Hugh McGinlay

Pachyderm is a novel that has been on my wishlist for far too long.

Looking for a thoroughly modern and edgy Phryne Fisher-esque leading lady? Meet Catherine Kint, ex-cop now bolshy high-end milliner, very partial to gin, and not so inclined to stick to the rules now that she’s a mere civilian.

But, Catherine’s heart is in the right place even if she’s prone to putting her foot in her mouth, and her devoted bestie Boris (her local barman) knows this. So much so, that she can badger him into almost any adventure – even a perilous night-time B&E – in pursuit of the truth.

I was thoroughly entertained by Catherine’s snarky sass and Boris’ goofy good-naturedness, but it’s the much deeper issues of life, love and loss that these characters confront in Pachyderm that really make them shine from within. That, and of course Aussie author McGinlay’s obvious talent for writing rapid-fire dialogue and fabulous visual comedy. Continue reading: https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2022/09/pachyderm-hugh-mcginlay-review.html… (más)

murder, friendship, relationships, zoo, animals, Australia, snark-fest, milliner, suspense -----
Couldn't put it down! Irregular pace is a good thing in this instance, and the characters certainly are. Catherine is a milliner who has some very good friends, a crazy making client who is totally micromanaging, an evident professional past with the Homicide division, and a great sense of humor.
The hard stuff is the unnecessary death of an elephant and the complicated death of a zookeeper who has become as important to her as the investigation is not important to law enforcement. That makes her angry enough to risk everything by investigating on her own with the help of some very talented friends.
I'd really like to read more books with Caroline Kint as the main character!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Threekookaburras via NetGalley.… (más)

PACHYDERM is the second outing for milliner Catherine Kint and her best friend (strictly platonic) Boris. The novel follows on from JINX although not so closely as to make the earlier one mandatory reading, but they are both definitely highly recommended.

Set in inner hipster Melbourne, littered with coffee shops, bars and pubs, Kint is one of those accidental detectives who has a minor super-power in turning just about anything into a crime scene. Attending a glittering social function at the Melbourne Zoo goes from an opportunity of mixing a bit of business with pleasure, to a sizzling romantic encounter with the enigmatic zoo-keeper Beau Hacska and the sad, sudden death of the zoo's female Asian elephant Dong Zei.

That night escalates to a steamy date with Hacska, an odd encounter with a whistler on public transport, a commission from a demanding, and seemingly psychic client for an impossible hat in masses of green felt, and the supposedly accidental mauling of Hacska by the zoo's African Wild Dog pack. Despite Kint's absolute conviction that the elephant's death, and Hacska's mauling are connected by more than just location, zoo officials refuse to concede. Meanwhile Boris has found love and won't concentrate, the green felt construction has turned into her worst nightmare, and Kint's life is barrelling along in that fast paced, slightly breathless, sod the speed bumps sort of a way that readers of JINX will remember.

McGinlay does a particularly good line in tongue in cheek humour in these books. Never cruel, he's able to poke fun at the high pace, high drama Kint from the outset. Whether it's the way that she does (or doesn't) deal with the client from hell; whether it's her stomping mercilessly into the personal (and potential romantic life) of Boris without a seeming care in the world, Kint is one of those characters that stands out from the page (and would probably be one you'd cheerfully strangle in real life).

JINX created a real sense of the inner Melbourne hipster place that the books are set in, whilst PACHYDERM concentrates more firmly on character development and plot. There's a lot going on in both these books, but at no stage is the reader made to feel overwhelmed or confused (well not more than Kint herself anyway). There's contemplation time, there's sitting around in the pub drinking gin time, and in this novel, some poignant moments both in terms of love lost, love sought and what happens to the famous when they age and fail.

Quirky, fun, engaging and hugely entertaining, JINX, PACHYDERM and Catherine Kint are a really good combo - here's hoping there's more intended in the series.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-pachyderm-hugh-mcginlay… (más)

Set within the hipster world of inner Melbourne lane-ways, cafes and bright young things, JINX is the debut crime fiction novel from local musician and writer Hugh McGinlay. A light-hearted, comedic styled novel, JINX introduces ex-police investigator, now accidental amateur detective, raconteur and milliner Catherine Kint and the world that she occupies in what seems to be intended as the first book in a series.

On the escapist side of crime fiction - there's something nicely engaging about Kint, what with the complicated background, the inner-city lifestyle, the hats and the best mate barman - to say nothing of the gin obsession and a handy IT virtuoso on the side to assist with a spot of Google type sleuthing. Written with a light touch, and a tendency to wax lyrical, part of what could lead a reader to assume that this is the start of a series is that there is a lot of time spent setting up friendships, and characters in JINX.

Set in and around Sydney Road Brunswick, the sense of place is elaborated with a lot of hipster lifestyle elements, combined with voodoo, occult and witchcraft. Which seemed to make a lot of sense to somebody who hasn't spent much time in that area in the last decade or so. Certainly the proximity of all the suspects, and the investigators, and the way that the main roads are intersected with laneways, and littered with cafe's, pubs and hidey holes felt real to an outsider.

Relying considerably on character, the plot in JINX isn't badly served by the eccentricity of everyone, and there's a strong sense of them belonging in their place and time. It might be the over-stating of some of these lifestyle components could irk some readers, but this isn't supposed to be high tension thrills and spills, nor is it trying to be dark or considered. JINX comes across as aiming to be entertaining, and it certainly works as a bit of light-hearted escapism. Even if the idea of the inner-Melbourne, hipster lifestyle is enough to make you want to head out into a paddock and thank the universe for space, dirt bikes instead of mopeds, and the gin-enthusiasts at the local pub.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-jinx-hugh-mcginlay… (más)