The book I would most compare this to in terms of the way it works and in terms of its pacing is Imogene Robertson's mysteries, particularly her first book. The short chapters create the feeling of the Patterer's work itself; he's on the move here and there, not only investigating the murders, but delivering the news.

Nicodemus Dunne is an interesting character all around. He is a transportee to Australia, something that would make any other man of his intelligence resentful and sombre; Nicodemus, instead, is eccentric, cheerful (for the most part), and kind. He's possessed of a wicked sense of humor, too. And he appreciates the grotesque and unusual while still being horrified and shocked at it. He's a former Bow Street Runner, so he's seen a lot, but he's not so jaded as to be unmoved by a gruesome death. He takes a breath, though, and goes on in his investigation.

I highly recommend the book and look forward to another (at least, I hope there's another on the horizon or that I haven't heard of yet). ( )

Sydney, Australia 1828, Nicodemus Dunne, a transported ex-Bow Street Runner on parole, is called on by Governor Darling to help solve a spate of unsolvable murders. He joins forces with the beautiful Rachel Dormin, a seamstress, but there are many twists and turns along the way. There are also numerous suspects with secrets worth killing for, including the Governor himself. The biggest twist of them all though is who the actual killer is.

I found this really easy to read, I loved the Historical aspects, that is the real historical figures from the well known figures such as Governor Darling and Captain Rossi, to the quirky figures like the Flying Pieman. I also loved the information about the colony itself like how things had been built up and how they had been run, as well as the naming of the places. I also loved how fact and fiction were intertwined to become 'friction' without losing anything, there were little snippets of facts that didn't take anything from the story.

Anyone who enjoys a read of crime fiction and loves reading about the history of Sydney would love this book. ( )

DEATH AND THE RUNNING PATTERER is the book that won Penguin's last Most Wanted Crime Writing competition, and there's a comment in the acknowledgements that explain a little about the development of the book:

"I owe a debt to Robert Sessions, Penguin Australia's Publishing Director, who overcame his initial shock at being confronted with a manuscript knocked out on an old manual typewriter...."

The reason for highlighting this is that whilst reading DEATH AND THE RUNNING PATTERER was a very enjoyable overall experience, the book is made up of a series of short, sharp chapters, which gives the book a sense of rapidity of movement. It made the book extremely easy to read, particularly given that, as a period piece, it provided fictional entertainment as well as a real-life glimpse at Colonial Sydney life. A really good sense of place and time, as well as the incorporation of true historical alongside fictional characters bought early Sydney to life very vividly whilst just flat out telling a great story.

Set in 1828 Sydney, that story starts with the murder of a colony soldier. Governor Ralph Darling is not pleased, but as the killing's continue and get more violent, he's forced to put his faith in the investigative ability of Nicodemus Dunne. Dunne is an ex-Bow Street Runner, transported to Australia, he now makes his living as a running patterer - reading / reciting the news for people in the colony without access to newspapers because of lack of time, cost or illiteracy. Not only does he have the ability and skills to track down the killer, he also has the contacts, working in the streets, the pubs and the back areas of Sydney daily. Add to that, the perfect cover - few notice a man who is always around, a man who is expected to be interested in "the news". As Dunne searches he finds there are a lot of secrets in the newly formed colony and he's quickly under threat himself. Luckily there is the bonus of an increasing attraction to the charming seamstress Rachel Dormin.

There's nothing like something different to pique the interest of the dedicated crime fiction reader. DEATH AND THE RUNNING PATTERER hits that originality mark in a number of ways. Partly the setting - 1828 Sydney isn't commonly used and in this book it's done particularly well. The interweaving of the characters and the fledgling city sit together well, with glimpses of the pubs, the brothels, the newspaper offices, and the day to day living giving the story a depth of setting to work in. The characters - both the fictional and the real - are interesting, frequently fun and definitely involving. From the Pieman and his lunatic attempts at various records, to the dour Governor Darling, as well as Nicodemus Dunne they live in the city created in this book in a very natural way. There's a real sense of the society trying to come to terms with the Colonial background, to create an identity of its own. At the same time, there's constant acknowledgement of where many of the players come from - their backgrounds are sketched out, providing a real sense of moving on from the past. The brief glimpses of the awful treatment of the indigenous peoples, and yet their willingness to help / befriend the incomers is nicely balanced.

Already mentioned, the use of the short, sharp chapter layout adds both a readability and pace to the book, which was rather surprising and noticeable (the acknowledgement actually provided a possible explanation). Overall you can really see why DEATH AND THE RUNNING PATTERER won the Penguin Most Wanted Competition. Let's hope they run the same competition again, but in the meantime another Nicodemus Dunne outing wouldn't go astray. ( )