TV News: Jack Irish on FX (UK)

Jack Irish starring Guy Pearce, based on the novels by Australian author Peter Temple begins on Friday 14 at 9PM on FX,with the first of two feature-length episodes: Bad Debts, followed a week later by Black Tide.

Jack Irish (Guy Pearce) is a man getting his life back together again.

A former criminal lawyer whose world imploded, he now spends his days as a part-time investigator, debt collector, apprentice cabinet maker, punter and sometime lover – the complete man really.

An expert in finding those who don’t want to be found – dead or alive, Jack helps out his mates while avoiding the past.

That is until the past finds him…

Find out more about the series at the ABC website.

It is likely that books three and four, Dead Point and White Dog will also get the same treatment.

As well as the 'Jack Irish' novels, Peter Temple has written the CWA Dagger Award-winning The Broken Shore, and Truth.

New Reviews: Featherstone, Leon, McLean, Masello, Shevchenko, Temple & New Competition

There's a brand new competition for January and it has none of those pesky geographical restrictions. Three copies of A K Shevchenko's Bequest (reviewed below) are up for grabs. Details of how to enter can be found here.

Last week I summarised the Euro Crime reviewers' favourite reads of 2009. The break-down by reviewer with their additional comments is now on the website.

Again, this week's reviews range widely geographically including visits to Antarctica and Australia (useful if you are taking part in Dorte's 2010 Global Challenge):

Rik Shepherd reviews Ann Featherstone's debut, Walking in Pimlico (which he has included in his top 5 favourite reads of 2009);

Maxine Clarke reviews About Face by Donna Leon and finds it more of the same ie "a perfect miniature of a book with a social sting in its tail";

Amanda Gillies reviews Russel D McLean's The Lost Sister the second outing for Dundee PI McNee;

Terry Halligan goes to Antarctica in Robert Masello's Blood and Ice (this one made Terry's top 5 favourites of 2009);

Laura Root reviews this month's competition prize: Bequest by A K Shevchenko writing that it is "an intriguing and enjoyable novel"

and Michelle Peckham reviews the long awaited Truth by Australian author, the CWA Award Winning, Peter Temple.

Previous reviews can be found in the review archive and forthcoming titles can be found here.