Inspector Metau is on the prowl again
14 October 2020
KEITH JACKSON
The Case of the Great Pumpkin Heist by Philip Fitzpatrick, Amazon Books 2020, 328 pages. Kindle edition US$1.00; paperback US$7.98. 328 pages. Free downloadable copy – go to the Free Inspector Hari Metau Books link in the bar on top of the PNG Attitude masthead above
NOOSA – We had to wait another year for it but Phil Fitzpatrick has produced the fifth novel in his Inspector Hari Meta series of detective stories set in Papua New Guinea.
And this one, no less than the others, offers a rattling good mystery suffused in the aura, chaos and comedy of modern day Papua New Guinea as well as exploring many of the challenging issues that face the country.
It is a novel that gifts the reader high octane entertainment with lashings of valuable insight thrown in as a bonus.
In The Case of the Great Pumpkin Heist we are reacquainted with a now retired Police Inspector Hari Metau volunteering to investigate the theft of a few pumpkins from his old friend Abraham’s market garden.
Hardened as he is in the ways of crime in PNG, Hari could never have anticipated how complicated this apparently simple case would become.
As the mystery of the pumpkin thefts unfolds, a more sinister plot develops.
As he navigates the many twists and turns involved in the evil mystery, Hari has to contend with some unintended consequences.
And if that isn’t enough to occupy his mind, Hari he and his wife are also trying to move to a new house they have built for their retirement when an old flame from the distant past reappears to thwart their plans.
Even with the help of his faithful dog, Special Constable Errol Flynn, and his old mentor, Sergeant Kasari, the road towards retirement looks rocky.
All that Hari has been left with are his legendary policeman’s instincts. Will he succeed or will all the complexities overcome him?
This is the fifth Inspector Metau novel set in Papua New Guinea, exploring life in the colourful and unique nation that is Australia’s nearest neighbour.
If you want your own Hari Metau library,
order hard copy books through these links:
The Case of the Great Pumpkin Heist, 2020
The Case of the Good Politician, 2016
That's actually my eleventh novel Simon.
I've also published five non-fiction books and seven anthologies.
Not to mention all the articles and short stories I've published since 1970.
When you get to my age you're allowed to brag now and again.
Posted by: Philip Fitzpatrick | 14 October 2020 at 05:22 PM
Congrats to Phil Fitzpatrick on writing and publishing your fifth novel. This is a grand literary achievement.
I hope one of your novels will made into a movie one day.
Posted by: Simon Davidson | 14 October 2020 at 03:51 PM