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Wyatt #7
Wyatt
Garry Disher's cool, enigmatic anti-hero Wyatt has a job--a jewel heist. The kind Wyatt likes. Nothing extravagant, nothing greedy. Stake out the international courier, one Alain Le Page, hold up the goods in transit and get away fast.
Wyatt prefers to work alone, but this is Eddie Oberin's job. Eddie's very smart ex-wife Lydia has the inside information. Add Wyatt's planning genius and meticulous preparation, and what could possibly go wrong?
Plenty. And when you wrong Wyatt, you don't get to just walk away.
Taut plots, brilliant writing and relentless pace; plus an unforgettable cast, including the ever-elusive Wyatt these are the hallmarks of Garry Disher's Wyatt series.
Wyatt prefers to work alone, but this is Eddie Oberin's job. Eddie's very smart ex-wife Lydia has the inside information. Add Wyatt's planning genius and meticulous preparation, and what could possibly go wrong?
Plenty. And when you wrong Wyatt, you don't get to just walk away.
Taut plots, brilliant writing and relentless pace; plus an unforgettable cast, including the ever-elusive Wyatt these are the hallmarks of Garry Disher's Wyatt series.
313 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
85 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Garry Disher
91 books725 followersGarry Disher was born in 1949 and grew up on his parents' farm in South Australia.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
He gained post graduate degrees from Adelaide and Melbourne Universities. In 1978 he was awarded a creative writing fellowship to Stanford University, where he wrote his first short story collection. He travelled widely overseas, before returning to Australia, where he taught creative writing, finally becoming a full time writer in 1988. He has written more than 40 titles, including general and crime fiction, children's books, textbooks, and books about the craft of writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
November 29, 2014
When an old accomplice named Eddie Oberlin offers Wyatt piece of a job, he's hesitant but needs the money. As these things usually go, there is a double cross and Wyatt and Eddie's ex-wife Lydia Stark are left for dead. Can Wyatt get his money and teach Eddie Oberlin what happens when someone double crosses Wyatt?
I first learned about Garry Disher's Wyatt series while spending hours pouring over The Violent World of Parker. When this one, the seventh book, popped up in one of my cheapo ebook emails, I snapped it up.
"Parker down under" is kind of a lazy way to describe Wyatt but that's pretty much the premise. Wyatt is an Australian version of Richard Stark's Parker, a planner who is relentless when it comes to getting what he wants. He has more of a heart than the criminal force of nature that is Parker but is still one tough cookie.
Wyatt, despite being the seventh book in the series, is a very accessible book. While the past was alluded to, I didn't feel as if I missed anything by not reading the previous six books. The caper is the tried and true snatch and grab, complete with an unforeseen double cross and some equally unforeseen bad information about the take.
I think Garry Disher did a good job of crafting an homage to Parker without making Wyatt seem like a complete ripoff. That being said, there were a ton of Easter eggs for Parker fans, like an apartment building called The Westlake Towers and Wyatt switching clothes with a drunk named Parker in the police station. Also, there was a police officer named Grofield. Another thing I really liked is that Disher didn't seem to be trying to ape Stark's style but still captured the overall flavor of the Parker books.
While I didn't find Wyatt overly original, it was a fun and engaging read. I'm giving it a three since I enjoyed it but someone who didn't have 20-something Richard Stark books to compare it to might rate it higher.
I first learned about Garry Disher's Wyatt series while spending hours pouring over The Violent World of Parker. When this one, the seventh book, popped up in one of my cheapo ebook emails, I snapped it up.
"Parker down under" is kind of a lazy way to describe Wyatt but that's pretty much the premise. Wyatt is an Australian version of Richard Stark's Parker, a planner who is relentless when it comes to getting what he wants. He has more of a heart than the criminal force of nature that is Parker but is still one tough cookie.
Wyatt, despite being the seventh book in the series, is a very accessible book. While the past was alluded to, I didn't feel as if I missed anything by not reading the previous six books. The caper is the tried and true snatch and grab, complete with an unforeseen double cross and some equally unforeseen bad information about the take.
I think Garry Disher did a good job of crafting an homage to Parker without making Wyatt seem like a complete ripoff. That being said, there were a ton of Easter eggs for Parker fans, like an apartment building called The Westlake Towers and Wyatt switching clothes with a drunk named Parker in the police station. Also, there was a police officer named Grofield. Another thing I really liked is that Disher didn't seem to be trying to ape Stark's style but still captured the overall flavor of the Parker books.
While I didn't find Wyatt overly original, it was a fun and engaging read. I'm giving it a three since I enjoyed it but someone who didn't have 20-something Richard Stark books to compare it to might rate it higher.
November 16, 2024
This is the seventh book in the author's Wyatt series. He also writes two other series and some standalones. I have read quite a few of his books now and every one of them has been good.
Wyatt is a professional thief and in this book he is in need of an infusion of cash. He usually works on his own but when a friend offers a possible job he goes along with it. There follows a lot of lying and double crossing and quite a few unpleasant deaths. Wyatt has principles but they do not exclude him from killing someone if he feels they deserve it. He is also one of those people who is endlessly smart and well prepared and who always wins in the end. More or less anyway.
I found this book almost impossible to put down. The author never wastes a moment and the action is consistent. Totally enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next book.
Wyatt is a professional thief and in this book he is in need of an infusion of cash. He usually works on his own but when a friend offers a possible job he goes along with it. There follows a lot of lying and double crossing and quite a few unpleasant deaths. Wyatt has principles but they do not exclude him from killing someone if he feels they deserve it. He is also one of those people who is endlessly smart and well prepared and who always wins in the end. More or less anyway.
I found this book almost impossible to put down. The author never wastes a moment and the action is consistent. Totally enjoyable and I am looking forward to the next book.
December 29, 2020
Wyatt is a professional thief, always on the lookout for the next heist. Taciturn, laid back but intensely focused, Wyatt is about to break one of his own rules – always work alone. With Eddie Oberin and his ex-wife Lydia, the stakes are high. But Wyatt has done his homework. The international jewel thief, Alain Le Page, is on Wyatt’s radar. But when things go wrong and the Melbourne police are on the hunt, Wyatt is angry. Would this be one time too many for Wyatt?
