About this series
A novel about revenge, obsession, and the dangerous gullibility of religious fanatics.
In 1944, in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Nunawading, a brutal triple murder heralds the return of a long-forgotten cult. A man named Anthony Prescott has declared himself the Messiah and has promised his followers immortality. There are those who believe him and who are ready to kill in his name. Inspector Titus Lambert of the Melbourne Homicide unit, whose detectives are over-stretched, requests the discreet assistance of Helen Lord and Joe Sable, once members of his unit, now private inquiry agents. The investigation is more perilous than any of them realise, and will have tragic consequences.
The Orchard Murders is the fourth novel in Robert Gott’s acclaimed series, set in Melbourne during the dark days of the Second World War.
Titles in the series (4)
- The Holiday Murders
1
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.
- The Port Fairy Murders
2
The Port Fairy Murders is the sequel to The Holiday Murders, a political and historical crime novel set in 1943, featuring the newly formed homicide department of Victoria Police. The department has been struggling to counter little-known fascist groups, particularly an organisation called Australia First that has been festering in Australia since before the war. And now there’s an extra problem: the bitter divide between Catholics and Protestants, which is especially raw in small rural communities. The homicide team, which once again includes Detective Joe Sable and Constable Helen Lord, is trying to track down a dangerous man named George Starling. At the same time, they are called to investigate a double murder in the fishing village of Port Fairy. It seems straightforward — they have a signed confession — but it soon becomes apparent that nothing about the incident is as it seems. Written with great verve and insight, The Port Fairy Murders is a superb psychological study, as well as a riveting historical whodunit. PRAISE FOR ROBERT GOTT ‘Set during World War II, the novel, like its predecessor, has a strong sense of place, not just in the little Victorian coastal town of Port Fairy, but also in the streets of inner Melbourne. Gott skilfully illustrates the sexist, racist and homophobic culture of this historical period, but he weaves through the necessary details with a light touch.’ The Sunday Age ‘The Port Fairy Murders is a well-paced thriller, although to label it straight-up crime or police procedural is to sell it short … Fans of crime — or simply fans of a solid plot — will likely devour this novel in an afternoon.’ The Big Issue
- The Autumn Murders
3
The series that began with The Holiday Murders and The Port Fairy Murders now continues with The Autumn Murders … In the autumn of 1944, George Starling prepares to exact revenge on the person he hates most in the world (and Starling has a long list of people he hates), Detective Joe Sable of the Melbourne Homicide division. Driven by his dark passion for Nazism, Starling is going to make sure that nothing and no one will stand in his way and survive. Homicide is in turmoil. Riven by internal divisions and disrupted by the war, it has become a dangerous place for Joe to work. Constable Helen Lord, suspended from her position in Homicide, and battling grief, is also in Starling’s sights. Knowing that Inspector Titus Lambert can’t protect them from Starling’s ruthless aim, Helen and Joe decide to set their own trap. But when the trap is sprung, who will be caught in it? The Autumn Murders is a stylish, historical whodunit, written with wit and insight into the dark corners where the worst of us hides.
- The Orchard Murders
4
A novel about revenge, obsession, and the dangerous gullibility of religious fanatics. In 1944, in the outer-Melbourne suburb of Nunawading, a brutal triple murder heralds the return of a long-forgotten cult. A man named Anthony Prescott has declared himself the Messiah and has promised his followers immortality. There are those who believe him and who are ready to kill in his name. Inspector Titus Lambert of the Melbourne Homicide unit, whose detectives are over-stretched, requests the discreet assistance of Helen Lord and Joe Sable, once members of his unit, now private inquiry agents. The investigation is more perilous than any of them realise, and will have tragic consequences. The Orchard Murders is the fourth novel in Robert Gott’s acclaimed series, set in Melbourne during the dark days of the Second World War.
Robert Gott
Robert Gott was born in the Queensland town of Maryborough in 1957, and lives in Melbourne. He has published many books for children, and is also the creator of the newspaper cartoon The Adventures of Naked Man. He is the author of the William Power series of crime-caper novels set in 1940s Australia, comprising Good Murder, A Thing of Blood, Amongst the Dead, and The Serpent’s Sting, and of the Murders series, comprising The Holiday Murders, The Port Fairy Murders, The Autumn Murders, and The Orchard Murders.
Read more from Robert Gott
William Power Naked Ambition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Murders series
Related ebooks
Nuggets for the Soul: Poems That Will Inspire You Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWords of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRun to Win Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMud Pups’ Adventures vol. 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMonster’s Among Us: A War of Witches Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrit Book I: The Voices You Form Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegend of Isis: Darkness Falls Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBreastfeeding and Parenting: Your baby will teach you how Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings20 Million Miles More Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Political Power: Portrait Gallery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConfessions for the Narrow Road: It's Within You! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVictoria's Secret Service: Nemesis Rising #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhitetail Deer Facts and Strategies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrbit: The Cast of Doctor Who #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Female Force: Cher Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIs God In Your Yard? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrbit: Bon Jovi Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHolding Forth the Word of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGabriel: The Shattered Star Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegend of Isis Gallery #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt of Mouse Guard Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJudo Girl: Silencer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegend of Isis: Image Introduces Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Way of Courage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTom Corbett: Space Cadet: Danger in Deep Space #4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReach Your Dreams: Five Steps to be a Conscious Creator in Your Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGlobo Arte July 2022 Issue Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVincent Price Presents #06 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTails of Wisdom: Lessons I Learned from My Dogs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBruce the Fire Dog and His North Pole Friends Say Hello Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Historical Fiction For You
East of Eden Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The House of Eve Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Demon Copperhead: A Pulitzer Prize Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hallowe'en Party: Inspiration for the 20th Century Studios Major Motion Picture A Haunting in Venice Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Island of Sea Women: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The House Is on Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lady Tan's Circle of Women: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tinkers: 10th Anniversary Edition Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Yellow Wife: A Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Invisible Hour: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I, Claudius Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rules of Magic: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Second Life of Mirielle West: A Haunting Historical Novel Perfect for Book Clubs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lost Journals of Sacajewea: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rebecca Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Canterbury Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Have Always Lived in the Castle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kitchen House: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Tender Land: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sisters Brothers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Red Tent - 20th Anniversary Edition: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Euphoria Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sold on a Monday: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Clockmaker's Daughter: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Murders series
13 ratings0 reviews