'Bay of Martyrs' by Tony Black & Matt Neal

Published by Freight Books,
23 March 2017. 
ISBN 978-1-911332-36-7

It is refreshing to find a book in a new setting - new to me, certainly.  This tale is set in Australia, in SW Victoria, in a small town called Warrnambool.  Like all small towns it has traditional drinking spots and sleazy areas but also has a beach nearby.  A body is found washed up at the Bay of Martyrs and a reporter on the regional newspaper, Clay Maloney, is sent to investigate the finding of this body of a young woman.

Clay has reached 40 and is coasting along doing obituaries and human interest stories - only the plans for the building of a new airport offer anything possibly exciting.  This usually laid back, cynical man becomes obsessed with the death especially when he feels that there is a lack of interest in it from the police.

Clay and his colleague, photographer Bec O'Connor, who is Irish and has only recently arrived in Australia via South East Asia, investigate the girl's death and a possible scandal in business and government.  They are not popular for this with the Editor, the police or those in power in government.  They are, indeed, courting danger.

As the two continue to search for information Clay stirs up some serious accusations but without hard evidence can do little.  His stirrings have frightened some people so that a violent series of events erupt.  This is an effective thriller with a solid and fascinating setting.

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Reviewer: Jennifer S. Palmer

Tony Black has written extensively in the crime genre; he has written this book with Australian journalist Matt Neal. Tony Black is the author of 14 novels, most recently Bay of Martyrs. He has written three crime series, a number of crime novellas and a collection of short stories. His most recent crime title in the DI Bob Valentine series is Summoning the Dead. For more information, and the latest news visit his website at:

www.tonyblack
www.pulppusher.blogspot.com

Matt Neal is an Australian journalist, film reviewer, musician, songwriter. Born and raised in south-west Victoria, he's been a journalist with the Warrnambool Standard for 15 years. He's a prize-winning songwriter as well as a frequent movie reviewer for Australia's ABC Radio.

Jennifer Palmer  Throughout my reading life crime fiction has been a constant interest; I really enjoyed my 15 years as an expatriate in the Far East, the Netherlands & the USA but occasionally the solace of closing my door to the outside world and sitting reading was highly therapeutic. I now lecture to adults on historical topics including Famous Historical Mysteries.