Wyatt is the 7th in the Wyatt series by Aussie author Garry Disher and while there are plenty of dead bodies and ruffled criminals, Wyatt showed his usual demeanor and managed to vanish into the woodwork on many occasions. What drives Wyatt? His desire for money and when he begins to run out, it's time to pull another job! Recommended.
Wyatt is the 7th in the Wyatt series by Aussie author Garry Disher and while there are plenty of dead bodies and ruffled criminals, Wyatt showed his usual demeanor and managed to vanish into the woodwork on many occasions. What drives Wyatt? His desire for money and when he begins to run out, it's time to pull another job! Recommended.
September 2, 2022
Wyatt is the seventh book in the series of the same title by Australian author, Garry Disher. The audio version is narrated by Dorje Swallow. Wyatt has been away; now he’s back. The plot begins with a planned jewel heist but takes many a twist and turn before the final page. Wyatt seems to be a crook with principles, but he doesn’t hesitate to kill if that’s what’s needed. And there are plenty of dead bodies strewn throughout this novel. The action is fast-paced and the goods change hands with dizzying frequency.
Disher is a master of description; this novel is full of realistic, down-to-earth, gutsy characters; the dialogue is razor-sharp. Wyatt’s theory about words: “The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered” could apply equally to Disher himself. He may be economical with them, but he certainly chooses the right ones and strings them together in a most satisfying order.
There are some delicious ironies: one set of thieves referring to the people who robbed them as the thieves; the robbing, at one stage, being done by a cop.
It is easy to see why this novel has won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2010. Readers will have difficulty putting it down. There was a 13 year hiatus between the last Wyatt novel and this one: readers only had to wait five years for their next dose of Wyatt, The Heat.
Disher is a master of description; this novel is full of realistic, down-to-earth, gutsy characters; the dialogue is razor-sharp. Wyatt’s theory about words: “The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered” could apply equally to Disher himself. He may be economical with them, but he certainly chooses the right ones and strings them together in a most satisfying order.
There are some delicious ironies: one set of thieves referring to the people who robbed them as the thieves; the robbing, at one stage, being done by a cop.
It is easy to see why this novel has won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2010. Readers will have difficulty putting it down. There was a 13 year hiatus between the last Wyatt novel and this one: readers only had to wait five years for their next dose of Wyatt, The Heat.
September 29, 2021
Garry Disher has been writing Australian crime novels since the 1990s. I remember working for Allen & Unwin who published the first of the Wyatt series when I was in my mid twenties. Yonks ago, sadly. And it's taken me all this time to read him. What a waste of time because Disher is really, really good. Unsurprisingly, he's been nominated for, and won, multiple crime writing awards in Australia and internationally. He's also a writer of YA and general literature and was nominated for the Man Booker for his literary novel The Sunken Road. So the guy can write.
Wyatt is the seventh novel in the Wyatt series that began in the 1990s. Written in 2010, Wyatt has been away for a long time and returns looking to make some money. A simple jewellry heist. Which goes to shit very quickly. But as the blurb says, no one crosses Wyatt and gets away with it.
Compulsive action, a cast of interesting characters with believable, driving motivations and a hugely satisfying crime plot. I'll be reading more of the Wyatt series. Highly recommended.
Wyatt is the seventh novel in the Wyatt series that began in the 1990s. Written in 2010, Wyatt has been away for a long time and returns looking to make some money. A simple jewellry heist. Which goes to shit very quickly. But as the blurb says, no one crosses Wyatt and gets away with it.
Compulsive action, a cast of interesting characters with believable, driving motivations and a hugely satisfying crime plot. I'll be reading more of the Wyatt series. Highly recommended.
November 22, 2017
The spring carnival was on. At Caulfield station the doors opened and a horde of racegoers stumbled aboard the train. They were young, raucous, the women underdressed and hanging on to mouth-breathing boys unused to wearing suits. They were mindlessly having fun and would mindlessly marry, raise families and vote. It was not contempt that Wyatt felt. He was barely curious about them. Some of them would have money one day ... and he’d take it away from them.
How do you begin to describe Wyatt? Tall, thin, dark, mean? A criminal: robberies and heists. No first name, never arrested nor fingerprinted, veiled past. Garry Disher’s protagonist is an Aussie thief used to working alone. But after a less than successful put-up job in Frankston he goes into a ‘deal’ with small-time thief Eddie Oberin. Oberin’s ex-wife, Lydia, has inside knowledge of Melbourne jeweller brothers, Henri and Joe Furneaux, who make jewels from stones stolen in Europe and along with expensive watches, couriered by their cousin Le Page, sell thorough a string of shops across Victoria. The main outlet is cased, knowing a shipment is about to go through with the plan to grab the vehicle from the rear of the premises, ditch and blaze the car and escape in a waiting vehicle driven by Lydia.
But too many crooks spoil the broth. There is a double-cross; Lydia and Wyatt come under fire, and the proceeds are not what they expected. Throw in a CPI sergeant who has been dogging the Furneaux brothers, a pole-dancer, Ma Gadd who sells flowers at the Victoria markets and firearms through the backdoor, her whack-job nephew for good measure, and you have a tale with more twists and turns than a corkscrew. Violence is sudden but not overly graphic as Wyatt and Le Page stalk each other.
This is Aussie noir at its finest, fast-paced, good characterisations and an ending that suggests more in the pipeline. Some North American readers point to similarities with Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake) professional thief Parker, but I have not read any of his. Wyatt works as a standalone and I will certainly be tracking down his earlier works.
