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John Lawrence #1
Left Luggage
When John Lawrence finally finds out about his father’s dangerous legacy, it forces him to confront a family past marked by secrets and loss.
After leaving the army, John is back in Sydney and trying to build himself a new life while he looks after his elderly mother. Betty Lawrence was a photojournalist. She survived Vietnam, Lebanon and Sarajevo, but now she is bitter and resentful that old age and a broken leg have forced her to leave Paris and return to the home town she abandoned long ago.
Betty is followed by deadly baggage that puts them both in danger. A suitcase loaded with weapons and money, intended for a terrorist attack that never happened triggers a power struggle between local crime gangs. John and Betty are drawn into the violence and John has to fight to keep them both alive while he tries to understand just who his parents really were.
This fast-paced crime drama set in Sydney, introduces complex, and compelling characters struggling to survive against a backdrop of ruthless gang violence.
After leaving the army, John is back in Sydney and trying to build himself a new life while he looks after his elderly mother. Betty Lawrence was a photojournalist. She survived Vietnam, Lebanon and Sarajevo, but now she is bitter and resentful that old age and a broken leg have forced her to leave Paris and return to the home town she abandoned long ago.
Betty is followed by deadly baggage that puts them both in danger. A suitcase loaded with weapons and money, intended for a terrorist attack that never happened triggers a power struggle between local crime gangs. John and Betty are drawn into the violence and John has to fight to keep them both alive while he tries to understand just who his parents really were.
This fast-paced crime drama set in Sydney, introduces complex, and compelling characters struggling to survive against a backdrop of ruthless gang violence.
278 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2014
150 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 1, 2015
Betty Lawrence is a retired war photographer, whose one true love was murdered in 1975. Australian by birth, she has spent most of her life in France. Now elderly, her son moves her into a Sydney Retirement Village after a fall.
John Lawrence is ex special forces. He is renovating a house in Sydney with the help of a teen from a dysfunctional home.
Large is a loan shark, who is delivering guns into the country.
When John transports a crate containing the belongings of Betty's husband, the suitcase that is held within sparks off kidnappings, shootings and gang warfare.
I thoroughly enjoyed Left Luggage. The characters were exceptional and I really enjoyed reading from Betty's point of view. I could well appreciate how devastating the move to a Sydney retirement village could have felt after independence in Paris.
Even the segments from the point of view of Large were good. He wasn't a cackling villain, he was just a man in a rough business.
The action scenes were well written and the brisk pace kept the book ticking over nicely.
Thoroughly recommend.
John Lawrence is ex special forces. He is renovating a house in Sydney with the help of a teen from a dysfunctional home.
Large is a loan shark, who is delivering guns into the country.
When John transports a crate containing the belongings of Betty's husband, the suitcase that is held within sparks off kidnappings, shootings and gang warfare.
I thoroughly enjoyed Left Luggage. The characters were exceptional and I really enjoyed reading from Betty's point of view. I could well appreciate how devastating the move to a Sydney retirement village could have felt after independence in Paris.
Even the segments from the point of view of Large were good. He wasn't a cackling villain, he was just a man in a rough business.
The action scenes were well written and the brisk pace kept the book ticking over nicely.
Thoroughly recommend.
July 19, 2015
I wanted to like this book a lot! It's a first book for author Andrew Christie. I love reading books in a series....but I'd like there to be some closure in each book. This one was such a disappointing ending. Probably won't read any more in this series.
November 16, 2022
I found this book very interesting and riveting with a great story line. I actually read it a while ago and grabbed it again when I had time to kill and from first page I started to recognise the story but reckon I will finish it again and then go to the next John Lawrence story
Andrew Christie is a good writer 😊😊
Andrew Christie is a good writer 😊😊
October 4, 2018
Left Luggage
Exciting story. Was hard to put it down. John Lawrence is my new favorite hero. Lots of twists and turns that kept me reading.
Exciting story. Was hard to put it down. John Lawrence is my new favorite hero. Lots of twists and turns that kept me reading.
December 30, 2023
this was just boring
February 25, 2015
LEFT LUGGAGE is the debut novel of Sydney based author Andrew Christie. Set mostly in and around Newtown and inner Sydney it combines an unlikely cast of central characters: John - an ex-Army house renovator; Betty - his Australian-born, French resident, famous war photographer mother; Billy – an abused and neglected young boy and Large – a gangster.
Categorised as a thriller, Left Luggage is a slow burner. The initial setup involves John bringing Betty (the names do look unfortunate when you put them like that) back from her beloved Paris to live in Sydney, in a Retirement Village.
“The two old armchairs that had been in the living room of her apartment in Montparnasse he had eventually put against the end wall. An oak dresser, the old kitchen table and a couple of bookcases didn't leave room for any other furniture.”
Betty is experiencing the sorts of things that so many older people have to deal with. A bad fall that broke her leg has left her physically reduced, and not able to live in her upstairs Parisian flat. Born and raised in Sydney, she left as a young woman never returning until now, despite sending John to boarding school there – his father having been killed before he was born. Her move into a Retirement Village is disconcerting, she's been torn away from her friends and the society and lifestyle that she loved, and adjusting isn't easy.
“Paris had been her home all her adult life. It was her heart, it was in her. John didn't understand that. She had nothing in Sydney anymore except her old memories.”
