The Burden of Lies

I've talked before about my old (bad) habit of avoiding Australian fiction. I've assumed it was because I'd read to 'escape' and didn't really want to read about my own backyard. That's slowly changed over the past 4-5 years however and my proportion of Australian to overseas authors has grown enormously.

Richard Beasley - an author based in Sydney - has previously released the popular Cyanide Games and Hell Has Harbour Views - though is new to me and (as always) it's great to discover a new crime fiction author and (in particular) a new series.

This is actually the second of the books in the series but it's the sort of 'mid-series' book I enjoy. Firstly I didn't feel as I was missing huge amounts of backstory; and secondly there wasn't SO much information dumped in that it makes the first book in the series redundant.

It had actually been a while since I read a legal procedural or legal thriller so this was a welcome change of pace (although I've subsequently read and reviewed a new Harry Bosch which had a strong legal element via the involvement of Mickey Haller!).

I really liked Tanner. He's incredibly unorthodox and - it seems - struggling at the moment with his conscience. I wondered if he was the same in the first book of the series or if this newish professional doubt came about from that case. Interestingly he doesn't seem to think he's got a conscience but the very fact that occurs to him was a little telling. There's some interesting self-analysis happening and I enjoyed it when his psychologist suggested he cast his analytical eye over his own behaviour (rather than just that of his defendants and witnesses) for a change. She was talking about his relationship with women, but I think the same applies to his life in general.

Tanner's very likeable through all of this self-analysis and I'm definitely keen to read more in the series to see where his character goes.

The plot itself was interesting though became quite 'dense' a few times. My eyes tend to glaze over at talk of conspiracy theories or bloody pharmaceutical companies and corruption and the like and I was initially worried that the amount of detail we were given about the banking industry and business loans might send me into some sort of bleary eyed stupor.

However, it ultimately meshed well with the property development angle and I know THAT'S a contemporary issue - property developers, government donations, decision makers and corruption... a nasty mix. I worked with a very astute ex-judge several years ago and when he talked about government corruption it was always local government, developers and planning decisions that worried him most.

We don't get to know Tanner's defendant Tina very well, and I'm not sure if that was on purpose (to keep our focus on the case rather than the individuals) or whether it was something lacking... though I suspect the former. Similarly we don't spend a lot of time with Jenny Singh, Tanner's offsider, though I'm thinking there's more to her story as there was a throwaway comment about a wealthy family. And then there's Kit Gallagher, Jenny's boss and Tanner's friend, whose blunt cynicism I liked. Of course there are also a few people I'm assuming will continue to pop up in the series, including Tanner's investigator and former mentor. And then there's his young son as well as his kinda-estranged-but-not father, with whom he has a complex relationship.

This was an enjoyable read. The plot was complex and interested me, though it did get a bit detailed on a few occasions (or perhaps that says something about the type of crime I like to read about - less of the white collar stuff and more of the murderous stuff). It was the characters I enjoyed the most however. There was a strong sense of cynicism wafting throughout the novel - some of it about underhanded dealings in Sydney, some of it about the law and some of it viaTanner and his view of the world. He was, however, very likeable and I found it easy to become invested in his life and look forward to meeting him again

Set in Sydney, Australia and I absolutely love book set in places I know so that was a great start. Loved the story and the characters. Will write a more detailed review shortly..

What a roller coaster ride. The structure of the story was great and I enjoyed the characters, they were very believable. I did not pick the ending till near the end and would recommend this book and will look for other books Richard has written.

‘I’m looking for all the truth I can get. When I have the pieces, I’ll start on the puzzle.’

Sydney defence lawyer Peter Tanner has been hired to represent Tina Leonard, a self-made property mogul, charged with arranging the murder of Oliver Randall. Oliver Randall, a senior banking executive, had just been released from prison where he had spent more than five years because of a drug conviction. It’s clear who murdered him, but was the murder really arranged by Tina Leonard?

Peter Tanner has some problems of his own to deal with, but he immerses himself in Tina’s case. It’s easy to establish a motive for Oliver Randall’s murder: the bank he worked for had called in loans made to Tina’s company which caused her to lose the business. Tina lost her home as well as her marriage, and the children are with her ex-husband.

So, did Tina pay for Oliver Randall to be killed, or is she being set up? What is the truth behind the business venture which collapsed when the bank called in Tina’s loan? Why did the bank sell the development so cheaply? And, if Tina isn’t guilty, then who else might be?

The more Peter Tanner looks, the more questions he has. Welcome to a world of opportunism and sleaze: questionable property deals, crooked police, corrupt corporate bankers, powerful business people and drug dealers. A world in which some are prepared to do anything at all to avoid the spotlight. Including threats against Peter and his family.

And the truth? Is Tina Leonard innocent?

I enjoyed this novel. While Peter Tanner’s methods are not always orthodox, they are certainly interesting and kept me turning the pages. While the story held my attention, it was Peter Tanner that has me intrigued. I’ve bought a copy of the first novel in the series (‘Cyanide Games’) to find out more about him.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This legal thriller takes a little while to get going but once it does it's fascinating to see how defence lawyers defend those who may/may not be innocent. Architect and property developer Tina Leonard has been accused of hiring a hit man to kill a banker who has just been released after six years in jail for possession of drugs. He believes he was set up to get him away after his involvement after a dodgy deal involving an major development of Tina's that she lost when the bank precipitously called in her loan and sold the the property cheaply to a competitor. Is Tina out to get revenge or is she being set up? Peter Tanner her lawyer must build a case and defend her no matter what he believes.

There are lots of lies on both sides of the fence, both at the time that Tina lost her development and currently. Tanner ducks and weaves his way through liars and unreliable witnesses and sometimes people who tell the truth to build his case. I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and the many twists and turns taken by the case as it unfolds.

Smoke and mirrors, it is all smoke and mirrors. A wonderful court-room drama read from an author close to home (Australia). I enjoyed it immensely.

It did remind me, however, why I never wanted to be a practicing lawyer… For so many reasons.

Smoke and mirrors metaphor works on so many levels in this novel. First, it is the defence of the client by Peter Tanner – it is all based on ‘what if, may be, why nots’. Then, it is about this client being guilty or not. And it is true when it comes to Peter Tanner himself. Is he or isn’t he? Is he a dry cold bastard or a gallant sad knight?

The whole book I was leaning from one side to the other. At the end I really had to pat the author on the back for bringing Tina Leonard (client) out, her real self out. And what’s more, I actually felt for her, believed her and realised that everything (absolutely everything) has the time and the place.

Never say never until you are in the situation to live it.