The Brush-Off: The Murray Whelan Novels: Text Classics
Murray Whelan Novels, Book Two
Shane Maloney
Introduction by Michael Robotham
Winner, Ned Kelly Award for Crime Fiction, 1996
‘When I hear the word culture I think excellence and I think access…’
I wasn’t sure where this was going, but at least he wasn’t reaching for his revolver.
Murray Whelan, hero of Stiff, is back at his richly futile best in The Brush-Off. When the body of an artist is fished from the moat outside the National Gallery, Murray—political minder, brushed-off lover and art buff on the make—goes looking for the big picture. If he can put the fix in, he might have a chance of staying employed. The second adventure in Shane Maloney’s series brilliantly mixes high art with low blows.
andThe Brush-Off
‘Wickedly funny…a cultural caper about the politics of art and the art of politics from Australia’s top crime writer. The Brush-Off is a beaut of a book, and Shane Maloney a name to remember.’
‘A succulent, consistently funny detective story…The plot is something like John Cleese might dream up if he was drunk with Dashiell Hammett.’
‘The Brush-Off brilliantly mixes the comic and the tragic: this amusing thriller has you laughing at the moments where a gasp may be more appropriate.’
‘The funniest meanstreets-style writing on offer these days…Don’t miss this one.’
‘Maloney is top shelf.’
‘Entertaining…smart and sassy.’
