The Holiday Murders

By: Robert Gott

Narrated by: James Millar

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

On Christmas Eve, 1943, the newly formed but undermanned Homicide division of the Melbourne police force is called to investigate the vicious double murder of a father and son. When Military Intelligence becomes involved, Homicide's Inspector Titus Lambert must unravel the personal from the political.

If only the killings had stopped at two. The police are desperate to come to grips with an extraordinary and disquieting upsurge of violence. For Constable Helen Lord, it is an opportunity to make her mark in a male-dominated world where she is patronised as a novelty. For Detective Joe Sable, the investigation forces a reassessment of his indifference to his Jewish heritage. Racing against the clock, the police uncover simmering tensions among secretive local Nazi sympathisers as a psychopathic fascist usurper makes his move.

The Holiday Murders explores a little-known and sometimes violent corner of Australian history, and finds oddly modern echoes in its paranoia, xenophobia, and ugly fervour.

©2013 Robert Gott (P)2014 Audible Studios

Good Murder Mystery set during WW2 in Oz

I saw this as a "dead tree edition" in my local library and decided to look it up on Audible. It was there and I took it. I wasnt disappointed. Its a good solid policing mystery... I think I read somewhere that it has a basis in fact from around the latter part of WW2 in Melbourne, Australia.
Its "mildly grizzly" in places and I think is winds-up a little too quickly (a bit like my school essays once I had reached the 2000 word mark!) but a good yarn all the same.

One observation... if you asked me to describe how I envisaged the leading police characters, they would all come out like the actors in "Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries" !!!

Not as billed

There was no indication that this story contained graphic torture scenes. I hated it. If, like me, you don't want to hear this sick stuff then don't spend any money or a credit on it.

Intriguing from the start

Intriguing from the start with fantastic plot twist at the end . I can’t write 15 words.

Excellent detective story

Very well written, good narration, twists and turns a plenty. I would recommend this author and narrator

Aussie war crime drama

I enjoyed this book and it was well performed.

Not cosy in anyway, gruesome in places with views and attitudes that are difficult to hear, but we’re held by some in that period.

The story is engaging and well told. The characters less well so, but still good enough to make we want to read more.

Overall an interesting listen, but not a who done it in the classic sense.

Average murder mystery

The actual detective work was minimal with the solution being handed to the detectives at the end. Performance was good.

enjoyable

some good twists and turns.
overall, an enjoyable read.
Good narration aswell, the language is definitely not for children though

Brilliant...!

Great story, so good i paid for more credits to listen to all of them.

Average Whydunnit

Reasonable story telling, interesting setting but somehow unsatisfying. The investigating characters might be worth a sequel.

Crime at Christmas

The book is written involving the political scene in Australia in the early 40’s .
A gruesome murder is committed and police are investigating a complex plot. Quite involved book explaining a lot about the prejudice around during the 40’s. Which hamper police but twists and turns leave you compelled to get to the end.
Not particularly that bowled over about the narrating but others may like it .