Resurrection Bay

The arresting opening of Australian author Viskic’s terrific debut finds PI Caleb Zelic holding the bloody body of Senior Constable Gary Marsden, a close friend who has been brutally tortured and slaughtered in his Melbourne home. Caleb drove over a short time before after receiving a text message from Gary saying that someone named Scott was after him. Since there’s no sign of forced entry, Caleb wonders why Gary would have admitted his killer. The circumstances of the murder lead the police to suspect that Gary was involved in something dirty. They also suspect Caleb, because Gary was working on an insurance case for Caleb’s PI firm. After Caleb is attacked, he seeks refuge with his ex-wife, Kat, in their hometown of Resurrection Bay. The hearing-impaired Caleb must rely on his keen ability to read faces as he tries to figure out whom, if anyone, he can trust. The truth behind the violence is both stunning and fairly clued, and Caleb is a sufficiently complex lead to easily sustain a series. James Ellroy and Paul Cleave fans will relish this hard-edged crime novel. (Apr.)