Richard Beasley is just about the best crime novelist writing about Sydney at the moment, and among the best in the country, so long as you include courtroom dramas as crime books. His Peter Tanner series is world class, with two out so far – Cyanide Games and The Burden of Lies – and another due for Christmas 2019.
Like his character, Beasley is a barrister, although not in criminal defence. His plots are satisfyingly complicated, the drama is strong, the dialogue sparkling, and Tanner is a great character, a believable combination of flaws, talent and determination. The themes, such as mining and construction, are of the minute.
Despite this quality, he’s not well known, even among crime readers. An earlier novel, Hell Has Harbour Views, became an ABC TV show, and Beasley has had good reviews, so it’s not as if the public hasn’t had the chance to find out about him. Yet he’s not nearly as well known as peers such as Michael Robotham and Jane Harper.
If you haven’t read one of his Peter Tanner books yet, do yourself a favour …
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