Resurrection Bay: A Caleb Zelic Thriller

Resurrection Bay is the first novel by Australian author, Emma Viskic. Caleb Zelic and his partner, ex-cop Frankie Reynolds run Trust Works, a security and investigation business. Their latest case concerns thefts from a warehouse and Caleb has asked his best friend, Senior Constable Gary Marsden, to help out. So when he belatedly gets an urgent text from Gary saying he is being pursued by a “Scott”, Caleb rushes to his aid. Too late. He is the one to find his friend savagely murdered, and while it is quickly apparent to police that Caleb is innocent, there are insinuations that Gary was involved in something illegal.Convinced this is not so, Caleb and Frankie set about proving Gary’s innocence, but each is handicapped to a degree: Caleb is profoundly deaf, and his hearing aids produce only a distant, blurred sound; Frankie is an alcoholic, dry now, but for how long? Two phone calls Gary made to their hometown of Resurrection Bay, just before he was murdered, are puzzling. And their investigations not only have them wondering just what Gary was involved in, but also make them targets for the mysterious Scott. Soon, Caleb is concerned for the safety of those he cares about as he himself has to go into hiding.Viskic gives the reader an exciting page-turner: the plot is original, with plenty of twists and surprises; both the city and small Australian town settings are well conveyed. Caleb is an intriguing character of whom readers will want to see more. His handicap gives him a different set of observation skills, with other senses heightened and occasionally altered perception. The ending leaves some issues unresolved, and there is plenty of scope for further books involving this setting, these characters and their relationships.There is plenty of humour, some of it quite understated. The banter between Frankie and Caleb is often laugh-out-loud funny, as are Caleb’s unspoken observations: “The waitress reappeared with two loaded plates. A layer of charcoal coated everything: bacon, eggs, toast, sausages. Had to give the cook points for consistency…. He tried the sausage. It held none of the usual mystery associated with sausages; this was clearly a product composed of sinew, sawdust and offal”. As well as producing an excellent piece of crime fiction, Viskic will have the reader thinking about disabilities: what we perceive them to be and how we react to them. Resurrection Bay is a brilliant debut novel, and readers will be eager for more by this talented crime writer.With thanks to TheReadingRoom and Echo Publishing for this book to read and review.4.5 stars