The Holiday Murders

4.5★s The Holiday Murder is the first book in the Holiday Murders series by Australian author, Robert Gott. 1943, and not even Christmas Eve is sacred for the head of Melbourne’s newly formed Homicide division, Detective Inspector Titus Lambert. He attends an apparent murder-suicide at an exclusive East Melbourne address with his newly-trained Detective Sergeant, Joe Sable. It is immediately clear to Titus that they are dealing with a ruthless killer: Xavier Quinn has been mutilated; the body of his father, John, staged as a suicide. Other evidence at the scene indicates the murders could be both personal and political, and Titus plans to involve Military Intelligence as soon as possible. While willing to delegate to his Sergeant, he does wonder if the young man has what it takes: “Despite what many in the force believed, Titus Lambert knew that detection depended on finely tuned instinct rather than on well-honed skills. Skills could be acquired, but you either had the instinct or you lacked it – and if you lacked it, the best you could hope for was plodding competence.” Before long, Joe Sable has been seconded to MI, charged with infiltrating a fledgling branch of a new right-wing political party, Australia First. He assures Titus that his loyalties lie with Homicide. But the murderer, it seems, isn’t done: another brutal killing follows on the heels of the first two, underlining the urgency of their investigation. With Joe otherwise engaged, Titus enlists Constable Helen Lord to assist him. Wary at first, accustomed to being relegated to menial tasks, Helen is eager to participate in some real policing. Titus recognises her talents and, amid grumbles from his colleagues, is determined to make the best use of them, but Helen initially finds herself second-guessing his intentions and reactions. Gott gives the reader excellent historical crime fiction that features rabid anti-Semites, parlour Nazis, kidnapping, torture, good detective work, naturists and ice-skating. The twist is one that even the most astute reader is unlikely to pick. Titus is a refreshingly non-chauvinist 1940s cop, a plain-speaking man who recognises ability over rank. His wife is a delight, and their dialogue is often entertaining. While this is a dark and gritty tale, there are some laugh-out-loud moments to relieve the tension. Gott easily captures 1940s Victoria and his main protagonists have more than enough appeal, for all their flaws (except Maude, who clearly has none!), to ensure fans will eagerly anticipate further books in the series. Great Aussie fiction.