Millen by Chris Nyst

Publisher's Synopsis

In the isolated outback town of Millengarra, a young man is found bashed to death.

When his house-mate – an out-of-work drover – is charged with murder, the investigation goes to hardened Brisbane detective Dave Hocking, a career cop facing corruption charges that threaten his job, his liberty, and his very identity.

In Millen, he finds a damaged community, held together by a fragile web of deceit. Struggling for redemption, the veteran detective uncovers a town's shame, and his own, as lies are exposed, and dark secrets unearthed.

My Review of Millen by Chris Nyst

“As far as Arthur was concerned, Edwin C Moran was a bumptious, self-opinionated upstart, and any time the young defence solicitor appeared before him in court, Arthur invariably found himself dragged into some bothersome and time-consuming sideshow. No court case was simple with Moran.”

I was very excited by the prospect of the return of defence solicitor Eddie Moran. His two previous appearances in Gone and Crook As Rookwood made for high paced crime thrillers involving wild courtroom scenes and the fact that he was gracing the Queensland courts in both the Gold Coast and far western Queensland had me eager to get started.

As it turns out, Moran plays a relatively minor role in Millen. However, as with the earlier books, he tended to steal each scene he was in.

The story is set in the wake of the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption in Queensland, putting it around the 1990 timeframe.

The tiny far western town of Millengarra (nearby Cunnamulla, pop. 5000 is considered the big smoke) is rocked to its foundations by a brutal bashing murder. Even more disturbing for the residents is the fact that it's local nice guy Rowdy McQuillan who has been accused of the crime of murdering his housemate in a drunken frenzy.

The fact that Rowdy was wandering around the streets of Millengarra naked and covered in blood on the night of the murder was a big factor leading to his arrest. He was picked up dazed, confused and unable to remember a thing.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Hocking has been sent from Brisbane to assist Cunnamulla CIB with the preparation for the committal proceedings in the Magistrates Court. Already burdened by a possible charge of corruption hanging over his head, his trip doesn’t start out smoothly (booked for speeding, hit a roo and more!). From there it gets even rockier.

Although Hocking’s primary job is to confirm and document the evidence gathered about the murder case, he finds out about a missing local woman who vanished only a matter of weeks before the murder. This begins to take over the main focus of his attention.

The story is told in an authentic voice that manages to capture the essence of the Millen locals. I mean, you can almost hear the slow, broad Aussie accent with a slight nasal twang distinctive of rural Queensland in every dialogue exchange, ay!

What Millen turns out to be is a very thoughtfully crafted rural murder mystery. The appearance of a straightforward case proves to be anything but and the Millen locals are far from forthcoming with facts about the case. It’s unwrapped piece by piece with some solid police work from Hocking, ably assisted by local Police Constable Brian Ingles.

Moments of deep introspection on the part of Hocking provides greater depth of character and a deeper understanding of what makes him tick. His interaction with the manager of the local motel where he’s staying provides some of the warmer yet most sobering moments of the book.

This turns into a well-constructed multi-pronged mystery that combines solid police work with an entertaining courtroom drama. The nuances of small-town (tiny-town?) life are captured and dissected to bring every dusty street to life.

The 17 year interval between Nyst’s last novel, Crook As Rookwood, and Millen has been far too long. But I was very satisfied to be reacquainted with the belligerence, cynicism and in-your-face courtroom drama provided by Edwin C. Moran.