The Wooden Leg Of Inspector Anders

Inspector Anders #1

by Marshall Browne

Inspector Anders of the Rome Police force became a national hero when he closed down an anarchist group ten years ago. But in the action he lost a leg - and his nerve.

Since then he has made his moral compromises with the corruption of the Italian state. Now he has been given one last job before early to close an inquiry into the murder of a respected judge in southern Italy. Once there he finds himself drawn into a shadowy world of corruption and power, and becomes increasingly involved with both the case and the judge's widow.

Anders must maneuver through layers of corruption as he struggles to close the murder case. Then the judge's widow offers him the chance to redeem his life with one last explosive act of courage. The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders is a remarkable debut sure to captivate and intrigue.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Italy, Crime, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Browne was an international banker - he racked up 37 years with NAB - and one of his forebears was a founder of Australia's first bank. But the former paratrooper who once hankered for a spell in the French foreign legion loved writing and had three books published in Britain in the early '80s when writing was still ''an occasional Sunday activity''. Then came a couple of historical novels about Melbourne in the late 19th century, The Gilded Cage and The Burnt City. It was with The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders, published in 1999 and featuring his one-legged policeman investigating the murder of a magistrate who was himself investigating the killing of an anti-Mafia judge, that he really struck a chord with readers. It won the Ned Kelly award for a first crime novel and was shortlisted in the 2002 Los Angeles Times book awards. Browne then turned his attention to Nazi Germany, writing three novels starring Franz Schmidt, an auditor, as their hero. Schmidt has only one eye, and Browne told Bookmarks he was interested in damaged heroes. He included Hideo Aoki, the hero of his 2006 novel, Rendezvous at Kamakura Inn, a disgraced Japanese policeman intact physically but not psychologically. Browne wrote three novels about Anders, and Australian Scholarly Press, which published The Gilded Cage in 1996, will bring out the fourth later this year. The book was at the editing stage when Browne died. But only 10 days earlier he had a bookshop signing for The Sabre and the Shawl, the novella published by ASP last month that The Age review described as ''a romantic evocation of the historical time and place, with great characterisation and an exploration of the creative process''. Publisher Nick Walker said Browne was delighted by the queue of people who bought books but exhausted by the time he got home. When people assembled for a celebratory drink he told them in his characteristic self-deprecating way, with a smile on his face, that they were looking at the ghost of Marshall Browne.



Series:
* Inspector Anders
* The Melbourne Trilogy
* Frank Scmidt

Reviews

[Alana White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in southern Italy, where Inspector Anders, formerly of the Rome Police force, has gone to solve one last case before early retirement: to close an inquiry into into the murder of a respected judge. There Anders finds a shadowy world of corruption and power--but then Anders himself has made compromises with the corruption of the Italian state. Highly atmospheric. This series, written by Australian author Marshall Browne, has been compared to the works of Ruth Rendell and Ian Rankin, as well as to historical mystery author Charles Todd.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different take on crime fiction in that the detective is based in Rome and had lost his left leg in a terrorist bombing some years prior to the events in this first novel. Apparently, Italy was wracked by the combination of home-grown terrorists like the Red Brigade and the mafia, which had infiltrated seemingly every level of government to great effect, as recently as the 80s.

Inspector Anders's investigation of the murders of a judge and the inspector sent to look into the judge's murder is initially intended to merely rubber-stamp the official line that it was the work of terrorists, though everyone knew is was really the mafia and its collaborators holding municipal offices. Interestingly, the city is never named, but since it is located south of Rome, and Palermo is referred to, one concludes it must be Naples.