How do you begin to describe Wyatt? Tall, thin, dark, mean? A criminal: robberies and heists. No first name, never arrested nor fingerprinted, veiled past. Garry Disher’s protagonist is an Aussie thief used to working alone. But after a less than successful put-up job in Frankston he goes into a ‘deal’ with small-time thief Eddie Oberin. Oberin’s ex-wife, Lydia, has inside knowledge of Melbourne jeweller brothers, Henri and Joe Furneaux, who make jewels from stones stolen in Europe and along with expensive watches, couriered by their cousin Le Page, sell thorough a string of shops across Victoria. The main outlet is cased, knowing a shipment is about to go through with the plan to grab the vehicle from the rear of the premises, ditch and blaze the car and escape in a waiting vehicle driven by Lydia.
But too many crooks spoil the broth. There is a double-cross; Lydia and Wyatt come under fire, and the proceeds are not what they expected. Throw in a CPI sergeant who has been dogging the Furneaux brothers, a pole-dancer, Ma Gadd who sells flowers at the Victoria markets and firearms through the backdoor, her whack-job nephew for good measure, and you have a tale with more twists and turns than a corkscrew. Violence is sudden but not overly graphic as Wyatt and Le Page stalk each other.
This is Aussie noir at its finest, fast-paced, good characterisations and an ending that suggests more in the pipeline. Some North American readers point to similarities with Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake) professional thief Parker, but I have not read any of his. Wyatt works as a standalone and I will certainly be tracking down his earlier works.
May 4, 2019
Wyatt is book seven in the Wyatt series by Garry Disher. Wyatt is a professional criminal, and he accepts a new job helping Eddie Oberin steal precious gems from Alain Le Page. Wyatt went against his better judgement worked with a partner Eddie Oberin ex-wife Lydia. As always Wyatt thoroughly planned his operation and thought nothing could go wrong. However, he was wrong, and something did go wrong. The readers of Wyatt will continue to follow the twists and turns to find out if Wyatt finally gets caught.
I enjoyed reading Wyatt, and it engaged me from the beginning of the book. I love Garry Disher written style the way he can go from a brilliant cop in the Inspector Challis series to portray a professional thief. Garry Disher does a fantastic job of portraying his characters and the way he intertwines them throughout the plot of this book. I like Garry Disher description of his settings that allowed me to ride along with the characters. Garry Disher did a tremendous job incorporating the twists and turns throughout Wyatt that ensured that I did not stop reading this book until the last page.
I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading Wyatt, and it engaged me from the beginning of the book. I love Garry Disher written style the way he can go from a brilliant cop in the Inspector Challis series to portray a professional thief. Garry Disher does a fantastic job of portraying his characters and the way he intertwines them throughout the plot of this book. I like Garry Disher description of his settings that allowed me to ride along with the characters. Garry Disher did a tremendous job incorporating the twists and turns throughout Wyatt that ensured that I did not stop reading this book until the last page.
I recommend this book.
March 8, 2013
Garry Disher’s Wyatt character is the Australian equivalent to Richard Stark’s (Donald Westlake) Parker – a resourceful and methodical professional thief who will stop at nothing to obtain the object of his desire. In this latest series instalment, WYATT, Disher not only re-establishes his most renowned character but also introduces new readers to the violent world of Aussie noir. Despite being the seventh book in the series (and the first I’ve read), WYATT reads extremely well as a standalone. Disher provides enough back-story to make the characters actually mean something while throwing references to past jobs undertaken by the professional thief. Conceptually, this hit all the targets solidifying Disher as a rare and top talent in Australian crime/noir fiction.
Wyatt’s latest job presents him with a unique opportunity to target a French jewel smuggler (Le Page) who just happens to be carrying a small fortune by way of bank bonds. An acquaintance in Eddie Oberin and his former wife Lydia convince Wyatt that the score is worth the risk despite overseas heat by way of a murdered courier Le Page may have been responsible for. What follows is a pure adrenalin soaked noir brimming with tension, violence, and a smattering of dark humour.
As my first exposure to Wyatt (apart from a short story in the Crime Factory anthology HARD LABOUR), this was a winner on all fronts. Disher mixes dark humour, violence, and engaging characters to create a truly entertaining and realistic Aussie noir that not only draws comparisons to the greats (ala Richard Stake) but supersedes them (a big call, I know, but justified in my eyes).
As a somewhat obsessive fan of noir and in more recent time an Aussie crime fiction convert (thank you Luke Preston, Andrew Nette, David Whish-Wilson, and Paul Anderson amongst others), I’m surprised it took me so long to delve into the world of Wyatt. Now that I’ve dipped my toes it’s time to get completely submerged in Disher’s work.
This review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Wyatt’s latest job presents him with a unique opportunity to target a French jewel smuggler (Le Page) who just happens to be carrying a small fortune by way of bank bonds. An acquaintance in Eddie Oberin and his former wife Lydia convince Wyatt that the score is worth the risk despite overseas heat by way of a murdered courier Le Page may have been responsible for. What follows is a pure adrenalin soaked noir brimming with tension, violence, and a smattering of dark humour.
As my first exposure to Wyatt (apart from a short story in the Crime Factory anthology HARD LABOUR), this was a winner on all fronts. Disher mixes dark humour, violence, and engaging characters to create a truly entertaining and realistic Aussie noir that not only draws comparisons to the greats (ala Richard Stake) but supersedes them (a big call, I know, but justified in my eyes).
As a somewhat obsessive fan of noir and in more recent time an Aussie crime fiction convert (thank you Luke Preston, Andrew Nette, David Whish-Wilson, and Paul Anderson amongst others), I’m surprised it took me so long to delve into the world of Wyatt. Now that I’ve dipped my toes it’s time to get completely submerged in Disher’s work.
This review also appears on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
August 14, 2011
Quite pleased with the new Disher novel, WYATT.
Wyatt is to Australia what Parker is to the United States.
Making a living as a thief had gotten harder over the years for Wyatt. More stringent security measures and the fact that businesses didn't deal in cash much anymore. Wyatt has skills, but not what's needed to manage wire transfers and such.
Cash, jewelry, and paintings were what he liked to steal.
When one job blows up in his face, stealing a $75,000 bribe from a crooked harbormaster, the police rearing up in a sting operation to get the man, Wyatt barely escapes with the loot, only to be disappointed. The bundles had a hundred top and bottom, but blank paper in between.
