Bill Bateman

Bill Bateman, author of the Vince Hanrahan series, was a rural based GP himself, and that shows. Both in his affection for the town, the people and the depiction of the day to day life of the slightly harried GP, but mostly in the way that some presentations are never quite what they seem and a bit of determined digging is often required. YOU'RE NEVER THE SAME is the second book in this series, following on from HARD LABOUR which came out in 2017.

Vince was a big-shot OBY/GYN in Melbourne show more until one disastrous patient outcome saw him banned from specialist practice, exiled to Warrnambool on the southwest Victorian Coast, working as a GP under the strict supervision of the Medical Board. Along the way he separated from his wife and twin daughters, but kept his beloved Deefer (dog), his elderly Volvo and has started to make some friends and contacts in the town that he know seems, granted reluctantly, to like living in.

HARD LABOUR introduced you to Vince and his family, with heaps of background into what got him to Warrnambool and the way his life is panning out, but there's more than enough in this second novel to get you up to speed quickly. It's a pretty good balancing job as the focus of this is very much on Vince's family, the suicide of his brother, his sister-in-law's pursuit of the reason for that death, and the fall out that comes as a result of realising that his brother was the victim of a paedophile priest at the time that they were both boarders at St Bernard's College in Ballarat.

Anybody who knows about the scourge of the catholic church in Ballarat will quickly figure out where the real life St Bernard's College, just as they will realise that many of the events that Vince's family are experiencing have been endured by way too many families in Ballarat and elsewhere throughout Australia. This novel is a combination of Vince's professional battles, with another high-risk delivery threatening his entire medical career, and the more personal. The guilt he feels about his brother's death is compounded by the guilt he feels over his long-distance relationship with his twin daughters - growing into teenagers rapidly, and his regret over the failure of his marriage. He's not so regretful when it comes to winding up former colleagues and his wife's new boyfriend however, and he can't seem to keep his sarcastic mouth to himself, even when keeping a low profile and not annoying influential people would be the sensible approach.

Then there's his friendship with DC Elena Genovesi that isn't romantic, but could be; is mutually supportive, but might not be if he doesn't keep his nose out of police business; and his next door neighbours - who feed him, help him care for his dog and have befriended him even as he clod-hops his way through everybody's lives including his own.

This is regional / rural crime in that the setting is mainly large country-town Warrnambool, because Vince's family are from the Wimmera and they still had connections to the land and the farm, and because the abuse was particularly prevalent in Country Victoria. The series does give you a bit of a glimpse into life in those larger country-towns that are starting to build in Victoria. There's urban elements there - cafes / restaurants / food delivery services, but there's still a rural"ish" feeling - the footy club / the way that people know each other more closely, and the ties of so many people "back to the farm / family" out in the rural areas.

Vince is an interesting character, and these two novels are an interesting series. Sure they are a bit on the frenetic side at times, and they can also wander off into the internal monologue space a bit. YOU'RE NEVER THE SAME tackles a difficult, very topical subject with some care and illumination. It's not often that you get a glimpse into the perspective of the family left behind, victims in their own right of the appalling behaviour of the abusers and the enablers within that awful church. It does it with humanity and failure, passion and belief, with the characteristic slightly light, but never disrespectful touch that seems to be at the core of this series.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/youre-never-same-bill-bateman show less

It's not a particularly easy undertaking - a book positing the idea that the Medical Board and Dr Vince Hanrahan thinking shunting someone to rural Victoria (Warrnambool in this instance) to work as a GP is "punishment", but then Hanrahan eventually does twig that the loss of your speciality is one thing, but living in a small rural city isn't the end of the world. The author of HARD LABOUR, Bill Bateman, certainly hasn't had the problem with the Medical Board, and appears to have done the show more opposite to his central character, moving from the Victorian south-coast to Melbourne, so the sense of place and community that he's developed in this novel has a strong sense of reality, as do the complications of life as a rural GP.

For something with a serious message at the centre of it, there's a sly sense of humour at work here as well. On the one hand - the death of a young patient triggering something approximately panic in a doctor that's already had his fair share of run-ins with Medical Authorities. He's in a fight to save his career as well as explain the suspicious death he encounters when called into the labour ward of the local hospital late one night. On the other hand - a father with an erratic style of housekeeping and personal care, head-strong teenage daughters, an ex-wife and all that goes with separation of family, long-distance relationships and, well, somebody who seems to really need help in getting his life back on track. The narrative swings from the comedy of his personal life, to the seriousness of the investigation and his professional reasonably seamlessly, once you get used to this dichotomy.

As you'd expect from a debut novel, things do get a little ropey in places, and it might take a little while for readers to twig that the style is slightly tongue in cheek - particularly given the subject matter may not initially seem likely to blend with a slight sense of farce. Go with it though and you could be pleasantly surprised. For any minor faults, HARD LABOUR's an interesting undertaking of an unusual crime and background, introducing an unusual sort of protagonist. There seems to be some hints around that this could be the start of a new series.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-hard-labour-bill-bateman show less

Dr. Vincent Hanrahan, a medical doctor currently on the outs with the Australian medical authorities in general and the Obstetrics and Gynecology Board in particular, has been banished to a small country practice and prohibited from performing services in his specialty. Rejected by his wife, he is hanging on to his profession and his life with the help of a few close friends and colleagues. As if his personal problems aren’t enough, he is faced with the suicide of his younger brother; a show more suicide that incites a murder all of which have far-reaching implications in Vince’s life, in the local Catholic Church, and the local community.

You’re Never the Same is a whodunit mystery that is a bit outside the box. There are multiple crimes, but the questions that must be answered are who among the Catholic clergy are child molesters and who is not; who drove Vince’s brother to suicide…and who committed murder for revenge.

This plot delves deeply into the wide-ranging controversy over the Catholic Church’s protection of child-molesting priests and its effect on a local Catholic community. It is full of twists and suggestions of sub-plots and perpetrators that will keep the reader guessing. The story develops maddingly slowly as readers must pick through the details of Vince’s life and problems with the medical boards that have him teetering on the edge of failure. Although this factor slows the mystery, it also adds to the suspense and is forgivable. All in all, Vince is a likable character fallen on hard times and who is victimized by the personal animosity of some professional colleagues. His wife, Lydia (“Lids”) seems shallow and more concerned for her social standing. Fortunately, he has others helping him. The characters are very well developed and believable.

You’re Never the Same would be an excellent read for any lover of whodunits, especially those interested in the potential effects of the sexual malfeasance of clergymen. It is not an action-filled book, but it kept my interest, is entertaining and is a potentially accurate reflection of life for those who find themselves in similar circumstances. 4.5-Stars

This book was provided free by the publisher in hopes of receiving an honest review. The above review represents my honest opinion of the book. show less