Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic (and trying to catch up scheduling reviews)

We have just returned home from the country where family gathered after Christmas.  Three or four days at the cabin with those who couldn't make it up for Christmas Day has left me tired and lazy, but I still need to finish reviewing books from 2017 and find slots within 2 or 3 weeks of publication to schedule a few more reviews.

While in the country, I took frequent breaks from the festivities and fireside chats with friends and family to read and relax.   

I had requested Resurrection Bay from NetGalley because I just saw the author's name and was thinking it was the follow up to a book I read in 2016.  Duh.  It was the same book with a new cover, I'd just forgotten the title and since Resurrection Bay was also the town the protagonist came from,  I was hoping for a sequel.  I don't usually reread books, but I decided to reread this one because I'd already read the other books I'd downloaded. 

 It was even better the second time!

Below is my original review, and I can only add that it is an excellent crime novel with well-developed characters:

Resurrection Bay, Emma Viskic's debut crime novel, is set in Australia.  

What I liked:  the setting -- in both Melbourne and the small coastal town of Resurrection Bay; a protagonist who is profoundly deaf and struggles to understand what others are saying; his ex-wife and her Koori family who give some insight into the struggle of native aboriginal peoples.

There are some humorous moments in this dark novel--but make no mistake, there is a lot of violence.  The story begins with the murder of Caleb Zelic's friend Gary, who was aiding Caleb in an investigation into warehouse robberies.  His partner Frankie is a 57-year-old former member of the police force and an alcoholic who has been clean for several years, but Caleb wonders how trustworthy she is after finding a bottle of Jack Daniels.

Caleb's information is often faulty because he must rely more on reading lips than on his hearing aids, and anyone who is not directly facing him causes gaps and misunderstandings in what is said. Caleb's problems are exacerbated by his unwillingness to admit to his disability; his attempts to appear "normal" cause additional problems when he refuses to ask people to repeat themselves or he appears to be ignoring people who talk to him.

An intriguing novel that sets a fast pace, Resurrection Bay has an original protagonist who is flawed more by his pride than by his deafness.  This is a case of who, as well as why.  The novel has plenty of tension with a mysterious villain, secrets and betrayals, and the uncertainty of who is to be trusted.

NetGalley/Echo Publishing/Pushkin Press in US and UK

Crime.  Sept. 1, 2016.  Print length:  231 pages.


The original publication was in 2016, so you shouldn't really have to wait for the new publication date next month.  Check your library, too.  :)

I like the new cover, too.  The original cover seems to depict Melbourne and the new cover, Resurrection Bay.  I like both. If you missed this book the first time around, give Emma Viskic's Resurrection Bay a try.  You'll be glad you did.

Hey, Ho!  I just downloaded the sequel.  What perfect timing--everything from the first novel is fresh on my mind!