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Mick Goodenough #1
The Night Whistler
It’s 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog.
Not just dead, but recently killed.
Not just killed, but mutilated.
Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.
The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
Nostalgic yet clear-eyed, simmering with small-town menace, Greg Woodland’s wildly impressive debut populates the rural Australia of the 1960s with memorable characters and almost unbearable tension.
Not just dead, but recently killed.
Not just killed, but mutilated.
Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.
The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
Nostalgic yet clear-eyed, simmering with small-town menace, Greg Woodland’s wildly impressive debut populates the rural Australia of the 1960s with memorable characters and almost unbearable tension.
385 pages, Paperback
First published August 4, 2020
About the author
Greg Woodland
2 books77 followersGreg's first crime novel ‘The Night Whistler’ was published by Text Publishing in 2020, and the sequel, The Carnival is Over was published in 2022. The Night Whistler was shortlisted for the 2021 Ned Kelly Awards Best Debut Crime Novel. The Carnival Is Over was shortlisted for the 2023 Ned Kelly Awards for Best Crime Fiction.
Greg is the director of leading Australian script service www.scriptcentral.com.au His award-winning short films and documentaries have screened at national and international film festivals and TV channels. His screenplays The Whistler and Pangs won several national script competitions and three Varuna Fellowships. Greg has lectured in Scriptwriting at Macquarie University, UTS, and AFTRS. Script editing credits include feature films ‘Moon Rock for Monday’, 'Shayda', ‘Don’t Tell’, ‘Needle’, ‘Cold Turkey’, ‘The Bet’, The Tropfest 2013 Best Film Winner 'We've All Been There', 2016 AWG John Hinde Science Fiction script award winner and many others.
Greg is the director of leading Australian script service www.scriptcentral.com.au His award-winning short films and documentaries have screened at national and international film festivals and TV channels. His screenplays The Whistler and Pangs won several national script competitions and three Varuna Fellowships. Greg has lectured in Scriptwriting at Macquarie University, UTS, and AFTRS. Script editing credits include feature films ‘Moon Rock for Monday’, 'Shayda', ‘Don’t Tell’, ‘Needle’, ‘Cold Turkey’, ‘The Bet’, The Tropfest 2013 Best Film Winner 'We've All Been There', 2016 AWG John Hinde Science Fiction script award winner and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
August 1, 2024
EXCERPT: He was standing atop a small rise staring at something when Evan staggered up beside him and gasped softly. A strange yellowish vehicle-cum-dwelling: they couldn't take their eyes off it.
The depleted shell of a truck cabin at one end merged into a decrepit caravan at the other. It was like some bizarre caterpillar with extremities so different they might have belonged to separate species. The truck's bonnet lay on the ground, engine parts flung around it like a mad mechanic's toys. Where once were wheels, tree stumps now propped the apparition up. Skew-whiff sheds and lean-tos lay scattered around it, rotting in the grass. The caravan was covered in peeling tan and yellow paint and above the door a faded sign declared 'Highway Palace'. It was a ruined palace though, with oval windows cracked or broken, glinting like jagged teeth, shreds of lace curtains behind them. There was nothing palatial or grand about it now, and probably never had been. But behind the curtains, mystery seemed to lurk in every corner.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: It’s 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog.
Not just dead, but recently killed.
Not just killed, but mutilated.
Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.
The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
MY THOUGHTS: Atmospheric. Very atmospheric. There is a palpable air of menace in this small rural town where most people are either hiding something, or watching ... and waiting.
Set in the 1960's, there is blatant racism in this book that may upset some people. But that is just the way things were then. While we can't change the past, we can learn from it.
There are multiple layers to this mystery - corrupt police, corrupt town councillors, extra-marital activity, missing and mutilated animals, mystery and murder. But Woodland has also captured the essence of the time, particularly the way kids were allowed to roam about unfettered, the only restriction that they 'be home in time for tea.' Parents weren't at all concerned about where the kids were, who they were playing with or what they were doing, as long as they stayed out of trouble and came home on time. Step out of line, and you'd get a whack around the ear or a slap around the legs for your trouble. People drank and drove. And smoked - everywhere.
Woodland's writing is vivid, both his descriptions and his characters come alive. I could smell the heat, taste the dust, hear the voices. I knew, well before I reached the end of the first chapter, that I was onto a winner.
The plot is enthralling, and takes place in Aussie time. 'Don't worry mate, it'll get done, some time. Crack a stubby while you wait.'
Mick Goodenough (pronounced Good-no, or as his boss likes to quip, no-good) has two strikes against him before he starts. 1. He's an indigenous Australian. 2. He's been demoted from the rank of Detective in Sydney and exiled to Moorabool as a probationary constable. The problem is that Mick still thinks like a detective. And his boss takes great delight in rubbing his nose in the fact that he isn't.
Hal, twelve, has also only recently moved to Moorabool for his father's work. Summer holidays, so he hasn't really had a chance to meet anyone else his own age. Until Allie, an indigenous girl who takes him crawbobbing, and talks to him about the spirits trapped in the Highway Palace, the scene of a murder-suicide years earlier. Hal is more concerned about what happened to the one surviving child. Where did he go, and where is he now? And could it be him that is making the strange and threatening calls his mother is receiving? If not, then who? And why?
I was riveted by this story. Gritty and honest. And I want more.
I have lived in a small town in Australia, a little like this. Some of my happiest years were spent there. Woodland made me homesick. Dust, flies, spiders, snakes and all...
I read this book for the second time in 2024 for an Aussie Readers July challenge and, if anything, loved it even more second time around. The full five stars!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheNightWhistler #NetGalley
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: I think that Moorabool is a fictional town in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia, about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions.
Dubbed the Cathedral City, Armidale in the New England High Country is one of Australia’s most elegant regional cities. With an altitude of a kilometre above sea level, it’s known for vibrant autumn foliage and cool breezes in summer. Wander its streets and find 19th century churches mixed with modern cafes and restaurants.
THE AUTHOR: Greg has been a script developer and consultant for Australian film funding bodies and the Australian Writers Guild for 25 years. He is the founder-director of a leading Australian script service. As writer/director Greg’s award-winning short films and documentaries screened nationally and internationally at over 60 film festivals and many TV channels. His screenplays The Whistler and Pangs won several script competitions including the Fellowship of Australian Writers Best Drama Manuscript, the Inscription Open Script award, and three Varuna Fellowships between them. Greg has lectured in Scriptwriting at Macquarie University, UTS, NIDA, and AFTRS. His script editing credits include feature films ‘Moon Rock for Monday’, ‘Don’t Tell’, ‘Needle’, ‘Cold Turkey’, ‘The Bet’, ‘Broken’, several Project Greenlight and Monte Miller Award finalists, the 2013 Tropfest Best Film Winner, the 2016 AWG John Hinde Science Fiction script award winner and many others. His first crime novel ‘The Night Whistler’ was published by Text Publishing in August 2020, and he’s now writing the sequel, The Carnival is Over.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Text Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Night Whistler by Greg Woodland for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
The depleted shell of a truck cabin at one end merged into a decrepit caravan at the other. It was like some bizarre caterpillar with extremities so different they might have belonged to separate species. The truck's bonnet lay on the ground, engine parts flung around it like a mad mechanic's toys. Where once were wheels, tree stumps now propped the apparition up. Skew-whiff sheds and lean-tos lay scattered around it, rotting in the grass. The caravan was covered in peeling tan and yellow paint and above the door a faded sign declared 'Highway Palace'. It was a ruined palace though, with oval windows cracked or broken, glinting like jagged teeth, shreds of lace curtains behind them. There was nothing palatial or grand about it now, and probably never had been. But behind the curtains, mystery seemed to lurk in every corner.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: It’s 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog.
Not just dead, but recently killed.
Not just killed, but mutilated.
Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.
The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
MY THOUGHTS: Atmospheric. Very atmospheric. There is a palpable air of menace in this small rural town where most people are either hiding something, or watching ... and waiting.
Set in the 1960's, there is blatant racism in this book that may upset some people. But that is just the way things were then. While we can't change the past, we can learn from it.
There are multiple layers to this mystery - corrupt police, corrupt town councillors, extra-marital activity, missing and mutilated animals, mystery and murder. But Woodland has also captured the essence of the time, particularly the way kids were allowed to roam about unfettered, the only restriction that they 'be home in time for tea.' Parents weren't at all concerned about where the kids were, who they were playing with or what they were doing, as long as they stayed out of trouble and came home on time. Step out of line, and you'd get a whack around the ear or a slap around the legs for your trouble. People drank and drove. And smoked - everywhere.
Woodland's writing is vivid, both his descriptions and his characters come alive. I could smell the heat, taste the dust, hear the voices. I knew, well before I reached the end of the first chapter, that I was onto a winner.
The plot is enthralling, and takes place in Aussie time. 'Don't worry mate, it'll get done, some time. Crack a stubby while you wait.'
Mick Goodenough (pronounced Good-no, or as his boss likes to quip, no-good) has two strikes against him before he starts. 1. He's an indigenous Australian. 2. He's been demoted from the rank of Detective in Sydney and exiled to Moorabool as a probationary constable. The problem is that Mick still thinks like a detective. And his boss takes great delight in rubbing his nose in the fact that he isn't.
Hal, twelve, has also only recently moved to Moorabool for his father's work. Summer holidays, so he hasn't really had a chance to meet anyone else his own age. Until Allie, an indigenous girl who takes him crawbobbing, and talks to him about the spirits trapped in the Highway Palace, the scene of a murder-suicide years earlier. Hal is more concerned about what happened to the one surviving child. Where did he go, and where is he now? And could it be him that is making the strange and threatening calls his mother is receiving? If not, then who? And why?
I was riveted by this story. Gritty and honest. And I want more.
I have lived in a small town in Australia, a little like this. Some of my happiest years were spent there. Woodland made me homesick. Dust, flies, spiders, snakes and all...
I read this book for the second time in 2024 for an Aussie Readers July challenge and, if anything, loved it even more second time around. The full five stars!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#TheNightWhistler #NetGalley
FOR THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELLER: I think that Moorabool is a fictional town in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia.
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia, about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions.
Dubbed the Cathedral City, Armidale in the New England High Country is one of Australia’s most elegant regional cities. With an altitude of a kilometre above sea level, it’s known for vibrant autumn foliage and cool breezes in summer. Wander its streets and find 19th century churches mixed with modern cafes and restaurants.
THE AUTHOR: Greg has been a script developer and consultant for Australian film funding bodies and the Australian Writers Guild for 25 years. He is the founder-director of a leading Australian script service. As writer/director Greg’s award-winning short films and documentaries screened nationally and internationally at over 60 film festivals and many TV channels. His screenplays The Whistler and Pangs won several script competitions including the Fellowship of Australian Writers Best Drama Manuscript, the Inscription Open Script award, and three Varuna Fellowships between them. Greg has lectured in Scriptwriting at Macquarie University, UTS, NIDA, and AFTRS. His script editing credits include feature films ‘Moon Rock for Monday’, ‘Don’t Tell’, ‘Needle’, ‘Cold Turkey’, ‘The Bet’, ‘Broken’, several Project Greenlight and Monte Miller Award finalists, the 2013 Tropfest Best Film Winner, the 2016 AWG John Hinde Science Fiction script award winner and many others. His first crime novel ‘The Night Whistler’ was published by Text Publishing in August 2020, and he’s now writing the sequel, The Carnival is Over.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Text Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Night Whistler by Greg Woodland for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 6, 2021
"He must know these streets like a blind man knows the way to his bathroom."
