Book Review no 6: The Old School by P.M. Newton

This is more than just a crime novel. While there is a crime at the centre of it, so many other elements are also explored - the city of Sydney, the era of the 1990s, police corruption... as well as the cultural aspects of Aboriginal people and their ongoing fight for justice and the lingering aftereffects of the Vietnam war.
Detective Nhu 'Ned' Kelly works at Bankstown in Sydney's west. When a set of bones are found in concrete (that was poured in the 1970s) she is drawn into the mystery on both a professional and personal level. The mystery is compelling. While not overly suspenseful to begin with, it does build to an edge of your seat read as the story progresses.
As many other reviewers have noted, what the author has done best is capture Sydney perfectly at that moment in time (1992). The way she talks about the landmarks etc shows a deep knowledge of the area and shows just how things have changed in the ensuing 20 years. she has also captured amazingly well the culture of the police force back then, from the reality of entrenched corruption to the issues of racism and sexism that existed in that time. (Of course it hasn't been wiped out completely but it is much less over now).
The dialogue throughout was fantastic, as was the obvious deep knowledge of police procedure. Having served as a police officer herself, the author has managed to portray an extremely authentic view of the job, which leaves no doubt in your mind that you are getting a genuine insight into how police investigation works (or at least how it did back in 1992). Also interesting to note was the way that technology has changed policing, for example their references to the "new" science of DNA. Pagers and two way radio were still king also and there was no internet or on-line research to speak of. 
Overall this is a multi-layered book that ticks many boxes - a great crime novel, as well as a cultural and historical snapshot of a Sydney that has since changed and evolved. A great read that would appeal to many who don't necessarily like crime fiction.