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'It's 1942, and war is raging in Europe and in the Pacific. The Japanese army is on Australia's doorstep, and the small coastal Queensland town of Maryborough is on full war footing. What they are not prepared for is the arrival in the town of a troupe of incompetent actors whose unjustifiably self-confident leader, William Power, is determined to bring his daring production of Titus Andronicus to the barbarians of rural Australia. Unfortunately for the Power Players, the only gift William Power has is a capacity for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When a young woman goes missing and is found floating dead in the town's water supply, Power becomes the prime suspect in her murder. With every misplaced step he takes, he becomes more and more embroiled in a series of crimes which baffle the police and horrify the locals. Having no confidence in the constabulary, Power decides that his only option is to solve the crimes himself. His acting skills are not good; his detection skills are worse. As he stumbles towards a solution and as his injuries mount up, he never wavers in his belief that he alone can bring the killer to justice. But, with every day that passes, he tightens the noose around his own neck until, on the night of a violent storm, everything changes. And not for the better.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Epigraph: 'Look round about the wicked streets of Rome/And when thou find'st a man that's like thyself,/Good murder, stab him, he's a murderer.' (Titus Andronicus Act V, Scene 2)
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Book one of the William Power Mystery series.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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A Brave New Venture
2005
single work
correspondence
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , February no. 268 2005; (p. 6) -
Bad PR
2004
single work
correspondence
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December-January no. 267 2004-2005; (p. 7) -
Different Worlds, Same Dirty Deeds
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 13-14 November 2004; (p. 13)
— Review of Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel ; No Trace 2004 single work novel -
Tour de Sleaze
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , November no. 266 2004; (p. 54-55)
— Review of The Coast Road 2004 single work novel ; Murder at the Fortnight 2003 single work novel ; Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel ; Murder by Manuscript 2004 single work novel -
Of Sex and Shakespeare
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 9 October 2004; (p. 3)
— Review of Peepshow 2004 single work novel ; Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel
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Crimefile
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 2-3 October 2004; (p. 15)
— Review of Peepshow 2004 single work novel ; Covet 2004 single work novel ; Code Cicada 2004 single work novel ; Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel -
Of Sex and Shakespeare
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 9 October 2004; (p. 3)
— Review of Peepshow 2004 single work novel ; Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel -
Tour de Sleaze
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , November no. 266 2004; (p. 54-55)
— Review of The Coast Road 2004 single work novel ; Murder at the Fortnight 2003 single work novel ; Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel ; Murder by Manuscript 2004 single work novel -
Different Worlds, Same Dirty Deeds
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 13-14 November 2004; (p. 13)
— Review of Good Murder : A William Power Mystery 2004 single work novel ; No Trace 2004 single work novel -
Bad PR
2004
single work
correspondence
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December-January no. 267 2004-2005; (p. 7) -
A Brave New Venture
2005
single work
correspondence
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , February no. 268 2005; (p. 6)
- Maryborough, Maryborough (Qld) area, Maryborough - Hervey Bay - Fraser Island area, Maryborough - Rockhampton area, Queensland,
- 1942