1966 - Hal and his family have moved to Moorabool, Australia. While out exploring, Hal and his younger brother, Evan, find the body of a recently killed dog. A dog who had been tortured and mutilated. Is this only the beginning? Will more animals die? Will any humans? Who could have done such a thing? Why?
Constable Mick Goodenough is also new in town and one of his dogs has gone missing. He knows that when an animal is tortured and killed, it means someone is practicing. When Hal's mother begins receiving phone calls from someone whistling before hanging up, the local police do not seem to care but Goodenough does. Could the same person who mutilated the dog, be calling Hal's mother or are there two people up to no good in this town?
Hal and his new friend, Allie, armed with inquisitiveness and determination, begin their own investigation. They have their theories. The see things that others do not, but will their theories be correct?
There is more to this story than meets the eye. Yes, it is an investigation, it is also about learning the harshness of life, about secrets, about bullying, about police cover ups, and learning some uncomfortable truths about those in your life. Woodland has created the perfect setting and time for his story. He sets the stage and leaves a clue or two here and there throughout the book. He had me questioning who would solve the case? Who could do such a thing to animals? How are they able to carry out their crimes without anyone seeing? Will Hal and Allie’s youth help or hinder their search for a killer? If you are looking for a killer, could the killer be looking for you? Are the crimes connected to the escalating phone calls that Hal's mother is receiving? Several characters in this book have secrets, will their secrets be exposed?
I had a couple of suspects in mind while reading, but the reveal did come a little bit as a surprise but as the books shows us, there were some clues along the way. Very nicely done, Woodland! This book started a little slow for me, but once things started picking up steam, this gritty book grabbed my attention and held on tight. Hal and Allie were my favorite characters. I love how Hal struggled at times to do that right thing while simultaneously struggling with how this will affect his relationship with his father. I felt for him and cheered him on. Allie was spunky, inquisitive and strong. I liked their friendship and their belief that they could track down a killer.
Woodland's debut novel is a solid book. It is well written and as I mentioned earlier, he really set the stage with transporting readers back to sixties in Australia. He also does a stellar job creating mood and believable reactions for his characters. You can feel the frustration of several characters in this book - mainly Goodenough, Hal and Allie. Each came up against roadblocks as they tried to solve the case. As the tension rises and the plot unfolds, I could not put this book down.
I received a copy of this book from Text publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
1966 - Hal and his family have moved to Moorabool, Australia. While out exploring, Hal and his younger brother, Evan, find the body of a recently killed dog. A dog who had been tortured and mutilated. Is this only the beginning? Will more animals die? Will any humans? Who could have done such a thing? Why?
Constable Mick Goodenough is also new in town and one of his dogs has gone missing. He knows that when an animal is tortured and killed, it means someone is practicing. When Hal's mother begins receiving phone calls from someone whistling before hanging up, the local police do not seem to care but Goodenough does. Could the same person who mutilated the dog, be calling Hal's mother or are there two people up to no good in this town?
Hal and his new friend, Allie, armed with inquisitiveness and determination, begin their own investigation. They have their theories. The see things that others do not, but will their theories be correct?
There is more to this story than meets the eye. Yes, it is an investigation, it is also about learning the harshness of life, about secrets, about bullying, about police cover ups, and learning some uncomfortable truths about those in your life. Woodland has created the perfect setting and time for his story. He sets the stage and leaves a clue or two here and there throughout the book. He had me questioning who would solve the case? Who could do such a thing to animals? How are they able to carry out their crimes without anyone seeing? Will Hal and Allie’s youth help or hinder their search for a killer? If you are looking for a killer, could the killer be looking for you? Are the crimes connected to the escalating phone calls that Hal's mother is receiving? Several characters in this book have secrets, will their secrets be exposed?
I had a couple of suspects in mind while reading, but the reveal did come a little bit as a surprise but as the books shows us, there were some clues along the way. Very nicely done, Woodland! This book started a little slow for me, but once things started picking up steam, this gritty book grabbed my attention and held on tight. Hal and Allie were my favorite characters. I love how Hal struggled at times to do that right thing while simultaneously struggling with how this will affect his relationship with his father. I felt for him and cheered him on. Allie was spunky, inquisitive and strong. I liked their friendship and their belief that they could track down a killer.
Woodland's debut novel is a solid book. It is well written and as I mentioned earlier, he really set the stage with transporting readers back to sixties in Australia. He also does a stellar job creating mood and believable reactions for his characters. You can feel the frustration of several characters in this book - mainly Goodenough, Hal and Allie. Each came up against roadblocks as they tried to solve the case. As the tension rises and the plot unfolds, I could not put this book down.
I received a copy of this book from Text publishing and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
July 9, 2020
I really enjoyed the Australian setting of country New South Wales in the 1960s for this almost gothic murder mystery. It was a time when kids ran free in the summer, taking off on their bikes, climbing trees, fishing for crawbobs (small crayfish) and exploring places they probably shouldn't as long as they were home in time for tea. The writing is so evocative that you can almost smell the gum trees and the muddy river trickling through the hot and dusty landscape and hear the laconic Aussie accents of the people.
It's the summer of 1966 and twelve year old Hal's family have moved to the small rural town of Moorabool (pop 3,560), where his father will be based as a travelling salesman for a dried food company. It's while Hal and his brother are exploring that they find an old disheveled caravan, site of a mass killing some years back, and discover a dead dog in an old drum. The dog has been mutilated before being killed and is not the first animal to have gone missing in the town. Mick Goodenough, owner of the dog is a probationary constable, new to the town after being demoted from being a Sydney detective after disagreeing about the way a serial murder case was being handled. Now he's concerned that whoever is killing animals should be found before he becomes more dangerous, but his new Sergent isn't interested in listening to him. Hal is also worried about the mysterious man who calls their mum and frightens her when their dad is away.
The suspense builds relentlessly in this well paced mystery, culminating in an explosive ending. Along the way the novel touches on the issues of racism, corruption, domestic violence, adultery and misogyny that were common in the 60s (and not so uncommon today). As well as some very creepy and unlikeable characters, Greg Woodland has created some wonderful characters. Hal is typical, inquisitive kid who fancies himself as Sherlock Holmes and his new friend, Allie is a fearless and feisty tomboy who doesn't let him down. Mick is what the perfect country policeman should be, willing to listen to everyone, follow up anything suspicious and not jump to the wrong conclusions. I really hope that there is sequel or series planned as I'd really like to see more of Mick Goodeneough and rural Australia of the 60s.
With many thanks to Text Publishing and Netgalley for a copy to read
It's the summer of 1966 and twelve year old Hal's family have moved to the small rural town of Moorabool (pop 3,560), where his father will be based as a travelling salesman for a dried food company. It's while Hal and his brother are exploring that they find an old disheveled caravan, site of a mass killing some years back, and discover a dead dog in an old drum. The dog has been mutilated before being killed and is not the first animal to have gone missing in the town. Mick Goodenough, owner of the dog is a probationary constable, new to the town after being demoted from being a Sydney detective after disagreeing about the way a serial murder case was being handled. Now he's concerned that whoever is killing animals should be found before he becomes more dangerous, but his new Sergent isn't interested in listening to him. Hal is also worried about the mysterious man who calls their mum and frightens her when their dad is away.
The suspense builds relentlessly in this well paced mystery, culminating in an explosive ending. Along the way the novel touches on the issues of racism, corruption, domestic violence, adultery and misogyny that were common in the 60s (and not so uncommon today). As well as some very creepy and unlikeable characters, Greg Woodland has created some wonderful characters. Hal is typical, inquisitive kid who fancies himself as Sherlock Holmes and his new friend, Allie is a fearless and feisty tomboy who doesn't let him down. Mick is what the perfect country policeman should be, willing to listen to everyone, follow up anything suspicious and not jump to the wrong conclusions. I really hope that there is sequel or series planned as I'd really like to see more of Mick Goodeneough and rural Australia of the 60s.
With many thanks to Text Publishing and Netgalley for a copy to read
March 27, 2021
Another thriller set in the Australian outback. There seem to be a lot of them around lately and why not. The setting of a small, hot, dusty town, miles from anywhere with a limited police force is obviously conducive to serious crime. In fiction anyway.
The Night Whistler is a good one. At the beginning I was uncomfortable with the animal cruelty but it was necessary for the story and not excessive. As the action begins to build it is very hard to put the book down and the pages fly past.
I liked the character of Mike Goodenough and enjoyed his persistence in the face of so much opposition from his boss. Another strong character was Hal, and it was fun to see through him the way kids grew up in a country town in the 1960's. So much freedom coupled with so much possible danger - I am not sure today if it was good or bad.
The story builds to a dramatic and satisfying finale. Altogether this is an excellent debut novel from this author and I will watch out for more from him.
The Night Whistler is a good one. At the beginning I was uncomfortable with the animal cruelty but it was necessary for the story and not excessive. As the action begins to build it is very hard to put the book down and the pages fly past.
I liked the character of Mike Goodenough and enjoyed his persistence in the face of so much opposition from his boss. Another strong character was Hal, and it was fun to see through him the way kids grew up in a country town in the 1960's. So much freedom coupled with so much possible danger - I am not sure today if it was good or bad.
The story builds to a dramatic and satisfying finale. Altogether this is an excellent debut novel from this author and I will watch out for more from him.
September 24, 2022
3.5★
“By the time they’d wheeled the bike two blocks past the pub the sun was low and their shadows were giants. They had hardly noticed it getting darker in the street until, a hundred yards ahead, they heard a man’s boots crunching the gravel. He started whistling. Hal stopped. Stared ahead as the mournful strains of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ drifted over to them.”
Hal Humphries, 12, and Allie Tenpenny have been down at the waterhole he calls ‘The Crack in the World”, to go crawbobbing and have been talking about a stalker who’s been heard whistling. Hal’s family has just moved to Moorabool, a tiny country town near Armidale, NSW, where his father originally came from. This is 1966, when kids roamed around pretty freely and phones were few and far between outside the town centre.
Allie’s Aboriginal background adds another layer to the story, with her telling Hal about the spirits in the places they should leave alone. It also gives the author room to introduce what the divide between black and white was in 1966 (before the referendum that “gave” Aboriginal people citizenship).
Hal’s father has taken a new position with his company, about which his mother is not happy, but little brother Evan is pretty content to play wherever, whenever. Dad had a troubled childhood and seems a bit controlling, especially about his beloved Studebaker, which stays under a tarp when he’s on the road in the company car. This does not auger well for Mum in a strange town.
The book belongs mostly to Hal, with Allie as a lively off-sider, and Mick Goodenough - “That’s Good-no . . . as in No-Good, backwards”, - as he tells people. More importantly, he has been recently demoted from detective to constable, after continuing to criticise the investigation of a murder case. Sent to Coventry, as the saying goes. Or to the country, in this case.
He’s given up drinking but relies on sleeping pills to hold back the nightmares and let him sleep.
“As limbs turned to jelly and tension melted away, she flickered on in his mind like a favourite TV rerun. The German girl. Her head caved in, her throat . . . Did he dream that bit?…They never go back, do they? Then the fog rolled in and it was all one big. Soft…White…Cotton wool…Cloud…”
Hal and Mick cross paths when Hal discovers a dead, tortured animal. Mick knows this is serious. The forensic expert he used to work with explained.
“‘They never go back, Mick. Not once they’ve killed humans. It’s not the same thrill any more. Slaughtering little things.’
