By Tony Black

(Preface Publishing $33)

THERE’S crime and there’s Scottish crime — a

leaner, meaner place altogether. Ex-journalist Gus

Dury is trying to overcome his fascination for the

bottle when his friend Hod cons him into trying

his luck as a private investigator. A university

student has been found dead on campus. The

police are treating it as suicide but his famous

actress mother thinks differently and is offering a

substantial reward. Gus needs the money and

isn’t afraid to shove his Doc Martens into the mix.

An unlikely, punch-drunk hero, he shows us

Edinburgh at its rawest. Gritty as always, Black

puts his man through the wringer.

—HELEN CAPLES

LIKE BEING A WIFE

Catherine Harris

(Random House, $24.95)

THIS is just one of the stories in Harris’s loosely

linked collection of short stories about family,

friendship, work, love and loss. With wry humour

and the ability to really get to the heart of family

matters, Harris’s stories engage the reader and

leave us wanting more.

ANIMAL KINGDOM, A Crime Story

Stephen Sewell

(Victory Books, $30)

ANIMAL Kingdom has been adapted from the film

of the same name, written and directed by David

Michod. Set against the familiar backdrop of the

Melbourne underworld, Sewell takes us into the

minds and motivations of the film characters, with

murder and mayhem the order of the day.

— SUE STEVENSON