Blackwattle Creek — Geoffrey McGeachin

From the winner of the 2011 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel comes a cracking new Charlie Berlin mystery The insane are running the asylum in this cracking new Charlie Berlin thriller. It's September 1957, two days before the VFL grand final, and Detective Sergeant Charlie Berlin finallyhas some time off. But there's no rest for thisdecentif damaged man, still troubled by his wartime experience as a bomber pilot and POW.A recently widowed friend asks a favour and he's dropped into something much biggerthan he bargained for. When he uncoversdubious practices at a Melbourne funeral parlour, it's quickly obvious that anyone asking questions is also asking for trouble. His offsider is beaten and left for dead, witnesses are warned off, Special Branch is on his case, and evenBerlin'syoung family may be at risk. His pursuit of the truth leads him to Blackwattle Creek, once an asylum for the criminally insane and now home to evendarker evils. And if Berlin thought government machinations during World War II were devious, those of the Cold War leave them for dead . . . A rattling good tale with a dry wit and a sobering core,Blackwattle Creek confirms Geoffrey McGeachinas one of our most entertaining and accomplished crime writers.