‘Not even for practice, keeping their hand in? Never?’
‘How do you go back to catching the bus,’ Wal smiled, ‘after you’ve flown to the moon?’”
The local cop shop doesn’t seem particularly interested. The sergeant concentrates more on belittling constable Goodenough than on following up various complaints. When Hal’s mother reports a prowler, Sergeant Bradley nods and makes appropriate comments, but that’s about it.
Mick gets it, listens to Hal, encourages him to collect evidence.
“Mick looked at Hal, surprised. The boy understood. More than most of the men he knew.
‘He’s our Whistler, isn’t he? I could help you.’
The kid was eager. In the best sense of the word. Reminded him of someone. From a long time ago.”
There are several threads about suspicion, jealousy (some warranted, some not), and affairs (the warranted suspicions), which keep us questioning our hunches. Plus, there are power plays in local politics, which gives a good sense of how a rural community works.
There’s a lot to like, and I can’t pinpoint what my reservations are, but I think it’s that I wanted more description, to give a sense of place and to show the connection between the characters. The only relationships I felt invested in were those between Hal and Mick and Hal and Allie. Even Hal’s relationship with his family didn’t feel as strong.
Looking at the author’s impressive bio, I realise he’s an experienced writer and editor for film and television, so my guess is that these elements would be shown on the screen rather than in the script. Good actors would bring Hal’s parents more fully to life.
Having said that, I bet this would translate to the screen very well, and there’s enough in the story to carry through to further stories, so I will keep a lookout.
But I’m in the minority and you may love it! See all those super reviews. Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
“By the time they’d wheeled the bike two blocks past the pub the sun was low and their shadows were giants. They had hardly noticed it getting darker in the street until, a hundred yards ahead, they heard a man’s boots crunching the gravel. He started whistling. Hal stopped. Stared ahead as the mournful strains of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ drifted over to them.”
Hal Humphries, 12, and Allie Tenpenny have been down at the waterhole he calls ‘The Crack in the World”, to go crawbobbing and have been talking about a stalker who’s been heard whistling. Hal’s family has just moved to Moorabool, a tiny country town near Armidale, NSW, where his father originally came from. This is 1966, when kids roamed around pretty freely and phones were few and far between outside the town centre.
Allie’s Aboriginal background adds another layer to the story, with her telling Hal about the spirits in the places they should leave alone. It also gives the author room to introduce what the divide between black and white was in 1966 (before the referendum that “gave” Aboriginal people citizenship).
Hal’s father has taken a new position with his company, about which his mother is not happy, but little brother Evan is pretty content to play wherever, whenever. Dad had a troubled childhood and seems a bit controlling, especially about his beloved Studebaker, which stays under a tarp when he’s on the road in the company car. This does not auger well for Mum in a strange town.
The book belongs mostly to Hal, with Allie as a lively off-sider, and Mick Goodenough - “That’s Good-no . . . as in No-Good, backwards”, - as he tells people. More importantly, he has been recently demoted from detective to constable, after continuing to criticise the investigation of a murder case. Sent to Coventry, as the saying goes. Or to the country, in this case.
He’s given up drinking but relies on sleeping pills to hold back the nightmares and let him sleep.
“As limbs turned to jelly and tension melted away, she flickered on in his mind like a favourite TV rerun. The German girl. Her head caved in, her throat . . . Did he dream that bit?…They never go back, do they? Then the fog rolled in and it was all one big. Soft…White…Cotton wool…Cloud…”
Hal and Mick cross paths when Hal discovers a dead, tortured animal. Mick knows this is serious. The forensic expert he used to work with explained.
“‘They never go back, Mick. Not once they’ve killed humans. It’s not the same thrill any more. Slaughtering little things.’
‘Not even for practice, keeping their hand in? Never?’
‘How do you go back to catching the bus,’ Wal smiled, ‘after you’ve flown to the moon?’”
The local cop shop doesn’t seem particularly interested. The sergeant concentrates more on belittling constable Goodenough than on following up various complaints. When Hal’s mother reports a prowler, Sergeant Bradley nods and makes appropriate comments, but that’s about it.
Mick gets it, listens to Hal, encourages him to collect evidence.
“Mick looked at Hal, surprised. The boy understood. More than most of the men he knew.
‘He’s our Whistler, isn’t he? I could help you.’
The kid was eager. In the best sense of the word. Reminded him of someone. From a long time ago.”
There are several threads about suspicion, jealousy (some warranted, some not), and affairs (the warranted suspicions), which keep us questioning our hunches. Plus, there are power plays in local politics, which gives a good sense of how a rural community works.
There’s a lot to like, and I can’t pinpoint what my reservations are, but I think it’s that I wanted more description, to give a sense of place and to show the connection between the characters. The only relationships I felt invested in were those between Hal and Mick and Hal and Allie. Even Hal’s relationship with his family didn’t feel as strong.
Looking at the author’s impressive bio, I realise he’s an experienced writer and editor for film and television, so my guess is that these elements would be shown on the screen rather than in the script. Good actors would bring Hal’s parents more fully to life.
Having said that, I bet this would translate to the screen very well, and there’s enough in the story to carry through to further stories, so I will keep a lookout.
But I’m in the minority and you may love it! See all those super reviews. Thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.
July 22, 2020
In 1966 Hal Humphries and his brother Evan arrived in Moorabool from Sydney with their parents for their father’s work. The small town – not much more than 3000 people – was a slow, quiet place with mostly friendly people, both Aboriginal and white. When Hal and Evan discovered the brutally murdered dog near an old caravan while exploring, they covered it with brush and twigs and Evan said a prayer.
Constable Mick Goodenough (pronounced Good-no as he always had to tell people) had been demoted from detective in Sydney because of a misdemeanor – his punishment; Moorabool. His immediate dislike of his new boss shocked him, but he tried to keep his head down. Until his dog went missing. And he had a call from Mrs Humphries about a prank caller she dubbed The Whistler. Hal was sure he could discover who the whistler was, and with the help of Allie, a local he’d befriended, they started looking for clues. Mick was also doing his best – behind his boss’ back – to find the brutal killer of animals, because he knew the killer would turn to humans next…
The Night Whistler is Aussie author Greg Woodland’s debut novel and it was excellent! Set in rural NSW not far from Armidale, the small-town tensions along with the verbal pictures of nostalgia brought back memories for me. I would have been a little older than Hal back then, but the atmosphere, kids exploring, racing around and doing things they shouldn’t, felt remarkably familiar. I really hope this is the beginning of a series as I’d love to catch up with the characters once again. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Constable Mick Goodenough (pronounced Good-no as he always had to tell people) had been demoted from detective in Sydney because of a misdemeanor – his punishment; Moorabool. His immediate dislike of his new boss shocked him, but he tried to keep his head down. Until his dog went missing. And he had a call from Mrs Humphries about a prank caller she dubbed The Whistler. Hal was sure he could discover who the whistler was, and with the help of Allie, a local he’d befriended, they started looking for clues. Mick was also doing his best – behind his boss’ back – to find the brutal killer of animals, because he knew the killer would turn to humans next…
The Night Whistler is Aussie author Greg Woodland’s debut novel and it was excellent! Set in rural NSW not far from Armidale, the small-town tensions along with the verbal pictures of nostalgia brought back memories for me. I would have been a little older than Hal back then, but the atmosphere, kids exploring, racing around and doing things they shouldn’t, felt remarkably familiar. I really hope this is the beginning of a series as I’d love to catch up with the characters once again. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2024
4.5*
I'll admit I was initially somewhat reluctant to read The Night Whistler, based on the references to animal cruelty in the blurb. I'm happy to read about fictional human characters doing just about anything to each other, but baulk at any harm being done to defenceless creatures. However, based upon the early reviews I read, I decided to throw myself into the book anyway, and I'm so glad I did!
12-year-old Hal Humphries and his younger brother Evan have recently moved to the (fictional) town of Moorabool in northern NSW with their parents, and are curiously exploring the local surroundings during their summer holidays. They're shocked one day to discover the brutalised remains of a German Shepherd dog near a creekbed behind their home. Meanwhile, disgraced former Sydney detective, Mick Goodenough ("pronounced Good-no, as in No-Good backwards."), demoted to the rank of Probationary Constable in this rural backwater, realises his juvenile pet dog, Charlie, is missing.
The story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Hal and Mick as, first separately and then as an unusual team, they investigate a series of strange occurrences in Moorabool. Not only have people's pets been disappearing over the past 18 months, only to be found dead and brutally disfigured, but there's been a mysterious break-in at the local Council offices and Hal's mother is being harrassed with menacing phone calls while his Dad's away on business. Mick's bemused by his senior officer, Sergeant Jeff Bradley's disinclination to take any of this very seriously, together with his attempts to belittle Mick at every opportunity.
Events take a dramatic turn when Hal stumbles across the body of a local Aboriginal woman inside an abandoned caravan, said by many locals to be haunted by the family who died there decades before.
Greg Woodland's writing evokes what I imagine to be an accurate portrayal of the mood of mid-1960s rural Australia - social conservatism, small-minded xenophobia and systemic racism directed towards the local indigenous population. Having grown up in rural NSW myself, albeit a couple of decades later than the setting of this book, I felt transported back to those endless scorching summers, well before the distractions of mobile phones and computer-based games.
The central and supporting characters are all well-developed and convincing, although at times Mick's sergeant's demeanor verges on the absurd. The author's use of a 12-year-old boy's perspective in telling a major part of the"rural noir" narrative is an inspired device, as it brings an innocence of perception, while at the same time placing the character in a position to acquire information which may not have presented itself to an adult observer.
The character of Mick is also complex and intriguing. He's been unfairly scapegoated for the failure of a major investigation in Sydney (a barely-veiled facsimile of the still unsolved Wanda Beach murders of 1965) to identify a perpetrator. He's a conflicted and unhappy man - not only has his career nosedived, but his marriage has failed and he's been unable to maintain sufficient contact with his teenage daughter. Despite the challenges, his friendship with Hal and his tenacity in pursuing the troubling events in Moorabool seem to be the start of a redemptive process for him. I hope he'll be a recurring character in future books by Woodland, as there's an awful lot of potential there to be explored.
This was a well-written and engrossing rural psychological thriller / crime novel - the sometimes languid pace was used cleverly, both to echo the setting and to highlight the creeping atmosphere of malice. The dramatic conclusion, while a little lurid, was fitting and satisfying. There are references to animal cruelty, including two descriptive scenes, however I would encourage all but the most squeamish readers to give The Night Whistler a chance, as it's a cracking new addition to the Australian crime fiction scene.
My thanks to the author, Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title.
I'll admit I was initially somewhat reluctant to read The Night Whistler, based on the references to animal cruelty in the blurb. I'm happy to read about fictional human characters doing just about anything to each other, but baulk at any harm being done to defenceless creatures. However, based upon the early reviews I read, I decided to throw myself into the book anyway, and I'm so glad I did!
12-year-old Hal Humphries and his younger brother Evan have recently moved to the (fictional) town of Moorabool in northern NSW with their parents, and are curiously exploring the local surroundings during their summer holidays. They're shocked one day to discover the brutalised remains of a German Shepherd dog near a creekbed behind their home. Meanwhile, disgraced former Sydney detective, Mick Goodenough ("pronounced Good-no, as in No-Good backwards."), demoted to the rank of Probationary Constable in this rural backwater, realises his juvenile pet dog, Charlie, is missing.
