Shooting Star

Shooting Star follows Frank Calder, a former military man and police negotiator who now works as a private mediator. When wealthy Melbourne couple David and Susan Carson's teenage daughter is kidnapped, they hire Calder to handle the ransom negotiations. The book moves through Melbourne's social strata as Calder navigates between the Carsons' privileged world and the city's criminal underground. His investigation forces him to confront both external threats and his own troubled past as a soldier and police officer. The case becomes increasingly complex as Calder uncovers layers of deception within the Carson family while racing against time to locate Anne. His role as negotiator requires him to maintain professional distance while making high-stakes decisions that could determine the girl's fate. This crime thriller explores themes of family loyalty, the impact of wealth on human behavior, and the psychological toll of bearing responsibility for others' lives. The stark contrasts between Melbourne's affluent and criminal spheres serve as a backdrop for examining questions of morality and justice.

Most readers describe Shooting Star as a noir-style Australian crime novel with sharp dialogue and detailed character development. The book receives 3.8/5 on Goodreads from 400+ ratings. Readers highlight: - Fast-paced plotting - Authentic Melbourne setting - Complex protagonist Anne Carson - Realistic depiction of private investigator work - Dry humor throughout dialogue Common criticisms: - Dense writing requires close attention - Too many characters to track - Some found the ending unsatisfying - Australian slang confuses international readers One Goodreads reviewer noted: "The prose is lean and mean, with not a word wasted." Several Amazon reviewers mentioned struggling with the Australian vernacular but appreciated the authentic local flavor. Amazon: 4.1/5 (150+ reviews) Book Depository: 4/5 LibraryThing: 3.9/5 (80+ ratings) Professional reviews from The Age and The Australian praised Temple's dialogue but found the plot overly complicated at times.

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🏆 Peter Temple made history as the first crime fiction writer to win Australia's most prestigious literary award, the Miles Franklin Award (for his novel "Truth" in 2010) 📚 Temple wrote his first crime novel at age 50, after working as a journalist and journalism teacher for many years 🌏 The book's Melbourne setting reflects Temple's deep connection to the city, where he lived after immigrating from South Africa in 1980 ✍️ Temple was known for his meticulous editing process, often cutting 30-40% of his first drafts to achieve his signature lean prose style 🎯 The protagonist Frank Calder's background as a negotiator was inspired by Temple's extensive research into real-life police crisis negotiation techniques