No, this is not a book about barristers set in the legal fraternity. It is, instead, about a death during a circus performance on the aerial silks. Was it murder?

Milliner Catherine Kint was in the audience and saw it happen. In this, her fourth crime investigation with her friend and sidekick Boris, numerous suspects, red herrings, dysfunctional families and professional rivalries muddy the waters and make sorting it all out very difficult, especially when Boris is regularly attacked by a couple of thugs.

Set in Brunswick, Melbourne, in winter, the setting is well drawn. Boris works as a barman but his love life leaves a lot to be desired, whereas Catherine’s is almost non-existent. She also doesn’t seem to make too many hats. They are good friends, care for each other and have worked together on cases before but sorting through the tangled relationships in this case is not easy.

The tone in Silks is contemporary, with the reader sometimes having to put two and two together and with Bitcoin resources at the crux of the motive, familiarity with how it works is helpful, but not essential.

Reviewed by Lynne Babbage

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hugh McGinlay is a writer, musician and optimist. These poor career choices means that he has also worked as a bus driver, a kitchenhand, singing teacher and a seller of dental consumables.

Now three books into the Catherine Kint series – including Jinx, Pachyderm, Bodysurfing and Silks – he continues to be amazed at the levels his imaginary friends have been accepted into other peoples’ heads and bookshelves.

As a musician he has released four albums and occasionally gets played on the radio. He lives in Melbourne with his wife, two children, a cat and six chickens.

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