One Boy Missing

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

When a butcher reports to Detective Bart Moy that he may have witnessed the abduction of a small boy, a mysterious sequence of events is set in motion. Moy, newly returned to the country town where his ailing, cantankerous father still lives, can find out nothing about the apparent kidnapping; no-one in Guilderton appears to be missing a small boy. However, once he starts looking into the butcher's story, Moy finds that he had a son once too...This is a moving and disturbing crime thriller reminiscent of James Lee Burke.

Reviews

'In One Boy Missing, [Orr] realises the slow rhythms of country Australia, its language and landscape...skilfully...It is great holiday reading, whether at home or abroad.' Australian Bookseller & Publisher 'Orr creates an evocative landscape, the characterisations are truly wonderful, and because of that, the resolution of the crime at the heart of the novel is less important than seeing how these three can find some kind of peace with who they are and what life has done to them.' -- The Hoopla '[Stephen Orr] is adept at partnering highly charged associations with emotionally arid landscapes.' Adelaide Advertiser 'The novel is not so much a typical crime novel but a more contemplative exploration of the relationship between fathers and sons. Stephen Orr spends time drawing out his characters; foibles and the novel is all the better for his attention.' Sun Herald 'Two of Orr's novels are complex variations on the themes of loss, isolation, the difficulties of putting a self back together. His prose is measured and eloquent, his imaginative reach considerable, and his next novel worth the wait.' Sydney Morning Herald/Age 'Stephen Orr's detective is sunnier than Kurt Wallander, but his talkative characters and bitter realism stands comparison with Henning Mankell. He's a sincere storyteller with a flinty eye for the landscape and the sadness that drives good stories forward.' Dominion Post/Waikato Times/Weekend Press 'Stephen Orr spends time drawing out his characters' foibles and the novel is all the better for his attentions.' Sunday Examiner 'A study in character, masculinity, and specifically the relationships between fathers and sons...deftly written.' Australian Book Review 'Totally absorbing, emotionally gripping it is one of those books that sinks its teeth into you and doesn't let go.' -- John Page Pages & Pages 'A sensitive and sometimes-moving look at a man drowning in the sorrows of his past, with a prickly relationship with his father and with a child who desperately needs to trust someone...A sweetly told tale of fatherhood and loss.' Kirkus 'In his fifth novel-why haven't we heard of him before in the UK-Orr gets everything right. Introspection is never overdone, time and place are stunningly portrayed and the pacing perfect...To say more about the plot would be a spoiler for what is a genuinely literary crime novel. Read it yourself. You won't be disappointed!' Crime Review 'Not your traditional crime novel, One Boy Missing is engaging, moving and sometimes discomforting. Love it when something like this comes along and breaks a few rules.' Reviewing the Evidence

Author Bio

Authors Bio, not available