He reluctantly gets involved in another job the planner, Eddie Oberin, had been cultivating. It was one brought to him by his ex-wife and Wyatt recognized in her a kindred spirit. And that could be bad.
Alan Le Page is an international courier that visits Australia quite frequently. Oberin had learned that he brought jewelry into the country for a pair of brothers that sold them throughout their network. Along with the legitimate stuff was sprinkled stolen goods from out of country.
It looked like an easy haul.
it wasn't.
More was going on. Millions in stolen bearer bonds, a violent Le Page looking for them, and a double cross. Also another amateur that insists on sticking his nose in despite repeated warnings from Wyatt.
The mix is kept rolling along nicely as Wyatt is intent on evening things up. he never lets emotion get involved though. Revenge is just business. He does have a reputation among his set.
Thw Wyatt novels have always given a nod to Westlake's Parker novels. A character named Charles Willis(Parker's "civilian" name) in one and The Outfit in another. He follows suit in this one with a character named Parker, his full name not mentioned.
liked this one a lot. One hopes Disher doesn't wait thirteen more years before we get another.
Wyatt is to Australia what Parker is to the United States.
Making a living as a thief had gotten harder over the years for Wyatt. More stringent security measures and the fact that businesses didn't deal in cash much anymore. Wyatt has skills, but not what's needed to manage wire transfers and such.
Cash, jewelry, and paintings were what he liked to steal.
When one job blows up in his face, stealing a $75,000 bribe from a crooked harbormaster, the police rearing up in a sting operation to get the man, Wyatt barely escapes with the loot, only to be disappointed. The bundles had a hundred top and bottom, but blank paper in between.
He reluctantly gets involved in another job the planner, Eddie Oberin, had been cultivating. It was one brought to him by his ex-wife and Wyatt recognized in her a kindred spirit. And that could be bad.
Alan Le Page is an international courier that visits Australia quite frequently. Oberin had learned that he brought jewelry into the country for a pair of brothers that sold them throughout their network. Along with the legitimate stuff was sprinkled stolen goods from out of country.
It looked like an easy haul.
it wasn't.
More was going on. Millions in stolen bearer bonds, a violent Le Page looking for them, and a double cross. Also another amateur that insists on sticking his nose in despite repeated warnings from Wyatt.
The mix is kept rolling along nicely as Wyatt is intent on evening things up. he never lets emotion get involved though. Revenge is just business. He does have a reputation among his set.
Thw Wyatt novels have always given a nod to Westlake's Parker novels. A character named Charles Willis(Parker's "civilian" name) in one and The Outfit in another. He follows suit in this one with a character named Parker, his full name not mentioned.
liked this one a lot. One hopes Disher doesn't wait thirteen more years before we get another.
March 12, 2011
Incredible as it may seem, I had never read any of Garry Disher’s Wyatt series, so I had no idea of the depth of reading pleasure in store for me when I started his latest offering, “Wyatt”.
Wyatt has been away; now he’s back. The plot begins with a planned jewel heist but takes many a twist and turn before the final page. Wyatt seems to be a crook with principles, but he doesn’t hesitate to kill if that’s what’s needed. And there are plenty of dead bodies strewn throughout this novel. The action is fast-paced and “the goods” change hands with dizzying frequency.
Disher is a master of description; this novel is full of realistic, down-to-earth, gutsy characters; the dialogue is razor-sharp. Wyatt’s theory about words: “The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered” could apply equally to Disher himself. He may be economical with them, but he certainly chooses the right ones and strings them together in a most satisfying order.
There are some delicious ironies: one set of thieves referring to the people who robbed them as “the thieves”; the robbing, at one stage, being done by a cop.
It is easy to see why this novel has won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2010. Readers will have difficulty putting it down. There was a 13 year hiatus between the last Wyatt novel and this one: let’s hope we don’t have to wait as long for the next one. This was my first Wyatt novel, but certainly not my last.
Wyatt has been away; now he’s back. The plot begins with a planned jewel heist but takes many a twist and turn before the final page. Wyatt seems to be a crook with principles, but he doesn’t hesitate to kill if that’s what’s needed. And there are plenty of dead bodies strewn throughout this novel. The action is fast-paced and “the goods” change hands with dizzying frequency.
Disher is a master of description; this novel is full of realistic, down-to-earth, gutsy characters; the dialogue is razor-sharp. Wyatt’s theory about words: “The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered” could apply equally to Disher himself. He may be economical with them, but he certainly chooses the right ones and strings them together in a most satisfying order.
There are some delicious ironies: one set of thieves referring to the people who robbed them as “the thieves”; the robbing, at one stage, being done by a cop.
It is easy to see why this novel has won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction 2010. Readers will have difficulty putting it down. There was a 13 year hiatus between the last Wyatt novel and this one: let’s hope we don’t have to wait as long for the next one. This was my first Wyatt novel, but certainly not my last.
October 5, 2011
Garry Disher's, Wyatt will appear to the American reader as the Australian heir apparent to Donald Westlake's (aka Richard Stark) Parker. Both are thieves, who plan minutely detailed crimes with the intensity of a man defusing a bomb and still things go wrong. But, Wyatt is no mere Parker knock-off. Disher has crafted a character, that while baring similar characteristics, is wholly original with an appeal of his own. This is crime writing at it's absolute best, and noir, not of misty late night rivers and neon of rain soaked asphalt, but noir the color of flint and hard edged steel.
The prose are hard, clean and sparse. Much like Wyatt "when he was working, his instructions to bank tellers, security guards, witnesses or people working along side of him were calm and efficient. The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered." and Disher doesn't squander them either. Yet, this is no stock, two dimensional character, no mad-dog loose with a gun, and for a story that is driven by such an outstanding plot, the character development is subtle, complex and perfect as well. As Wyatt muses another time, "He was curious to find himself capable of a range of fugitive emotions, old, lost and new." And it is this masters touch of just enough emotion, just enough mix of the hard with the soft that breathes life into Wyatt and makes him a character to look forward to.
