Perfect descriptions of Australia. Witty writing. My favourite Temple.
An Iron Rose
By Peter Temple
An Iron Rose recommendation. Peter Temple.
Mac, A former federal police officer (the AFP is the Australian equivalent of the FBI), is content to relax in the life of a country blacksmith. Mac makes small trinkets and interesting metal items to order, and he’s happy in his forge until his mate is found hanged in a shed. At the insistence of the deceased’s nephew, Mac reluctantly slips back into the old habits of a copper who was forced into retirement by jealous and bitter comrades. However, the crooked officers who drove Mac away all those years ago have risen in the ranks, and now their corrupt tendencies have been bolstered by their growing authority. Mac soon finds himself fighting to prove both the sanity and innocence of his dead mate, and he can’t help but feel the web of abuse and murder around him was deliberately spun.
Peter Temple’s writing style is concise, witty, and interesting. It’s the kind of perfect prose that makes you wonder why every writer doesn’t adopt the same style. So efficient. Every paragraph is an absolute joy for any reader who’s pleased when they find a thriller that’s just a little different to the rest.
The descriptions of Australia and country living are faultless. From the irritated tone that wraps the deliberately insensitive police to the habits of the most believable Aussie character, every aspect of Australia is correct in Temple’s works of fiction. This is (currently) my favourite novel by the writer who has written a few of the very best Australian thrillers.
An enthralling kidnap thriller about regret, desperation, and the power of a grieving mother.
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