What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Teeth
‘This exhilaratingly twisted, Chandler-influenced Aussie noir has Jason—a socially anxious Melbourne tech nerd with a vivid and occasionally pungent turn of phrase—caught up in two men’s desire for vengeance, with a bracingly downbeat femme fatale complicating the action. Read to the end of chapter one and you’ll be hooked.’ Sunday Times Crime Club
Jason Ginaff doesn’t get out much. Partly because of the anxiety, mainly because he works at home. Researching people on the internet. Job candidates doing bucket bongs on Instagram accounts they thought they’d deleted; the prospective new head of sales stripping for a hens’ night…
He’s been searching for something on his own time, too.
Now he’s found the phone number of the man he believes to be his father.
Which is how he gets mixed up with Rudy Alamein. They’ve been looking for the same man.
Difference being, Rudy wants to kill him.
Black Teeth is a witty, dynamic contemporary thriller by an emerging master of the form. Beautifully written and darkly funny, it’s both a literary triumph and an irresistible read.
Zane Lovitt was a documentary filmmaker before turning his hand to crime fiction. His debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and led to Zane being named one of the Best Young Novelists of 2013 by the Sydney Morning Herald. Zane Lovitt lives in Melbourne.
‘[Lovitt has] an attentive ear for language and a nuanced understanding of how quite ordinary extraordinary people may find themselves up to their necks in trouble. This is original Australian crime fiction of the first order.’ Age
‘A fast-paced, elaborate tale centred on misplaced ethics, wrongful convictions and multigenerational trauma…Superb characterisation and meticulously curated exchanges heighten the tension throughout, while recognisable Melbourne landmarks and Australian colloquialisms imbue the narrative with an unsettling familiarity—culminating in a surprising ending that will turn every expectation on its head.’ Big Issue
‘It’s Aussie noir, but much funnier than your standard noir, and Lovitt is a wonderfully inventive writer.’ New Zealand Listener
‘Incredible. Lovitt takes a wicked sense of humour and clever plotting to once again brilliantly subvert the crime genre…Move over Peter Temple, your heir apparent has arrived and is breaking all the rules of crime fiction with a talent and skill that is unique, daring and quite simply a pleasure to behold on the page.’ Jon Page, A Couple of Pages
‘What really sets Lovitt’s novels apart from the crowd is his writing style. In Black Teeth his use of plain and urban language is fresh and engaging and his snappy character dialogue a pleasure to read. If you find unassuming intelligence and a dark and dry sense of humour as appealing as I do, then Lovitt’s narrative voice will have you enthralled.’ Booklover Book Reviews
‘Lovitt respects and craftily manipulates conventions of crime fiction, but brings to them idiosyncratic and observant eyes and ears. Black Teeth confirms his status in a high quality local literary field.’ Australian
‘[A] quirky, contemporary thriller.
Jason Ginaff doesn’t get out much. Partly because of the anxiety, mainly because he works at home. Researching people on the internet. Job candidates doing bucket bongs on Instagram accounts they thought they’d deleted; the prospective new head of sales stripping for a hens’ night…
He’s been searching for something on his own time, too.
Now he’s found the phone number of the man he believes to be his father.
Which is how he gets mixed up with Rudy Alamein. They’ve been looking for the same man.
Difference being, Rudy wants to kill him.
Black Teeth is a witty, dynamic contemporary thriller by an emerging master of the form. Beautifully written and darkly funny, it’s both a literary triumph and an irresistible read.
Zane Lovitt was a documentary filmmaker before turning his hand to crime fiction. His debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and led to Zane being named one of the Best Young Novelists of 2013 by the Sydney Morning Herald. Zane Lovitt lives in Melbourne.
‘[Lovitt has] an attentive ear for language and a nuanced understanding of how quite ordinary extraordinary people may find themselves up to their necks in trouble. This is original Australian crime fiction of the first order.’ Age
‘A fast-paced, elaborate tale centred on misplaced ethics, wrongful convictions and multigenerational trauma…Superb characterisation and meticulously curated exchanges heighten the tension throughout, while recognisable Melbourne landmarks and Australian colloquialisms imbue the narrative with an unsettling familiarity—culminating in a surprising ending that will turn every expectation on its head.’ Big Issue
‘It’s Aussie noir, but much funnier than your standard noir, and Lovitt is a wonderfully inventive writer.’ New Zealand Listener
‘Incredible. Lovitt takes a wicked sense of humour and clever plotting to once again brilliantly subvert the crime genre…Move over Peter Temple, your heir apparent has arrived and is breaking all the rules of crime fiction with a talent and skill that is unique, daring and quite simply a pleasure to behold on the page.’ Jon Page, A Couple of Pages
‘What really sets Lovitt’s novels apart from the crowd is his writing style. In Black Teeth his use of plain and urban language is fresh and engaging and his snappy character dialogue a pleasure to read. If you find unassuming intelligence and a dark and dry sense of humour as appealing as I do, then Lovitt’s narrative voice will have you enthralled.’ Booklover Book Reviews
‘Lovitt respects and craftily manipulates conventions of crime fiction, but brings to them idiosyncratic and observant eyes and ears. Black Teeth confirms his status in a high quality local literary field.’ Australian
‘[A] quirky, contemporary thriller.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2016
4 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Zane Lovitt
6 books18 followersZane Lovitt was a documentary filmmaker before turning his hand to crime fiction. His debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and led to Zane being named one of the Best Young Novelists of 2013 by the Sydney Morning Herald. Zane Lovitt lives in Melbourne.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 21, 2017
This is bleak, dark and twisted Aussie noir located in Melbourne with a series of broken, flawed, and essentially unlikeable set of characters. What saves it are the unexpected moments of tenderness and connection, even if they are temporary in nature. Jason is your anxiety ridden, socially awkward, computer geek who trawls the internet for the real histories of people. He is employed to ensure that the CVs submitted for jobs are real and that there is nothing disturbing that might emerge from a potential employee. He is also not above deploying these skills to find out about his neighbours, friends and acquaintances. The death of his mother has left a gaping emotional need in him to locate his father, who he believes is retired cop, Glen Tyan, aka the polygraph, the man who knows when someone is lying or telling the truth.
Jason is expert in assuming a number of personas, as he negotiates the scenarios he finds himself in, partly so that he can become socially able by taking on the role of someone else, and hide his true self. His first meeting with Glen leaves a lot to be desired, although this does not dampen his feelings for and expectations of Glen. As Jason probes further, it transpires someone is stalking Glen with a view to killing him. Jason uncovers that it is Rudy Alamein, whose father has just died in prison, convicted of murdering his mother. Rudy wants revenge on Glen, certain that the cop framed his dad. Rudy wants to take out insurance that will pay out a huge sum of money for his only friend, Elizabeth Cannon, as he is certain he will die in the process of killing Glen. In a story where nothing is as it seems, and there are host of possible suspects for the murder of Cheryl Alamein, it becomes clear that the author has used the onion approach, as one layer is revealed, there are numerous others beneath.
