Good Money
By J.M. Green
GOOD Money’s protagonist is Stella Hardy, a middle-aged social worker partial to a bit of cynicism and whisky.
Good Money sees Stella start with her sensibly shod feet firmly in the grim reality of Melbourne’s underbelly.
A teenager moonlighting as a neighbourhood ice dealer is murdered in a western suburbs alleyway; Stella is called to be with his family on the night of the murder.
From this, a chance discovery and a shameful secret catapult Stella into a complex web of corporate corruption, kidnapping, gangsters, state politics, suburban meth labs, dodgy police and more murders. Melbourne’s streets, suburbs and cultural quirks feature prominently as Stella attempts to put together the pieces of this intricate puzzle.
While the tangled network of criminal connections does feel a little tenuous at times, it is worth remembering that when it comes to Melbourne’s real criminal history, stranger things have happened.
Good Money is the debut novel of Melbourne crime writer J.M. Green. Green writes with a dry humour and wit that is enjoyable and more importantly, relatable. Stella has the same flaws as all of us; she has made mistakes that she regrets. She wants to do the right thing, but she is just a bit over it all. The undercurrent of casual racism and sexism demonstrated by some characters is, unfortunately, also all too believable.
The novel progresses at a cracking pace and readers will have no time to be bored.
An enjoyable read – I look forward to the next instalment of Stella’s adventures, Too Easy, which is currently in progress.
– Jade Lawton
