Whispering Death

December 24, 2012
pcMajor budget cuts hamper the investigations of Insp. Hal Challis in Ned Kelly Awardâwinner Disher's solid sixth novel featuring the Melbourne cop (after 2009's Blood Moon). Challis has two difficult cases to crack: a sophisticated cat burglar who diligently researches her targets and commits her thefts far from home is at large; and a man wearing a police uniform is sexually assaulting women. After Challis mouths off about the effect on his department of the diminished resources to a reporter covering the serial rapes, his professional future is jeopardized, adding another, and unneeded, layer of pressure, even as it remains unclear whether the rapist is a colleague or just posing as one. As with the best procedurals, this book succeeds in its vivid portrayals of Challis's supporting cast, humanizing the officers who have to deal with pain and suffering almost nonstop. Agent: David Forrer, Inkwell Management.

January 1, 2013
Disher's Hal Challis novels depict realistic crime fighting; his Wyatt novels show realistic thievery. In this, a Challis, he combines the two approaches by introducing an accomplished thief named Grace, whose exploits weave through and eventually intersect with Challis' duties. (The police inspector's lover and colleague Ellen Destry is mostly offstage, studying sex crimes in Europe.) Disher's writing is a marvel of naturalism, exploring the reality of police and criminal work with meticulous attention to both character and detailaspiring thieves would do well to study his scenarioswithout ever losing our interest. A rapist wearing a police uniform stalks Challis' beat on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, Australia; a shotgun-toting bank robber is on the loose; and vandals are defacing the gates of mansions. Meanwhile, Grace scouts and steals, trying to keep one step ahead of her dangerous, estranged mentor. The unusual mix of incidents builds to a convincing climax while still looking like a regular load of casework. Versatile and prolific, Disher keeps this series fresh and again delivers a procedural with real authority.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)