Eventually she is able to make a friend, to form a connection with young Billy and to start to build a life. In the meantime John is renovating his own inner-Sydney house, and also making friends with and supporting young Billy. The boy first came to John's attention when he started hanging around outside his new house – originally it had been Billy's grandmother's house and his mother resented the sale. She is also a neglectful and abusive mother, and his older brother is a bully.
“He was probably right, thought John. If they took him away from his family, at his age, he wasn't going to end up in some neat suburban foster home. And he wasn't a big kid, he'd struggle in a group home.”
As the upheavals are occurring in the Lawrence family, Large Phil Waters had problems of his own. His dodgy “exporting” setup seems to have revealed some competing activities which don't make him, or his associates at all happy.
“Okay, sure. A container came through this morning with a suitcase in it, like you said. Loaded – guns and money.”
Large, as he's known to all, is already living a dangerous life in Sydney's underworld when he comes into contact with John Lawrence and his mother he's desperate and dangerous.
“They stood slowly and filed out, watching Large all the way. Part of him really wanted to try something. He would enjoy shooting them, but he knew the momentary satisfaction it would give him wouldn't be worth the shitstorm that would follow.”
Left Luggage really does suffer from too much up front build-up. There's a lot of introducing characters, scene setting and background building happening, which leads to a substantial delay until the collision of all the characters. As many of the plot elements drop into place, a lot of the major components are telegraphed a long time before they are actually explored, which gives the book a weird sense of delayed gratification – it's hard to fight off the desire to start begging the author to get on with it. Which is unfortunate as in-line with the plot advancements, much of the character background would be both more interesting and worthwhile.
There is, however, some bravery in some of the resolution, albeit a bit of a kicker for readers who develop some sort of character connection along the way.
It's hard to pick whether Left Luggage is the start of a series featuring John Lawrence, and if so, how you'd get him back into other dangerous situations, although you can see how it would be an attraction for an author. Not quite a super-hero type, he's prepared to put himself on the line if required, he's brave, strong and capable.
March 13, 2017
Full of action great characters unique plot. Loved it. Violence warning.
March 3, 2017
If you like Jack Reacher, you will like John.
Great action filled read. Since This is the first in the series, you get the back story on the characters. Really interesting locals, as this does not take place in the USA. Love the language and different terminology. Only one part I did not like the outcome of. Will not say, as it would be a spoiler. It was necessary for the book, and series.
Great action filled read. Since This is the first in the series, you get the back story on the characters. Really interesting locals, as this does not take place in the USA. Love the language and different terminology. Only one part I did not like the outcome of. Will not say, as it would be a spoiler. It was necessary for the book, and series.
January 11, 2016
Great to find an Australian crime/adventure writer that was easy to read and nat at all pretentious. A good story with an original plot, easy to believe characters and situations. Yes there is some language, some not too pleasant, but it is from the mouths of some unsavoury characters and entirely in keeping with their outlook on life. If you don't want your baddie bad, then re-read some Dick Francis books.
The ending was a little weak but the next book will be given a go, we need to support local authors especially when the writing is this sharp and the story and plot are no more unbelievable than some British and American writers of this genre.
The ending was a little weak but the next book will be given a go, we need to support local authors especially when the writing is this sharp and the story and plot are no more unbelievable than some British and American writers of this genre.
June 6, 2015
Started off well
A intriguing concept, that was disrupted by the use of a four letter slang word description of part of a woman's anatomy way to much. I worked in Australia and never heard that word used that much. The editing used spell check and had several words that pronounced same, but different meanings. A second car was brought into play and then forgotten, same with money. Seemed to ramble thru ending without really ending story line.
A intriguing concept, that was disrupted by the use of a four letter slang word description of part of a woman's anatomy way to much. I worked in Australia and never heard that word used that much. The editing used spell check and had several words that pronounced same, but different meanings. A second car was brought into play and then forgotten, same with money. Seemed to ramble thru ending without really ending story line.
December 24, 2016
strong language and graphic violence at times.
The characters were a little flat in my opinion hence the 3 star rating. Instead of popping off the pages and bringing the story to life the characters resembled paper cutouts used as visual tools while writing a first draft.
I felt let down and disappointed when I closed the book for the last time ... so much missed potential! The ingredients for a great book were present but the author didn't deliver greatness, this time.
The characters were a little flat in my opinion hence the 3 star rating. Instead of popping off the pages and bringing the story to life the characters resembled paper cutouts used as visual tools while writing a first draft.
I felt let down and disappointed when I closed the book for the last time ... so much missed potential! The ingredients for a great book were present but the author didn't deliver greatness, this time.
January 5, 2017
Good story line - first in a series of John Lawrence mysteries. The plot moved along was sad to see the outcome for his mother - as John didn't get a chance to find out more about his father. Billy and John are good together , I can see John being a good role model for Billy in future novels. Highly recommend
January 9, 2017
Interesting
Not my usual kind of reading. Well written and interesting characters. Little unsatisfactory ending but was a great of segue to next book in series. Looking forward to reading it
Not my usual kind of reading. Well written and interesting characters. Little unsatisfactory ending but was a great of segue to next book in series. Looking forward to reading it
June 10, 2015
A cracking read, and a must for anyone who has lived in Sydney's inner west. Looking forward to the next instalment from this debut author!
January 7, 2017
Great read
Sixpence keeps reader guessing - mix of action and story line. Ending was OK not what was expected. Entertaining enough.
Sixpence keeps reader guessing - mix of action and story line. Ending was OK not what was expected. Entertaining enough.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews