TOPOS PUBLICATIONS TOPOS PUBLICATIONS TOPOS PUBLICATIONS TOPOS PUBLICATIONS
TOPOS PUBLICATIONS
LITERATURE AND ART NON-FICTION MOTIBO BOOKS RIGHTS CATALOGUE
Ars Cogitans
Art
Art Theory
Athletics / The Ballpen series
Biography
Children's Book
Classic literature / Prose at its best
Coffee Table Books
Contemporary Foreign Authors
Contemporary Greek Authors
Cookbooks
Crime & Mystery
Cult Stories
Essay
Graphic Novels / Comics
Historical Novel
Literary essay
Literary Romance
Music
Musicology
Novel
Poetry
Political Cartoons
Political Fiction
Science Fiction
The Classics
Theatre
Vignette (literature)
Young-adult Fiction
Search
Authors
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Titles
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Links
READERS GUIDE
News
''ANTIΓONH: the question'': New book from ''The Greek Society for the Study of Crime and Social Control'' & Topos Publishing
David Mitchell's "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" (translated by Maria Xilouri) shortlisted for the 2015 Literary Translation Prize of the Hellenic American Union
Christos Sotirakopoulos will be presenting his new book "World Cup Moments" in the island of Kos (Saturday 26 July 2014)
Athens Classic Marathon- The opening of the exhibition of photos by Ilias Bourgiotis. Thursday 10 November, 8 p.m., at the Image Gallery (Syntagma)
Graphic Novel "Pararlama" in Comicdom Con Athens Festival
More »
 
LITERATURE AND ART » Contemporary Foreign Authors

The Broken Shore

Temple Peter

Translator: Kalokyris Antonis

Pages: 440
Shape: 15,3 x 23,8
ISBN: 978-960-6760-36-5
Price: 18.00 €

::. Crime & Mystery

Published: May 2008

This is an extremely stylish ‘cop’ book. It centres around Cashin, a lugubrious homicide detective who is sent back to his home town to investigate a break in and physical assault on an elderly man. When the police investigation produces three suspects, local black boys, a car chase results in the death of two of the boys and a huge outcry from the black community along with much racist feeling from some local white people who assume the boys’ guilt. Cashin is sent on leave while the incident is investigated but it becomes clear that the police will be keen to cover up any blame which may fall at their feet. When the third boy is released on bail and kills himself, the case is seen as closed. But Cashin pursues the investigation and uncovers a ring of lies and deceit surrounding the old man and his family. He uncovers a paedophile ring which goes back to a local boys’ school. The victims, now grown up, have been responsible for some vicious murders. Cashin is nearly killed exposing the truth but recovers and the dead boys are cleared of the crime.

Temple has created a wonderfully atmospheric novel. The plot successfully combines many elements – violence, police cover ups, racism, small-town attitudes, paedophilia. His policemen are very far from perfect – at times frustrated, lazy, uninterested, racist, brilliant, brave, sexist. Local politics plays a role too and Temple’s small town is utterly convincing, as are all his characters. The dialogue is brilliant – spare and stripped back, always colloquial. He captures how people actually speak.

And Cashin is a great character. Temple manages to fit in a picture of his whole life and family around the plot. He drinks too much, has a tendency towards depression, gets lonely, listens to opera, has nightmares about a violent attack on him by a psychopath a few years ago.

The whole novel ends on a hopeful note, but it is overall a sad tale of lost innocence and the attempt to recover from trauma or abuse. It reminded me of that Australian film, Lantana, from a few years ago. This is worth having a look at.

Winner of the Crime Writers Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award for Best Crime Fiction 2007; Winner of Australia's Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel of the Year; winner of the Australian Publishing Book of the Year Award; nominated for the Miles Franklin Award (Australia's premier literary award), The Broken Shore has been published internationally to critical acclaim.
 

Follow us:         
 

 

Topos Books
2 Plapouta & Kallidromiou St.
11473 Athens, Greece
Tel : +30.210.8222835
Fax: +30.210.8222684
Contact: info@motibo.com 

Bookstore:
Kallidromiou & Plapouta St.
114 73 Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 210 3221580
Fax: +30 210 3211246
Contact: bookstore@motibo.com

New Releases
Sakis Papadimitriou
Andreas Zacharatos
Operation Nostos
TOPOS PUBLICATIONS