The story unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Hal and Mick as, first separately and then as an unusual team, they investigate a series of strange occurrences in Moorabool. Not only have people's pets been disappearing over the past 18 months, only to be found dead and brutally disfigured, but there's been a mysterious break-in at the local Council offices and Hal's mother is being harrassed with menacing phone calls while his Dad's away on business. Mick's bemused by his senior officer, Sergeant Jeff Bradley's disinclination to take any of this very seriously, together with his attempts to belittle Mick at every opportunity.
Events take a dramatic turn when Hal stumbles across the body of a local Aboriginal woman inside an abandoned caravan, said by many locals to be haunted by the family who died there decades before.
Greg Woodland's writing evokes what I imagine to be an accurate portrayal of the mood of mid-1960s rural Australia - social conservatism, small-minded xenophobia and systemic racism directed towards the local indigenous population. Having grown up in rural NSW myself, albeit a couple of decades later than the setting of this book, I felt transported back to those endless scorching summers, well before the distractions of mobile phones and computer-based games.
The central and supporting characters are all well-developed and convincing, although at times Mick's sergeant's demeanor verges on the absurd. The author's use of a 12-year-old boy's perspective in telling a major part of the"rural noir" narrative is an inspired device, as it brings an innocence of perception, while at the same time placing the character in a position to acquire information which may not have presented itself to an adult observer.
The character of Mick is also complex and intriguing. He's been unfairly scapegoated for the failure of a major investigation in Sydney (a barely-veiled facsimile of the still unsolved Wanda Beach murders of 1965) to identify a perpetrator. He's a conflicted and unhappy man - not only has his career nosedived, but his marriage has failed and he's been unable to maintain sufficient contact with his teenage daughter. Despite the challenges, his friendship with Hal and his tenacity in pursuing the troubling events in Moorabool seem to be the start of a redemptive process for him. I hope he'll be a recurring character in future books by Woodland, as there's an awful lot of potential there to be explored.
This was a well-written and engrossing rural psychological thriller / crime novel - the sometimes languid pace was used cleverly, both to echo the setting and to highlight the creeping atmosphere of malice. The dramatic conclusion, while a little lurid, was fitting and satisfying. There are references to animal cruelty, including two descriptive scenes, however I would encourage all but the most squeamish readers to give The Night Whistler a chance, as it's a cracking new addition to the Australian crime fiction scene.
My thanks to the author, Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this title.
August 9, 2020
Australian thriller published 2020.
I’ve been on a roll lately so many excellent thrillers by, to me, unknown Australian authors and this is no exception. If this is Greg Woodland’s first effort I can’t wait for the next one.
The setting is Australia and even if you didn’t know this before hand, the land, the people, the heat, the flies, the language and the humour will leave you in no doubt.
Set in the mid sixties this is the story of a disgraced, at least in the eyes of his peers, police officer who goes by the name of Goodenough, pronounced Goodeno. This will give you an idea of the kind of tongue in cheek humour to expect. There is also, young Hal, a teenage boy, who has a very enquiring mind that often gets him into trouble. Hal’s dad is on the road a lot and Hal feels it’s his place to look after his mum and little brother.
Dead, mutilated, pets have been turning up of late but the local constabulary couldn’t care less. Except, that is, for Constable Goodenough who can’t help but feel that there is a potential psychopath out there just waiting to step up to the next level, the next level being people.
At the same time Hal’s mother starts getting really freaky phone calls from a male person who, for the most part, doesn’t say much but just whistles ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ a popular Elvis Presley tune of the day that just happens to be Hal’s dads favourite song.
Hal’s mum tells the police about the calls but once again the local police are not interested “it’s just a nut case there’s no need to get overly worried about it. Just ignore it and he’ll get bored” is the advice she is given.
Once again constable Goodenough is not so sure, all these dead animals and now this crank caller. Something is seriously wrong in Moorabool.
This is a seriously entertaining reading. The conjured up atmosphere of a small country town in Australia on the brink of mayhem will linger in your head for some time to come.
I’m ready for the next one Greg.
A highly recommended 4 star read
With thanks to Text publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I’ve been on a roll lately so many excellent thrillers by, to me, unknown Australian authors and this is no exception. If this is Greg Woodland’s first effort I can’t wait for the next one.
The setting is Australia and even if you didn’t know this before hand, the land, the people, the heat, the flies, the language and the humour will leave you in no doubt.
Set in the mid sixties this is the story of a disgraced, at least in the eyes of his peers, police officer who goes by the name of Goodenough, pronounced Goodeno. This will give you an idea of the kind of tongue in cheek humour to expect. There is also, young Hal, a teenage boy, who has a very enquiring mind that often gets him into trouble. Hal’s dad is on the road a lot and Hal feels it’s his place to look after his mum and little brother.
Dead, mutilated, pets have been turning up of late but the local constabulary couldn’t care less. Except, that is, for Constable Goodenough who can’t help but feel that there is a potential psychopath out there just waiting to step up to the next level, the next level being people.
At the same time Hal’s mother starts getting really freaky phone calls from a male person who, for the most part, doesn’t say much but just whistles ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ a popular Elvis Presley tune of the day that just happens to be Hal’s dads favourite song.
Hal’s mum tells the police about the calls but once again the local police are not interested “it’s just a nut case there’s no need to get overly worried about it. Just ignore it and he’ll get bored” is the advice she is given.
Once again constable Goodenough is not so sure, all these dead animals and now this crank caller. Something is seriously wrong in Moorabool.
This is a seriously entertaining reading. The conjured up atmosphere of a small country town in Australia on the brink of mayhem will linger in your head for some time to come.
I’m ready for the next one Greg.
A highly recommended 4 star read
With thanks to Text publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 2, 2021
⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
The Night Whistler was distinctly an Australian crime story set in the 1960’s in Moorabool, regional Victoria. The characters are extraordinary and memorable in this gripping murder mystery.
Detective Mick Goodenough has been demoted from Sydney and banished to this hick rural town as a constable on probation. Eighteen and a half years ago there was a family murder-suicide that stunned the town and the creepy ancient caravan the murders occured in is still sitting vacant on a ridge.
Mick together with twelve year old Hal are the narrators for this story and they come together when Hal’s mum begins to receive menacing phone calls from an unknown person. Hal and his young brother, Evan find a mutilated dog that has been tortured to death and soon after more of the locals pets start disappearing and eventually dead bodies begin to turn up.
With violence, racism, adultery, kidnapping, corruption and murder, there is never a dull moment in this small town.
I loved the detail, the Aussie slang and funny phrases like ‘fine as a fairy’s fart’ and 'her teeth parted and another bray escaped.' The murderer reveal, well that was a surprise! This was an excellent debut novel from Greg Woodland and a highly recommended read.
I wish to thank NetGalley & Text Publishing for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review
The Night Whistler was distinctly an Australian crime story set in the 1960’s in Moorabool, regional Victoria. The characters are extraordinary and memorable in this gripping murder mystery.
Detective Mick Goodenough has been demoted from Sydney and banished to this hick rural town as a constable on probation. Eighteen and a half years ago there was a family murder-suicide that stunned the town and the creepy ancient caravan the murders occured in is still sitting vacant on a ridge.
Mick together with twelve year old Hal are the narrators for this story and they come together when Hal’s mum begins to receive menacing phone calls from an unknown person. Hal and his young brother, Evan find a mutilated dog that has been tortured to death and soon after more of the locals pets start disappearing and eventually dead bodies begin to turn up.
With violence, racism, adultery, kidnapping, corruption and murder, there is never a dull moment in this small town.
I loved the detail, the Aussie slang and funny phrases like ‘fine as a fairy’s fart’ and 'her teeth parted and another bray escaped.' The murderer reveal, well that was a surprise! This was an excellent debut novel from Greg Woodland and a highly recommended read.
I wish to thank NetGalley & Text Publishing for an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review
July 27, 2020
Excellent new addition to the growing Australian rural noir category. This book sits right alongside Scrublands and Peace as a great rural thriller.
Set in 1966, Hal is a boy on the cusp of becoming a teenager. His family have just moved to a small country town and he feels very much an outsider. Then there is Mick, nearly forty, he has been demoted as a Detective Sergeant and banished to a country, backwater for supposedly being obstinate and unmanageable.
These two are drawn together when an unknown person starts torturing and killing pets. Possibly the same person that keeps telephoning Hal's mother and whistling the tune "Are You Lonesome Tonight' then whispering threats to her.
Nothing is as it first appears and both Hal and Mick are drawn further and further in. Who is playing games with them? Who can they trust in this town that is new to them both? Where will it end?
Highly recommended, thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Set in 1966, Hal is a boy on the cusp of becoming a teenager. His family have just moved to a small country town and he feels very much an outsider. Then there is Mick, nearly forty, he has been demoted as a Detective Sergeant and banished to a country, backwater for supposedly being obstinate and unmanageable.
These two are drawn together when an unknown person starts torturing and killing pets. Possibly the same person that keeps telephoning Hal's mother and whistling the tune "Are You Lonesome Tonight' then whispering threats to her.
Nothing is as it first appears and both Hal and Mick are drawn further and further in. Who is playing games with them? Who can they trust in this town that is new to them both? Where will it end?
Highly recommended, thank you Text Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2020
*https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Greg Woodland has delivered a gritty, dark and nostalgic, small-town crime thriller in his debut, The Night Whistler.
Set in country Australia during the summer of 1966. Twelve year old Hal and his family have recently moved to Moorabool for his father's job as Sales Rep for Prime Foods.
At a time when kids jumped on their bikes and spent their days looking for adventure, Hal and his brother come across the body of a mutilated dog.
Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. Mick is on probabtion, demoted and sent to this small backwater town as punishment. After finding his pet dog mutilated and then being brushed off by his superior Mick decides to do some investigating of his own. He knows animal mutilation is a predecessor to murdering people. As Mick tries to investigate the killing he is stopped at every turn by his superior.
Hal's mother starts to receive anonymous phone calls from a man whistling a tune. As Hal's father is away with work Hal assumes the role of head of the family and to protect his mother and brother he is determined to expose The Whistler.
The Night Whistler is filled with police cover-ups, bullying, racism, shonky council dealings, lazy policing and red-herrings making this small-town crime thriller a compelling read that is at times nostalgic and at other times spine-chilling.
*I received a copy from the publisher
Greg Woodland has delivered a gritty, dark and nostalgic, small-town crime thriller in his debut, The Night Whistler.
Set in country Australia during the summer of 1966. Twelve year old Hal and his family have recently moved to Moorabool for his father's job as Sales Rep for Prime Foods.
At a time when kids jumped on their bikes and spent their days looking for adventure, Hal and his brother come across the body of a mutilated dog.
Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. Mick is on probabtion, demoted and sent to this small backwater town as punishment. After finding his pet dog mutilated and then being brushed off by his superior Mick decides to do some investigating of his own. He knows animal mutilation is a predecessor to murdering people. As Mick tries to investigate the killing he is stopped at every turn by his superior.
Hal's mother starts to receive anonymous phone calls from a man whistling a tune. As Hal's father is away with work Hal assumes the role of head of the family and to protect his mother and brother he is determined to expose The Whistler.
The Night Whistler is filled with police cover-ups, bullying, racism, shonky council dealings, lazy policing and red-herrings making this small-town crime thriller a compelling read that is at times nostalgic and at other times spine-chilling.
*I received a copy from the publisher
July 22, 2020
It is definitely no secret that I am a crime and thriller girl. And I love a good Aussie crime book. The Night Whistler had me excited and it lived up to my expectations. I loved this clever and twisty police procedural set in 1966. I do hope this is the start of a series as ai think that the main police officer Mick has a lot more to tell us.
