Being a fan of true crime documentaries myself, the premise for Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson held immediate appeal. Jack is the creator of a true crime docuseries and succeeds in achieving a new trial for a wrongly convicted man who is later released. When a new victim is discovered, Jack is forced to question everything. Did he help a murderer walk free?

Set in NSW, the narrative involves a winery and a vineyard and several characters with questionable backgrounds and potential motives. The documentary scene was an interesting perspective and the Australian setting and dialogue was a joy to read.

There's also some terrific character insight, like this discussion between two characters about guilt and grief.
"Bullshit. Regret. Guilt. They don't exist. What you're really feeling is grief. Whatever decision you made, whatever you think you regret, you thought you were better than that. And then, when it came to the crunch, you weren't. And you know that now." Page 41
At this point in the novel, the character in question realises that he's grieving the loss of the person he thought he was. So profound!

Don't worry though, there's plenty of lighter moments too, like this one that made me snort (no kidding):

"You fuck with one of us, you fuck with all of us. I see you snooping again, I charge you. Got that? Now - he pointed to the door - I think you have a busy day of fucking off to take care of." Page 94

What a sensational insult! I'm trying to remember this so I can use it in the future but I doubt it'll pack as much punch as it does on the page. I found out after finishing this debut novel that in addition to being Australian, the author is a twin and together with his brother they are the Stevenson Experience. They've toured their musical comedy all around Australia and at the coveted Edinburgh festival, so it's no wonder the author was able to make me chuckle while reading a crime thriller. (Jack Heath is brilliant at this!)

Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson kept me entertained throughout and I didn't pick the 'whodunnit'. The tension continues to build until the exciting denouement and I can highly recommend this for fans of Australian crime fiction. Greenlight is the first in a series to feature producer Jack Quick and the second - released in 2020 - is called Either Side of Midnight which I've added to my TBR.

Before I can get to that though, I've accepted a request from the publisher to review Benjamin Stevenson's latest book Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone which is a standalone mystery coming out at the end of this month.

All in all, I've enjoyed my introduction to Benjamin Stevenson and am looking forward to the next one. ( )

There's a something about GREENLIGHT that feels like a non-too-subtle dig at the commercialisation of true crime. There's always been a sub-set of true crime writing that's been about the crims, their exploits, personalities and too big to be believable criminal histories. Ranging from reflective and analytical in style, to tongue in cheek, many books and programs seem to have contributed to the rise of the "celebrity criminal".

It's no surprise then that the rise and rise of the true crime investigative journalist is increasingly leaking over into the crime fiction realm, with GREENLIGHT by debut Australian author Benjamin Stevenson introducing documentary maker Jack Quick doing a major TV program on the murder of Eliza Daley. Not exactly a cold case, this was supposedly solved, the owner of the property where her body was found already convicted of her murder. Starting out with the chilling final moments of Eliza's life, as the walls of the cellar she's been held in start to "bleed", GREENLIGHT then switches to the final episode of Jack Quick's TV series, and doubt being cast on the conviction of Curtis Wade for her murder. Once Wade is released, it takes the copycat murder of his defence lawyer to trigger a crisis of confidence in Quick and his return to the small winemaking region around Birravale.

Whilst there is much to be made of the true crime industry, GREENLIGHT doesn't lose track of the core crime fiction component of solving an actual crime. In this case the murder of Eliza Daley is treated as a part cold case and part possible miscarriage of justice, with Quick starting out assuming the later, and things rapidly taking on the hue of the former. The murder of Wade's defence lawyer ramps things up substantially, with the idea that Quick's program may just have allowed a killer to walk free, but it also creates a more immediate sense about the investigation - it's a current case that is in the focus now, with echoes back to the murder of Daley.

Set in a rural location, GREENLIGHT has some street cred in terms of setting and the dynamics in which the original murder took place. A predominantly wine-growing region a few hours outside Sydney, Birravale has problems. A small community, made up of original families, and blow-in's, dealing with the complications of an incoming workforce of backpackers, tourists and now, investigative journalists, Birravale daily life revolves around the pub, but the wineries bring the people and the money in.

Adding to the mix in this novel is the "hero" of the piece as a flawed individual in his own right. An accident in their teenage years has meant that his older brother is comatose, cared for by their father, the circumstances of his brother's accident aren't clear but it's obvious that there is something very traumatic happened to them both. It has triggered bulimia in Quick, a condition that's rare in males, and the source of many complications in his life and relationships. As the story of Eliza Daley's murder plays out, Quick's personal story is revealed, balancing nicely, explaining much about his behaviour, rounding out the reader's connection and understanding of both.

Playing with this cast of characters, their connections, the things that bind them and drive them apart, there's a great sense of small community, shared and private secrets, and people searching for ways forward. The plot is fairly laid out, allowing the detective readers to solve the mysteries along the way or simply ride along with Quick as he searches for the truth. Well paced out, populated by flawed but approachable characters, set in a location that doesn't feel manipulative or convenient, GREENLIGHT is about crime, greed, money, influence, bad decisions and human frailty and nastiness.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/greenlight-benjamin-stevenson-1 ( )