BLACK TEETH by Zane Lovitt, Book Review: Mind blowing
Black Teeth, Zane Lovitt’s second novel, is a must-read for those who enjoy complex crime mysteries. Read on for our full review.
Black Teeth Book Synopsis
Jason Ginaff doesn’t get out much. Partly because of the anxiety, mainly because he works at home. Researching people on the internet. Job candidates doing bucket bongs on Instagram accounts they thought they’d deleted; the prospective new head of sales stripping for a hens’ night…
He’s been searching for something on his own time, too.
Now he’s found it: the phone number of the man he believes to be his father.
Which is how he gets mixed up with Rudy Alamein. They’ve been looking for the same man.
Difference being, Rudy wants to kill him.
Black Teeth is a witty, dynamic contemporary thriller by an emerging master of the form. Beautifully written and darkly funny, it’s both a literary triumph and an irresistible read.
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime-Detective, Literature
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BOOK REVIEW
Zane Lovitt’s debut novel, the literary crime thriller The Midnight Promise was one of my Best Books of 2014, so I could not wait to dive into this much anticipated second novel from this talented Australian author.
I said this about his debut – “with the number of books I consume it takes something special to really surprise me these days, and The Midnight Promise did just that” – and he’s done it again with Black Teeth.
Truly impressive is the depth of characterisation Lovitt achieves in leading man Jason Ginaff (an expert in the use of aliases, a socially isolated chameleon). And the complexity and originality of the plot, first class. Jon Page has described this novel’s ending as ‘mind-blowing’, and I couldn’t agree more. I too found myself compulsively trawling back through the pages for the precious clues hidden in plain sight.
It’s hard to say too much about the storyline or broader ensemble cast without heading into spoiler territory, but at its core, Black Teeth is about loyalty, as Lovitt explains in a recent Text Q&A. His exploration of that theme extends from the deeply moving to the absurd.
For me though, what really sets Lovitt’s novels apart from the crowd is his writing style. In Black Teeth his use of plain and urban language is fresh and engaging and his snappy character dialogue a pleasure to read. If you find unassuming intelligence and a dark and dry sense of humour as appealing as I do, then Lovitt’s narrative voice will have you enthralled.
In Black Teeth Zane Lovitt has crafted another bona fide page-turner worthy of much rumination.
One of my best books of 2016 so far.
BOOK RATING: The Story 4.5 / 5 ; The Writing 5 / 5 — Overall 4.75
Get your copy of Black Teeth from:
Amazon Book Depository Booktopia AU
About the Author, Zane Lovitt
Zane Lovitt was a documentary filmmaker before turning his hand to crime fiction. His debut novel, The Midnight Promise, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction, and led to Zane being named one of the Best Young Novelists of 2013 by the Sydney Morning Herald. Zane Lovitt lives in Melbourne. Connect with Zane on Twitter @ZaneLovitt .
This review counts towards my participation in the 2016 Aussie Author Challenge.
* My receiving a copy of Black Teeth from the publisher for review purposes did not impact the expression of my honest opinions in the review above.
