As with all début authors, especially début Australian crime writers who don’t get a lot of attention in old media (or the new variety for that matter), I had no particular expectations of Y.A. Erskine’s THE BROTHERHOOD. I simply bought it because I’m trying to keep up with all new works by Aussie crime writers, especially the début authors. I certainly had no reason to anticipate it would be one of the very best books I’ve read all year.

John White is a Sergeant in the Tasmanian police force and the book is, on one level, the story of his murder which occurred when he attended a burglary in progress. Two Aboriginal teenagers are accused of the crime and are quickly apprehended which sets the stage for one of the most politically sensitive cases the island community has ever seen.

Although it concerns a crime and policing THE BROTHERHOOD is not a traditional police procedural. It unfolds via a series of chapters, each from the point of view of a different participant in events. We start by seeing things through the eyes of The Probationer; a young constable who only graduated from the Academy a month earlier and who accompanies John White to the house where a neighbour has reported seeing burglars. Her nervousness and excitement at her new job are palpable at the outset, as is her dawning belief by the end of the chapter that her inexperience is the reason White died. In the next chapter we switch to the view of things from The Commissioner’s standpoint. He is unpopular, a technophobe, has old-fashioned, politically incorrect views and knows that the case, if not handled well, could be disastrous so his priority is identifying opportunities to limit the damage.

Subsequent chapters show us things from the perspective of the lead detective (also White’s best friend), a local journalist, White’s wife, one of the suspects and several others. With only a single chapter from each perspective this structure could have resulted in a disjointed story with under-developed characters but neither of these things is evident here. The story flows beautifully, slowly revealing more about White (who never gets a chapter of his own though his presence is felt throughout the book), his relationships and the complex realities of modern policing. And revealing too that things are not always (rarely even?) as they appear to be. Some of the people we meet are warm and good-hearted, aiming to do the right thing even if they’re not always able to. Some are self-centred or disillusioned or never had a chance to thrive. Some are just plain awful human beings. All of them have secrets, fears, worries and dreams and all of them are compelling.

While I like my crime fiction to be political (small p intended) and/or to explore some aspect of the human condition I abhor being lectured to, preached at or told what to think. What I loved about THE BROTHERHOOD most of all was that just told its story, warts and all. It did tackle sensitive themes like communities in which long term welfare dependency is the norm, police resourcing, the dangers and unpleasantness that police face daily and, of course, the complex and often fractured relationship between Australia’s indigenous people and the justice system. In direct contrast to what most media articles on any of these issues will ever tell us, the book demonstrates that there is never a simple right and wrong side to any of these subjects. There are, as anyone but a moronic radio shock jock and his (or her) followers knows intuitively, a myriad of shades of grey and they are all on show here. Readers are given pause for thought and are allowed, should they wish, to come to their own conclusions about the rights and wrongs of individual behaviours and events.

Yvette Erskine has clearly drawn on her 11 years experience as a Tasmanian police officer to give THE BROTHERHOOD a realistic feel. It quite literally hums with authenticity. Its people are very human and its isolated island setting subtly captured. It is overall a dark book without much in the way of happy endings but, for me, it achieved a rare balance between the utter hopelessness of true noir and the occasionally unrealistic optimism of the police procedural. It is one of the very best books I have read all year and I recommend it heartily to everyone. ( )

What blew me away about this book was it's unusual structure - and how effective it was in telling this story. The plot is about the killing of a police officer, and it is told in ten chapters, each chapter is the POV of a central character (a detective, lawyer, suspect, wife, ex-lover). As I neared the end I wanted the story to continue - why not more characters? how about a Judge? how about a Community Leader? etc. But when the end came, the timing and resolution was perfect. And as you reflect back on the story, you realize it really doesn't quite give you an ending. Because there isn't one. This is really about Tasmania, its social structure, and its smoldering problems with race relations. It's about how the Brotherhood of police band together when one goes down but it's also about how the brotherhood of Aborigines band together when one is in trouble. Very powerful. ( )

The Brotherhood is a gritty police drama by debut author YA (Yvette) Erskine. It was on the recommendation of Bernadette (http://ReactionstoReading.com) that I picked this up at my local library for the AWW Challenge, delighted to discover another Australian crime novelist.

The Brotherhood begins with the shooting of an experienced and well liked police officer during a routine break and enter investigation in suburban Tasmania. His murder however, is almost incidental to the story in that the how, who and why are quickly deduced. Instead the death serves as a catalyst to explore the issues of crime and justice.

Given Erskine's eleven years on the force it seems that she could be walking a fine line between fact and fiction with The Brotherhood. She doesn't hesitate in exposing the contradictions of a law and order which operates under political, financial and social pressures. Hampered by petty politics and woefully under resourced, Erskine reveals a police force where corruption and sexism is rife. Officers struggle to maintain their integrity in an environment where they are increasingly undervalued and at risk. The author highlights the challenges and frustrations of modern policing with unflinching honesty.
Erskine also exposes a justice system that fails to uphold the principle that 'all should be treated equal under the law'. In this instance the perpetrator's identity as an Australian Aboriginal complicates the open and shut case. Justice is swayed by the suspect's cultural heritage, his socioeconomic status, his background and the very real tensions between the indigenous community and police.

There is a brutal sense of authenticity about The Brotherhood, enhanced by the uncensored language and spare style of writing. The story unfolds from several points of view, beginning with the probationary constable who was present at the scene, and then continuing through a diverse cast related to the case including the Police Commissioner, the suspect and a local journalist. It's an unique approach that allows the story to move forward but with shifting perspective. Surprisingly it doesn't feel disjointed but instead adds a depth that wouldn't have been possible with a more traditional narrative. Each character has a different relationship with the murdered officer and the crime, and as they join the story, they help build a more complete picture of the situation, and the victim, even as the issues become murkier.

The Brotherhood is a confronting yet compelling novel that combines police procedural with crime drama. I really enjoyed the way in which Erskine confronts the grey areas of law and order that are too often reduced to headlines manipulated for controversy or ignored in favour of political expediency. I am eagerly awaiting the publication of Erskine's next novel, The Betrayal. ( )

Hobart, small city, big town, capital of Tasmania. TASPol, a small police force where everyone knows everyone else personally, working out of Hobart, in a state where about a third of the population gets some sort of government assistance, and another quarter works for the government.

I loved the innovative structure of this book. It reminded me of clock solitaire. The story is carefully layered. We start with a hook. The officer in charge of the investigation into the death of a fellow police officer is going through the deceased's possessions and finds some items that puzzle the reader but for the investigator seem to have only one interpretation.

And then the reader is dealt a series of "cards", the story as seen by a range of connected participants. We learn who the police officer was and how he was killed and through each chapter we see him through the eyes of another. Each chapter adds a layer to our knowledge until eventually we come back to where the book started.

And interlaced into the story are various strands: an Aboriginal population, the remnants of Australia's original inhabitants, now welfare dependent, and in some cases only too willing to cry victimisation and brutality; an under resourced police force with more than usual difficulties in recruiting and retaining good officers; corruption in all professions, even among those responsible for managing the legal system; and an island state with significant social prejudices. It's a heady mix.

THE BROTHERHOOD is certainly an Australian police procedural with a difference and worthy of attention. ( )

This book is set in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It starts off a little rough around the edges but I feel it improves as it goes along. The main characters are well sketched. The ending is far from what you expect. I like the way the story is told from the pooint of view of the main characters. ( )