However, it would take a much more confident hand than Pyers’ to pull off both at once and ultimately the novel falls short of its initial potential, reading like two disjointed halves of great novels that have been pasted together to create something much more average. Again, a compliment, as I love cozy crime as much as I love gritty, darkness-beneath-the-surface explorations of communities. Berliner’s traits and attitudes feel more at home in a cozy crime or a quirky, light-hearted detective novel, one with humorous character quirks and whimsy aplenty. With the introduction of protagonist Berliner, however, the novel shifts. 2 days ago &0183 &32 ACD Pharma, a Norwegian firm, has spent 15 years researching the potential application of phages to fish-farming.

The wide cast of Daylesford locals introduced in the lead-up to the discovery of the murder is reminiscent of The Luminaries, which is, of course, a great compliment. The novel starts as a dark, expansive crime story, an exploration of character and the seedy underbelly of a small town. This book has a great deal to recommend it, but suffers from one main flaw: it seems to be two very different books in one, with both tones and styles competing for attention rather than supporting one another. First book in a new crime series, The Unfortunate Victim follows Prussian detective Otto Berliner as he solves the murder of 17-year-old Maggie Stuart in 1860s Daylesford. The Unfortunate Victim, Greg Pyers Review Written By Karen Chisholm Based on a true story, set in the Victorian Goldfields in the 1860's, THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIM is part fiction, part reminder that life in those days, particularly for women, was not easy, pleasant or fair.

The Unfortunate Victim by Greg Pyers