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Truth Audiobook
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(3.03) - 796 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Inspector Stephen Villani, head of homicide in Melbourne, Australia, has a full agenda: a murdered woman in a penthouse apartment, three men butchered in a sadistic rampage, a tattoo-faced drug dealer corrupting his rebellious daughter, and a crumbling marriage. As these seemingly unrelated events begin to unfold, Villani finds himself immersed in an unfamiliar world of political scandal and ethical ambiguity. He must navigate the inept bureaucracy that is the police department, all the while maintaining a solid front and trying to keep the press, his family, and his own past from breaking him completely. With each twist and every turn of this taut crime novel, Villani is forced to question whom he can trust.
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"Simply great crime fiction. A dark, complex plot filled with surprises. A beautifully rendered, and deeply flawed, protaganist. A fascinating case of supporting characters. Temple shifts from past to present with a master's ease. His style can be elliptical at times, but the dialogue is terrific. Lots of characters, though. More than once I had to review past chapters to remember who someone was. Highly recommended to those whose taste in the genre tilt toward the literary."
— Steve (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Truth is a fascinating crime puzzle presented before an urban backdrop of futuristic projects that don’t work and a landscape of wildfires that seem to burn forever. It conveys an authentic feel of violence, pain, and corruption, but also displays wit, remarkable insights, and even moments of beauty.”
— Thomas Perry, Edgar Award–winning author of Runner -
“I’m a great fan of Peter Temple, and his new novel does not disappoint; in fact, I think it surpasses The Broken Shore in many ways. Temple’s writing is so uncompromisingly Australian—raw and visceral—yet despite the terseness of his prose and the almost exclusively masculine world that his characters inhabit, there is something desperately poignant and affecting in the way he reveals their emotional lives. His intelligent dialogue invites the reader to understand the intelligence and subtlety at play. I love his style.”
— Kate Atkinson, author of Case Histories -
“A brutal tale of corruption, greed, and revenge…Temple’s elliptical storytelling—the past and the present are often interchangeable—fits the slippery subject of deeply ingrained police corruption and one man’s determination to uncover the truth.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Rich dialogue, filled with Australian idioms, is bought to life by Michael Carman. His characterizations of the key players help listeners to follow the complex plot in this tense thriller about power and corruption. Carman’s delivery balances straight narration and performance as he gives authenticity to the robust language and gritty descriptions of the murders. This helps to engage the listener—although non-Aussies may find some of the slang difficult to follow.”
— AudioFile -
“In this follow-up to the award-winning The Broken Shore, Temple spins a complex and powerful story with writing so top-notch that readers might be tempted to slow down and savor the prose if the plot line weren’t so compelling. Villani is an unforgettable protagonist, a miserable, conflicted cop who somehow embodies grace in a malevolent world. Already acclaimed in Australia, Temple proves once again that he deserves to be better known among American crime fiction fans…highly recommended.”
— Library Journal
Truth Listener Reviews
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" Haven't read a Peter Temple book I haven't liked yet. This one did not disappoint "
— Rachel, 2/18/2014 -
" Loved the voice, setting and plot. "
— Christian, 2/11/2014 -
" Hard to identify with a soulless dickhead like Villani, and the endless macho cop dialogue gets a bit tiresome. For Melbourne-based crime with a bit of a political edge, give me Shane Maloney over Peter Temple any day. "
— Anne, 2/8/2014 -
" Best thing I've read recently! Very terse prose belies the depth of emotion felt in the book. Almost want to reread to get all the nuances. "
— Coki, 1/29/2014 -
" SO hard to read - a mixture of his use of syntax and the extreme Australianese. I couldn't keep the characters straight half the time. Didn't find the main protagonist at all sympathetic. Yes, he was flawed, but for me, too flawed to be at all likeable or to allow me to root for him. "
— Madeleine, 1/28/2014 -
" It a classic cop story, with a worn-out but ethical main character, corrupted colleagues, difficult family relations, violence, etc. But in its own genre told in a very complelling way, leaping back and forth between now and the past, the past giving some hints why things are as they are now. "
— Laura, 1/15/2014 -
" Not as enjoyable as Broken Shore, in any respect. "
— Simon, 1/15/2014 -
" Only sleep forced me to stop reading this! Now I will be looking out for more from this author. "
— Tricia, 1/2/2014 -
" Superior detective fiction in the hardboiled style. I admired it stylistically in many ways but I couldn't get into the story or the characters. Winner of the Miles Franklin in 2010. "
— Amanda, 12/20/2013 -
" I would recommend that you read this book slowly to enjoy Peter Temple's beautiful, poetic style of writing and his very interesting and engaging characters. If your memory isn't what it used to be (like mine), writing a list of all the characters will help avoid confusion! "
— Annalie, 12/18/2013 -
" Reasonable plot but writing style irritated me. "
— Chris, 11/4/2013 -
" Contains some of the characters from The Broken Shore. Terse and idiomatic language a bit tricky to understand. A very good read; in this case audio book. "
— Doreen, 9/26/2013 -
" Great main character! I got the characters confused at times, but that's probably because I read most of it on a bus with lots of distractions. "
— June, 1/27/2013 -
" Crime is just not my thing. Only read it for a book club. I'm afraid I won't be reading any more of hiw works. "
— Rob, 11/19/2012 -
" Not as good as some other Peter Temple books, it jumps about a bit as the main character thinks back but it passed a few train journeys. "
— Julia, 11/13/2012 -
" I find Temple's language really hard to get into but he is a good storyteller. This one won the Miles Franklin, so giving him another go! "
— Anna, 9/10/2012 -
" Not my favorite of Temple's, but he's the czar of Aussie noir. "
— Laurie, 4/7/2012 -
" An absolute must-read. Stick w it in the beginning. Somewhere around page 100 he really hits the sweet spot and it is magic to experience... "
— Daniella, 4/6/2012 -
" Excellent page-turned. The language can be a bit off-putting. "
— Khosch, 5/24/2011 -
" Another cracker of a read from Temple. Not quite to the standard of Broken Shore but a great read. Felt the plotline didn't flow or resolve itself as well in this one. But loved the more stream of consciousness view from Villani the protagonist. Highly recommended. "
— Mikef, 5/3/2011 -
" Amazing: Dirty, Raw, Tragic, Heart wrenching, Captivating. An anti-hero I can finally get to know "
— Xenica, 3/15/2011 -
" I would recommend that you read this book slowly to enjoy Peter Temple's beautiful, poetic style of writing and his very interesting and engaging characters. If your memory isn't what it used to be (like mine), writing a list of all the characters will help avoid confusion! "
— Annalie, 3/7/2011 -
" Crime is just not my thing. Only read it for a book club. I'm afraid I won't be reading any more of hiw works. "
— Rob, 1/10/2011 -
" Villani rocks... dark, twisted, witty, sorrowful... loved him! Certifiable new Temple fan I am! "
— Ciqu, 12/24/2010 -
" Superior detective fiction in the hardboiled style. I admired it stylistically in many ways but I couldn't get into the story or the characters. Winner of the Miles Franklin in 2010. "
— Amanda, 12/10/2010 -
" I love Peter Temples writing. He may be a God. He's certainly a good sucessor to Raymond Chandler. A dense thriller with plenty of wry humor. I started it as an audio book and finsihed it as book. Good way to do it. "
— Jane, 12/6/2010 -
" Reasonable plot but writing style irritated me. <br/> <br/> "
— Chris, 12/2/2010 -
" Maybe the best book i've read this year. Set in Melbourne, it has everything a good crime story sould have. "
— Steve, 11/17/2010 -
" Great characters, good police procedural but the Australian slang was at times incomprehensible "
— Susan, 11/8/2010
About Peter Temple
Peter Temple is the author of eight crime novels, five of which have won the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction. He has worked as a journalist and editor for newspapers and magazines in several countries. He lives in Victoria, Australia.
About Michael Carman
Michael Carman has worked in film, television, and theater in Australia, including the international film Nim's Island, the ABC television series MDA, and others. He has appeared with the Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth theater companies. He has performed in many ABC radio plays and narrated many books for audio.