I was introduced to Garry Disher when reading “Bitter Wash Road” and absolutely agree that he deserves his reputation as one of the great masters of Australian literary crime fiction having just finished his latest book “Peace”, I absolutely loved it. Disher has been awarded the “Deutsche Krimipreis” several times and is also the recipient of the Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement award.
Hirsch, as Paul Hirschhausen is called, was already the protagonist in “Bitter Wash Road”, a former metropolitan detective and whistle-blower who reported corruption and cover ups amongst his fellow police officers only to find himself degraded to constable and transferred to a posting in the South Australian outback town of Tiverton. The local police station also serves as his living quarters but most hours his four wheel drive is home when patrolling the vast rural countryside. In “Peace” Hirsch is struggling to resolve several apparently unconnected small town events and crimes in his district during the scorching Australian Christmas season. But then his is called to a murder scene of a woman and her son to whom he had issued a warning days before and officials from Sydney show up taking over. In his own stubborn way Hirsch continues to investigate following his hunch that the murder victim might have been in a witness protection program. Dishers writing style has been called “rural noir”, a perfect description. Only fellow crime writer Jane Harper, whom I also hold in very high regard, narrates the evil undercurrents of seemingly everyday life in the bush and the darker side of human nature hidden behind a benign appearance so exquisitely. I will not go into detail about the plot of the novel as it would totally spoil the coming together of the various events in the end but let me assure you, if you are in search of an extraordinary setting, an intriging plot, a brilliant description of the characters and country life in the Australian bush, this novel is a perfect choice for you. Disher has written a number of other crime fiction which I will definitely check into now, he definitely has a fan in me.
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There are more and more Aussie based crime novels coming out with good reason. The vastness of our landscape, its weather extremes, and the wide variety of people who live in cites as well as small isolated communities, is a smorgasbord for a crime writer. This is the first Garry Disher I have read but I will certainly be adding his others to my TBR pile. I didn't realise this was the second book in a series but that didn't distract from my enjoyment at all. I found it very easy to be read as a standalone. The land and people are beautifully and very visually described, though as an animal lover I did find the animal cruelty scenes a little too vivid for my liking. However I would certainly recommend this to any fan of Jane Harper or Chris Hammer.

Another great Aussie crime book. This is the second book by Garry Disher to feature Hirsh. I have not read the first book but this read fine as a stand alone. I will however go back and read the first book and learn more about the characters.

Hirsh is the lone law man in the small town of Tiverton is South Australia. His usual days are drunk drivers, welfare checks and keeping an eye on the locals. Except on Christmas Day when he gets a call from Sydney police to do a welfare check on a family that are out of the way. What he finds when he get so there is shocking and dark, and the case begins.

I really enjoy Aussie crime and will definitely read more of this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viper for my advanced copy of this book to read.

“Everyone lied, every day – especially to the police. A one-off, outright lie, from someone unused to lying, could often be identified and disproved. Constant and habitual lying was harder to recognise, let alone challenge, because the liar no longer saw a distinction between a lie and the truth. They were all just words deployed in the interests of survival. In any case, most people lied some of the time, generally layering it with the truth to deflect blame, to sugar-coat their cowardice or stupidity.”

Peace is the second book in the Paul Hirschhausen series by popular Australian author, Garry Disher. Hirsch has been in Tiverton, in the South Australian mallee, a bit over a year now, and he’s doing his best to establish a working relationship with the locals, even to the extent of (not-quite-willingly) putting on a Santa suit. He enjoys his extended patrols of the area and connecting with the people who need him. In the week before Christmas, no excitement would be welcome, but is apparently too much to wish for.

The drunk driving into the pub veranda and the toddler in the hot car are handled as professionally as possible; a skip of stolen copper is a puzzle, as is a beaten pet dog, but a few days on brings a much more shocking case of animal cruelty. And then, on Christmas Day, a request from Sydney Police to do a welfare check on an isolated family results in a grisly discovery.

As the brass descend on Hirsch’s little patch, it’s apparent that some have not forgotten the reason he was relegated to Tiverton, but others seem to have an unknown agenda, and Hirsch wonders just why this little family had fled to his corner of the state.


Disher is a master of descriptive prose and expertly conveys the atmosphere and attitude of the rural town: his cast of townspeople will likely be familiar to anyone who has visited such a place. Snippets from Mrs Keir’s 19th Century journal about the local area enhance the text.

While Hirsch is mostly a by-the-book cop, he knows nothing is black and white, especially in rural policing, and is wiling to make a judgement call, to adjust his policing to suit the situation, even if it sometimes comes back to bite him. He is certainly a likeable character, deserving of a little romantic joy with Wendy, and his dry inner monologue is often a delight.

The reader should not allow the fairly benign start, filled with quite a few darkly funny moments, to lull them into complacency, because soon the action becomes edge-of-the-seat stuff, building to a nail-biting climax, and the reader will be kept enthralled right up to the very satisfying final page. Brilliant Aussie rural noir that will have fans saying: more Hirsch please, Mr Disher!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Viper

I enjoyed this crime novel. I found it an interesting take on the personalities and grievances that can ferment in a small town. The crimes were intriguing, although I did find it hard to read the scenes describing the mutilation of the horses/ponies. I'll definitely read more by this author.