Port Vila Blues

Disher turns the standard crime novel on its head with this series. It follows a clever thief named Wyatt as he works the shadowy world of crime. Wyatt is the perfect anti-hero. He's a criminal, he'll steal certainly and will kill if he has to, but otherwise we the readers admire his skill and cleverness, and make note of his strange loyalties and vulnerabilities. Instead of being the character you love to hate, he's the character you hate to love.

In this tale, Wyatt gets a job to break into the home of a politician on the take, one with a load of cash in her safe. Wyatt does the job beautifully (it's really hard not to admire such caution, organization and efficiency) and nabs a beautiful Tiffany butterfly brooch from the safe as a show more bonus. He learns when he tries to fence brooch that it is already stolen goods and before long some very powerful men are looking for him. It all gets quite complicated. There's a reasonably high body count but, damn, you can't help yourself but root for Wyatt to come out okay....

This is certainly not my usual literary crime fare, but it's difficult not to get drawn into this story, seduced by the job details, and pulled along by the slowly increasing suspense. In Wyatt's world it's hard to tell who the bad guys really are. Wyatt as a character is crafted well, a Disher trademark, and the story is well done. All in all, it made for an enjoyable few hours of reading. Note: I believe this is the 2nd in the Wyatt series. show less

Port Vila Blues by Garry Disher
Set in Australia, Port Vila Blues is the fifth in Garry Disher's series featuring a thief named Wyatt, who is as skilled at his chosen career as any legitimate professional. He uses his considerable intelligence to scientifically plan his "jobs." He trusts no one, not even his long-time partner, Jardine, but he nearly succumbs to the charms of a "fence" who is interested in a piece he steals from the empty home of Cassandra Wintergreen, a member of the Australian parliament.
Jardine, however, has suffered an injury that resulted in minor brain damage, impairing his thinking and memory, so Wyatt must depend on himself. When he discovers that the Tiffany brooch he stole from MP Wintergreen had been show more previously stolen in a bank robbery by an elusive gang, Wyatt becomes enmeshed in a situation that threatens to spiral out of control, as it involves police on the take and even a judge who uses his position to amass a fortune in stolen treasures.
Even though few of the characters are likeable, they are are real, and Disher maintains the pace of the story. It never lets up as it moves from Australia to Vanuatu and back again. Every character in the novel seems to have a double life, and you never know who is the "good guy" and who the "bad guy," if there is such a thing. The Australian slang adds a fun element to the story for American readers, but the story could be anywhere. It is a roller coaster ride where you aren't sure which thieves to root for. Port Vila Blues is a great "cops and robbers" story that will keep you turning the pages. show less

Wyatt is a crook. Pulling off the successful heist of a mark, one of the items in the safe, in addition to the cash he had been told about, is a very expensive and eminently traceable Tiffany brooch. That brooch was about to cause some serious problems. A gang of crooked cops had lifted the thing in an earlier heist and now they have reason to believe someone was skimming from the take.

Add Wyatt to your list of favorite crooks alongside Parker and Nolan.