Yaffler is back after a break and has just finished reading another great crime novel by the writer SJ Brown. I have read 2 of his books previously, those being Deadwood and High Beam, and all the books follow the same formula with the main character being the detective – John Maloney of the serious crime unit of the Tasmanian Police Force here in Hobart. And this is a serious crime Maloney and his team are dealing with – the discovery of a person murdered in a most sadistic, gruesome way. It leads to a cat and mouse search around Hobart to track down the serial killer. It’s a puzzling case that will leave you turning page after page to the very end.
The Square Up is brilliantly written with real passion for Tassie, specially Hobart and its history and the inside goings on of a team of professional crime solvers banding together and thinking as one to catch this nasty piece of work. He’s really got it in for the ones who he thinks are well ahead of him, about to achieving their goal. He’s making a point his way.
The book flows perfectly, going from the graphic description of each crime scene to the interactions of Maloney’s work colleagues as they go to and fro. You can picture Hobart in your mind as you read this. There are a few slow bits when they are together at the station trying to solve this baffling series of murders but it adds to the suspense I think.
This book would appeal to any crime reader male and female in the adult area and am looking forward to reading the last book in the serious and I hope some television or movie production company comes along in sometime down the track and turns it into a ripper film or miniseries. I myself would love to see it fingers crossed.