I think there may be more books in this series, and I will certainly look into them if so.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Anders is sent from Rome to a city in the south, to investigate the murder of a magistrate, who was investigating the murder of a judge, who was investigating the mafia. Everyone wants a quick and simple result, namely that the murder was the work of anarchists. Nearing retirement, and tired of the police game, Anders himself wants to keep it simple too. But of course, he gets sucked in by the widow of the judge. This is not a whodunnit. It is something of a "whydunnit", but it is the characterisation and motivation of the protagonists, especially Anders, which keeps the reader's interest. Despite some rather unlikely plotting at the end, this is great. Jan 2001

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quirky title first attracted me to this book but I soon realised that the author - Marshall Browne - is a skilled writer of crime fiction. The Italian Inspector Anders character is subtlety created as the plot develops. The story moves along and is never boring. This is my favorite type of crime fiction one that allows the characters to emerge so that you get to know them as friends and then can't wait for the author to write another in the series.

[Pauline Moncrieff · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Marshal Browne's characters have some physical peculiarity. In this case, Inspector Anders has lost his leg and his prosthesis is both a burden and a blessing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is always very nice to run across a new author to me and an excellent protagonist in Inspector Anders of the Rome police force. What a gem of a book!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian writer Marshall Brown has captured the Italian carbinieri so well it was a surprise to me that he wasn't Italian himself! Fans of Aurelio Zen will love this.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final de pelicula!! Corrupcion, poder, mafia, armas y algo de pasiones ingredientes perfectos para sentirse en otro mundo... el mundo de anders.

[Steve Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspector Anders is sent from Rome to a city in the south, to investigate the murder of a magistrate, who was investigating the murder of a judge, who was investigating the mafia. Everyone wants a quick and simple result, namely that the murder was the work of anarchists. Nearing retirement, and tired of the police game, Anders himself wants to keep it simple too. But of course, he gets sucked in by the widow of the judge. This is not a whodunnit. It is something of a "whydunnit", but it is the characterisation and motivation of the protagonists, especially Anders, which keeps the reader's interest. Despite some rather unlikely plotting at the end, this is great. Jan 2001

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems to be the debut mystery by an Australian writer who tackles the same corruption that is evident in Donna Leon's Venice-set series, but here the mafia is much more evident, blatantly so, in a southern Italian city. Inspector Anders, a wounded hero, is sent from Rome to investigate the death of a previous investigator. He is an attractive hero with surprising depth.

[Rena Nowacoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title intrigued me and the book lived up to that impression

[Deidre Le Maistre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really a fan. I enjoyed the storyline but not the stilted writing style.

[Mikee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting. Fast-moving. A fun read.

[Isaac Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was unexpected

[Gavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel about the mafia in southern Italy. A bit over the top in some action scenes (particularly the key finale) & does gloss over Inspector Anders' questionable relationship morals. But a good, quick, enjoyable read nonetheless.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this author on the recommendation of an Australian friend. It's the debut of Australian author Marshall Browne, and winner of the 2000 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel. The main character is a one-legged policeman near to retirement who is sent to Sicily on a seemingly routine assignment and ends up taking on the Mafia. As for the book, I didn't like it. I wanted to like it but I found the main character to be dull and the ending to be unlikely. Plus, I thought the author assumed that the reader would be familar with Italian politics and the Mafia.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Browne's story is engaging if less than entirely realistic. It has the brooding feel of a modern sordid cop movie - an almost retiring inspector sent in from Rome to write an obligatory report on mafia killings in an unmentioned, deeply corrupt, southern Italian city. Inspector Anders lost a leg to a terrorist attack, now he must decide how much to invest in this new investigation. It is a quiet book overall, with a fairly reflective main character and a building sense of menace, but violence literally explodes at points and the plot moves relentlessly (and conveniently in movie fashion). And Anders always gets his woman.

[Ben Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple read without a lot to suck you in. It has limited Mafioso insight and the main characters love life is a little creepy. The final scenes are interesting but predictable. It is well written and I have a slight interest in the sequel.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
February 2024. Second read November 2025.
Once again unnecessary cuss words spoiled a really great book. ( It would have had 5 stars).
Fantastic writing until you get to the unnecessary words.
Very interesting. Good plot.
Intriguing characters.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anders is a complex protagonist; the mystery is engaging; the setting - Italy - is lovely.

[Tom]

Grenell List
Insp. Anders #1

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Anders takes on the Italian Mafia.