The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders [Paperback]

As I read his book Michael Browne reminded me of Michael Dibdin, John Le Carre, and the Author of, "A Small Death In Lisbon", Robert Wilson. Mr. Browne is an elegant and articulate writer. He writes at a contemplative cadence and avoids all manner of cliché. The latter is no small achievement as this is a story about the Mafia, and many great writers have tried their hand with this topic.

His writing pays attention to detail of the important sort, the ingredients of a certain native dish, rather than running on for pages with car chases, bomb making, or obligatory James Bond love disinterests. He writes with an authenticity that deserves notation for he lives in Australia, which is not exactly Sicily. And while any Author can visit that which he writes about, very few are able to place on paper their thoughts however worthy they might be.

Mr. Browne laces his work with historical fact that adds credibility and authenticity. He does not use it for a storyline he cannot create himself, or for details he does not know. This man is the genuine article, and if he can continue to write at the level he has set with this debut, he will become a writer of note, and share company with the legends in this genre.

Used to, by now, with the many compromises that one must make with the overwhelming corruption that one sees everywhere in order to survive, Anders is keen to have this investigation over and done with. He knows that both men were definitely not killed by a terrorist group, but rather by the Mafia; and that probably everyone at city hall, and the police, is in on the cover-up. However he feels no overwhelming need to rock the boat. And then he interviews the widow of Judge de Angelis. De Angelis had been investigating an insurance scam and the powerful players who seemed to be in on the scam. Almost certainly the Mafia had had a finger or two in this scam, and de Angelis was committed to discovering the wrongdoers and forcing them to face justice, when his armoured car was blown up. The manner of his assassination had all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack. De Angelis's widow, however refuses to accept this official and convenient view, insisting that the Mafia had her husband silenced because he dared to go up against them. And she desperately needs someone she can trust to play the role of avenging knight. Could Anders be the man she is looking for?

The impact of Carla de Angelis's grief, her quest (and her almost fanatical zeal) to see justice done, coupled with Anders's distaste for the 'chief suspects' in this case-- from the police chief, to slimy and violent Mayor Salvo, to the cold, manipulative and powerful businesswoman, Signora Contrera-Kant -- and the manner in which they keep blaming the terrorists for the deaths of both men, soon makes Anders decide to throw in his lot in with Carla de Angelis. This will be his final act of courage and honour. But Anders is up against the Mafia, a violent and powerful group that will stop at nothing to get their own way. Can a lone policeman, without any allies and alone in a foreign city, really accomplish anything against such overwhelming odds?

"The Wooden Leg Of Inspector Anders" is a terrifically great read. The novel opens a bit slowly at first, but it gathers momentum fast, and it wasn't too long before events were unfolding at a breath-neck pace, that it had me glued to the pages as tensions mounted and events moved to their inevitable conclusion. Marshall Browne really knows how to spin a yarn! This is a truly brilliant novel. The prose style is distinctive and evocative; and the characters are all cleverly depicted, eventhough Marshall Browne is very economical is his descriptions of them. Inspector Anders, even at the end of the novel, is still a slightly mysterious character, and that only adds to the mystic and charisma of the character. I'm sure that we will learn more and more of this fascinating character with each subsequent mystery novel.

I'm always excited when I come across a new mystery seires that I know I will have fun reading and rereading, and with "The Wooden Leg Of Inspector Anders" by Marshall Browne, I knew I was onto a tremendous find. This novel really made for engrossing and riveting reading. And I can hardly wait for the next Inspector Anders mystery novel.

Sent by Rome to investigate the murders of an investigator and a magistrate, he intends to do as little as possible and then go home. What difference will it make anyway? Nothing will change and a real investigation will only get him dead. But he can't help it. He just has to side with the good guys against the philistines. How can you help but like and respect and cheer for this guy?

Next time, how about a collaboration? Anders meets Zen!