A Body of Work

What happens when the keynote at an important arts festival is found dead? Join Brendan O'Leary whose life is spiralling out of control and Ange Micelli, fourth daughter of Italian migrants, who's fit, fiery and ready to go. Together they make a formidable team in this fast-moving thriller that uncovers much more than just the murderer. Welcome to modern Melbourne, UNESCO City of Literature, home to arts festivals galore as well as the internationally famous Melbourne Cup horse race. But the Imagine Festival, held in late August, has more surprises in store than the Festival Director planned when he discovers Deborah Dangerfield's lifeless body upstairs at the Malthouse Theatre. She was to be the day's keynote speaker. If you like Rankin's Edinburgh and Mankell's Ysatd, you'll love Simpson's Melbourne. Political intrigue, society gossip and secret adoption are all woven together to produce a solid plot line. JM Simpson's prose is spare and gritty, capturing the essence of urban Australia. You won't be able to put this moving and compelling book down. A contemporary crime book for serious aficionados.