Hal and Evan are new to the small NSW town of Moorabool. One day playing near the local creek the find the mutilated body of a dog. It is a horrific find and they do their best to give it a burial . Also new to town is Constable Mick Goodenough. He has been demoted as a detective from his Sydney station for reasons unknown. Hi so dog is missing, and finds a pattern of animals being killed. Nobody is taking this seriously but he knows from experience that it’s is the sign of a serial killer beginning. At the same time Hal’s mother Corrie is getting mystery calls with somebody whistling and threatening her.
This story will have you engrossed from the beginning and I read this quickly. Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
Hal and Evan are new to the small NSW town of Moorabool. One day playing near the local creek the find the mutilated body of a dog. It is a horrific find and they do their best to give it a burial . Also new to town is Constable Mick Goodenough. He has been demoted as a detective from his Sydney station for reasons unknown. Hi so dog is missing, and finds a pattern of animals being killed. Nobody is taking this seriously but he knows from experience that it’s is the sign of a serial killer beginning. At the same time Hal’s mother Corrie is getting mystery calls with somebody whistling and threatening her.
This story will have you engrossed from the beginning and I read this quickly. Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.
August 4, 2020
Rating: 5 thrilling debut stars
Author Greg Woodland has struck debut gold with this his first published book! This is a fine example of the recently popular Australian rural noir genre. Set in rural Australia in the 1960’s, Overland has skillfully captured this specific time and place. He is also spot on with his characters, young and old alike. In addition, this is a hum-dinger of a thriller. Fair warning though, there are disturbing scenes of animal mutilation.
In 1966, John and Corrie Humphries along with their children, Hal (12) and Evan (8), move to the small town of Morabool (population 3,500) in rural New South Wales. They have moved there for John’s job as a traveling salesman. Police Constable Mick Goodenough (pronounced ‘good no’) is banished to the boonies of Morabool at about the same time. It is clearly a demotion for him after an incident that occurred while he was working on the Sydney police force.
As they are exploring their new environs, Hal and Evan stumble upon the mutilated remains of a dog. They soon find out that the dog belonged to Mick Goodenough. Not only the fact that his dog was killed, but also the manner of the killing, disturbs Mick. As more animals turn up mutilated, he knows that a killer is honing his skills on animals and may soon move on to human victims. However, Mick’s new boss will not listen to Mick’s concerns.
Hal and his new tomboy pal, Allie start their own investigation. They want to figure out who is calling Hal’s Mom when his Dad is out of town. The caller whistles the tune "Are You Lonesome Tonight' then whispering threats to her. They work to figure this out, and try to find out who is killing the animals.
Hal and Mick each narrate their segments of the story. Neither of them understand that nothing is at it seems in Morabool. Who can be trusted? Can anyone be trusted? What secrets is this small town hiding? The ending was quite a surprise! This was a wonderful combination of a coming-of-age story, and a thrilling murder mystery.
I hope that this is the first in a series. I would love to read more about Mick, and learn his backstory. I would recommend this for enthusiast of gritty thrillers. Again, I just need to state my warning about the animal mutilations. I know that can be a trigger from some readers. If you can get past that, you are in for quite a treat from this new author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
Author Greg Woodland has struck debut gold with this his first published book! This is a fine example of the recently popular Australian rural noir genre. Set in rural Australia in the 1960’s, Overland has skillfully captured this specific time and place. He is also spot on with his characters, young and old alike. In addition, this is a hum-dinger of a thriller. Fair warning though, there are disturbing scenes of animal mutilation.
In 1966, John and Corrie Humphries along with their children, Hal (12) and Evan (8), move to the small town of Morabool (population 3,500) in rural New South Wales. They have moved there for John’s job as a traveling salesman. Police Constable Mick Goodenough (pronounced ‘good no’) is banished to the boonies of Morabool at about the same time. It is clearly a demotion for him after an incident that occurred while he was working on the Sydney police force.
As they are exploring their new environs, Hal and Evan stumble upon the mutilated remains of a dog. They soon find out that the dog belonged to Mick Goodenough. Not only the fact that his dog was killed, but also the manner of the killing, disturbs Mick. As more animals turn up mutilated, he knows that a killer is honing his skills on animals and may soon move on to human victims. However, Mick’s new boss will not listen to Mick’s concerns.
Hal and his new tomboy pal, Allie start their own investigation. They want to figure out who is calling Hal’s Mom when his Dad is out of town. The caller whistles the tune "Are You Lonesome Tonight' then whispering threats to her. They work to figure this out, and try to find out who is killing the animals.
Hal and Mick each narrate their segments of the story. Neither of them understand that nothing is at it seems in Morabool. Who can be trusted? Can anyone be trusted? What secrets is this small town hiding? The ending was quite a surprise! This was a wonderful combination of a coming-of-age story, and a thrilling murder mystery.
I hope that this is the first in a series. I would love to read more about Mick, and learn his backstory. I would recommend this for enthusiast of gritty thrillers. Again, I just need to state my warning about the animal mutilations. I know that can be a trigger from some readers. If you can get past that, you are in for quite a treat from this new author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
December 20, 2020
The latest in aussie-noir crime is Greg Woodland’s ‘The Night Whistler’. Set in a small town in rural Australia in 1966, the local police have an easy time managing law and order. A woman and her two small children have a stalker. The police aren’t concerned and tell her not to worry, as it’s only a snowdropper. Dead pets keep turning up and an out of favour former detective is the only one who is concerned. A quintessential Australian crime genre, with laconic lifestyle and danger lurking beneath the surface. A real gem of a story and worthy five-star rating – highly recommended.
March 31, 2021
In the summer of 1966, young Hal and his family have just moved to small town Moorabool, Australia. His mother is struggling with the transition, especially since his dad will often be on the road for work.
Hal and his little brother Evan explore a creek near their home where an old camper remains - the only piece left of the haunting story of a man who killed his family while living there two decades ago and a son who escaped, never to be heard from again.
The chilling story isn’t the only thing to haunt the boys: they find the mutilated corpse of a dog nearby.
Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough is also new to Moorabool, demoted from his position as detective in the city (thanks to a vague issue involving bureaucracy) and now on high alert after finding one of this three German Shepherds dead from obvious torture and mutilation. His experience tells him that the person who did this is practicing before graduating to human torture.
Hal and Mick eventually meet after Hal’s mother begins receiving late night calls from a man they call the Whistler. The man will whistle a tune and sometimes whisper something sinister before hanging up. Soon though, it appears he’s also been creeping around the house in the dark.
The Moorabool police shrug off the caller as a nuisance/peeping tom but Mick takes the threat seriously. He strikes up a friendship with young Hal and together the two keep track of clues left behind by the Whistler while Mick investigates a string of animal deaths over the past 18 months.
When the body of a local woman is discovered tortured and mutilated at the camper by the creek, suspicion lands close to home when authorities learn Hal’s dad was having an affair with the woman.
Together the unlikely partners are in a race to find the real killer before he strikes again.
The Night Whistler was a fantastic thriller! I loved the small town atmosphere, the friendship between Hal and Mick, and the coming-of-age story arc for Hal. The clues kept me racing through pages and guessing up until the reveal! This isn’t just a procedural investigation or an average thriller; it takes a look at family dynamics and police conspiracy with the wisdom of Mick's experience and Hal's coming of age innocence.
Strong trigger warning for graphic animal and human violence (descriptions of mutilation, torture) but it isn’t gratuitous, it is matter-of-fact and gives insight into the profile of a killer.
The Night Whistler is atmospheric, chilling, and well-written. I recommend this to readers who enjoy mystery/thriller.
Thanks to Text Publishing and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Night Whistler is scheduled for paperback release on May 11, 2021.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Hal and his little brother Evan explore a creek near their home where an old camper remains - the only piece left of the haunting story of a man who killed his family while living there two decades ago and a son who escaped, never to be heard from again.
The chilling story isn’t the only thing to haunt the boys: they find the mutilated corpse of a dog nearby.
Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough is also new to Moorabool, demoted from his position as detective in the city (thanks to a vague issue involving bureaucracy) and now on high alert after finding one of this three German Shepherds dead from obvious torture and mutilation. His experience tells him that the person who did this is practicing before graduating to human torture.
Hal and Mick eventually meet after Hal’s mother begins receiving late night calls from a man they call the Whistler. The man will whistle a tune and sometimes whisper something sinister before hanging up. Soon though, it appears he’s also been creeping around the house in the dark.
The Moorabool police shrug off the caller as a nuisance/peeping tom but Mick takes the threat seriously. He strikes up a friendship with young Hal and together the two keep track of clues left behind by the Whistler while Mick investigates a string of animal deaths over the past 18 months.
When the body of a local woman is discovered tortured and mutilated at the camper by the creek, suspicion lands close to home when authorities learn Hal’s dad was having an affair with the woman.
Together the unlikely partners are in a race to find the real killer before he strikes again.
The Night Whistler was a fantastic thriller! I loved the small town atmosphere, the friendship between Hal and Mick, and the coming-of-age story arc for Hal. The clues kept me racing through pages and guessing up until the reveal! This isn’t just a procedural investigation or an average thriller; it takes a look at family dynamics and police conspiracy with the wisdom of Mick's experience and Hal's coming of age innocence.
Strong trigger warning for graphic animal and human violence (descriptions of mutilation, torture) but it isn’t gratuitous, it is matter-of-fact and gives insight into the profile of a killer.
The Night Whistler is atmospheric, chilling, and well-written. I recommend this to readers who enjoy mystery/thriller.
Thanks to Text Publishing and Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Night Whistler is scheduled for paperback release on May 11, 2021.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
November 10, 2021
Sunday ended in a typical Moorabool sticky summer evening, traces of pink clouds in the orange sky, not a whisper of rain. Pop music blared out of a transistor radio and meat sizzled on the barbeque as Hal’s dad poked at a sausage and drank his beer. On the vacant block, Hal and Evan were kicking the football with Doug…
In his debut novel, author Greg Woodland delivers a chilling tale of the uglier side of Australia beneath the façade of a country town in the New England region of northern New South Wales. Set in the (southern) summer of 1966-67 (prior to computers and mobile phones), the Humphries family, John and Corrie and their sons Hal, twelve and Evan, eight, have relocated to Moorabool from Sydney, John gaining a job there through his mate Doug, who was raised in the area.
From the start there are tensions between neighbours, jealousies, racial slurs by whites for Aboriginals, matched by a general mistrust of the police by the indigenous community. Into the mix, a Sydney detective, Mick Goodenough, demoted to probationary constable after a murder investigation went sour, a gloomy caravan said to be haunted after a family murder-suicide, and a psycho stalking the area, torturing then killing family pets.
It is the boys who find the German shepherd and hastily cover it with branches, subsequently found by PC Goodenough, who establishes a rapport with Hal. With his father away, his mother receives late night phone calls from “The Night Whistler”, asking – who do you want me to kill next? The local police are unhelpful/inept, and even a straightforward break-in at the council chambers, where confidential planning documents have gone missing, is not all it seems. With the killer escalating to bigger game, Hal plays amateur detective with local girl, Allie, becoming a target himself.
This was one book I found hard to put down, though overseas readers may struggle with the Australian humour and vernacular.
