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One of the recent reads in our ‘Book Blokes’ book group is titled The Stoning, by Greek Australian author Peter Papathanasiou. It is another Australian book offering along the lines of Jane Harper and Sarah Barrie. The genre is crime fiction, set in the Australian outback, in rural, sometimes insular communities where everyone seems to know everyone else. This is set in the outback NSW town of Cobb where a woman, a local school teacher, has been stoned to death.
It is a small town, with a population of maybe a thousand or less, with two pubs, an asylum seeker detention compound, a group of Indigenous Australians with a smattering of white Australians. The stoning prompts the powers that be in the capital city to send a former child resident, now a detective based in Sydney, to investigate the murder. He happens to be a Greek Australian, Detective Sergeant George Maniolis. He is confronted with a police presence who a) has had little experience investigating a murder and b) has a laconic, cynical and unfair approach to crime.
Despite these constraints, the lack of resources, being targeted by whoever, in the form of somebody burning his prized Valiant, and other intimidating tactics, George does with difficulty eventually solve the case. I will not however comment further, because I don't want to spoil what is a great read with several twists.
Even so, the relationship he develops with the younger police constables, along with his belief that the simple answer is not as simple as it might appear, creates an interesting narrative (storyline) and a belief in the reader that justice will prevail. The novel addresses themes of discrimination, the veracity of placing legitimate asylum seekers in the outback for detention (interesting topic given current events) and the search for power. All in all, an enjoyable read, the outcome is not predictable, so you will want to read through to the end to find out who the perpetrator is.
Papathanasiou's writing is accessible to all readers, as it is engaging and relatable.
The Ron Barwin Prison library in Tasmania has a copy of this book on the shelves, or alternatively you can join the book club to receive a copy. Jane Harper and Sarah Barrie's books are also on the shelves.
One of the recent reads in our ‘Book Blokes’ book group is titled The Stoning, by Greek Australian author Peter Papathanasiou. It is another Australian book offering along the lines of Jane Harper and Sarah Barrie. The genre is crime fiction, set in the Australian outback, in rural, sometimes insular communities where everyone seems to know everyone else. This is set in the outback NSW town of Cobb where a woman, a local school teacher, has been stoned to death.
It is a small town, with a population of maybe a thousand or less, with two pubs, an asylum seeker detention compound, a group of Indigenous Australians with a smattering of white Australians. The stoning prompts the powers that be in the capital city to send a former child resident, now a detective based in Sydney, to investigate the murder. He happens to be a Greek Australian, Detective Sergeant George Maniolis. He is confronted with a police presence who a) has had little experience investigating a murder and b) has a laconic, cynical and unfair approach to crime.
Despite these constraints, the lack of resources, being targeted by whoever, in the form of somebody burning his prized Valiant, and other intimidating tactics, George does with difficulty eventually solve the case. I will not however comment further, because I don't want to spoil what is a great read with several twists.
Even so, the relationship he develops with the younger police constables, along with his belief that the simple answer is not as simple as it might appear, creates an interesting narrative (storyline) and a belief in the reader that justice will prevail. The novel addresses themes of discrimination, the veracity of placing legitimate asylum seekers in the outback for detention (interesting topic given current events) and the search for power. All in all, an enjoyable read, the outcome is not predictable, so you will want to read through to the end to find out who the perpetrator is.
Papathanasiou's writing is accessible to all readers, as it is engaging and relatable.
The Ron Barwin Prison library in Tasmania has a copy of this book on the shelves, or alternatively you can join the book club to receive a copy. Jane Harper and Sarah Barrie's books are also on the shelves.
His message is simple but powerful: no matter how difficult life gets, we can choose to be kind, be grateful, and find joy.
Knowing what an incredibly powerful story he had – not to mention unique artworks – after the interview I asked Mohannad if he would be interested in having art exhibited in Australia.
Melbourne’s Pentridge Prison still holds powerful memories for many thousands of people. The prison’s towering bluestone walls were an imposing presence in Coburg, and almost all Melburnians have a story to tell about this notorious place.
Here are some tips for writing a review, courtesy of the Prison Journalism Project.
An overview of recent sporting events, including horse racing, motor racing, AFLW and cricket.
Knowing what an incredibly powerful story he had – not to mention unique artworks – after the interview I asked Mohannad if he would be interested in having art exhibited in Australia.
A collection of sports news from the past month, including Brisbane possibly being our new sporting capital, Aussie women finding lots of wins in Cricket and loutish crowd behaviour marring the Ryder Cup.
We’re Bull Press. We make games – conversational tabletop games – for a prison environment. Most of us have spent time in prison, and we’re based in the USA.
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