Twenty years ago Charlie Deravin’s mother went missing near the family beach shack –believed murdered, though her body was never found. His father has lived under a cloud of suspicion ever since.
Now Charlie’s back living in the shack in Menlo Beach, on disciplinary leave from his job with the police sex-crimes unit, and permanent leave from his marriage. After two decades worrying away at the mystery of his mother’s disappearance, he’s run out of leads.
Then the skeletal remains of a child and adult are found in the excavation of a new building site – and the past comes crashing in on Charlie.
Garry Disher is one of Australia’s most celebrated authors, having published over fifty titles across multiple genres. But he’s best known among BR readers for his gripping crime novels which have garnered international acclaim and a slew of awards. Chris Hammer describes Disher as ‘the gold standard for rural noir,’ and we couldn’t agree more. In recent years, Disher has been working on his bestselling Hirsch series, the third of which, Consolation, took home the 2021 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction. Now, he returns with a gripping new standalone, The Way It Is Now, and it is one cracking read.
The novel follows burnt-out cop Charlie Deravin, who decides to reopen his mother’s disappearance after he is suspended from the force. Charlie is a refreshingly flawed character who has made some mistakes but is ultimately a good person. It’s clear that his mother’s disappearance has significantly affected Charlie – costing him his marriage. His relationship with his family members is also quite complex, a dynamic that Disher brilliantly explores throughout the novel.
The novel is set in a beach shack town in the Mornington Peninsula, an area he previously explored in his Hal Challis series. As ever, Disher excels at crafting an immersive small-town setting complete with vivid descriptions of the local environment and captivating portraits of the locals. As I read, I found myself wrapped up in Menlo Beach and its mystery and was unable to set this down until I had finished.
Masterfully plotted, suspenseful and teeming with twists, The Way It Is Now is an enthralling crime novel from Disher that affirms his position as a must-read Aussie author.
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