In his debut novel, author Greg Woodland delivers a chilling tale of the uglier side of Australia beneath the façade of a country town in the New England region of northern New South Wales. Set in the (southern) summer of 1966-67 (prior to computers and mobile phones), the Humphries family, John and Corrie and their sons Hal, twelve and Evan, eight, have relocated to Moorabool from Sydney, John gaining a job there through his mate Doug, who was raised in the area.
From the start there are tensions between neighbours, jealousies, racial slurs by whites for Aboriginals, matched by a general mistrust of the police by the indigenous community. Into the mix, a Sydney detective, Mick Goodenough, demoted to probationary constable after a murder investigation went sour, a gloomy caravan said to be haunted after a family murder-suicide, and a psycho stalking the area, torturing then killing family pets.
It is the boys who find the German shepherd and hastily cover it with branches, subsequently found by PC Goodenough, who establishes a rapport with Hal. With his father away, his mother receives late night phone calls from “The Night Whistler”, asking – who do you want me to kill next? The local police are unhelpful/inept, and even a straightforward break-in at the council chambers, where confidential planning documents have gone missing, is not all it seems. With the killer escalating to bigger game, Hal plays amateur detective with local girl, Allie, becoming a target himself.
This was one book I found hard to put down, though overseas readers may struggle with the Australian humour and vernacular.
August 9, 2020
The Night Whistler was a captivating murder mystery novel written by Greg Woodland, and the fact it was his debut makes it all the more impressive. Set in the late 1960's in the small Australian town of Moorabool, I particularly enjoyed the sense of time and place the author created.
Mind you, regional Australia was not cast in the most positive light. The Aboriginals in the township were treated poorly and discrimination was accepted as the norm. Infidelity was common and the police were worse than incompetent. Being set in the 1960's readers got a glimpse of pre-technology Australia. A time when the man of the house seemingly ruled the roost. When, after a boozy social event the man would get behind the wheel of his prized vehicle and drive the wife and kids home, without the benefit of seatbelts. Unfortunately, many of these things are taken straight from the pages of our history.
I digress, these were some of the things that created a genuine atmosphere and painted a picture of the fabric of society. Even though they were not all positive they helped set the scene for the murder mystery.
The title of the book, The Night Whistler, was a reference to a crank caller. An anonymous male who phoned the Humphries home, whistling a tune and sending messages designed to scare the family. When said caller escalated his behavior and started prowling the home at night, looking in windows many of the police were blasé.
Whilst there were many characters in the story the two main characters were Hal Humphries, a twelve year old boy and Mick Goodenough, currently a probationary constable at the Moorabool police station. Both Mick & Hal had vested interests in identifying the culprit. Mick had previously been a detective on a high profile murder case but as punishment for an indiscretion was sent to Moorabool. Soon after arriving in Moorabool, one of his dogs was savagely murdered but his colleagues were not interested. With his detective background he knew psychopathic killers often start with animals and progress to humans. Hal on the other hand just wants his family to be safe. With his father often away on work as a travelling salesman, Hal is the man of the house. When most police showed no interest he didn't know what he could do to protect his mother and younger brother. It was then Hal and Mick managed to join forces and this was central to the story.
One of the things I liked most was the friendship that developed between Hal and Allie a young aboriginal girl. Hal was not tainted with the same prejudice against aboriginals other's in the township had and they enjoyed spending time together. There was one episode where the friendship was tested and Hal failed badly, stooping to the lows others regularly displayed and calling her a derogatory name. It was refreshing to see how distraught he felt over his behavior and I was glad that by the end of the book they had reconciled.
I'd have to say, this book did contain more violence than I'd normally be comfortable with. Ugly acts against both animals and people were described so that was confronting for me but I'll admit I have a low threshold for violence so it may not disturb other readers. The violence was not excessive and definitely helped build the tension and a feeling of urgency to locate the killer. As I was reading I had a hunch I may know the identity of the killer but at no stage did I guess at the reason. It all came together at the end and I am pleased to have discovered this new Aussie author.
My thanks to Greg Woodland, Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mind you, regional Australia was not cast in the most positive light. The Aboriginals in the township were treated poorly and discrimination was accepted as the norm. Infidelity was common and the police were worse than incompetent. Being set in the 1960's readers got a glimpse of pre-technology Australia. A time when the man of the house seemingly ruled the roost. When, after a boozy social event the man would get behind the wheel of his prized vehicle and drive the wife and kids home, without the benefit of seatbelts. Unfortunately, many of these things are taken straight from the pages of our history.
I digress, these were some of the things that created a genuine atmosphere and painted a picture of the fabric of society. Even though they were not all positive they helped set the scene for the murder mystery.
The title of the book, The Night Whistler, was a reference to a crank caller. An anonymous male who phoned the Humphries home, whistling a tune and sending messages designed to scare the family. When said caller escalated his behavior and started prowling the home at night, looking in windows many of the police were blasé.
‘What’s he actually done to these people? Couple of nuisance calls, pinched some washing—’.... ‘He’s a snowdropper, Mick. We’ve had them before. They’re show ponies. Want your attention. You don’t give it to them, they get tired of it and go. Away.’
Whilst there were many characters in the story the two main characters were Hal Humphries, a twelve year old boy and Mick Goodenough, currently a probationary constable at the Moorabool police station. Both Mick & Hal had vested interests in identifying the culprit. Mick had previously been a detective on a high profile murder case but as punishment for an indiscretion was sent to Moorabool. Soon after arriving in Moorabool, one of his dogs was savagely murdered but his colleagues were not interested. With his detective background he knew psychopathic killers often start with animals and progress to humans. Hal on the other hand just wants his family to be safe. With his father often away on work as a travelling salesman, Hal is the man of the house. When most police showed no interest he didn't know what he could do to protect his mother and younger brother. It was then Hal and Mick managed to join forces and this was central to the story.
One of the things I liked most was the friendship that developed between Hal and Allie a young aboriginal girl. Hal was not tainted with the same prejudice against aboriginals other's in the township had and they enjoyed spending time together. There was one episode where the friendship was tested and Hal failed badly, stooping to the lows others regularly displayed and calling her a derogatory name. It was refreshing to see how distraught he felt over his behavior and I was glad that by the end of the book they had reconciled.
I'd have to say, this book did contain more violence than I'd normally be comfortable with. Ugly acts against both animals and people were described so that was confronting for me but I'll admit I have a low threshold for violence so it may not disturb other readers. The violence was not excessive and definitely helped build the tension and a feeling of urgency to locate the killer. As I was reading I had a hunch I may know the identity of the killer but at no stage did I guess at the reason. It all came together at the end and I am pleased to have discovered this new Aussie author.
My thanks to Greg Woodland, Text Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2020
What a nice surprise package that was! The story centres around the Humphries family - John, Corrie and their children Hal (12) and Evan (8); and also probationary constable Mick Goodenough - a disgraced former Detective Sargent from Sydney sent to the backwater of Moorabool as a ‘probie’ for his sins. We don’t actually learn what those sins are but if there is another book there may be some clarification. The book is set in 1966 in a small New South Wales town in Australia. It evokes a sense of time and place really well.
Moorabool is rocked by a series of violent crimes and Corrie Humphries is getting nuisance calls where the phone pest whistles a tune. Unfortunately he gets increasingly threatening. Hal thinks he knows who the whistler is and enlists the help of Mick Goodenough on this and other crazy theories he has. Mick has his own concerns with links to a gruesome double murder in Sydney a few years ago which had a lot to do with his banishment. However Mick is labouring under the derision and uselessness of his colleagues. Sargent Bradley in particular seems reluctant to investigate anything at all. Is he just lazy? Or is he possibly hiding something?
I have to say the start was quite slow but then it got really interesting and surprisingly dramatic. The other thing to note is the treatment of Indigenous Australians in this story. The racism is quite blatant and reflects how it really was in that era, especially in rural areas. It must be noted that it was not until the following year (1967) that First Nations people became acknowledged as citizens (and were given the vote) in the country they had been custodians of for tens of thousands of years. It’s hard to believe now, I know. In the end this was a heartwarming story, with enough dramatic twists, in which Hal grew up far too quickly and Mick Goodenough got, well, I really shouldn’t say. It was interesting, very Australian and dramatic enough to keep you glued to the pages. My final rating is 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley, Text Publishing and Greg Woodland for providing this book for review purposes..
Moorabool is rocked by a series of violent crimes and Corrie Humphries is getting nuisance calls where the phone pest whistles a tune. Unfortunately he gets increasingly threatening. Hal thinks he knows who the whistler is and enlists the help of Mick Goodenough on this and other crazy theories he has. Mick has his own concerns with links to a gruesome double murder in Sydney a few years ago which had a lot to do with his banishment. However Mick is labouring under the derision and uselessness of his colleagues. Sargent Bradley in particular seems reluctant to investigate anything at all. Is he just lazy? Or is he possibly hiding something?
I have to say the start was quite slow but then it got really interesting and surprisingly dramatic. The other thing to note is the treatment of Indigenous Australians in this story. The racism is quite blatant and reflects how it really was in that era, especially in rural areas. It must be noted that it was not until the following year (1967) that First Nations people became acknowledged as citizens (and were given the vote) in the country they had been custodians of for tens of thousands of years. It’s hard to believe now, I know. In the end this was a heartwarming story, with enough dramatic twists, in which Hal grew up far too quickly and Mick Goodenough got, well, I really shouldn’t say. It was interesting, very Australian and dramatic enough to keep you glued to the pages. My final rating is 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Netgalley, Text Publishing and Greg Woodland for providing this book for review purposes..
August 4, 2020
4.5★s
The Night Whistler is the first novel by Australian author, Greg Woodland. The dog has been cruelly killed, and the boys are shocked, but there by the creek Hal and his little brother, Evan can’t dig a grave, so they cover it with leaves. When Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough tracks down his missing Alsatian cross, he feels sickened, but from the mutilations he can see it immediately for what it is, and takes careful note.
His rank of Probationary Constable belies his knowledge and experience as a former Detective Sergeant with Homicide in the city, and Mick recognises the makings of a psychopath when he sees them. His sergeant at Moorabool Police Station, Jeff Bradley is quite comfortable in his niche and isn’t going to let a blow-in from Sydney tell him how and what to investigate: this is 1966 and that fancy new psychological rubbish has no place in his rural New England town.
Twelve-year-old Hal Humphries, Evan and his mum are new in town; dad’s going to be on the road out west with his sales supervisor job, but one of his colleagues at Prime Foods is keeping an eye in the Humphries family. But that doesn’t prevent the crank calls they’re getting: someone whistling, heavy breathing and saying disturbing things. Mum is upset, especially when there seems to be a prowler near the house at night, but Sergeant Bradley is dismissive….
Mick Goodenough is concerned, though, even more so when the harassment steps up and another mutilated animal is involved. And if he can’t get Bradley to take it seriously, he’ll just have to do it himself, in between the time-wasting chores his boss earmarks for his attention.
Australian rural crime fiction is becoming a very popular genre, and this one is a gem. Woodland easily captures the setting and era: the bush, the heat and the flies are almost palpable; the indolence of the long school holidays in the Australian summer, when childrearing was the polar opposite of helicopter parents and kids roamed free, will strike a cheery chord with many; the time when beer was the refreshment of choice, even at the police station, and when racism was blatant, is less likely to induce nostalgia.
Woodland gives the reader a plot that brims with tension and malice; red herrings and distractions have the reader flitting between likely perpetrators until the pennies finally drop and the story races headlong into a nail-biting climax. His characters are likeable or despicable as required; bespectacled, underestimated Hal and quietly intelligent Mick make a great team. This is an excellent debut novel from an author to watch, and more of Mick Goodenough will be most welcome. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing
The Night Whistler is the first novel by Australian author, Greg Woodland. The dog has been cruelly killed, and the boys are shocked, but there by the creek Hal and his little brother, Evan can’t dig a grave, so they cover it with leaves. When Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough tracks down his missing Alsatian cross, he feels sickened, but from the mutilations he can see it immediately for what it is, and takes careful note.
His rank of Probationary Constable belies his knowledge and experience as a former Detective Sergeant with Homicide in the city, and Mick recognises the makings of a psychopath when he sees them. His sergeant at Moorabool Police Station, Jeff Bradley is quite comfortable in his niche and isn’t going to let a blow-in from Sydney tell him how and what to investigate: this is 1966 and that fancy new psychological rubbish has no place in his rural New England town.
Twelve-year-old Hal Humphries, Evan and his mum are new in town; dad’s going to be on the road out west with his sales supervisor job, but one of his colleagues at Prime Foods is keeping an eye in the Humphries family. But that doesn’t prevent the crank calls they’re getting: someone whistling, heavy breathing and saying disturbing things. Mum is upset, especially when there seems to be a prowler near the house at night, but Sergeant Bradley is dismissive….
Mick Goodenough is concerned, though, even more so when the harassment steps up and another mutilated animal is involved. And if he can’t get Bradley to take it seriously, he’ll just have to do it himself, in between the time-wasting chores his boss earmarks for his attention.
Australian rural crime fiction is becoming a very popular genre, and this one is a gem. Woodland easily captures the setting and era: the bush, the heat and the flies are almost palpable; the indolence of the long school holidays in the Australian summer, when childrearing was the polar opposite of helicopter parents and kids roamed free, will strike a cheery chord with many; the time when beer was the refreshment of choice, even at the police station, and when racism was blatant, is less likely to induce nostalgia.
Woodland gives the reader a plot that brims with tension and malice; red herrings and distractions have the reader flitting between likely perpetrators until the pennies finally drop and the story races headlong into a nail-biting climax. His characters are likeable or despicable as required; bespectacled, underestimated Hal and quietly intelligent Mick make a great team. This is an excellent debut novel from an author to watch, and more of Mick Goodenough will be most welcome. Highly recommended!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Text Publishing
August 7, 2020
The Night Whistler is an impressive rural crime fiction debut from award-winning screen writer/director Greg Woodland.
Set in the summer of 1996/1967, in a small country town in the New England District of NSW, The Night Whistler begins when newcomer twelve year old Hal and his younger brother, stumble across a dog, with its skull crushed and throat slit, stuffed in a barrel near a derelict caravan. Situated near a creek Hal dubs ‘The Crack in the World’, the caravan is a source of fascination for the boy, particularly when he learns of its macabre history and the evil spirits said to dwell there from new friend Ali. But it’s not ghosts that worry Hal, it’s whoever is prowling around their yard late at night while his father is travelling for work, and making anonymous phone calls to his mother, whistling ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’. A mystery Hal, who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, is determined to solve.
Sharing the narrative with Hal is Constable Michael Goodenough (pronounced good-no), a disgraced Sydney homicide detective demoted and exiled to Moorabool, he is the only officer concerned by the violent death of several pets, and the incidents plaguing Hal’s family. His experience tells him the two may be connected but his lazy and venal colleagues seem determined to brush them off as harmless incidents.
Woodland takes his time to set the scene, his experience in film writing coming to the fore in creating a vivid sense of time and place. With broad but precise strokes he brings the town of Moorabool and its residents to life, before delving into its many secrets.
Hal and Goodenough work well as a team, the contrast between the fierce and idealistic boy, and the world weary Mick engaging. I’d like to see Goodenough again, though clearly struggling with the reason for the recent implosion of his career, an impending divorce, and separation from his daughter, he is a good man, and a good police officer, who can’t ignore his instincts.
As the violence escalates and the mysteries deepen, so too does the tension. My heart was in my mouth during the last quarter or so of the book.
Compelling and thrilling, The Night Whistler is a terrific read and I hope for more from Woodland.
Set in the summer of 1996/1967, in a small country town in the New England District of NSW, The Night Whistler begins when newcomer twelve year old Hal and his younger brother, stumble across a dog, with its skull crushed and throat slit, stuffed in a barrel near a derelict caravan. Situated near a creek Hal dubs ‘The Crack in the World’, the caravan is a source of fascination for the boy, particularly when he learns of its macabre history and the evil spirits said to dwell there from new friend Ali. But it’s not ghosts that worry Hal, it’s whoever is prowling around their yard late at night while his father is travelling for work, and making anonymous phone calls to his mother, whistling ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’. A mystery Hal, who is a fan of Sherlock Holmes, is determined to solve.
Sharing the narrative with Hal is Constable Michael Goodenough (pronounced good-no), a disgraced Sydney homicide detective demoted and exiled to Moorabool, he is the only officer concerned by the violent death of several pets, and the incidents plaguing Hal’s family. His experience tells him the two may be connected but his lazy and venal colleagues seem determined to brush them off as harmless incidents.
Woodland takes his time to set the scene, his experience in film writing coming to the fore in creating a vivid sense of time and place. With broad but precise strokes he brings the town of Moorabool and its residents to life, before delving into its many secrets.
Hal and Goodenough work well as a team, the contrast between the fierce and idealistic boy, and the world weary Mick engaging. I’d like to see Goodenough again, though clearly struggling with the reason for the recent implosion of his career, an impending divorce, and separation from his daughter, he is a good man, and a good police officer, who can’t ignore his instincts.
As the violence escalates and the mysteries deepen, so too does the tension. My heart was in my mouth during the last quarter or so of the book.
Compelling and thrilling, The Night Whistler is a terrific read and I hope for more from Woodland.
December 8, 2022
3.5 ★ - another solid Aussie Noir offering that has some features to set it apart from the crowd. With wonderful characterisation, and sense of time and place, this book will have wide appeal provided readers have a strong stomach.
It's 1966 in dry and dusty rural New South Wales. Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough (Good-no) is trying to keep his head down in his punishment-posting, having fallen from grace in his role as a police detective in Sydney not that long ago. Also fairly new in town are the Humphries family. When young Hal Humphries and his little brother find a dead dog, Hal and Mick are brought together; both determined to identify the cause of some seriously depraved animal cruelty going on in town. Meanwhile, with her husband travelling for work, Hal's mother is tormented by a series of increasingly creepy, anonymous phonecalls. Could the two things be related?
The blurb prepared me for one case of animal cruelty, but I hadn't counted on there being quite a bit more throughout the story. I'm afraid my tolerance for that is pretty low, otherwise I may have rated the book higher. But on the upside, it's very unlikely that book #2 would include the same thing, so I'll happily check it out one day.
Narration by Nic English was easy to listen to.
It's 1966 in dry and dusty rural New South Wales. Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough (Good-no) is trying to keep his head down in his punishment-posting, having fallen from grace in his role as a police detective in Sydney not that long ago. Also fairly new in town are the Humphries family. When young Hal Humphries and his little brother find a dead dog, Hal and Mick are brought together; both determined to identify the cause of some seriously depraved animal cruelty going on in town. Meanwhile, with her husband travelling for work, Hal's mother is tormented by a series of increasingly creepy, anonymous phonecalls. Could the two things be related?
The blurb prepared me for one case of animal cruelty, but I hadn't counted on there being quite a bit more throughout the story. I'm afraid my tolerance for that is pretty low, otherwise I may have rated the book higher. But on the upside, it's very unlikely that book #2 would include the same thing, so I'll happily check it out one day.
Narration by Nic English was easy to listen to.
June 27, 2020
This is a really entertaining read. Mick Goodenough was a senior detective in Sydney and has been banished to remote Moorabool, after havimg a fight with a more well in detective. There are two narrators, Mick, and a boy called Hal. Hal’s family has relocated to Moorabool because of his dad’s work. It is set in 1966. Hal and his brother find a dead dog that has been mutilated. They bury the dog with leaves and branches.
Mick, who recently lost his dog, finds it and worries about the level of mutilation involved but is precluded from formally investigating, as he’s the runt of the litter copper in Moorabool, and is put upon by his superior officers. Hal’s mother receives strange phone calls, weird whistling and heavy breathing.
The characters are very well drawn. I particularly liked the way Hal’s friend, Allie, is portrayed. The story moves quickly. More pets are found mutilated, and the killer moves onto humans
The writing here really appeals to me. For example, lines like: The naked bulb, a sentinel over Hal’s head, hangs on until the dawn. I also enjoyed the colloquialisms, such as Sergeant Bradley being described as being as suspicious as a chook in a reptile house!
There are a range of issues featured in this book: racism, domestic violence, adultery, etc. This is a really well written, fast paced, debut novel by Greg Woodland. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mick, who recently lost his dog, finds it and worries about the level of mutilation involved but is precluded from formally investigating, as he’s the runt of the litter copper in Moorabool, and is put upon by his superior officers. Hal’s mother receives strange phone calls, weird whistling and heavy breathing.
The characters are very well drawn. I particularly liked the way Hal’s friend, Allie, is portrayed. The story moves quickly. More pets are found mutilated, and the killer moves onto humans
The writing here really appeals to me. For example, lines like: The naked bulb, a sentinel over Hal’s head, hangs on until the dawn. I also enjoyed the colloquialisms, such as Sergeant Bradley being described as being as suspicious as a chook in a reptile house!
There are a range of issues featured in this book: racism, domestic violence, adultery, etc. This is a really well written, fast paced, debut novel by Greg Woodland. I highly recommend it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2020
Like the Darling River after rain, a trickle of books set in small towns in Australia has started to build into a torrent. This one, coming out of one of my favourite publishers Text Publishing, adds another new entrant onto the market. The pace moves from a slow start to a brisk ending.
Based in the late 1960s, in a fictional town in the New England area of NSW, the demoted former Detective Goodenough finds himself friendless, loveless and frustrated. A series of animal killings has him raising a warning flag that a potential murderer is in town but his boss is fat and happy with looking the other way. Goodenough's only help comes from 12 year old Hal who is fixated on Sherlock Holmes and becomes an amateur sleuth.
Surrounding these two is simmering racial and sexist bigotry of the times (not that much has changed), corruption, incompetence and the old AB telephone boxes that formed the main form of communications in the good old days.
Based in the late 1960s, in a fictional town in the New England area of NSW, the demoted former Detective Goodenough finds himself friendless, loveless and frustrated. A series of animal killings has him raising a warning flag that a potential murderer is in town but his boss is fat and happy with looking the other way. Goodenough's only help comes from 12 year old Hal who is fixated on Sherlock Holmes and becomes an amateur sleuth.
Surrounding these two is simmering racial and sexist bigotry of the times (not that much has changed), corruption, incompetence and the old AB telephone boxes that formed the main form of communications in the good old days.
July 26, 2020
The Night Whistler is an intriguing rural crime set in NSW during the late 1960's. 12 year old Hal and his family are new to town. Hal and his little brother Evan go exploring and come across a pet dog that has been tortured to death. They soon find out that the dog belonged to the new Police Constable, Mick Goodenough. Several locals pets start disappearing and then the murders begin. Greg Woodland's debut novel is fantastic and had me hooked from the first chapter. Be warned: this story contains lots of animal cruelty. Thanks to Text Publishing and NetGalley for my ARC.
July 6, 2020
‘The dog must have been howling for a good twenty minutes before Hal climbed up on the back fence to look for it.’
1966. Hal Humphries and his younger brother Evan, together with their parents Corrie and John, have made the move to Moorabool in regional New South Wales. A new start for the family, a job promotion for John.
Hal and Evan are exploring the area near their home when they find the body of a dog. A dog that has only recently been killed and mutilated.
Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. And one of his dogs has gone missing. When he finds the dog’s body, he is concerned. Someone who tortures and kills animals might move onto other crimes. But Mick’s superior, Sergeant Bradley, is not interested. Mick may have once been a detective in Sydney, but he is in Moorabool on probation, under sufferance.
Hal’s father spends a lot of time away from home. While he is away, Corrie starts receiving anonymous calls, and there is a prowler around the home. Mick is the only one of the town’s policemen who take this seriously. More crimes are committed: is the dog killer escalating?
Moorabool has a dark past. Hal is fascinated by the murders that took place in the abandoned caravan and talks to his new friend Allie Tenpenny about them. But after Allie tells him something he does not want to believe; they have a falling out.
The narration is shared between Hal and Mick, who form an alliance while trying to work out what is happening. There are secrets in Moorabool: cover-ups and corruption have made it easy for some criminal activity to be ignored, and racism compounds that.
Mick learns about more animal deaths, and Hal finds the body of a murdered woman. Who killed her? Sergeant Bradley believes it was her husband: he has a confession. But there is something not right, and then Hal goes missing.
Can Mick find him?
There’s plenty of tension in this novel, and some memorable characters (especially Hal, Allie and Mick). And who is ‘The Night Whistler’? You may be surprised.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
1966. Hal Humphries and his younger brother Evan, together with their parents Corrie and John, have made the move to Moorabool in regional New South Wales. A new start for the family, a job promotion for John.
Hal and Evan are exploring the area near their home when they find the body of a dog. A dog that has only recently been killed and mutilated.
Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. And one of his dogs has gone missing. When he finds the dog’s body, he is concerned. Someone who tortures and kills animals might move onto other crimes. But Mick’s superior, Sergeant Bradley, is not interested. Mick may have once been a detective in Sydney, but he is in Moorabool on probation, under sufferance.
Hal’s father spends a lot of time away from home. While he is away, Corrie starts receiving anonymous calls, and there is a prowler around the home. Mick is the only one of the town’s policemen who take this seriously. More crimes are committed: is the dog killer escalating?
Moorabool has a dark past. Hal is fascinated by the murders that took place in the abandoned caravan and talks to his new friend Allie Tenpenny about them. But after Allie tells him something he does not want to believe; they have a falling out.
The narration is shared between Hal and Mick, who form an alliance while trying to work out what is happening. There are secrets in Moorabool: cover-ups and corruption have made it easy for some criminal activity to be ignored, and racism compounds that.
Mick learns about more animal deaths, and Hal finds the body of a murdered woman. Who killed her? Sergeant Bradley believes it was her husband: he has a confession. But there is something not right, and then Hal goes missing.
Can Mick find him?
There’s plenty of tension in this novel, and some memorable characters (especially Hal, Allie and Mick). And who is ‘The Night Whistler’? You may be surprised.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 8, 2021
Really enjoyed this debut from a fellow Aussie Author, Review to come
October 24, 2022
4.5★s
The Night Whistler is the first novel by Australian author, Greg Woodland. The audio is narrated by Nic English. The dog has been cruelly killed, and the boys are shocked, but there by the creek Hal and his little brother, Evan can’t dig a grave, so they cover it with leaves. When Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough tracks down his missing Alsatian cross, he feels sickened, but from the mutilations he can see it immediately for what it is, and takes careful note.
His rank of Probationary Constable belies his knowledge and experience as a former Detective Sergeant with Homicide in the city, and Mick recognises the makings of a psychopath when he sees them. His sergeant at Moorabool Police Station, Jeff Bradley is quite comfortable in his niche and isn’t going to let a blow-in from Sydney tell him how and what to investigate: this is 1966 and that fancy new psychological rubbish has no place in his rural New England town.
Twelve-year-old Hal Humphries, Evan and his mum are new in town; dad’s going to be on the road out west with his sales supervisor job, but one of his colleagues at Prime Foods is keeping an eye in the Humphries family. But that doesn’t prevent the crank calls they’re getting: someone whistling, heavy breathing and saying disturbing things. Mum is upset, especially when there seems to be a prowler near the house at night, but Sergeant Bradley is dismissive….
Mick Goodenough is concerned, though, even more so when the harassment steps up and another mutilated animal is involved. And if he can’t get Bradley to take it seriously, he’ll just have to do it himself, in between the time-wasting chores his boss earmarks for his attention.
Australian rural crime fiction is becoming a very popular genre, and this one is a gem. Woodland easily captures the setting and era: the bush, the heat and the flies are almost palpable; the indolence of the long school holidays in the Australian summer, when childrearing was the polar opposite of helicopter parents and kids roamed free, will strike a cheery chord with many; the time when beer was the refreshment of choice, even at the police station, and when racism was blatant, is less likely to induce nostalgia.
Woodland gives the reader a plot that brims with tension and malice; red herrings and distractions have the reader flitting between likely perpetrators until the pennies finally drop and the story races headlong into a nail-biting climax. His characters are likeable or despicable as required; bespectacled, underestimated Hal and quietly intelligent Mick make a great team. This is an excellent debut novel from an author to watch, and more of Mick Goodenough will be most welcome. Highly recommended!
The Night Whistler is the first novel by Australian author, Greg Woodland. The audio is narrated by Nic English. The dog has been cruelly killed, and the boys are shocked, but there by the creek Hal and his little brother, Evan can’t dig a grave, so they cover it with leaves. When Probationary Constable Mick Goodenough tracks down his missing Alsatian cross, he feels sickened, but from the mutilations he can see it immediately for what it is, and takes careful note.
His rank of Probationary Constable belies his knowledge and experience as a former Detective Sergeant with Homicide in the city, and Mick recognises the makings of a psychopath when he sees them. His sergeant at Moorabool Police Station, Jeff Bradley is quite comfortable in his niche and isn’t going to let a blow-in from Sydney tell him how and what to investigate: this is 1966 and that fancy new psychological rubbish has no place in his rural New England town.
Twelve-year-old Hal Humphries, Evan and his mum are new in town; dad’s going to be on the road out west with his sales supervisor job, but one of his colleagues at Prime Foods is keeping an eye in the Humphries family. But that doesn’t prevent the crank calls they’re getting: someone whistling, heavy breathing and saying disturbing things. Mum is upset, especially when there seems to be a prowler near the house at night, but Sergeant Bradley is dismissive….
Mick Goodenough is concerned, though, even more so when the harassment steps up and another mutilated animal is involved. And if he can’t get Bradley to take it seriously, he’ll just have to do it himself, in between the time-wasting chores his boss earmarks for his attention.
Australian rural crime fiction is becoming a very popular genre, and this one is a gem. Woodland easily captures the setting and era: the bush, the heat and the flies are almost palpable; the indolence of the long school holidays in the Australian summer, when childrearing was the polar opposite of helicopter parents and kids roamed free, will strike a cheery chord with many; the time when beer was the refreshment of choice, even at the police station, and when racism was blatant, is less likely to induce nostalgia.
Woodland gives the reader a plot that brims with tension and malice; red herrings and distractions have the reader flitting between likely perpetrators until the pennies finally drop and the story races headlong into a nail-biting climax. His characters are likeable or despicable as required; bespectacled, underestimated Hal and quietly intelligent Mick make a great team. This is an excellent debut novel from an author to watch, and more of Mick Goodenough will be most welcome. Highly recommended!
October 20, 2020
What a great crime read this novel was, and surprisingly not set in Tasmania. Instead, this is set in the New England region of NSW in 1966. The cover alone has plenty of sinister feels about it and the author does a great job of depicting the setting.
There was plenty of suspense throughout as demoted former detective Mick Goodenough tries to uncover who might be making threatening phone calls to the Humphries' residence along with trying to figure out who is killing pets and if it's more sinister than just animals.
Mick is thwarted at every turn by corrupt, incompetent, and lazy colleagues and he really struggled to make headway in the cases.
The star of the story though is young Hal Humphries who finds the body of the dog that's been killed and who is determined to play Sherlock and figure out who is calling his house, a person they've named The Whistler.
There's plenty of people doing the wrong things in this small town, where racism is rife. I changed my mind several times about who had done which crimes, and it's near the end where the perpetrator is pushed too far that things become clear.
If this is Greg Woodland's debut novel, I'll definitely be looking out for his next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing Company for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
There was plenty of suspense throughout as demoted former detective Mick Goodenough tries to uncover who might be making threatening phone calls to the Humphries' residence along with trying to figure out who is killing pets and if it's more sinister than just animals.
Mick is thwarted at every turn by corrupt, incompetent, and lazy colleagues and he really struggled to make headway in the cases.
The star of the story though is young Hal Humphries who finds the body of the dog that's been killed and who is determined to play Sherlock and figure out who is calling his house, a person they've named The Whistler.
There's plenty of people doing the wrong things in this small town, where racism is rife. I changed my mind several times about who had done which crimes, and it's near the end where the perpetrator is pushed too far that things become clear.
If this is Greg Woodland's debut novel, I'll definitely be looking out for his next one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing Company for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.
February 21, 2021
The Night Whistler is a historical novel set in Australia during 1966. After an incident in Sydney, Constable Mick Goodenough moved to Moorabool police station. One night he arrived home, and one of his dog's Charlie, was missing, and he found Charlie buried on the beach. Constable Mick Goodenough realises there is more to the killing of Charlie. Hal and Evan recently arrived in Moorabool when their mother received threatening phone calls at night and called the Moorabook Police station. Constable Mick Goodenough caught the case, and during the investigation, Constable Mick Goodenough realises that Hal and Evan found his dog. The readers of The Night Whistler will continue to follow Constable Mick Goodenough to find out what happens.
The Night Whistler is the debut novel of Greg Woodland, and I enjoyed reading this book. Greg Woodland has an excellent future in writing historical crime mysteries. I love Greg Woodland's portrayal of his characters and how they intertwine with each other throughout this book. The Night Whistler is well written and researched by Greg Woodland. I like how Greg Woodland described the Night Whistler's settings that allowed me to imagine being part of this book's plot.
The Night Whistler readers will learn about the signs that warn people that someone will become a psycho killer. The Night Whistler readers will also learn about living in a rural community during the 196o's.
I recommend this book.
The Night Whistler is the debut novel of Greg Woodland, and I enjoyed reading this book. Greg Woodland has an excellent future in writing historical crime mysteries. I love Greg Woodland's portrayal of his characters and how they intertwine with each other throughout this book. The Night Whistler is well written and researched by Greg Woodland. I like how Greg Woodland described the Night Whistler's settings that allowed me to imagine being part of this book's plot.
The Night Whistler readers will learn about the signs that warn people that someone will become a psycho killer. The Night Whistler readers will also learn about living in a rural community during the 196o's.
I recommend this book.
July 23, 2020
Lately here has been a proliferation of mystery/thriller books set in rural and outback Australia, The Night Whistler is definitely one of the best of them.
With a well paced story, some good red herrings, interesting characters and a well described rural setting, this is a really enjoyable read, which keeps you engaged to the very end.
I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
With a well paced story, some good red herrings, interesting characters and a well described rural setting, this is a really enjoyable read, which keeps you engaged to the very end.
I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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