This is a beautifully well plotted and multilayered story, even if I didn't always like it or the characters much. What I was spellbound by was the intricate creation and development of Rudy, who believed Elizabeth was his friend, but who was anything but. I loved the way Jason eventually connects with him, because the two of them have so much in common in their need for family and fathers in particular. If you are looking for a read with a range of broken characters, grifters, and a twisted mystery, then you will enjoy reading this. Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC
Jason is expert in assuming a number of personas, as he negotiates the scenarios he finds himself in, partly so that he can become socially able by taking on the role of someone else, and hide his true self. His first meeting with Glen leaves a lot to be desired, although this does not dampen his feelings for and expectations of Glen. As Jason probes further, it transpires someone is stalking Glen with a view to killing him. Jason uncovers that it is Rudy Alamein, whose father has just died in prison, convicted of murdering his mother. Rudy wants revenge on Glen, certain that the cop framed his dad. Rudy wants to take out insurance that will pay out a huge sum of money for his only friend, Elizabeth Cannon, as he is certain he will die in the process of killing Glen. In a story where nothing is as it seems, and there are host of possible suspects for the murder of Cheryl Alamein, it becomes clear that the author has used the onion approach, as one layer is revealed, there are numerous others beneath.
This is a beautifully well plotted and multilayered story, even if I didn't always like it or the characters much. What I was spellbound by was the intricate creation and development of Rudy, who believed Elizabeth was his friend, but who was anything but. I loved the way Jason eventually connects with him, because the two of them have so much in common in their need for family and fathers in particular. If you are looking for a read with a range of broken characters, grifters, and a twisted mystery, then you will enjoy reading this. Many thanks to Text Publishing for an ARC
July 4, 2018
4.5★
“. . . scorning your neighbour is like scorning your waiter: it’s gruesome to imagine the ways they might exact their revenge.
. . . I’m just more comfortable being someone else. I don’t get panic attacks when I’m being someone else.”
Jason is an odd duck, or a “hikikomori dingus” as he refers to himself. He’s a reclusive loner, not given to stashing guns or planning anarchy – just prefers his work-at-home world of “research” on the internet. Actual people are likely to make him uncomfortable.
We meet him in various guises with many different names, and I’ll stick to Jason for simplicity’s sake. He’s a kind of private investigator doing background checks for job applications. I mean back, back, BACK background. Like all the questionable jokes you might have shared and then deleted when you were cleaning up your Facebook account. Office party photos, you get the idea.
If you ever posted it, he will find it. Everything that gets uploaded goes to someone’s computer somewhere - there is no magic, password-protected “cloud” in the heavens. It may get erased (depending on whose server it is and how attentive they are), but even then, this guy could probably find it. He burns any aggressive energy in online games, but we see only enough of that to know that world exists. We aren’t dragged there.
Hacking doesn’t make him nervous. But sharing pizza with the girl across the hall does, which is where the scorning your waiter thought above came from.
And yet, he puts himself in the most terrifying (to me) situations! With a pen, he draws a tattoo of black teeth to match the prison tattoo of a guy he's meeting. Then when he runs into the guy later, he has to hide his now naked, unblemished hand. The guy is a powder keg, which makes it a nervous moment.
He poses as all kinds of people (insurance salesmen, tradesman with a clipboard, lawyer), and walks up to strange front doors to pass himself off with believable stories then races home to register a new internet domain if he’s had to make up a fake email address on the spur of the moment, and he’s in constant threat of being discovered by one of these people when he’s being someone else. GASP!
But that’s the secret. He IS someone else. And he’s fast on his feet mentally (and occasionally physically when necessary).
In court, he doesn’t have the luxury of hiding, and that is truly awful for him.
“Every bone shakes with an ancient kind of muscle memory. When the world confirms how worthless you are it hollows you out. Like after the panic attack in court yesterday. It hollows you out and if you’re hollow then nothing even matters.”
Lovett doesn’t labour this point too much – just enough that we’re aware how fragile Jason’s stability is. But he seems to manage following up on a crime pretty well, all things considered. And, oh yes, it’s Melbourne in the winter and he is cold. I mean COLD. All the time. It’s almost like reading a story that takes place in the Canadian winter, but without the snow. He is almost never without jacket, hat and gloves, but then again . . . that’s a popular way to hide “undercover”.
He meets another girl who is connected somehow to a suspect in the old murder case he’s investigating, and then we’re not sure she’s who she’s supposed to be. Nor are we sure about the man he approaches who was the detective in that case who is the man Jason was originally looking for who he thinks might be his father.
Yes, it gets confusing, and meanwhile, his narration is occasionally, very abruptly, interrupted (in italics, so we understand) by sudden memories of his mother dying in hospital recently. He can’t help them popping into his consciousness, these conversations, his sensations in the hospital room, his attachment to her, and why he started looking for his father. He really hasn’t recovered from the loss.
Other than the cold, (and occasional terror!), part of the atmosphere is the overpowering smells of the detective’s house in which he has chain-smoked forever or the kitchen in which a suspect has piled dishes. Jason is also sensitive to smells and smoke. He’s sensitive to a lot of things. On his way to an aged care facility which has lovely ads about its location in the beautiful hills, he thinks:
“Out the window the trees block whatever hilltop view this facility is supposed to command, reinforcing my suspicion that putting an aged care home in the Dandenongs is motivated less by the ‘stunning and gorgeous surrounds’ than by the positioning of its guests as far from Melbourne as their families’ consciences permit.”
He is a wonderful character. Panicky sometimes, allergic, sensitive, but he’s also smart, funny, and completely sane. I’m sorry I haven’t given a better sense of his warmth and humour.
The plot is convoluted and clever, but if I could follow it, anybody could. And it’s worth following. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted. Great to find another talented Aussie writer!
“. . . scorning your neighbour is like scorning your waiter: it’s gruesome to imagine the ways they might exact their revenge.
. . . I’m just more comfortable being someone else. I don’t get panic attacks when I’m being someone else.”
Jason is an odd duck, or a “hikikomori dingus” as he refers to himself. He’s a reclusive loner, not given to stashing guns or planning anarchy – just prefers his work-at-home world of “research” on the internet. Actual people are likely to make him uncomfortable.
We meet him in various guises with many different names, and I’ll stick to Jason for simplicity’s sake. He’s a kind of private investigator doing background checks for job applications. I mean back, back, BACK background. Like all the questionable jokes you might have shared and then deleted when you were cleaning up your Facebook account. Office party photos, you get the idea.
If you ever posted it, he will find it. Everything that gets uploaded goes to someone’s computer somewhere - there is no magic, password-protected “cloud” in the heavens. It may get erased (depending on whose server it is and how attentive they are), but even then, this guy could probably find it. He burns any aggressive energy in online games, but we see only enough of that to know that world exists. We aren’t dragged there.
Hacking doesn’t make him nervous. But sharing pizza with the girl across the hall does, which is where the scorning your waiter thought above came from.
And yet, he puts himself in the most terrifying (to me) situations! With a pen, he draws a tattoo of black teeth to match the prison tattoo of a guy he's meeting. Then when he runs into the guy later, he has to hide his now naked, unblemished hand. The guy is a powder keg, which makes it a nervous moment.
He poses as all kinds of people (insurance salesmen, tradesman with a clipboard, lawyer), and walks up to strange front doors to pass himself off with believable stories then races home to register a new internet domain if he’s had to make up a fake email address on the spur of the moment, and he’s in constant threat of being discovered by one of these people when he’s being someone else. GASP!
But that’s the secret. He IS someone else. And he’s fast on his feet mentally (and occasionally physically when necessary).
In court, he doesn’t have the luxury of hiding, and that is truly awful for him.
“Every bone shakes with an ancient kind of muscle memory. When the world confirms how worthless you are it hollows you out. Like after the panic attack in court yesterday. It hollows you out and if you’re hollow then nothing even matters.”
Lovett doesn’t labour this point too much – just enough that we’re aware how fragile Jason’s stability is. But he seems to manage following up on a crime pretty well, all things considered. And, oh yes, it’s Melbourne in the winter and he is cold. I mean COLD. All the time. It’s almost like reading a story that takes place in the Canadian winter, but without the snow. He is almost never without jacket, hat and gloves, but then again . . . that’s a popular way to hide “undercover”.
He meets another girl who is connected somehow to a suspect in the old murder case he’s investigating, and then we’re not sure she’s who she’s supposed to be. Nor are we sure about the man he approaches who was the detective in that case who is the man Jason was originally looking for who he thinks might be his father.
Yes, it gets confusing, and meanwhile, his narration is occasionally, very abruptly, interrupted (in italics, so we understand) by sudden memories of his mother dying in hospital recently. He can’t help them popping into his consciousness, these conversations, his sensations in the hospital room, his attachment to her, and why he started looking for his father. He really hasn’t recovered from the loss.
Other than the cold, (and occasional terror!), part of the atmosphere is the overpowering smells of the detective’s house in which he has chain-smoked forever or the kitchen in which a suspect has piled dishes. Jason is also sensitive to smells and smoke. He’s sensitive to a lot of things. On his way to an aged care facility which has lovely ads about its location in the beautiful hills, he thinks:
“Out the window the trees block whatever hilltop view this facility is supposed to command, reinforcing my suspicion that putting an aged care home in the Dandenongs is motivated less by the ‘stunning and gorgeous surrounds’ than by the positioning of its guests as far from Melbourne as their families’ consciences permit.”
He is a wonderful character. Panicky sometimes, allergic, sensitive, but he’s also smart, funny, and completely sane. I’m sorry I haven’t given a better sense of his warmth and humour.
The plot is convoluted and clever, but if I could follow it, anybody could. And it’s worth following. Many thanks to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the review copy from which I’ve quoted. Great to find another talented Aussie writer!
October 9, 2017
Black Teeth is a very dark, very Aussie and often very funny novel about two unusual loners. Jason Ginaff is a computer nerd who suffers anxiety and panic attacks, uses multiple names to hide his real identity and earns a living researching people on the internet, hunting out their dirty secrets for recruiting companies. Having lost his mother recently he wants to connect with the man he believes is his father, retired cop Glen Tyan, which is how he gets involved with Rudy Alamein and his quest for justice for his father, Piers Alamein. Piers is in jail for killing his wife, Rudy’s mother, when Rudy was a teenager. Now grown up bitter and twisted, Rudy is convinced that Glen set Piers up and he is now out to get revenge.
This unusual plot takes many a bend before the final scene unfolds. Neither Rudy nor Jason are likeable characters but by the end of the book the author has generated some sympathy and warmth for these two misfits. A very quirky and unpredictable read.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Text Publishing for a copy to read and review
This unusual plot takes many a bend before the final scene unfolds. Neither Rudy nor Jason are likeable characters but by the end of the book the author has generated some sympathy and warmth for these two misfits. A very quirky and unpredictable read.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Text Publishing for a copy to read and review
October 26, 2022
A freezing Melbourne winter provides the backdrop to a strong noir tale of murder and deception. From the dark themes mental issues, revenge and feelings of murder we’re taken on a beguiling ride with moments of sparkling humour and an over-riding sense of doom.
“It’s easier to be someone else when you put on their clothes.”
Jason Ginaff is a man of many personas and each has a fake name behind which he can hide. Prone to panic attacks he’s far more comfortable sitting in front of a computer digging up dirt on potential job candidates than he is testifying in court. But it’s all part of his job.
When he tracks down Glen Tyan, an ex-policeman who he believes could be his father, he unwittingly enters into the orbit of Rudy Alamein. Rudy is just as averse to contact with other people as Jason, but he’s also on a mission to avenge his father, recently dead while serving a prison sentence. He’s stalking the policeman responsible for putting his father away. Care to guess who that cop might be?
It’s the murder of Cheryl Alamein, Rudy’s mother, where the mystery lies. From a seemingly straightforward scenario we pick up enough detail to understand that this is a case that’s anything but simple.
Using a series of different guises and backed by some seriously questionable internet “research” Jason poses as insurance agent, tradesman, lawyer, among other professions, to run his investigation. He’s quick-witted, well prepared and a mere second away from completely melting down in front of the people he lies to.
Black Teeth is a finely crafted mystery that benefits from increasing layers of deception. From Jason himself to Rudy and Glen and even to Beth, Jason’s erstwhile love interest, nothing can be taken at face value. It’s all about secrets, lies and ulterior motives.
As is the case with many noir crime novels, it is difficult to find the characters completely likable. To some extent they are each trying to overcome the mental scarring caused by a traumatic event involving either one or both of their parents. And it’s through the glimpses of vulnerability that I found myself, while not exactly caring for each of them, at least interested to find out how they would cope.
Black Teeth is a well-paced, thought provoking crime novel that is a terrific example of Australian noir.
“It’s easier to be someone else when you put on their clothes.”
Jason Ginaff is a man of many personas and each has a fake name behind which he can hide. Prone to panic attacks he’s far more comfortable sitting in front of a computer digging up dirt on potential job candidates than he is testifying in court. But it’s all part of his job.
When he tracks down Glen Tyan, an ex-policeman who he believes could be his father, he unwittingly enters into the orbit of Rudy Alamein. Rudy is just as averse to contact with other people as Jason, but he’s also on a mission to avenge his father, recently dead while serving a prison sentence. He’s stalking the policeman responsible for putting his father away. Care to guess who that cop might be?
It’s the murder of Cheryl Alamein, Rudy’s mother, where the mystery lies. From a seemingly straightforward scenario we pick up enough detail to understand that this is a case that’s anything but simple.
Using a series of different guises and backed by some seriously questionable internet “research” Jason poses as insurance agent, tradesman, lawyer, among other professions, to run his investigation. He’s quick-witted, well prepared and a mere second away from completely melting down in front of the people he lies to.
Black Teeth is a finely crafted mystery that benefits from increasing layers of deception. From Jason himself to Rudy and Glen and even to Beth, Jason’s erstwhile love interest, nothing can be taken at face value. It’s all about secrets, lies and ulterior motives.
As is the case with many noir crime novels, it is difficult to find the characters completely likable. To some extent they are each trying to overcome the mental scarring caused by a traumatic event involving either one or both of their parents. And it’s through the glimpses of vulnerability that I found myself, while not exactly caring for each of them, at least interested to find out how they would cope.
Black Teeth is a well-paced, thought provoking crime novel that is a terrific example of Australian noir.
June 1, 2016
Black Teeth is the second novel by Australian documentary filmmaker and award-winning author, Zane Lovitt. Jason Ginaff’s field of expertise is online information. He’s so good at it that he makes a living vetting prospective employees, finding those hidden, supposedly deleted, potentially damaging nuggets that employers need to know about. But when someone doesn’t have an online presence, it’s much more difficult.
Jason has had to use his most sophisticated software to track down the ex-cop with the nickname Polygraph, the man he’s fairly certain is his father. But it soon becomes clear that he’s not the only one who’s found this elusive chap, and Rudy Alamein, son of convicted killer Piers Alamein, has reasons that are much less benign.
From the first pages it becomes apparent that Lovitt has filled his thriller with deliciously black humour. His descriptive prose is highly evocative, easily establishing the feel of a Melbourne winter, a dusty dilapidated home, a run-down hospice, an ageing bachelor’s house, an unappealing lunch:”...I lower my eyes, face to face with the dry white bread and wet lettuce and canned ham that smells like play-doh. The least appetising meal I’ve seen in a while, and I’m a mid-twenties male who lives alone”.
His plot is clever and original, moves along at a decent clip, and has enough clues, twists and red herrings to keep the reader engrossed. His protagonist is multi-faceted and extremely resourceful when creating his diverse personas; many of the other characters are also not quite what they seem, at first, to be. The motive, if not the identity of the murderer, will be a surprise for even the most astute reader.
This page-turner manages to include missing pets, insurance policies, tattoos of black teeth, tripwires, a hidden, hand-written confession, an old green Volvo, a glass vase from Ikea, a fatal heart condition and some antique furniture. A sharp, darkly funny novel that will have readers seeking out more from this talented author.
Jason has had to use his most sophisticated software to track down the ex-cop with the nickname Polygraph, the man he’s fairly certain is his father. But it soon becomes clear that he’s not the only one who’s found this elusive chap, and Rudy Alamein, son of convicted killer Piers Alamein, has reasons that are much less benign.
From the first pages it becomes apparent that Lovitt has filled his thriller with deliciously black humour. His descriptive prose is highly evocative, easily establishing the feel of a Melbourne winter, a dusty dilapidated home, a run-down hospice, an ageing bachelor’s house, an unappealing lunch:”...I lower my eyes, face to face with the dry white bread and wet lettuce and canned ham that smells like play-doh. The least appetising meal I’ve seen in a while, and I’m a mid-twenties male who lives alone”.
His plot is clever and original, moves along at a decent clip, and has enough clues, twists and red herrings to keep the reader engrossed. His protagonist is multi-faceted and extremely resourceful when creating his diverse personas; many of the other characters are also not quite what they seem, at first, to be. The motive, if not the identity of the murderer, will be a surprise for even the most astute reader.
This page-turner manages to include missing pets, insurance policies, tattoos of black teeth, tripwires, a hidden, hand-written confession, an old green Volvo, a glass vase from Ikea, a fatal heart condition and some antique furniture. A sharp, darkly funny novel that will have readers seeking out more from this talented author.
Read
July 18, 2016When THE MIDNIGHT PROMISE won the Ned Kelly Award in 2013 it was impossible not to agree wholeheartedly with the judges' decision. That book telegraphed clearly here was an author to be followed closely. Three years on, BLACK TEETH is worth the wait. Unusual, dark, often funny, always disquieting, this is an intriguing novel.
In it, the lives of two loners, slightly lost men, collide as they search for the same man. One, Jason Ginaff is a technical wiz. He earns his living researching job candidates, finding out the things that people don't want discovered. Raised by a single mother who recently died, he's socially awkward, suffers from anxiety and is grieving the loss of his mum deeply.
Rudy Alamain is also grieving the loss of parents. His mother died years ago, his father much more recently. The difference here is that his father was serving time in prison for the murder of his mother - whose body Rudy discovered years ago.
When these two damaged and hurting men come across each other, Rudy is looking for life insurance before settling some scores with the cop he thinks framed his father. Jason, on the other hand, is searching for the same man - the father he's never met. As simple as that scenario sounds, nothing should be taken at face-value in BLACK TEETH.
In what seems like a brave move, Lovitt hasn't set out to create a cast of characters here that everyone is going to like, or connect with. As vulnerable, fragile and broken as everybody in this book is, they are also unlikeable, untrustworthy and in many ways complicit in their own destiny. Yet somehow readers will be drawn into a form of caring, almost barracking for somebody, anybody really, to rise above their circumstances and do something. Preferably the right thing, but more often it comes down to anything, to take charge, or make a difference.
It's also a book, that in the early part, is littered with hacker terminology that kind of works, if you don't look too closely. Convincing in a way, slightly questionable in others, there's enough truth in the methods and terms that Jason uses to let it go (although to be honest the confluence of doxing, brute force attacks and rainbow tables was a What The? moment).
What's more important is that the character of Jason as a hacker quietly working on google dorks in his lounge room, discovering people's hidden secrets, works. It also makes him the sort of person that would dig into the past and people's backgrounds to find the truth. It's still what he would do even after he discovers the truth can hurt. It also means that he has some choices in how he approaches a fragile and damaged person like Rudy. Whether or not he, or any of them for that matter, make the right choices is less predictable - you can't code a human emotion and expect somebody to run the script to completion after all.
The complex set of character interactions at play in BLACK TEETH are ably supported by an equally complex and well-executed plot that keeps everyone (including, it seems, the participants themselves) guessing until the end. Add to that some touches of excellent scene setting - from tired old blocks of brick flats in tired old suburbs, through to the mouldering and neglected house that Rudy lives in, surrounded by disconnected and disinterested affluence, and you've got all of the necessary elements of noir crime fiction with none of the predictability.
In fact predictability is the one thing you can forget about if you're about to read BLACK TEETH. There is so much in this novel that's unusual and unexpected but never once does it feel out of place or overly engineered. It's dark, it's classic noir, it's very Australian and it's about as pitch perfect as you can get.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
In it, the lives of two loners, slightly lost men, collide as they search for the same man. One, Jason Ginaff is a technical wiz. He earns his living researching job candidates, finding out the things that people don't want discovered. Raised by a single mother who recently died, he's socially awkward, suffers from anxiety and is grieving the loss of his mum deeply.
Rudy Alamain is also grieving the loss of parents. His mother died years ago, his father much more recently. The difference here is that his father was serving time in prison for the murder of his mother - whose body Rudy discovered years ago.
When these two damaged and hurting men come across each other, Rudy is looking for life insurance before settling some scores with the cop he thinks framed his father. Jason, on the other hand, is searching for the same man - the father he's never met. As simple as that scenario sounds, nothing should be taken at face-value in BLACK TEETH.
In what seems like a brave move, Lovitt hasn't set out to create a cast of characters here that everyone is going to like, or connect with. As vulnerable, fragile and broken as everybody in this book is, they are also unlikeable, untrustworthy and in many ways complicit in their own destiny. Yet somehow readers will be drawn into a form of caring, almost barracking for somebody, anybody really, to rise above their circumstances and do something. Preferably the right thing, but more often it comes down to anything, to take charge, or make a difference.
It's also a book, that in the early part, is littered with hacker terminology that kind of works, if you don't look too closely. Convincing in a way, slightly questionable in others, there's enough truth in the methods and terms that Jason uses to let it go (although to be honest the confluence of doxing, brute force attacks and rainbow tables was a What The? moment).
What's more important is that the character of Jason as a hacker quietly working on google dorks in his lounge room, discovering people's hidden secrets, works. It also makes him the sort of person that would dig into the past and people's backgrounds to find the truth. It's still what he would do even after he discovers the truth can hurt. It also means that he has some choices in how he approaches a fragile and damaged person like Rudy. Whether or not he, or any of them for that matter, make the right choices is less predictable - you can't code a human emotion and expect somebody to run the script to completion after all.
The complex set of character interactions at play in BLACK TEETH are ably supported by an equally complex and well-executed plot that keeps everyone (including, it seems, the participants themselves) guessing until the end. Add to that some touches of excellent scene setting - from tired old blocks of brick flats in tired old suburbs, through to the mouldering and neglected house that Rudy lives in, surrounded by disconnected and disinterested affluence, and you've got all of the necessary elements of noir crime fiction with none of the predictability.
In fact predictability is the one thing you can forget about if you're about to read BLACK TEETH. There is so much in this novel that's unusual and unexpected but never once does it feel out of place or overly engineered. It's dark, it's classic noir, it's very Australian and it's about as pitch perfect as you can get.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
July 23, 2016
A well-paced and thoroughly enjoyable piece of Australian-noir. Lovitt has very purposefully employed the Australian vernacular and modern, like, turn of phrase to give this novel a unique voice, allowing Black Teeth to draw on the 'feel' of Jim Thompson et al. without falling into age-old American noir tropes.
We have a cast of unlikeable characters led by Jason/Timothy/Steve the pre-employment investigator (you know, that guy who dredges up photos from that leather-and-lace-beer-bong incident from 2003 or your 'hidden' identity as a Twitter MRA/troll). As is always the case with noir, we find ourselves forgiving the deeply flawed moral positions of most (if not all) of the cast. What is compelling about the way this is handled in Black Teeth is that the common thread of vulnerability in our flawed friends is that each in their own way is searching for that most human of rewards: parental approval/love (I'd love to dig deeper into Gemma's story on this note and wondered a couple of times why Jason didn't look at her history more closely in general, particularly before her story developed). This search for parental validation is immediately relatable to the child in all of us, regardless of the assholery or fraudulence of the figures from whom they/we are running to or from.
I'll admit that I had to flick forward when I first stumbled across the fade-out/fade-in device that marks Jason's anxiety condition, concerned that Text had had some budget-cuts in the printing department. But once I moved to a better-lit spot for reading and realised that it, like the modern, like, phrasing was *purposeful*, I came to respect both its use and the dedication of the typesetter at J & M who must have worked carefully to create the desired effect (yes, I always read the colophon...TYPE-NERD!).
I read a great deal of crime fiction and noir. And while there is no shortage of titles being pumped out of publishing houses with more or less the same titles and covers, they are difficult forms of genre fiction to really 'nail'. It's too easy for authors to draw on the authors and traditions that they/we love (Hammett, Chandler, Thompson, Ellroy) and drop hints of atmosphere for fellow fans to read into (a damsel in distress on a dark and stormy night rescued by a flawed and alcoholic hard-nosed detective). It's also too easy for readers like me to consume lazy genre-fiction - after all, I'll happily plough through tome after tome without complaint. Even those that are excellent books in their own right can fall into this trap (I often found myself placing Cormoran Strike in Galbraith/Rowling's 'Cuckoo's Calling' in film-noir sets from the '40s). But every now and again someone does something different with genre fiction, like Lovitt has here with noir. Not once did I find myself falling into the assumptions and movie-sets I've built in my head for noir - Jason was clearly in Melbourne, clearly in Australia (I suspect a screenwriting background puts Lovitt at a great advantage here - creating a version of Melbourne/Victoria that was *just* fictional enough for this nearly-Kensington and nearly-Kerang native to not be too distracted by!). Jason was in the (near) present, operating with recent technology and dealing with contemporary problems. Not once did I picture him wearing a fedora or pouring (another) single-malt into a crystal tumbler. Nor did the women in this novel need rescuing.
Black Teeth is the kind of Australian-noir I hadn't imagined could exist, and I'm looking forward to more like it.
We have a cast of unlikeable characters led by Jason/Timothy/Steve the pre-employment investigator (you know, that guy who dredges up photos from that leather-and-lace-beer-bong incident from 2003 or your 'hidden' identity as a Twitter MRA/troll). As is always the case with noir, we find ourselves forgiving the deeply flawed moral positions of most (if not all) of the cast. What is compelling about the way this is handled in Black Teeth is that the common thread of vulnerability in our flawed friends is that each in their own way is searching for that most human of rewards: parental approval/love (I'd love to dig deeper into Gemma's story on this note and wondered a couple of times why Jason didn't look at her history more closely in general, particularly before her story developed). This search for parental validation is immediately relatable to the child in all of us, regardless of the assholery or fraudulence of the figures from whom they/we are running to or from.
I'll admit that I had to flick forward when I first stumbled across the fade-out/fade-in device that marks Jason's anxiety condition, concerned that Text had had some budget-cuts in the printing department. But once I moved to a better-lit spot for reading and realised that it, like the modern, like, phrasing was *purposeful*, I came to respect both its use and the dedication of the typesetter at J & M who must have worked carefully to create the desired effect (yes, I always read the colophon...TYPE-NERD!).
I read a great deal of crime fiction and noir. And while there is no shortage of titles being pumped out of publishing houses with more or less the same titles and covers, they are difficult forms of genre fiction to really 'nail'. It's too easy for authors to draw on the authors and traditions that they/we love (Hammett, Chandler, Thompson, Ellroy) and drop hints of atmosphere for fellow fans to read into (a damsel in distress on a dark and stormy night rescued by a flawed and alcoholic hard-nosed detective). It's also too easy for readers like me to consume lazy genre-fiction - after all, I'll happily plough through tome after tome without complaint. Even those that are excellent books in their own right can fall into this trap (I often found myself placing Cormoran Strike in Galbraith/Rowling's 'Cuckoo's Calling' in film-noir sets from the '40s). But every now and again someone does something different with genre fiction, like Lovitt has here with noir. Not once did I find myself falling into the assumptions and movie-sets I've built in my head for noir - Jason was clearly in Melbourne, clearly in Australia (I suspect a screenwriting background puts Lovitt at a great advantage here - creating a version of Melbourne/Victoria that was *just* fictional enough for this nearly-Kensington and nearly-Kerang native to not be too distracted by!). Jason was in the (near) present, operating with recent technology and dealing with contemporary problems. Not once did I picture him wearing a fedora or pouring (another) single-malt into a crystal tumbler. Nor did the women in this novel need rescuing.
Black Teeth is the kind of Australian-noir I hadn't imagined could exist, and I'm looking forward to more like it.
October 4, 2017
Black Teeth is a dark humorous novel set in Melbourne. Jason is a hacker who probes the depths of the internet looking for ‘dirt’ on prospective job candidates. He also uses it for his own needs, looking at friends and also for tracking down the father he never knew after the death of his mother. This places him in danger, when his father, an ex police officer talks him into meeting Rudy to ‘sell’ life insurance. Rudy is the son of a man who was convicted of murder, and he believes that Jason’s father tricked him into a confession. Rudy wants Beth, a friend, to benefit from the life insurance that Jason is ‘selling’.
All of these characters are a little odd. Beth isn’t as squeaky clean as Rudy thinks she is, she is very manipulative. Jason’s father was a bitter drunk who left his job as a police officer under a cloud. He knows that Rudy plans to kill him and seems eager about it, even though he has set booby traps in his home. Rudy is a loner, he lives in squalor and it is easy to believe that he is capable of violence. Whilst he believes that Beth is his friend, it is Jason who is there for him more, despite his actions at the beginning. Jason is the most likeable of the characters. His job isn’t a pleasant one and he gets carried away at times but he does have a conscience and regrets some of the things he has done. He is loyal, even to those who don’t deserve it. There aren’t that many characters and they all felt substantial. Many people are probably unlucky enough to know somebody like the ones in this novel.
There is some violence but its comical. Most of it backfires and doesn’t go the way it should do. Some of it I had to reread to get the most out of it ( some of the Australian slang I didn’t understand but I could get the general idea). The description of Rudy’s home and its squalid conditions were convincing, at times I wanted to dive in the shower, thinking I could smell it.
It’s very entertaining, not a hysterically funny book but one that had me smiling wryly. I recognised some of the areas in Melbourne, including the area Rudy lived in which was great but you could still enjoy the book if you didn’t know it.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
All of these characters are a little odd. Beth isn’t as squeaky clean as Rudy thinks she is, she is very manipulative. Jason’s father was a bitter drunk who left his job as a police officer under a cloud. He knows that Rudy plans to kill him and seems eager about it, even though he has set booby traps in his home. Rudy is a loner, he lives in squalor and it is easy to believe that he is capable of violence. Whilst he believes that Beth is his friend, it is Jason who is there for him more, despite his actions at the beginning. Jason is the most likeable of the characters. His job isn’t a pleasant one and he gets carried away at times but he does have a conscience and regrets some of the things he has done. He is loyal, even to those who don’t deserve it. There aren’t that many characters and they all felt substantial. Many people are probably unlucky enough to know somebody like the ones in this novel.
There is some violence but its comical. Most of it backfires and doesn’t go the way it should do. Some of it I had to reread to get the most out of it ( some of the Australian slang I didn’t understand but I could get the general idea). The description of Rudy’s home and its squalid conditions were convincing, at times I wanted to dive in the shower, thinking I could smell it.
It’s very entertaining, not a hysterically funny book but one that had me smiling wryly. I recognised some of the areas in Melbourne, including the area Rudy lived in which was great but you could still enjoy the book if you didn’t know it.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
October 27, 2017
‘[Lovitt has] an attentive ear for language and a nuanced understanding of how quite ordinary extraordinary people may find themselves up to their necks in trouble. This is original Australian crime fiction of the first order.’
Age
‘Clever and original…A sharp, darkly funny novel that will have readers seeking out more from this talented author.’
BookMooch
‘Incredible. Lovitt takes a wicked sense of humour and clever plotting to once again brilliantly subvert the crime genre…Move over Peter Temple, your heir apparent has arrived and is breaking all the rules of crime fiction with a talent and skill that is unique, daring and quite simply a pleasure to behold on the page.’
Jon Page, A Couple of Pages
‘What really sets Lovitt’s novels apart from the crowd is his writing style. In Black Teeth his use of plain and urban language is fresh and engaging and his snappy character dialogue a pleasure to read. If you find unassuming intelligence and a dark and dry sense of humour as appealing as I do, then Lovitt’s narrative voice will have you enthralled.’
Booklover Book Reviews
‘Lovitt respects and craftily manipulates conventions of crime fiction, but brings to them idiosyncratic and observant eyes and ears. Black Teeth confirms his status in a high quality local literary field.’
Australian
‘In Black Teeth, Lovitt has taken the conventions of noir fiction and made them his own…A classic, dark Australian crime thriller.’
PS News
‘Zane Lovitt is one to watch out for…Black Teeth is a clever and addictive page-turner.’
Canberra Weekly
‘An exuberant book, written with panache… Zane Lovitt has clearly begun what will become a firm crime-writing career. In Black Teeth… the characters beguile, the plot thickens as a crime plot shot, the atmosphere of Melbourne in winter surrounds the events, and one romps through to the end.’
Stuff NZ
‘Black Teeth [has] got all of the necessary elements of noir fiction with none of the predictability… There is so much in this novel that’s unusual and unexpected but never once does it feel out of place or overly engineered. It’s dark, it’s classic noir, it’s very Australian and it’s about as pitch perfect as you can get.’
Aust Crime Fiction
‘The rich vein of dark humour is entertaining and the subtly telegraphed twists keep the book moving at a good pace. And as with all compelling noir, there is both deception and counter-deception… Lovitt’s character Jason Ginaff is needy and sometimes even creepy – but he has an endearlingly smart-arsed turn of phrase, and tucked in somewhere beneath his fallible, self-obsessed personality is a twitchy moral compass. He is well worth another book.’
Newtown Review of Books
‘[Black Teeth] has many of the hallmarks of a Raymond Chandler noir; as soon as the reader thinks she is beginning to get a handle on what is going on, another red herring gets lobbed into the plot… Lovitt has confirmed his great promise here. A writer definitely worth following.’
Australian Book Review
‘A fast-paced, elaborate tale centred on misplaced ethics, wrongful convictions and multigenerational trauma…Superb characterisation and meticulously curated exchanges heighten the tension throughout, while recognisable Melbourne landmarks and Australian colloquialisms imbue the narrative with an unsettling familiarity—culminating in a surprising ending that will turn every expectation on its head.’
Big Issue
‘It’s Aussie noir, but much funnier than your standard noir, and Lovitt is a wonderfully inventive writer.’
New Zealand Listener
‘An unhinged, darkly comic thriller.’
Readings, Best Crime Books of 2016
‘[A] quirky, contemporary thriller.’
Best Books of 2016, New Zealand Listener
‘A quintessential Melbourne novel. The language is modern and raw. The juggling of the events and episodes is engrossing. Lovitt weaves the reality of modern life into the story.’
Law Institute Journal
‘This exhilaratingly twisted, Chandler-influenced Aussie noir has Jason—a socially anxious Melbourne tech nerd with a vivid and occasionally pungent turn of phrase—caught up in two men’s desire for vengeance, with a bracingly downbeat femme fatale complicating the action. Read to the end of chapter one and you’ll be hooked.’
Sunday Times Crime Club
‘Of all the novels I’ve read that could be called neo-noir, Black Teeth is the one that most succeeds in combining the new with the noir.’
Crime Fiction Lover
‘It takes a lot to surprise me but Black Teeth did exactly that…a sharp, darkly funny novel…cleverly written.’
Shots Magazine
Age
‘Clever and original…A sharp, darkly funny novel that will have readers seeking out more from this talented author.’
BookMooch
‘Incredible. Lovitt takes a wicked sense of humour and clever plotting to once again brilliantly subvert the crime genre…Move over Peter Temple, your heir apparent has arrived and is breaking all the rules of crime fiction with a talent and skill that is unique, daring and quite simply a pleasure to behold on the page.’
Jon Page, A Couple of Pages
‘What really sets Lovitt’s novels apart from the crowd is his writing style. In Black Teeth his use of plain and urban language is fresh and engaging and his snappy character dialogue a pleasure to read. If you find unassuming intelligence and a dark and dry sense of humour as appealing as I do, then Lovitt’s narrative voice will have you enthralled.’
Booklover Book Reviews
‘Lovitt respects and craftily manipulates conventions of crime fiction, but brings to them idiosyncratic and observant eyes and ears. Black Teeth confirms his status in a high quality local literary field.’
Australian
‘In Black Teeth, Lovitt has taken the conventions of noir fiction and made them his own…A classic, dark Australian crime thriller.’
PS News
‘Zane Lovitt is one to watch out for…Black Teeth is a clever and addictive page-turner.’
Canberra Weekly
‘An exuberant book, written with panache… Zane Lovitt has clearly begun what will become a firm crime-writing career. In Black Teeth… the characters beguile, the plot thickens as a crime plot shot, the atmosphere of Melbourne in winter surrounds the events, and one romps through to the end.’
Stuff NZ
‘Black Teeth [has] got all of the necessary elements of noir fiction with none of the predictability… There is so much in this novel that’s unusual and unexpected but never once does it feel out of place or overly engineered. It’s dark, it’s classic noir, it’s very Australian and it’s about as pitch perfect as you can get.’
Aust Crime Fiction
‘The rich vein of dark humour is entertaining and the subtly telegraphed twists keep the book moving at a good pace. And as with all compelling noir, there is both deception and counter-deception… Lovitt’s character Jason Ginaff is needy and sometimes even creepy – but he has an endearlingly smart-arsed turn of phrase, and tucked in somewhere beneath his fallible, self-obsessed personality is a twitchy moral compass. He is well worth another book.’
Newtown Review of Books
‘[Black Teeth] has many of the hallmarks of a Raymond Chandler noir; as soon as the reader thinks she is beginning to get a handle on what is going on, another red herring gets lobbed into the plot… Lovitt has confirmed his great promise here. A writer definitely worth following.’
Australian Book Review
‘A fast-paced, elaborate tale centred on misplaced ethics, wrongful convictions and multigenerational trauma…Superb characterisation and meticulously curated exchanges heighten the tension throughout, while recognisable Melbourne landmarks and Australian colloquialisms imbue the narrative with an unsettling familiarity—culminating in a surprising ending that will turn every expectation on its head.’
Big Issue
‘It’s Aussie noir, but much funnier than your standard noir, and Lovitt is a wonderfully inventive writer.’
New Zealand Listener
‘An unhinged, darkly comic thriller.’
Readings, Best Crime Books of 2016
‘[A] quirky, contemporary thriller.’
Best Books of 2016, New Zealand Listener
‘A quintessential Melbourne novel. The language is modern and raw. The juggling of the events and episodes is engrossing. Lovitt weaves the reality of modern life into the story.’
Law Institute Journal
‘This exhilaratingly twisted, Chandler-influenced Aussie noir has Jason—a socially anxious Melbourne tech nerd with a vivid and occasionally pungent turn of phrase—caught up in two men’s desire for vengeance, with a bracingly downbeat femme fatale complicating the action. Read to the end of chapter one and you’ll be hooked.’
Sunday Times Crime Club
‘Of all the novels I’ve read that could be called neo-noir, Black Teeth is the one that most succeeds in combining the new with the noir.’
Crime Fiction Lover
‘It takes a lot to surprise me but Black Teeth did exactly that…a sharp, darkly funny novel…cleverly written.’
Shots Magazine
November 1, 2016
Annoying narrator, weird cultural touchstones, and rushed ending mask an occasionally intriguing Australian noir novel. Not recommended but you won't hurt yourself by reading it.
August 20, 2016
In 2010, Zane Lovitt won the Sandra Harvey Award for Crime Fiction Short Story at the Ned Kelly Awards. That story went on to form part of a connected short-story anthology, The Midnight Promise, which won the Ned Kelly for best debut crime novel in 2013. With Black Teeth, a highly original, dark Australian crime novel, Lovitt is once again looking to be a strong contender for the Neds.
Black Teeth has an intriguing cold open. Rudy Alamein is trying to purchase life insurance. He is intending to kill someone and does not expect to survive the experience. When he dies he wants the insurance money to go to his only friend. The insurance agent takes this all in and promises to help as he knew Rudy’s father in prison. Only nothing about this conversation is quite what it seems.
Cut to narrator Jason Ginaff, a loner who spends his life online and is hired by big firms to do checks on the social media history of potential employees. Jason has anxiety issues and a range of aliases to protect himself from perceived threats. He is also trying to track down his biological father, a retired policeman who was involved in the case that put Alamein’s father in jail. Once involved he unwillingly sets out to learn the truth about the death of Rudy’s mother.
In the great tradition of noir crime, every character in Black Teeth is out for themselves but all have a vulnerable spot. They are all unlikeable but in a fascinating way that is hard to turn away from. Jason, as narrator for the most part is the best drawn. Still affected by the death of his mother, socially awkward, dealing with anxiety issues and paranoia, searching for acceptance. But the others, particularly the damaged Rudy Alamein who for all his faults is the most impacted by events over which he had and still has no control.
In Black Teeth, Lovitt has taken the conventions of noir fiction and made them his own. He takes readers into the unsexy underbelly of Melbourne with passages like this one describing a prison hospital:
“My mother died in a place like this… The same stench of sweat, bleach and microwaved soup as I walk the long corridor. No posters about the strength to be found in hope or the miracle of each day; the echoey beige walls are nothing more than functional and the beige lino is somehow less colourful for the coloured lines that lead you where you want to go, chipped and faded and entirely worn away in parts.”
But there is also a dark humour lurking in many of the descriptions and the dialogue.
The cold open pays off as does the twisted ending, which practically forces a reread of key scenes even if you were paying close attention and defies the usual conventions of the murder mystery genre. There is a murder mystery at the heart of Black Teeth but there are no drawing room confessions in Lovitt’s world, just a bunch of grifters and their marks all trying to manipulate each other for their own self-justified ends. With Black Teeth, Zane Lovitt has delivered a classic, dark Australian crime thriller.
More reviews on the Pile - http://www.pilebythebed.com
Black Teeth has an intriguing cold open. Rudy Alamein is trying to purchase life insurance. He is intending to kill someone and does not expect to survive the experience. When he dies he wants the insurance money to go to his only friend. The insurance agent takes this all in and promises to help as he knew Rudy’s father in prison. Only nothing about this conversation is quite what it seems.
Cut to narrator Jason Ginaff, a loner who spends his life online and is hired by big firms to do checks on the social media history of potential employees. Jason has anxiety issues and a range of aliases to protect himself from perceived threats. He is also trying to track down his biological father, a retired policeman who was involved in the case that put Alamein’s father in jail. Once involved he unwillingly sets out to learn the truth about the death of Rudy’s mother.
In the great tradition of noir crime, every character in Black Teeth is out for themselves but all have a vulnerable spot. They are all unlikeable but in a fascinating way that is hard to turn away from. Jason, as narrator for the most part is the best drawn. Still affected by the death of his mother, socially awkward, dealing with anxiety issues and paranoia, searching for acceptance. But the others, particularly the damaged Rudy Alamein who for all his faults is the most impacted by events over which he had and still has no control.
In Black Teeth, Lovitt has taken the conventions of noir fiction and made them his own. He takes readers into the unsexy underbelly of Melbourne with passages like this one describing a prison hospital:
“My mother died in a place like this… The same stench of sweat, bleach and microwaved soup as I walk the long corridor. No posters about the strength to be found in hope or the miracle of each day; the echoey beige walls are nothing more than functional and the beige lino is somehow less colourful for the coloured lines that lead you where you want to go, chipped and faded and entirely worn away in parts.”
But there is also a dark humour lurking in many of the descriptions and the dialogue.
The cold open pays off as does the twisted ending, which practically forces a reread of key scenes even if you were paying close attention and defies the usual conventions of the murder mystery genre. There is a murder mystery at the heart of Black Teeth but there are no drawing room confessions in Lovitt’s world, just a bunch of grifters and their marks all trying to manipulate each other for their own self-justified ends. With Black Teeth, Zane Lovitt has delivered a classic, dark Australian crime thriller.
More reviews on the Pile - http://www.pilebythebed.com
June 17, 2017
This is my first Aussie Noir, and, wow, I could not put it down. Told in the first person, for the most part, by millennial computer geek Jason, the prose is rife with slang singular to Australia and Jason’s generation. I found the author’s wonderful writing style enhanced by this--keeping in mind the original Noir authors pioneered the use of 1930s and 1940s slang in their dark stories, so this really worked for me. It’s a story of a weird kind of multigenerational revenge plot that keeps sucking Jason in, pitting him against criminal machinations past and present. I think he wanted to stop what was going to be happen, but can’t be sure—he’s the more honest of the group of morally decrepit folks, but what keeps him involved? A week later the story still resonates with me, and I’ve been recommending it to anyone who will listen. This is like nothing I’ve read before, and I can’t wait to go back and read the author's first book, and looking forward to more.
February 7, 2017
After reading The Midnight Promise, which I loved, I just had to read this book. It was an interesting story, with the plot veering off in a totally different direction from its beginning, and I'm not sure if the ending really works, as in 'whodunnit.' I think the characters, particularly the protagonist Jason Ginaff, were the best aspect of the book - all flawed, well fleshed out, often unlikable, but very real. The thing that annoyed me and which prevented me from giving it five stars, was his use of gaming jargon and other sundry words and expressions that I'd never heard, and I wondered whether it was me not being hip enough or whether he'd made them up.
July 13, 2017
Thanks to NetGalley I was able to obtain an early release version of this book.
Wow.
When I'm in the market for fiction these days I often prefer a light mystery that takes my mind off the troubles of the world with which I'm professionally concerned. I was attracted to the book for this reason. I discovered it to be unlike anything I've previously encountered. Unlike some reviewers who were put off by the millennial references, I found the author's use of words engaging and educational (then again, as a middle school teacher I've discovered the power of occasionally dropping teenage slang deadpan: the kids are routinely both amused and appalled - score!). So, I enjoyed this foray into a world that is largely inaccessible to me, but mainstream for many younger folks today. Same for the Australian references/short-hand, which gave the book an alluring exoticism, even if slight (I'm from the States).
I gave the book five stars as an engaging diversion with unexpected literary dexterity and insight. The book shows psychological sophistication and communicates empathy for those impacted by inter-generational trauma. Zane Lovitt memorably plays out the aphorism that it's hard for a leopard to change its spots. This was an intellectually engaging, playful, clever, heart-felt, and poignantly paradoxical book. The book and its ending are staying with me.
Wow.
When I'm in the market for fiction these days I often prefer a light mystery that takes my mind off the troubles of the world with which I'm professionally concerned. I was attracted to the book for this reason. I discovered it to be unlike anything I've previously encountered. Unlike some reviewers who were put off by the millennial references, I found the author's use of words engaging and educational (then again, as a middle school teacher I've discovered the power of occasionally dropping teenage slang deadpan: the kids are routinely both amused and appalled - score!). So, I enjoyed this foray into a world that is largely inaccessible to me, but mainstream for many younger folks today. Same for the Australian references/short-hand, which gave the book an alluring exoticism, even if slight (I'm from the States).
I gave the book five stars as an engaging diversion with unexpected literary dexterity and insight. The book shows psychological sophistication and communicates empathy for those impacted by inter-generational trauma. Zane Lovitt memorably plays out the aphorism that it's hard for a leopard to change its spots. This was an intellectually engaging, playful, clever, heart-felt, and poignantly paradoxical book. The book and its ending are staying with me.
October 6, 2017
I have to admit that this book is probably a little out of my comfort zone and as such it took me a while to settle into this rather bleak Australian noir tale of two disparate loners who are brought together in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The story reads well in places but there are times when it feels a little bit lost and there were times when I felt lost along with it. The contemporary thriller at the heart of the novel works in places but sort of loses its momentum towards the end which I felt was something of a disappointment.
The book's cast of characters play their role within the story with a strange fascination and I think this where the strength of the writing lies, in the way that the author shapes and molds them, so even though they are largely unlikable, you can't help but be curious about them and wonder how the story will eventually play out in the wider scope of the mystery.
Although the story didn't really work for me, I can't fault its originality and the author's commitment to writing something a little bit different.
September 12, 2017
This book was actually pretty good until the last 15% or so when it feels like the author just slapped an ending onto the book. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book. The only real complaint with the main body of the book was that I found the main character slightly annoying but even that wasn't bad. I felt the plot was solid and you could tell that it was leading up to something big. Sadly, the ending didn't keep its end of the bargain. It felt like the author had taken months on the novel and then had to finish it in only one day. It lacked the depth that it had been built up for. For me, this ended up ruining the otherwise delightful experience.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to thank the publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2017
I love a good mystery book and I loved the use of 'modern millennial' language, which seems to have annoyed a LOT of readers. But as one of these annoying young types, I found it a refreshing change to read in a much more relaxed language, as it made Jason more realistic.
The thing that annoyed me slightly and stole the precious 5th star away was the ending felt quite rushed. Maybe I missed/didn't quite get how he came to figure out who it was in the end. I don't want to spoil anything.
I give it a read though and remember, the way Jason speaks adds to his character, like it or don't.
The thing that annoyed me slightly and stole the precious 5th star away was the ending felt quite rushed. Maybe I missed/didn't quite get how he came to figure out who it was in the end. I don't want to spoil anything.
I give it a read though and remember, the way Jason speaks adds to his character, like it or don't.
January 16, 2021
An unconventional novel and, despite a bit of a lull in the middle, thoroughly engaging as you never quite know where it’s going. Socially awkward Jason is self-employed as a computer geek to vet future employees online. He connects with reclusive Rudy Alamein who may or may not have murdered his mother, a crime for which his late father was long ago convicted and Glen Tyan, the investigating cop, is tied to Jason. A murderer comes out of left-field but the Melbourne setting is convincing and characters believable.
June 20, 2017
Thank you Netgalley and Text Publishing Company for the eARC.
Much as I tried, I could not get past the writing style, the 'millennial' language and the slight distaste I felt towards the characters.
I'm definitely in the minority, as the book has received many excellent reviews, making me wonder what I missed.
Much as I tried, I could not get past the writing style, the 'millennial' language and the slight distaste I felt towards the characters.
I'm definitely in the minority, as the book has received many excellent reviews, making me wonder what I missed.
October 4, 2017
Unfortunately I really didn’t like this novel. While it was well written and was clearly developed I found the characters annoying and the very modern language style not to my taste. I’m sure this will appeal to a lot of younger readers but not to me. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Text Publishing for the opportunity to read and review.
November 26, 2017
This was a different read for me but enjoyable. The basis of the book is the main character who uses the internet to find "dirt" on people for different reasons. The books holds one interest and will have you guessing to the end. I will be looking for more of ths author to read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publsher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest reveiw.
April 1, 2025
It was going ok, maybe even pretty good, right up until the ending. The ending solved the mystery but I was invested in the characters and they don't get a satisfying ending or really a proper ending at all. It entirely ruined the book for me.
December 2, 2017
Treid but didn't really enjoy it - ridiculous premise and kept getting more far fetched. Quite entertaining, but I couldn't suspend disbelief enough
December 22, 2017
Couldn't help but enjoy the con man tricks of the hikikomori type narrator (in fact, much more socially savvy than he makes out to be).
March 7, 2018
What a strange but compelling book!
I don't really know whether I liked it or not!
I've given it a 4 stars rating but I'm not sure why!
Will I read any more of Zane Lovitt's work? We'll see!
I don't really know whether I liked it or not!
I've given it a 4 stars rating but I'm not sure why!
Will I read any more of Zane Lovitt's work? We'll see!
January 2, 2020
A great holiday read. Good mystery. Nice writing. Melbourne noir story. A little far fetched at times, but a real page turner. I really like Lovitt’s writing. I hope he writes more.
February 27, 2021
An interesting story
Want to read
July 22, 2022 I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
RTC
RTC
December 3, 2025
Hmmm, liked most of the story, loved that it is centered around suburban Melbourne. Didn't quite get the ending, leaving me wondering what happened to all the characters in the story.
January 8, 2017
I don't normally do this, but I can't help but give this book one star. Zane seems perfectly capable of writing a good story, but completely ruins it by insisting on using ridiculous "millennial" language that negates any emotional reaction he was trying to create. For example; a tense scene where the character discovers a booby trap and the man who sets it laughs. Instead of saying something along the lines of "he laughs", "he cackles" etc. etc. he says "he lols outright". References abound to being "butthurt af" and that sort of thing, but in places where it's absolutely not necessary. A book with lots of potential that was completely ruined.
note: I know this reads as if an 80 year old wrote it, but I'm solidly in the "millennial" generation
note: I know this reads as if an 80 year old wrote it, but I'm solidly in the "millennial" generation
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews