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It’s always a pleasure to read a novel with a storyline that has not been
regurgitated again and again. That’s what first caught my attention about
this book - its take on the inner workings (although fictional) of the
behind-the-scenes process to select a touring Australian Cricket Test team
is a real laugh. Added to this, there is a murder mystery which involves a
strange team of investigators.
The Australian Cricket team selected to tour India has just been announced,
and nicknames like Pudden, Thumbs, Slab and Bails abound. The process of
the team’s selection has been a torrid one with each selector vying to get
his State’s players into the mix.
When the touring team finally arrives in India, readers get a sneak peek at
the gossip and skullduggery that’s involved in being a member of the team’s
entourage, along with some of the, at times, feeble attempts at
team-building.
So, the scene is set – we have our cricket team in India whilst at the same
time, a young Indian couple stumble across the body of a woman floating face
down in the sea, a short distance from their small village.
Investigations carried out by the local police read like a script from an
old Keystone Cops’ silent movie. By roundabout means, an unlikely trio is
formed to unravel the mystery of the death.
Was the woman’s death an accident or murder? What possible interest could a
work experience student, a beggar and a pensioner possibly have in solving
the crime?
Moreover, what has this got to do with our Aussie cricket team who has just
landed in India to defend our Aussie pride on the harsh cricket pitches of
India?
Full of Aussie slang and idioms, this book is a delight for anyone who
enjoys a real fair dinkum Aussie novel, with a twist…………it’s a novel which
appeals to my sense of humour, and I am sure that there are many others out
there who are bound to experience some good belly laughs.
“A novel that has something for everyone – cricket, behind the scenes gossip
and a murder mystery all rolled into one! Full of Aussie ‘isms’, this book
is a real bodyline full of laughs.”
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