Prime Cut

Shortlisted for a 2010 UK Debut Dagger Award and winner of the Ned Kelly Best First Fiction Award, Prime Cut is what crime reviewer Graeme Blundell calls a classily written story with ‘mordant wit and a fine sense of place’.

Meet Cato Kwong — disgraced cop and ex-poster boy for the police force. Banished to the stock squad after the fallout from a police frame-up, Cato is brought in from the cold to solve the case of a torso washed up on the wild shores of the Great Southern Ocean. But Cato faces powerful opposition when his investigation lifts the lid on the exploitation of migrant workers and disturbs an even darker criminal mind.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new entrant into the higher echelons of Australian crime fiction writing.’ — Sun Herald

‘Alan Carter takes us into the dark underside of the mining boom in an atmospheric and sharply written thriller.’ — The Saturday Age

‘ … an excellent read – let’s hope we get to see more of Carter’s hero, DSC Cato Kwong.’ — West Australian

‘ … it’s a confident, witty, entertaining and gritty tale with an interesting, multicultural cast.’ —Sunday Times

‘A gripping read. So real I had to wipe the blood off my fingertips.’ — Dave Warner

‘prime tale’ — Herald Sun

‘[The characters] all speak with that authentic voice which you only find in the best crime novels.’ — Courier Mail

‘ … this debut captures the desolate coastal essence with just a touch of the Wintons.’ — Qantas The Australian Way

‘… a very strong and enjoyable read. As with all good crime fiction there are many layers to this story, genuine ‘aha’ moments and a very strong cast of main and supporting characters. ****’ —Bookseller+Publisher

‘Prime Cut is a first novel for Alan Carter and it is riveting reading.’ — The Examiner

‘A deadly debut, ambitious and multi-layered. A promising start to a new career.’ — Allan Guthrie

‘The only disappointment is the end because you want to go on being part of these people’s lives.’ —Adelaide Advertiser

‘…a gritty and engrossing look at crime and racism in a small Western Australian town … a promising new talent in the field of Australian crime fiction.’ — Australian Book Review

‘Plenty of dismembered corpses and a dark sense of humour set the scene for an enjoyable debut.’ —Sydney Morning Herald

‘Prime Cut really is a terrific debut novel.’ —CrimeSpace