Synopsis
Retirement can be murder!
The adventures of a former Sydney detective from 21 Division who, in his prime, collared some of the most murderous criminals in Australian history yet, on retiring to the Gold Coast in Queensland, along with half of the criminal milieu he once pursued, is shot, king-hit, tortured, and thrown from buildings in his relentless pursuit of justice.
With his trademark wit, warmth and humour, Matthew Condon takes us on a crazy ride - in boats, kombis, peugeots and window-washing platforms - through art galleries, libraries, swampy islands and caravan parks to illustrate that we are never too old for adventures.
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News & Blog
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Author, Matthew Condon, talks about his latest novel THE TOE TAG QUINTET.
Saturday 11 August 2012 is National Bookshop Day, celebrating all local bookshops and their contributions to the local communities. Show your support for your favourite bookshop by stopping by this Saturday and picking up a book! To mark this special occasion, Random House is also checking in with bookstores around Australia to find out what exciting activities they’re planning for the...
Editorial Reviews
"Matthew Condon is a writer who confounds expectations. A love of eccentricity is evident, too, in Condon's characterisations, with The Toe Tag Quintet bringing his wit to the fore in a way his previous work did not. We always knew he was capable of descriptive brilliance, but we discover here that Condon also has a gift for the ingenious put-down. Condon's comic intelligence shines though, placing The Toe Tag Quintet a cut above the average crime novel and opening up yet another field for this extremely fecund writer." - Simon Collinson, Australian Book Review
"In complete control of the genre, Matt Condon adds his own secret herbs and spices to his collection of murder mysteries: an uncanny knack for writing great characters, a gift for observation and description of place, and a splash of poetic and cinematic imagery. The result isThe Toe Tag Quintet,a brilliant romp through the sweaty, flatulent underbelly of south-east Queensland." - Annette Hughes, Newtown Review of Books
"all-out entertaining" - Fiona Hardy, Readings
Shelley4 stars
3 December 2012 at 1:58pm
ReportOriginally the five novellas in The Toe Tag Quintet were published in Brisbane's The Courier Mail, a new story printed each summer with the retired detective embroiled in a string of annual misadventures, much to the disgust of his long suffering wife, Peg. Murder in the Abstract is the first caper that enlivens the unnamed detective's retirement but being able to leave well enough alone, his curiosity, and instinct for justice, variously leads him to a family vendetta, a centuries old corpse, a land development scandal and an extraordinary conspiracy. From the Gold Coast to Brisbane, to the vineyards on the city's outskirts and the islands off Queensland's coast, the former detective chases, amongst others, an art thief, a poisoner and an assassin in his beloved VW. Each of the five stories are well crafted mysteries in their own right, involving interesting criminals and victims. There is also plenty of fast paced action, suspense and the dry humour expected from a cynical ex-cop who has seen it all. I really enjoyed the adventures of the unnamed detective in The Toe Tag Quintet. Exciting, smart and funny, the stories within this book are a great summer read for crime caper fans dreaming of early retirement.