The Broken Shore

By: Peter Temple

Narrated by: Peter Hosking

Shaken by a scrape with death, big-city detective Joe Cashin is posted away from the homicide squad to the quiet town on the South Australian coast where he grew up. Carrying physical scars and not a little guilt, he spends his time playing the country cop, walking his dogs and thinking about how it all was before. But when a prominent local is attacked and left for dead in his own home, Cashin is thrust into what becomes a murder investigation. The evidence points to three boys from the nearby aboriginal community, whom everyone seems to want to blame. But Cashin is unconvinced and soon begins to see the outlines of something far more terrible than a burglary gone wrong.

Winner of the Ned Kelly Award, Australia's major prize for crime fiction, The Broken Shore is a transfixing novel about a place, a family, politics, and power - and the need to live decently in a world where so much is rotten.

©2005 Peter Temple (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"A towering achievement....Indispensable." ( Guardian)
"A grim, brutally involving crime novel...It's one of those books you can't wait to finish and then can only regret that it's ended." ( The New York Daily News)
"Temple's novel racked up the awards in Australia, and it's easy to see why: this deeply intelligent thriller starts slowly, builds inexorably, and ends unforgettably." ( Booklist)
"Beautifully written....Byzantine plot twists and incisively drawn characters combine with stunning descriptions of the wild, lush, menacing Australian landscape to make this...unforgettable." ( Publishers Weekly)

Superb

I’ve read a lot of Australian fiction, and The Broken Shore remains among the best I’ve encountered.

A good summer read

On the whole I liked this book. I found it rather a slow starter, and some of the rather crude local characters and language did not appeal to me. However, over all, it had a solid plot and was engaging, I wouldnt say this is an absolute must download book, but if you are looking for a good 'on the beach' read this summer, then I would recommend it. I would have scored it 3.5 rather than 4 if that had been possible.

Great characters

This is a good book. Warning the mystery centers around sexual abuse of children. The abuse happens in the past and is not graphically talked about. The narrator is great. It is an interesting police procedural

Decent Detective Story

This is an all Australian production from the author and setting to the narrator. This author has a nice writing style that uses a lot of short phrases to respond to narrative or environment. I found that pretty funny at times and enjoyed it. The author's sense of humor was subtle, but it was there. I thought the story itself was drawn out and it started slowly. I suppose that it had to start out slow, but it really took a long time as I kept wondering what the dang book was about! But it did pick up and the story unleashed itself in the final few hours of the audio. The story seemed to reflect the main character's outlook on life as a generally burned out detective. The Australian dialect was key to the book, but was sort of hard to get at times. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to explore police procedurals from other countries. The narrator did a very nice job presenting the story and was easier to understand as I got more familiar with the Australian accent. I gave it four stars out of five.

engrossing & well written

i really enjoyed this book. well written & performed. there were times i wished that i had the glossary included in the print version, but it was nit a problem to understand the meaning of the dialog.

Dripping With Local Color

Superb. Beautifully written noir detective yarn set in Australia that is wonderfully read. Hearing it in the colorful accent of an Australian enhances the book and adds to the local feeling. The writing is wonderful, with a lot of snide, dark humor. I've gone on to read two other books of Temple's and enjoyed them both.

Loved it

Great book. very good storyline with memorable characters. I have already got the sequel can't wait to start reading

First Listen...First Impression...B

Friends suggested we give this Aussie a try and overall a B for a first effort. The main character is intriguing, vulnerable, wise, courageous and driven. Love the mysterious "swagman"/hobo. Probably will develop well in subsequent books. This first one was a bit rough with story lines left dangling. But I have to confess that the author has some of the most awesome descriptive narration I have ever heard/read which gives me hope.

Note: Coarseness of the language was just too much to bear. Like listening to a group of adolescents trying to out **** one another with crudities. Just a distraction from an otherwise engaging story line.

Great Narrator Enhances a Terrific Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Broken Shore to be better than the print version?

Yes. The narrator brought so much to the table. I really loved his work. That said, Peter Temple is a true prose master and anything he writes is a pleasure to read. But Mr Hosking really brought it to life. I will be on the lookout for more audiobooks read by him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! And I rewound many times to savor Hosking's reading or Temple's lovely prose.

Any additional comments?

Really confused as to why some other reviewers claimed the Australian accent was hard to understand. I am American and I completely disagree. There was some Aussie slang I didn't know and had to look up, but it had nothing to do with Mr. Hosking's reading. He was a joy to listen to.

authentically Australian

What did you love best about The Broken Shore?

An excellent story, a sympathetic and intriguing main character, and authentic Australian atmosphere - well written and well read.