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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'It's a decade since the infamous Inquiry into corruption tore the state of Queensland apart. But for George Verney, disgraced journalist and bit-player in the great scandals of his day, the Inquiry has never quite finished. After ten years of self-imposed exile, drawn by the terrible death of a man who was his friend, he reluctantly returns to Brisbane, the city of his downfall. In a town he no longer recognises and through an underworld that has forgotten him, George must seek out the other hidden survivors of his times, to confront the truth about their common past, and to find a way to let the dead rest in peace.' (from back cover)
Notes
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Author's note: This is a work of fiction. While obviously inspired to some degree by the Fitzgerald inquiry and its era in Queensland, this is not, even for a moment, an historic or factual version of those times. In particular, no character in this book should be mistaken for any actual person, living or dead.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
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Australia in Three Books
2019
single work
review
— Appears in: Meanjin , Autumn vol. 78 no. 1 2019; (p. 22-25)'I’ve heard of that place, Australia. There are even some memories that persist of it as a discrete, identifiable object. It was a thing taught to me in primary school in jovial, unambiguous ways. It was a series of tales of sheep, and rushes of gold, and the bushranging bloke with a metal bucket on his head. It played cricket against the West Indies. It was precisely 200 years old and we dressed as convicts and walked down the town’s main street to celebrate this fact. All incompleteness and lies that I felt disconnected from then, as I do now.' (Introduction)
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Engaging the Metaphorical City : Brisbane Male Fiction 1975-2007
2011
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sweat : The Subtropical Imaginary 2011; (p. 45-53) 'Brisbane writers and writing are increasingly represented as important to the city's identity as a site of urban cool, at least in marketing and public relations paradigms. It is therefore remarkable that recent Brisbane fiction clings strongly to a particular relationship to the climatic and built environment that is often located in the past and which seemingly turns away, or at least elides, the 'new' technologically-driven Brisbane. Literary Brisbane is often depicted in the context of nostalgia for the Brisbane that once was—a tropical, timbered, luxuriant city in which sex is associated with heat, and, in particular, sweat. In this writing sweat can produced by adrenaline or heat, but in particular, in Brisbane novels, it is the sweat of sex that characterises the literary city. Given that Brisbane is in fact a subtropical city, it is interesting that metaphors of a tropical climate and vegetation occur so frequently in Brisbane stories (and narratives set in other parts of the state) that writer Thea Astley was prompted at one point to remark that Queensland writing was in danger of developing into a tropical cliché.' Susan Carson. -
Crime Scenes : The Importance of Place in Australian Crime Fiction
2010
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Journeying and Journalling : Creative and Critical Meditations on Travel Writing 2010; (p. 204-213) 'There are eight million stories about crime fiction. And this is one of them. There are two main ways in which writers use place in crime fiction. The first way is to use place to help create a certain mood and atmosphere. The second way is to use the geographical or physical features of a place imaginatively as a plot device. Sometimes the journeys that are made by characters in crime fiction serve to remind us as readers of these two major devices. Although historically a lot of Australian crime fiction has not focused on place in terms of setting, this is changing as Australia continues to change. (Author's introduction, 204)
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A City in Its Own Write
2009
single work
column
— Appears in: Brisbane News , 6 - 12 May no. 733 2009; (p. 12-13) -
Adapting Australian Novels for the Stage : La Boite Theatre's Version of Last Drinks, Perfect Skin, and Johnno
2008
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , vol. 23 no. 3 2008; (p. 305-317)
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Crime Traveller
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Limelight , September 2004; (p. 47)
— Review of Last Drinks 2000 single work novel -
Closing Time
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December-January (2000-2001) no. 227 2000; (p. 53)
— Review of Last Drinks 2000 single work novel -
Last Drinks
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: Meanjin : Fine Writing & Provocative Ideas , vol. 59 no. 4 2000; (p. 226-228)
— Review of Last Drinks 2000 single work novel -
Untitled
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian's Review of Books , December vol. 5 no. 11 2000; (p. 24)
— Review of Last Drinks 2000 single work novel -
Shady Dealings
2000
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 2 December 2000; (p. 25)
— Review of Last Drinks 2000 single work novel -
Corruption in The Truth Teller and Last Drinks
2002
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Social Alternatives , Winter vol. 21 no. 3 2002; (p. 15-19) The article analyses the manner in which the two novels illuminate the Queensland Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption. -
Moving on to the Land
2004
single work
column
— Appears in: The Age , 1 May 2004; (p. 3) -
We're Here Because There's Beer
2004
single work
column
— Appears in: The Age , 4 December 2004; (p. 8) Australia's economy was once driven by alcohol and the social influence of drinking remains strong. The author discusses Australians' relationship with alcohol and how this has been portrayed in Australian literature. -
'How Small the Light of Home' : Andrew McGahan and the Politics of Guilt
2006
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 280 2006; (p. 35-39) -
Adapting Australian Novels for the Stage : La Boite Theatre's Version of Last Drinks, Perfect Skin, and Johnno
2008
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , vol. 23 no. 3 2008; (p. 305-317)
Awards
- 2001 winner Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Writing — Best First Novel
- 2001 shortlisted Queensland Premier's Literary Awards — Best Fiction Book
- 2001 shortlisted The Age Book of the Year Award — Fiction Prize
Last amended 31 Aug 2020 08:22:32
Settings:
- Brisbane, Queensland,
- Country towns,
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