Review: BLINDSIDE, J. R. Carroll

Unabridged Australian Audio, 2005, ISBN 0-7320-2987-2
First published by Allen & Unwin in 2004
Read by Peter Hosking.

Shaun McCreadie made the mistake of his life when he joined two fellow detectives in a home invasion. George Petrakos is a Greek immigrant who has done well, on the surface by selling used cars, but in actual fact through his association with the Australian underworld. His mansion's strong room is rumoured to hold millions just for the taking.
Sydney detective Mitch Alvarez, who hates all Petrakos stands for, organises his two pals for what looks like an easy heist. In the long run the trio gets away with $2.8 million, leaving in the strong room a huge cache of heroin. But then George and his wife Stephanie are later discovered dead, the getaway van is found, with evidence that points back to young detective Shaun McCreadie. McCreadie keeps stum and takes the rap, going to jail for life.

Eleven years later McCreadie is released, his fellow home invaders are dead, and Shaun is determined to find out how Petrakos and his wife were killed, and to wreak a little vengeance of his own. Within a day, on his visit to Buzzard's Hut in mountains to retrieve the loot, he meets up with Joanna Steer, wife of high profile lawyer Raydon Steer, who becomes his soul mate and sexual partner. Others know that McCreadie is out of jail and guess that he will lead them to the money. Some come looking for him.

When I wrote my progress report a week ago, I said that this book really needs an R rating. Those who have said it is raunchy, violent, and noir are not wrong. It really did get to the stage when I was quite glad that Shaun and Joanna were apart because that meant there would be relief from the graphic sex.

The novel is read by Peter Hosking who did such a good job of reading Peter Corris' APPEAL DENIED that I listened to back in July. His was the voice that I could "hear" when I read Shane Maloney's SUCKED IN. He does again a very good job in BLINDSIDE with more voice variation than I noticed in APPEAL DENIED.

Shaun McCreadie is no innocent. He is a corrupt cop. Admittedly the Petrakos home invasion was the first time he had "crossed the line", but his stint in prison toughened him and he does not flinch from taking a life if he has to. The fiction of BLINDSIDE seems to have a lot in common with the real life drama of Underbelly.

My rating: 4.5

Read the first chapter on Amazon