From Publishers Weekly In the third book (after Stiff) of this wry Australian mystery series, sardonic and diffident detective Murray Whelan gets recruited to help the government win its bid to host the Summer Olympics. As a senior adviser to the minister for the department of water supply and the arts, Whelan would rather spend his time pedaling away his midlife paunch and ennui on an exercise bicycle while watching young women prance around in their seamless Lycra bodysuits than get entangled in politicking. But when Steve Radeski, a thick-necked weightlifter loaded up on ram steroids, rages through the streets of Melbourne and a promising young black triathlete turns up dead, Whelan knows he has no choice but to lace up his gumshoes. While the plot here tends to be rather formulaic, readers will be drawn to the lively cast of hilarious personalities, including a fat and dour minister of sport; a sexy, whip-smart physician battling her nicotine addiction; a vapid aerobics instructor; and a sly Aboriginal activist. Far and away the most fully realized character in this whimsical novel is Whelan himself, who makes for an irresistible narrator. Maloney renders a vulnerable and very human portrait of this unlikely hero as he struggles to quit smoking, lose weight, rejuvenate his waning sex life and reconnect with his young son, all the while trying to stop a psychopath dead in his tracks. In so doing, the author adds a fresh and immensely appealing dimension to the genre. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Murray Whelan, an Australian arts ministry adviser, tries to support government efforts to impress the Olympics site selection committee but winds up investigating the murder of a young athlete. Another welcome, witty, off-the-wall, and devil-may-care adventure for Murray (Stiff). Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. When the Lords of Five Rings-the IOC-come to town to choose a site for the summer Olympic Games, you know the money will fly and the ambitions boil. Murray, advisor to the minister for Water Supply and the Arts, would just as soon steer clear of the frenzy and confront his inner beanbag on an exercise bike. But the future of the government depends on its bid, and Murray is recruited to help the cause. When a young athlete is found dead, Murray learns that murder is a contact sport. He is soon mixing it up with a wily Aboriginal activist, a body-building psychopath, a gorgeous aerobics instructor, and the enigmatic Dr. Phillipa Verstak.
Author Biography: Australia's top crime writer, Shane Maloney is also the author of the Ned Kelly Award-winning novel The Brush-Off and The Big Ask. He is a journalist in Melbourne.