The prose are hard, clean and sparse. Much like Wyatt "when he was working, his instructions to bank tellers, security guards, witnesses or people working along side of him were calm and efficient. The words had a job to do and were not to be squandered." and Disher doesn't squander them either. Yet, this is no stock, two dimensional character, no mad-dog loose with a gun, and for a story that is driven by such an outstanding plot, the character development is subtle, complex and perfect as well. As Wyatt muses another time, "He was curious to find himself capable of a range of fugitive emotions, old, lost and new." And it is this masters touch of just enough emotion, just enough mix of the hard with the soft that breathes life into Wyatt and makes him a character to look forward to.
August 7, 2014
Good noir involves no moralizing, no self-awareness; it’s just a deadpan record of what happens when criminals go to work. Garry Disher’s Wyatt series is pure noir; Wyatt is a bad dude with no redeeming social value who just goes quietly and competently about his business, which is stealing. The killing he does only when absolutely necessary, which makes him the good guy here.
The book caught my eye because it’s set in Melbourne, Australia, which I know almost nothing about, and I was curious. A good crime novel gives a vivid impression of a place, and now I have the impression that Melbourne has about the same proportion of losers, deadbeats and scoundrels as anyplace else. The plot involves some stolen bearer bonds and competing schemes to grab them and turn them into cash. There are varying levels of criminal competence and multiple betrayals. Enough said; the interest lies in the technical aspects, the tails, the ruses, the bluffs and the stratagems, and the guns pulled out of nowhere. It kept me reading.
Why do we like this stuff? I don’t know, but sometimes we do. Maybe it’s a fantasy of a freer life unburdened by conscience. But it’s also true that when you put down the book, you’re glad to be free of Wyatt’s pitiless, glacially cold world.
The book caught my eye because it’s set in Melbourne, Australia, which I know almost nothing about, and I was curious. A good crime novel gives a vivid impression of a place, and now I have the impression that Melbourne has about the same proportion of losers, deadbeats and scoundrels as anyplace else. The plot involves some stolen bearer bonds and competing schemes to grab them and turn them into cash. There are varying levels of criminal competence and multiple betrayals. Enough said; the interest lies in the technical aspects, the tails, the ruses, the bluffs and the stratagems, and the guns pulled out of nowhere. It kept me reading.
Why do we like this stuff? I don’t know, but sometimes we do. Maybe it’s a fantasy of a freer life unburdened by conscience. But it’s also true that when you put down the book, you’re glad to be free of Wyatt’s pitiless, glacially cold world.
November 21, 2024
Who knew? Wyatt is the sixth of Disher's novels to feature the professional thief, but the first to be published in the US. I hope that his back list becomes available soon - his excellent Hal Challis police procedural series has been here for years.
From Disher's website:
"Wyatt is a professional hold-up man: banks, payroll vans, jewel heists, etc. We don’t learn much about him and that is part of his appeal. He’s cool, all business, with not much of an emotional life, doesn't suffer fools gladly (but is sometimes forced to rely on them), and although not a thrill killer will kill those who cross him. He has certain standards: no drugs, for example, no unnecessary violence. Readers say “I don’t approve of Wyatt but I want him to win”, which is exactly my intention.
In each of the six novels to date, he plans and commits a major robbery, unaware that others are plotting against him. When he's double-crossed, he sets out to discover who did it, get his revenge and get back the proceeds of the robbery."
It's an extremely well done, old fashioned heist story with great characters, several double crosses and a most satisfying ending.
From Disher's website:
"Wyatt is a professional hold-up man: banks, payroll vans, jewel heists, etc. We don’t learn much about him and that is part of his appeal. He’s cool, all business, with not much of an emotional life, doesn't suffer fools gladly (but is sometimes forced to rely on them), and although not a thrill killer will kill those who cross him. He has certain standards: no drugs, for example, no unnecessary violence. Readers say “I don’t approve of Wyatt but I want him to win”, which is exactly my intention.
In each of the six novels to date, he plans and commits a major robbery, unaware that others are plotting against him. When he's double-crossed, he sets out to discover who did it, get his revenge and get back the proceeds of the robbery."
It's an extremely well done, old fashioned heist story with great characters, several double crosses and a most satisfying ending.
May 10, 2011
Successful, professional thief, Wyatt, prefers to keep a low profile – even his one word moniker is a cue to his near mythical status. But Reality has a tendency to run rather roughly over the Myth and Wyatt has a tough time trying to keep his rigidly structured life from being up-ended in this latest entry to Disher’s Wyatt series. It’s been 14 years since the last book and it’s not only the advanced technologies that make Wyatt’s ‘job’ more difficult, but the culture has changed, too. There’s more than one loose cannon to contend with here and what looks like a straightforward jewellry heist swings wildly out-of-control. Reading how it all shakes down is filled with twists and turns – enjoy the ride!
July 19, 2011
I received WYATT as an ARC, and I've got to say it's a genuine corker of a read. Think: Richard Stark's Parker down under. In fact, while I was reading along and reminded of Parker, a bit character named "Parker" made an appearance. Mr. Disher must've intended the scene as a passing nod to Stark's master thief Parker. But don't be misled. Wyatt (he's called by just the one name) is no Parker rip-off or clone. Wyatt is his own man. This twisty plot penned in a visceral hard-boiled prose style contains its original dry wit, gritty Aussie settings, quaint slang, and ripe nasty surprises. All in all, a brisk, fine read if you're in the mood for a noirish ride. My library system has all of Mr. Disher's previous titles. Cool.
October 8, 2011
I can't believe I've been an Australian reader for this long and not read a Garry Disher novel. Sure, I'd heard of him, he's a perennial favourite of the Australian Crime Thriller awards and community. But it was only his appearance at the Sydney Writers' Festival - with Shamini Flint and Michael Connelly - that convinced me to buy Wyatt.
