Items related to The Brush-Off: A Murray Whelan Mystery
Synopsis
In a prize-winning thriller by an Australian novelist, Murray Whelan, an advisor to the minister of culture, puzzles out the death of a disgruntled young artist and the rise of a wealthy art lover. Reprint.
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Review
Murray Whelan, a political advisor to the Australian Minister of the Arts, tries to protect his boss from scandal and save his own skin in Shane Maloney's witty mystery about intrigue in the art world of Melbourne, Australia. When a disgruntled artist is found dead in the moat surrounding the public arts building, Murray Whelan investigates the case to make sure that there will be no negative political impact on his boss. In the process, he stumbles upon widespread misuse of government funds, begins to suspect a forgery scam, and tangles with two beautiful women. Meanwhile, Whelan's childhood nemesis lurks menacingly on the edge of the action. People start dropping like flies.
"I might not know much about art," says Whelan, summarizing his number one job skill, "but I've been a member of the Labor Party long enough to recognize the aroma of a rodent when it wafts my way." Whelan's knack for the apt turn of phrase adds a special charm to this book. When he meets a wealthy patron of the arts, he notes that the man resembles "a cross between Aristotle Onassis and a walnut."
In some thrillers, the hero is simply put in harm's way. In this one, Shane Maloney goes the extra mile and puts the hero in a ridiculous situation, then puts him in harm's way. At one point, our beleaguered hero is trapped in a warehouse full of puppets and the only method of escape he sees is to don an enormous octopus costume with stilts and sidle towards a high window. Of course, he falls, hurts his ear, and has to endure Van Gogh jokes for the rest of the adventure. "The trick with stilts, in case you ever need to know," Murray Whelan advises, "is to stay in motion. Much like a bicycle. Or politics. Stand still and you're stuffed. Keep moving or you take a dive." That's sound advice. This book has wit, an amiable protagonist, and velocity. What's not to like? --Jill Marquis
About the Author
Shane Maloney is the author of Stiff, The Brush-Off, and Nice Try. He lives in Melbourne with his family.
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- PublisherArcade Publishing
- Publication date2001
- ISBN 10 1559705825
- ISBN 13 9781559705820
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages309
- Rating
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The Brush Off : A Murray Whelan Mystery
Seller: Cameron Park Books, Raleigh, NC, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Fine. Second printing thus. Splendid paperback copy - unmarked, bright and clean with uncreased spine. Enjoy reading with a real book in your hands. Shipping from North Carolina. Dedicated to delighting our customers. Delivery confirmation provided on all domestic orders. Happy to ship to international locations. Consider expedited shipping - just a little more moves your purchase a lot faster. Digital photos available on request for any book. Seller Inventory # mon0000018061
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THE BRUSH-OFF: MURRAY WHELAN'S SECOND ADVENTURE **AWARD WINNER**
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Arcade Publishing, Inc., N.Y., 1998
ISBN 10: 1559705825
ISBN 13: 9781559705820
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Pictorial Wrappers
First Edition
Seller: MURDER BY THE BOOK, Warwick, RI, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Pictorial Wrappers. Condition: Fine. 1st Ed. 1st North American edition, so stated, 2nd printing. A fine copy of the trade paperback. WINNER of the NED KELLY PRIZE FOR CRIME FICTION, Australia's Edgar Award. Angelo Agnelli has been Minister for the Arts for twelve hours and already artists have started killing themselves. Or so it seems when Marcus Taylor's body is fished from the Arts Centre moat. Was it really an act of protest over the state of arts funding? And what's the political damage if the suicide note becomes public? The career of Murray Whelan, minder and general dogsbody to the hapless Agnelli, hangs by its usual slender thread. If he can put the fix in here, he might have a chance of staying employed. But as Murray soon discovers, in the world of culture vultures they don't just sit around waiting for you to die before they start tearing the flesh off your bones. Trade Paperback. Seller Inventory # 012947
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Brush-Off,The
Seller: Whodunit Bookshop, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Seller Inventory # 9781559705820
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