mellow cabinet maker (Jack’s mentor) to the “Fitzroy Youth Club,” a group of ancient fanatical football fans who’ve lost their team. Then there’s his array of contacts new and old, who provide information and opportunities for verbal sparring.

Atmospheric, semi-hard-boiled, humorous and clever, Temple’s Jack Irish novels (winners of numerous Australian prizes) should win fans among those who like their thrillers literary.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Lynn Harnett

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.

Book Review: Black Tide

Please Note: Books reviewed are usually provided by the publisher, author, or an agent. Reviewers usually get to keep the book.