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Good Murder

A William Power Fiasco
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( 149 ratings, 21 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Good Murder by Robert Gott is a gripping crime thriller set in 1942 Australia. The story follows William Power, an actor witnessing an accidental murder unravel during a theatrical performance. As the troupe becomes entangled in the investigation, Power finds himself navigating deception and intrigue in a tense, wartime setting.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate a unique blend of historical settings and dark comedy in your crime novels. Set in 1942 Australia, the story revolves around a travelling theatre troupe caught up in a murder investigation. The mix of humour, historical context, and intriguing mystery makes for an engaging and entertaining read.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

It's 1942, and war is raging in Europe and in the Pacific. The Japanese army is on Australia's doorstep, and the small coastal Queensland town of Maryborough is on full war footing. What they are not prepared for is the arrival in the town of a troupe of incompetent actors whose unjustifiably self-confident leader, William Power, is determined to bring his daring production of Titus Andronicus to the barbarians of rural Australia.

Unfortunately for the Power Players, the only gift William Power has is a capacity for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When a young woman goes missing and is found floating dead in the town's water supply, Power becomes the prime suspect in her murder. With every misplaced step he takes, he becomes more and more embroiled in a series of crimes which baffle the police and horrify the locals.

Having no confidence in the constabulary, Power decides that his only option is to solve the crimes himself. His acting skills are not good; his detection skills are worse. As he stumbles towards a solution and as his injuries mount up, he never wavers in his belief that he alone can bring the killer to justice. But, with every day that passes, he tightens the noose around his own neck until, on the night of a violent storm, everything changes.

And not for the better.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Good Murder by Robert Gott has been praised for its humour and unique narrative voice. Critics highlight the engaging character of Will Power and commend Gott's ability to balance a well-crafted plot with a sense of comic timing. The book's language and dialogue have been noted for their wit, and reviewers have appreciated its original and amusing take on the crime genre. The author’s background as a cartoonist contributes to the rich caricatures and social observations within the story.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925321081

Publisher: Scribe Publications

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 November 2015

Country: Australia

Imprint: Scribe Publications

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 288g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Robert Gott was born in the small Queensland town of Maryborough in 1957, and lives in Melbourne. He has published many books for children, and is also the creator of the newspaper cartoon The Adventures of Naked Man. He is also the author of the William Power trilogy of crime-caper novels set in 1940s Australia: Good Murder, A Thing of Blood, and Amongst the Dead.

Also by Robert Gott

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  • The Holiday Murders
    The Holiday Murders explores a little-known and sometimes violent corner of Australian history, and finds oddly modern echoes in its paranoia, xenophobia, and ugly fervour. On Christmas Eve, 1943, the newly formed but undermanned Homicide division of the Melbourne police force is called to investigate the vicious double murder of a father and son. When Military Intelligence becomes involved, Homicide's...
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  • The Serpent's Sting
    It was suffocatingly hot, and the audience of howling children was viciously indifferent to the violence being done to my integrity as an artist by every ghastly syllable I was obliged to utter and by every mincing step I was obliged to take. As the foul smell of the ancient wig I was wearing wafted into my nostrils, I began...
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  • Amongst the Dead
    Failed Shakespearean actor and would-be private investigator Will Power's unique detective skills are, once again, in demand. The Japanese army is rampaging through the islands of the South Pacific, and Australia's front line of defence is a top-secret, crack division of men embedded deep in the tropical wilderness of northern Australia. But something is threatening their vital, covert missionβ€”one of...
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  • A Thing of Blood: A William Power Fiasco
    The fatally over-confident hero of Good Murder returns to pit his meagre detective skills against military intelligence, belligerent in-laws, a town full of G.I.s, and a creepy conspiracy to bring on an Australian sectarian nightmare. Failed Shakespearean actor and would-be private detective William Power returns to Melbourne in disgrace after his disastrous brush with theatre and murder in Maryborough. Bloodied,...
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  • The Port Fairy Murders
    The Port Fairy Murders is the sequel to The Holiday Murders, a political and historical crime novel set in 1943, featuring the newly formed homicide department of Victoria Police. The department has been struggling to counter little-known fascist groups, particularly an organisation called Australia First that has been festering in Australia since before the war. And now there's an extra...
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  • Naked Ambition
    You're a politician, a public figure. What on earth were you thinking? Up-and-coming junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had a portrait painted of himself by the acclaimed artist Sophie Whiteβ€”a painting she intends to enter in this year's Archibald Prize. Until then, Gregory has hung it in pride of place on his dining-room wall. It's a life-sized standing portrait, practically...
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  • The Autumn Murders
    The series that began with The Holiday Murders and The Port Fairy Murders now continues with The Autumn Murders... In the autumn of 1944, George Starling prepares to exact revenge on the person he hates most in the world (and Starling has a long list of people he hates), Detective Joe Sable of the Melbourne Homicide division. Driven by his...
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  • The Orchard Murders
    The Orchard Murders is a novel about revenge, obsession, and the dangerous gullibility of religious fanatics. In 1944, in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Nunawading, a brutal triple murder heralds the return of a long-forgotten cult. A man named Anthony Prescott has declared himself the Messiah and has promised his followers immortality. There are those who believe him and who are...
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