The Shifting Landscape
by Katherine Kovacic (Echo, 2020)
audiobook read by Casey Withoos (W. F. Howes, 2020)
The rural setting leads to a more substantive, higher-stakes mystery, albeit one deepened by the strategic overlooking of at least two obvious lines of inquiry. Withoos’ audiobook reading captures the Australian flavour, while Hogarth the Irish Wolfhound again brings plenty of heart.
Painting in the Shadows
by Katherine Kovacic (Echo, 2019); audiobook read by Casey Withoos (W.F. Howes, 2020)
Though the mystery and its investigation are quite slight, Kovacic concocts a cosy and somewhat fraught intrigue throughout. The text shines with passion for art, while Alex and John’s female/male friendship shows real Australian personality. Hogarth the Irish Wolfhound remains a delight.
The Portrait of Molly Dean
by Katherine Kovacic (Bonnier, 2018); audiobook read by Casey Withoos (Wavesound, 2020)
What would have been a hardboiled detective story in 1930s Melbourne (the setting of the murder) turns to a more cosy mystery in 1999 (when art dealer Alex Clayton attempts to solve it). Kovacic’s easy narrative style cannot quite bridge the disparity.