Bold, chic and tenacious, Tara Moss' daring new heroine Billy Walker leaves no stone unturned in her new Chandleresque crime novel [1] Dead Man Switch (2019). Set against the backdrop of a Sydney still reeling from the horrors of World War II, Moss deftly goes where few crime novelists have gone before, offering a keen depiction of post-war Australian society and the criminals who thrived there. In a review, award-winning writer Angela Meyer (A Superior Spectre) called the novel "immersive, well-paced, entertaining, thoughtful, [and] enjoyable" [2]. I quite agree. In particular, I found Moss' engagement with history, fashion and the crime-fiction genre invigorating to say the least. This review discusses these three topics.
In a review published on booktopia.com, editor Olivia Fricot closely inspects Billie's "particular brand of grit [...] born on the battlefields of World War Two." It was here, according to Fricot, where Billie "earned her stripes as a war reporter hunting down Nazis." Compellingly, Billie's expertise in offering objective, black-and-white reportage closely mirrors the meticulous research that went into the writing of the novel itself. At her book launch at Monash University's Clayton Campus (which I was graciously able to attend), Moss gestured towards this parallel, indicating that like Billie, she endured months of deep historical-political research in order to plan, write and edit her work, which carefully blends history with fiction. To best appreciate this, readers need look no further than the novel's geographical details: from the fast-paced streets of Sydney, brimming with well-to-do residents and daring criminals, to the sublime landscape of the Blue Mountains, a dreamy hour's drive to the West, Moss beautifully re-creates post-war Australian society right before the reader's watchful eye. Fricot too notices this aspect of the novel, commenting that it gives "both a refreshing twist on the grizzled classic crime genre and a fascinating insight into the Sydney of yesteryear."
The Canadian-Australian author uses fashion to the same effect. From the European inspired pieces adorned by Billie's wealthy mother, to the more fashion forward leather boots and négligée worn by the protagonist, Moss uses individual items of clothing as signifiers for larger historical ideas. The clash, for example, between Billie's clothes and those of her mother might be seen to reflect the growing divide between the women of the so-called "women's lib" movement and those of a more conservative bent in post-war Australian society. Additionally, she at times uses fashion to subvert expected notions of masculinity and femininity, gesturing to the modern crime writers whose attempts at shedding light on recent gender debates have not gone unnoticed. By dressing her protagonist in items that were associated with the new woman, and then quickly juxtaposing these images against those of the very orderly, blue-collared items worn by male worker, Moss shows us that Billie is part of a new, post-Beauvoirian world, a world beginning to see (and tip its hat to) the socially-constructed nature of gender (and its very performativity).
To put it simply, I adored Moss' book. Beautifully written, masterfully anchored in Australian history, and altogether quite gripping! I would recommend Dead Man Switch to anyone with an interest in women's writing, feminist litertaure, Australian history, and crime fiction.
Moss, Tara. Dead Man Switch. HarperCollins - AU, 2019.
Fricot, Olivia. "LISTEN: Tara Moss on Dead Man Switch." booktopia, October 21, 2019. https://www.booktopia.com.au/blog/2019/10/21/listen-tara-moss-on-dead-man-switch/
[1] - "In the style of Raymond Chandler, typically using lyrical (and frequently exaggerated) similes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Chandler
[2] - To be found on the blurb of most physical copies of the book.