Ordinary Gods and Monsters (Chris Womersely, Macmillan)

For 17-year-old Nick Wheatley and his long-time best friend and next-door neighbour, Marion Perry, school has finished for good, adulthood beckons and their lives are nudging them in different directions. When Marion’s father is killed in a hit-and-run accident, a seance and a slew of other strange and coincidental events lead Nick and Marion to suspect that Mr Perry’s death was no accident at all. Together they set out on their bicycles to find who the killer is. Their investigations lead them along a suburban trail of bikie gang members, drug dealers and an array of suspicious characters. Award-winning author Chris Womersely consistently hits the mark with Ordinary Gods and Monsters: a tender coming-of-age story that perfectly conveys the liminal space occupied by those on the cusp of adulthood—and all the teenage hormonal angst and confusion that comes with it—as well as an expertly crafted edge-of-your-seat crime novel. He captures Melbourne in the 1980s through a nostalgic lens, and much will feel familiar to readers who came of age then. Ordinary Gods and Monsters is infused with Womersely’s inherent gothic sensibilities and is a cracker of a read. It will likely appeal to readers who crave a well-written, page-turning mystery. Fans of Donna Tartt’s books might also enjoy this, as would anyone who loved Jasper Jones.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Deborah Crabtree is a Melbourne-based writer and bookseller. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews