A Thing of Blood

William Power Mystery #2

by Robert Gott

The fatally over-confident hero of Good Murder returns to pit his meager detective skills against military intelligence, belligerent in-laws, a town full of G.I.s, and a creepy conspiracy to bring on an Australian sectarian nightmare. Failed Shakespearean actor and would-be private detective William Power returns to Melbourne in disgrace after his disastrous brush with theatre and murder in Maryborough. Bloodied, broken, but somehow unbowed, he arrives in a town struggling under war rationing and full of cocky American soldiers, and lands squarely in the bosom of his childhood home in Carlton — a home now dominated by his sister-in-law, the odious Darlene. But even Will’s contempt is tempered when, in the early hours of the morning, Darlene is kidnapped, and Will finds his mother’s kitchen splattered with blood and scattered with broken crockery. Needing to escape the maternal home and the growing police investigation, Power rents a room in the spacious, Parkville home of wealthy, charismatic, and obsessively neat Paul Clutterbuck and is introduced to his strange society of bohemians, black marketeers, and neanderthal henchmen. Will Power is fascinated but, before he can begin to enjoy his new home, a savage murder is discovered. Just when modesty and good sense threaten to intervene, Will realizes that only he can solve the murder and the mystery of his kidnapped sister-in-law, and save the nation from impending catastrophe. 
A Thing of Blood is a brilliant, wry sequel which perfectly recreates the tension and fear of wartime Australia.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Australia, Historical Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2005

About the author

Robert Gott was born in the small Queensland town of Maryborough in 1957, and lives in Melbourne. He has published many books for children, and is also the creator of the newspaper cartoon The Adventures of Naked Man. He is also the author of the William Power trilogy of crime-caper novels set in 1940s Australia: Good Murder, A Thing of Blood, and Amongst the Dead.

Reviews

[Scribe Publications]

Rather than the outlandish though entertaining plot, it's the play of these perspectives, the wit and the dissonance between Power's descriptive ability and his self-delusion, that give A Thing of Blood the backbone that keeps you turning the pages … There is much about A Thing of Blood to like and little to dislike (except perhaps Power himself).
Ed Wright, Sydney Morning Herald

A well-designed conspiracy and a tension-fuelled ending provides a rewarding finale to the story. This is the kind of easy beach read type of story with which it is just a pleasure to stick the brain in neutral, kick back and enjoy.
Australian Crime Fiction Database

[Meghan Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an adequately amusing detective story, set in Melbourne during WWII. The silly and self-absorbed protagonist attempts to solve crimes while digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself. It's an easy beach read.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so rare to have a selfish, irritating lead character but actor and would-be PI William Power is all of that and more. One does want to slap him. But nethertheless, his adventures are always interesting even if not quite believable and the picture of Melbourne during World War II is great.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the William Power series, and the question to how stupid can one person be is answered!! even more stupid than in the first one!! Still, an entertaining read.

[Carmel Reynen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this as a light and humorous read. Recommended