Resurrection Bay

Starred review from February 5, 2018
The arresting opening of Australian author Viskic’s terrific debut finds PI Caleb Zelic holding the bloody body of Senior Constable Gary Marsden, a close friend who has been brutally tortured and slaughtered in his Melbourne home. Caleb drove over a short time before after receiving a text message from Gary saying that someone named Scott was after him. Since there’s no sign of forced entry, Caleb wonders why Gary would have admitted his killer. The circumstances of the murder lead the police to suspect that Gary was involved in something dirty. They also suspect Caleb, because Gary was working on an insurance case for Caleb’s PI firm. After Caleb is attacked, he seeks refuge with his ex-wife, Kat, in their hometown of Resurrection Bay. The hearing-impaired Caleb must rely on his keen ability to read faces as he tries to figure out whom, if anyone, he can trust. The truth behind the violence is both stunning and fairly clued, and Caleb is a sufficiently complex lead to easily sustain a series. James Ellroy and Paul Cleave fans will relish this hard-edged crime novel.

June 25, 2015
Caleb Zelic’s deafness has made him an astute observer of the minute details of the world around him, and of people in particular, a skill he has parlayed into a career as a private investigator. He runs a small agency in Melbourne with Frankie, an ex-cop and recovering alcoholic. Caleb calls on his childhood friend Gary to help with a case, using his contacts as a police officer. Now Gary has been brutally murdered, and among the last calls on his phone were Caleb and Caleb’s estranged brother Anton in Resurrection Bay, the town they grew up in. Caleb can’t walk away from this case, but his investigation will take him places he’d rather not go, including his mate’s past, his estranged wife, and his hometown. Viskic’s novel is a fine example of modern noir, a dark tale of crime, betrayals, secrets and bad decisions. Caleb is a compelling protagonist, equal parts tenacious, observant, proud and stubborn, but never unsympathetic. His deafness informs both his character and the story in a range of intriguing ways. Debut author Emma Viskic deftly captures not only a grimy side of Melbourne but also the air of a slowly dying seaside town. This is a compelling, highly recommended read.

Heath Graham is a teacher and former bookseller