> Garry Disher (somehow gone unmentioned so far)
writes a series
featuring an
> Australian Parker called Wyatt. Disher has also
written a stack of
kids
> books and at least one police procedural, which I
enjoyed. I've read
a
> couple of the Wyatts and (sorry, Rene) I liked them,
too.
>
> Al
I completely forgot about Disher. I actually do like the
Disher books I've read (about 3 of them so far) it's just
that I have a problem with them being a little too closely
modelled on the (American) Parker books. I know Al that
you're referring to my posting here some time ago where I was
carping about a mention of the substance known as angel dust.
Although very well known in the US it is completely unknown
here - an Aussie (like me) who knows what it is only knows
about it from US sources: TV, movies, books. It's just sloppy
research & detracts from that necessary suspension of
disbelief. People outside Australia aren't likely to notice
anything but I suspect I'm not the only local reader who was
scratching his head and saying "angel dust?" I admit I'm
probably over-reacting to a minor error but it really
intruded into my consciousness.
Some folks here have similar reactions when they read
about a professional hard guy who apparently doesn't
understand how his own gun works but it doesn't worry me
because I don't know from guns, but this sort of thing is a
bit of a pet peeve of mine, like when I turn on the TV &
there's an Aussie cop show where the cops use language
obviously drawn from US cop shows. (I mean, nobody in
Australia has "hunches", let alone are there cops who proceed
on the basis of said hunches. Personally, I'm not too sure
that the "hunch" is a vital part of American police work but
no doubt Jim D. will correct me here if I'm wrong). Imagine
watching The Bill & one of the detectives starts speaking
like Sipowicz from NYPD Blue. "Being as how you were less
than forthcoming
...", etc.
(I was pleased to note no such "geoclasms", if you'll excuse
my inventing a new word, in the last Wyatt book I
read).
Rene
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