Of course I got Garry to sign my copy and dutifully put it on my shelf of "To Be Read" books. I really should have picked it up earlier to read. I should have read more Wyatt novels. I should have read Garry's other series. Wyatt is crime noir, gritty and fast paced. If that is what strikes your mood then this book should entertain you nicely.
Of course I got Garry to sign my copy and dutifully put it on my shelf of "To Be Read" books. I really should have picked it up earlier to read. I should have read more Wyatt novels. I should have read Garry's other series. Wyatt is crime noir, gritty and fast paced. If that is what strikes your mood then this book should entertain you nicely.
September 14, 2022
I am slowly making my way through Garry Disher’s oeuvre (I could say opus, but I prefer French than Latin.) I think he is an outstanding author up there with Peter Temple and Peter Corris in the Australian crime noir. This was my first in his nine-book Wyatt series. It is also his seventh in the series. I had read other books centred on particular police officers, so reading a publication where a criminal was the protagonist is interesting.
At the outset I am not a fan of criminals, even fictional criminals and although I like and appreciate Disher’s literary style I found Wyatt to be too good to be true. In real life criminals don’t have a moral value spectrum like Wyatt and very few are all that clever. Wyatt is also exceptionally lucky that everything goes his way.
The story is constructed around an excellent cast. Eddie Oberin and his ex, Lydia, the French criminal/villain Alain Le Page, the jewellers Henri and Joe Furneaux, Ma Gadd the flower and gun dispenser, her dirtbag nephew Ricky and my favourite Candy – a damsel in distress, not!
There is a collection of killings that take place throughout the story and spunky Candy does a few.
It is a tightly written story and Disher has done some skilful planning to bring it all together. I accepted the ending at a stretch, but I will seek out other anti-hero Wyatt escapades.
At the outset I am not a fan of criminals, even fictional criminals and although I like and appreciate Disher’s literary style I found Wyatt to be too good to be true. In real life criminals don’t have a moral value spectrum like Wyatt and very few are all that clever. Wyatt is also exceptionally lucky that everything goes his way.
The story is constructed around an excellent cast. Eddie Oberin and his ex, Lydia, the French criminal/villain Alain Le Page, the jewellers Henri and Joe Furneaux, Ma Gadd the flower and gun dispenser, her dirtbag nephew Ricky and my favourite Candy – a damsel in distress, not!
There is a collection of killings that take place throughout the story and spunky Candy does a few.
It is a tightly written story and Disher has done some skilful planning to bring it all together. I accepted the ending at a stretch, but I will seek out other anti-hero Wyatt escapades.
November 1, 2020
Now that I finished this book, I miss Wyatt. He's a thief and killer, but for some reason strangely charismatic. He plans heists carefully, but they still seem to go pear shaped. The fun is seeing how he disentangles himself from the fallout. The author does a good job with all the characters. Excellent book.
Want to read
October 27, 2019Synopsis: the cool, enigmatic, anti-hero Wyatt has a job, a jewel heist. Hold up the goods in transit and get away fast. What could go wrong?
August 9, 2020
A brilliant heist novel.
November 20, 2020
It ended on a cliffhanger.
IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER.
*angry and frustrated reader noise*
I do like it though. Might actually continue reading the series.
IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER.
*angry and frustrated reader noise*
I do like it though. Might actually continue reading the series.
January 13, 2019
finished this one yesterday the 12th of january 2019 and the 12th for the year good read three stars i liked it first from disher for me kindle library loaner.
November 8, 2017
Solidly written and crafted, but the characters, including Wyatt, are a pretty nasty lot. Not for the squeamish.
March 3, 2010
It's been quite a wait for the latest WYATT novel - The Fallout was published in 1997. I for one was rather excited to hear the news that there was a book on the way last year and I've been somewhat impatiently waiting for it to appear since then. As with all these greatly anticipated books, there's always that nasty little voice at the back of your head wondering if the anticipation might be building an unreasonable expectation.
But this is a Garry Disher novel, and it's a WYATT novel and it's almost impossible to contemplate the idea of disappointment. Partly because these books are so incredibly well written; partly because Wyatt is such a tremendous character; and partly because there is absolutely nothing like a change of style. The Wyatt novels are theft / heist based novels. Not to say that people don't die in these books, but Wyatt doesn't set out to murder - he's all about the perfect plan. Intensive and careful preparation; a level of planning that makes this ex-Project Manager's heart beat all that bit faster; extreme care in the conduct of the operation; extreme care in the execution of a get out of trouble fallback. Wyatt's a cool, hard, ruthless man who will take steps if backed into a corner. And he's very very very dangerous when crossed.
Wyatt always prefers to work alone, but he also needs money to fund his life, so when Eddie Oberin comes to him with a lead via his ex-wife, the operation is risky but reasonably attractive. Large amounts of jewellery isn't Wyatt's preferred haul, but maybe if a handy overseas fence is in the equation - one with a track record for offloading large overseas hauls in Australia - it might be worth the bother.
Things go well. And then they go badly. And then things look up a little, and then there's a lot of tidying up to be done, and not a small amount of retribution. Cool, calm, reasoned, Wyatt style retribution, but retribution nonetheless. One of the great things about WYATT is that you get a little more, up close glimpses into the man himself. And you get a tremendous story, a real rollercoaster ride of thief against thief; crook against crook, mastermind up against mastermind. The heist stylings of the earlier books - the cool operator with all the bases covered is there, as is the opportunist Wyatt - the man who can think on his feet and make the most of what's handed to him. A ruthless, cool, calm, contained man, with just the smallest glimmer of humanity. Wyatt is what Wyatt does, and let's hope it's not too long before he does it all again.
But this is a Garry Disher novel, and it's a WYATT novel and it's almost impossible to contemplate the idea of disappointment. Partly because these books are so incredibly well written; partly because Wyatt is such a tremendous character; and partly because there is absolutely nothing like a change of style. The Wyatt novels are theft / heist based novels. Not to say that people don't die in these books, but Wyatt doesn't set out to murder - he's all about the perfect plan. Intensive and careful preparation; a level of planning that makes this ex-Project Manager's heart beat all that bit faster; extreme care in the conduct of the operation; extreme care in the execution of a get out of trouble fallback. Wyatt's a cool, hard, ruthless man who will take steps if backed into a corner. And he's very very very dangerous when crossed.
