Unlike Gott’s previous crime caper trilogy, which starred the bumptious actor-turned-amateur sleuth William Power, The Holiday Murders is primarily told from the unique perspectives of three detectives working on the grisly case. A highlight in the novel is the way in which Inspector Titus Lambert’s well-versed and instinctive investigative approach works in relation to Detective Joe Sable’s intensely personal dedication and Constable Helen Lord’s skilful yet anxious disposition. The breezy, comedic banter that peppered Power’s adventures has similarly evolved into prose that is more urgent and serious. As the stench of violence spreads across the streets of Melbourne, the desire simply to capture the culprit shifts to exposing how deep such psychopathy has infected the entire population.

Working as more than just a pulsating procedural thriller, Gott’s novelpresents an acute socio-political rendering of a nation haunted by an underworld of fascism and the bloodshed of war. In particular, World War II anxiety and dread hangs over the major characters from both sides of the law like the sinister silence of a V-2 rocket plunging from the sky. The Holiday Murders is a fascinating cautionary tale that explores the wonderful bond between crime fiction and the shadows lurking in our collective past.