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Series Review
Aussie Tough Guy with Good Taste, Smart Mouth and Vintage Studebaker
In each of the four books in the Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers, former attorney Jack Irish prowls Melbourne, Australia's dark, rainy alleys searching for deadbeats and missing witnesses, taking the occasional break for a carefully prepared meal or a quick trip to the racetrack, footy match or local pub (where his father and grandfather also drank.)
Fast-paced stories, great dialogue and dialect and a hero with heart and humor
A nifty new riff on the hardboiled hero--Jack Irish is a manly man but neither mindlessly macho nor doomed to self-destruction. He has both a wonderful sense of humor and a talent for surviving the outrageous violence visited upon him by scary thugs and plug uglies. Plus: he can cook. The stories roll right along and are satisfyingly complex without being confusing (usually) and Jack's gang of friends and lovers are original and endlessly entertaining. Melbourne comes to life under Temple's most skillful pen. The Aussie dialect is fun to decipher--a task which would be easier if the publisher included a glossary.
Series Guide
Jump in anywhere.
Book Summaries
Below, a list of the Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers in chronological order.
Bad Debts (1996, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #1)
Cops frame one of Jack's old clients.Black Tide (1997, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #2)
An old family friend's son is missing, presumed dead...but is he?Dead Point (2000, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #3)
Someone savagely attacks two people who work for Jack's racing friend, Harry Strang. White Dog ( 2003, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #4)
A murder suspect is executed before her trial begins.Australian Lingo
Translations of a few Aussie terms you will find in the Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers.
Ambos Paramedics
Bikkies Cookies
Blunnies Workboots
Bomb it to Snake Follow protocol
Bunned Made pregnant
Carked it Died
Dobber Informant
Dunny Bathroom
Feeling Crook Feeling ill
Gargle Drink alcohol
Hoon Hooligan
Kneeler Roman Catholic
Milkbar Convenience store
Munted Wrecked with alcohol or drugs
Pollies Politicians
Poms English people
Porky A falsehood
Punt Bet
Salvos Salvation Army
Spunk Sexually attractive
Streeters Homeless people
Ute Utility vehicle
Book Reviews
Jack Irish Series
(From newest to oldest; Dates refer to publication in the US in English;
# refers to series order)
Above, from top to bottom:
The Melbourne Cup race; Beach cabanas in Melbourne; Melbourne Harbor; Melbourne street scene
Bad Debts (1996, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #1)
by Peter Temple
WINNER! Ned Kelly Award for Best First Novel
High marks to Peter Temple for cool, clean writing style infused with wit and poetry. The story moves right along but is a little to complicated for me.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Australia.)
Black Tide (1997, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #2)
by Peter Temple
Great writing, lots of humor, a story involving conspiracy at the highest level--not too credible but all in good fun.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Australia.)
Dead Point (2000, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #3)
by Peter Temple
WINNER! Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel
Another good time between the pages with Jack Irish. Peter Temple writes beautifully.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Australia.)
White Dog ( 2003, Jack Irish Mystery Books/ Thrillers #4)
by Peter Temple
WINNER! Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel
Temple's very good usual: lean, poetic prose, snappy dialogue, engrossing plot.
(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Australia.)
Indexes
Filmed adaptations of books in this mystery series:
TV Series: Bad Debts and Black Tide have been adapted for television and aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2012
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