Wyatt always prefers to work alone, but he also needs money to fund his life, so when Eddie Oberin comes to him with a lead via his ex-wife, the operation is risky but reasonably attractive. Large amounts of jewellery isn't Wyatt's preferred haul, but maybe if a handy overseas fence is in the equation - one with a track record for offloading large overseas hauls in Australia - it might be worth the bother.
Things go well. And then they go badly. And then things look up a little, and then there's a lot of tidying up to be done, and not a small amount of retribution. Cool, calm, reasoned, Wyatt style retribution, but retribution nonetheless. One of the great things about WYATT is that you get a little more, up close glimpses into the man himself. And you get a tremendous story, a real rollercoaster ride of thief against thief; crook against crook, mastermind up against mastermind. The heist stylings of the earlier books - the cool operator with all the bases covered is there, as is the opportunist Wyatt - the man who can think on his feet and make the most of what's handed to him. A ruthless, cool, calm, contained man, with just the smallest glimmer of humanity. Wyatt is what Wyatt does, and let's hope it's not too long before he does it all again.
August 22, 2011
Thirteen years since the last Wyatt novel, and he is finally back. The cool, calm and calculating retro-robber is again up to his old tricks. However, now the offerings are slimmer. The world has changed. The electronic age has meant less cash around, and places that do have cash, also have advanced and more sophisticated security than ever before.
Wyatt also seems to have changed during the 13 year hiatus. I found him increasingly more cold-blooded and ruthless than ever before. This reinforces to the reader that he is fundamentally a criminal - a bad guy. Despite this, he still has his endearing qualities that make him a likeable protagonist. He is intelligent, and has principles and loyalties. He is a likeable rogue. His misdemeanours are justifiable because you see the world from his point of view.
The plot is captivating, albeit more violent than I remember from previous Wyatt books. Throw in some honour among thieves, some double-crossing, some revenge retribution and some police corruption and the result is another vastly absorbing Garry Disher crime fiction novel. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed spending a few more hours with Wyatt. If you enjoy crime fiction novels through the eyes of the 'perp', then I recommend that you will too.
Promisingly, the open-ended conclusion, indicates another Wyatt novel might be in the works. Hopefully we don't have to wait another 13 years. Please write faster Garry!
Wyatt also seems to have changed during the 13 year hiatus. I found him increasingly more cold-blooded and ruthless than ever before. This reinforces to the reader that he is fundamentally a criminal - a bad guy. Despite this, he still has his endearing qualities that make him a likeable protagonist. He is intelligent, and has principles and loyalties. He is a likeable rogue. His misdemeanours are justifiable because you see the world from his point of view.
The plot is captivating, albeit more violent than I remember from previous Wyatt books. Throw in some honour among thieves, some double-crossing, some revenge retribution and some police corruption and the result is another vastly absorbing Garry Disher crime fiction novel. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed spending a few more hours with Wyatt. If you enjoy crime fiction novels through the eyes of the 'perp', then I recommend that you will too.
Promisingly, the open-ended conclusion, indicates another Wyatt novel might be in the works. Hopefully we don't have to wait another 13 years. Please write faster Garry!
February 11, 2017
Another entertaining read from Gary Disher. This is my first in the Wyatt series and I am inclined to go back and read some of the early releases. Wyatt is a face to face thief, think armed robbery, bank heist etc.. There is more violence than I anticipated for this genre particularly as it was presented in a just another day in the office style, but even given that I did not find it gratuitous. Lots of bad tempers and scores to settle
Love how the author leaves a few strands of the plot unresolved in the end. He gives you hints and indications on how they will end but does not tie them up in a nice ribbon for you. Leaves one the opportunity to build the end oneself and tacking it on.
Love how the author leaves a few strands of the plot unresolved in the end. He gives you hints and indications on how they will end but does not tie them up in a nice ribbon for you. Leaves one the opportunity to build the end oneself and tacking it on.
May 10, 2017
A lot of things happen in this story, and I like that. Our protagonist is a crook. He's a competent, careful and intelligent crook who gets the reader on his side and takes us through a fast, connected series of situations. The author shifts points of view without its being an irritation but always comes back to Wyatt, the driving force of the story.
Started and finished in a day, and it's been a quite a while since I was that much entertained by an author new to me.
Started and finished in a day, and it's been a quite a while since I was that much entertained by an author new to me.
Read
August 7, 2011I usually enjoy thrillers, but this one not so much.
May 18, 2023
Modern society and the diminishing use of cash in preference for electronic banking has affected the life of the modern thief and there are now fewer opportunities for people like Wyatt to make money. The answer, more and more frequently, is to rob crooks. This is the situation that Wyatt faces here.
Wyatt is brought in on a plan to rob a jeweler who is known to shift stolen goods to other jewelry stores. The hidden valuables are stored in a secret panel of the car and moved around Victoria along with legitimate precious stones to keep it all looking above board. The idea is that Wyatt and his two accomplices would hit the jewelers at their most susceptible after it has been loaded with the valuables and before it leaves the store.
It all goes to plan until Wyatt is double crossed. Wyatt is shot, the bags with the stolen loot are removed and the car is torched. But rather than containing precious gems and fine jewelry the bags hold millions of dollars worth of stolen European bearer bonds and they won’t be quite as easy to move.
Most hardboiled readers who have been around for any length of time will immediately recognise the close comparison that can be made between the Parker series written by Donald E. Westlake’s under the pseudonym Richard Stark. The professional criminal attitude of the Wyatt persona follows very closely with the way Parker operates. Until now it has simply been remarked upon by reviewers and fans. In Wyatt, Disher has made the hat tips to Richard Stark’s Parker series have become far more open. In fact, there are three major indicators that Disher is honouring the series and the author.
1. One of Wyatt’s accomplices has been given the surname of Stark, in this case her name is Lydia Stark
2. To get himself out of trouble when thrown in the drunk tank, Wyatt borrows the identity of the man next to him. The identity that he uses is Parker.
3. Wyatt’s home is a pair of apartments that are house in a high rise complex called the Westlake Towers.
About Wyatt...
Wyatt is the consummate professional whose line of business revolves around burglary and robbery. He is dispassionate about just about all else and is focused purely on the task at hand without the distracting intrusion of emotional attachment or attacks of conscience.
He is a man of action while remaining comfortable standing still and observing for long periods of time. He is also a man who thinks nothing of taking revenge on someone who has betrayed him or who endangers his anonymity. He is dangerous, deadly dangerous, but he is also an easy character to follow and, in many ways, admire.
“He waited. Waiting was a condition of Wyatt’s life. He didn’t fidget or get impatient but stayed composed and alert. He knew that nothing might come of the waiting. He continued to watch the harbourmaster, ready for a sound or a smell or a shift in the quality of the air that meant he’d better run or fight. In particular, he was watching for certain signs in the people nearby: the way a man carried himself if he was armed, listening to an earpiece or staking out the car park; the clothing that didn’t look right for the conditions or the season but was intended to conceal.”
The no-nonsense nature of Wyatt is matched by the tight prose that is used to describe him. With every short, sharp sentence the story is allowed to unfold quickly ensuring the pace is maintained.
Wyatt is the 7th book in the series and it also won the 2010 Ned Kelly Award for Best FIction.
Wyatt is brought in on a plan to rob a jeweler who is known to shift stolen goods to other jewelry stores. The hidden valuables are stored in a secret panel of the car and moved around Victoria along with legitimate precious stones to keep it all looking above board. The idea is that Wyatt and his two accomplices would hit the jewelers at their most susceptible after it has been loaded with the valuables and before it leaves the store.
It all goes to plan until Wyatt is double crossed. Wyatt is shot, the bags with the stolen loot are removed and the car is torched. But rather than containing precious gems and fine jewelry the bags hold millions of dollars worth of stolen European bearer bonds and they won’t be quite as easy to move.
Most hardboiled readers who have been around for any length of time will immediately recognise the close comparison that can be made between the Parker series written by Donald E. Westlake’s under the pseudonym Richard Stark. The professional criminal attitude of the Wyatt persona follows very closely with the way Parker operates. Until now it has simply been remarked upon by reviewers and fans. In Wyatt, Disher has made the hat tips to Richard Stark’s Parker series have become far more open. In fact, there are three major indicators that Disher is honouring the series and the author.
1. One of Wyatt’s accomplices has been given the surname of Stark, in this case her name is Lydia Stark
2. To get himself out of trouble when thrown in the drunk tank, Wyatt borrows the identity of the man next to him. The identity that he uses is Parker.
3. Wyatt’s home is a pair of apartments that are house in a high rise complex called the Westlake Towers.
About Wyatt...
Wyatt is the consummate professional whose line of business revolves around burglary and robbery. He is dispassionate about just about all else and is focused purely on the task at hand without the distracting intrusion of emotional attachment or attacks of conscience.
He is a man of action while remaining comfortable standing still and observing for long periods of time. He is also a man who thinks nothing of taking revenge on someone who has betrayed him or who endangers his anonymity. He is dangerous, deadly dangerous, but he is also an easy character to follow and, in many ways, admire.
“He waited. Waiting was a condition of Wyatt’s life. He didn’t fidget or get impatient but stayed composed and alert. He knew that nothing might come of the waiting. He continued to watch the harbourmaster, ready for a sound or a smell or a shift in the quality of the air that meant he’d better run or fight. In particular, he was watching for certain signs in the people nearby: the way a man carried himself if he was armed, listening to an earpiece or staking out the car park; the clothing that didn’t look right for the conditions or the season but was intended to conceal.”
The no-nonsense nature of Wyatt is matched by the tight prose that is used to describe him. With every short, sharp sentence the story is allowed to unfold quickly ensuring the pace is maintained.
Wyatt is the 7th book in the series and it also won the 2010 Ned Kelly Award for Best FIction.
May 11, 2022
Another tense, cleverly plotted Wyatt novel. Wyatt has been ‘away’ for a number of years so he needs to rely on old contacts to broker and pull off a Melbourne jewel heist. He hasn’t planned on crossing paths with another thief as cunning and cool as himself though. The Frenchman ‘Le Page’ is using his cousins, (two ‘crooked’ Melbourne jewellery dealers) to offload millions in stolen, overseas bank-bonds. When Wyatt’s heist partners double-cross him, they’re surprised to find they’ve ‘lifted’ a stash of bank-bonds rather than jewellery. Unfortunately for them, not only Wyatt but Le Page is out for restitution.
Two ruthless professionals go head to head in this story. It’s filled with plenty of other desperate criminals too and a dodgy cop for good measure. As usual the writing is taut and spare and the subject matter dark and violent. It ends on a cliff-hanger.
I really hope that the next book has some continuity. I enjoy this series but I was disappointed that this instalment made no mention of where Wyatt had been for so long. The previous book ended with him in possession of a large fortune and a possible romantic partner, but there was no allusion to this at all.
I guess I just have to accept that Wyatt is an enigmatic loner and that Disher will always have him ‘walking away’ from anything or anyone ‘permanent’?
Two ruthless professionals go head to head in this story. It’s filled with plenty of other desperate criminals too and a dodgy cop for good measure. As usual the writing is taut and spare and the subject matter dark and violent. It ends on a cliff-hanger.
I really hope that the next book has some continuity. I enjoy this series but I was disappointed that this instalment made no mention of where Wyatt had been for so long. The previous book ended with him in possession of a large fortune and a possible romantic partner, but there was no allusion to this at all.
I guess I just have to accept that Wyatt is an enigmatic loner and that Disher will always have him ‘walking away’ from anything or anyone ‘permanent’?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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