David Whish-Wilson’s latest novel, Free World, is the third in a series, but can be read as an enjoyable stand alone crime novel. It took a couple of chapters to draw me in, but before long I was interested and found it highly readable.
Whish-Wilson is also the author of The Sawdust House, a historical fiction. I enjoyed that, and was initially surprised by the very different style on show here. However, he executes it well, and a lot of crime readers are going to enjoy it.
Lee Southern is hired to go undercover in an Australian prison. A recent murder left the wrong man dead, and Lee is hired to protect the actual target – a disgraced politician. It’s 1999, and the upcoming new year brings with it the threat – or promise – of disruption as the world ticks over into 2000.
The prison is full of tension, threats, violence, and men who’ve done very bad things. Lee not only has to protect his charge but he has to make sure they both get out alive. Increasingly, that looks harder than he’d hoped it’d be.
This is a pretty familiar plot device – uncounted fictional detectives have gone undercover in jails. Whish-Wilson adds a new spin to it, borne out of Lee’s background and the time period. It was well handled and produced genuine tension, particularly around the question of Lee’s survival.
This is a pretty straightforward crime novel, and the plot doesn’t have any big twists. It does offer genuine tension, an aura of reality, and a strong depiction of a particular point in history. Whish-Wilson writes with authority and confidence, and he’ll keep you interested until the end.
Characters are strong, with Lee and his charge taking centre stage. I found both believable and got really invested in the question of who would or wouldn’t survive.
The sense of place is also strong. I vividly remember the fears that were bandied about as Y2K came closer. This isn’t a big part of the story, but is woven in well to help anchor the sense of time and place. The prison is described in a way that feels vivid and grounded, and draws you into the world of the novel. The book canvasses issues which are sadly still relevant a quarter of a century later. This too adds to the sense of credibility that grounds the novel.
Crime readers should generally enjoy this. It’s neither cosy or exceptionally gory, but is believable. You’ll want to know what happens to the characters you meet, and the plot will keep you engaged till the last page.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Free World by David Whish-Wilson. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
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In David Whish Wilson’s novel, Free World ( Fremantle Press) the reader becomes quickly immersed into the seedy, tough world of criminal relationships. At the request of his dad, a small time ex-con, private investigator Lee Southern goes undercover to find a murderer in a prison full of killers.
In prison there is no freedom, and little humanity, just a fight to survive. And it is into this world that Lee voluntarily goes, subjecting himself to incredible violence and personal risk. It is a bleak world where everyone’s on the take regardless of which side of the law they are on, and paranoia, fear and violence are around every corner.
This is far from a pleasant read as it quite graphically depicts actions and motivations that are as low, cruel, and corrupt as a person can possibly go. It is nevertheless an intriguing glimpse into the network of relationships at play in the criminal underworld.