Truth (novel)
Encyclopedia
Truth is an award-winning 2009 crime fiction
novel written by Peter Temple
. The novel is a sequel
to Temple's 2005 novel The Broken Shore
, and won the Miles Franklin Award
in 2010.
The book is set around the time of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. Temple was in the process of writing the book, set during a hot bushfire-prone season, when the fires occurred. The disaster almost stopped him continuing, saying "I wasn't quite sure how to cope with that. I wasn't sure what kind of book I would write."
homicide squad. Already under a cloud over the deaths of two Aboriginal boys during a botched police operation, and a series of unsolved cases, Villani finds the certainties of his life crumbling after the discovery of a murdered woman in an exclusive apartment block.
for crime fiction, however Temple withdrew the novel from contention, saying that he wished to "clear some small space for the many talented crime writers who haven't won a Ned or been shortlisted", having won five "Neds" since his debut novel
Bad Debts in 1997.
In 2009, Truth was one of six novels shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
, a prestigious Australian literary prize. On 21 June 2010, it was announced that it had won the prize, becoming the first crime genre novel to be nominated and to win the award. The Miles Franklin judges described Truth as "a stunning novel about contemporary Australian life, written with all the ambiguity and moral sophistication of the most memorable literature".
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
novel written by Peter Temple
Peter Temple
Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...
. The novel is a sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Temple's 2005 novel The Broken Shore
The Broken Shore
The Broken Shore is a Duncan Lawrie Dagger award winning novel by Australian author Peter Temple.-Plot Summary:The novel's central character is Joe Cashin, a Melbourne homicide detective. Following serious physical injuries he is posted to his hometown where he begins the process of rebuilding...
, and won the Miles Franklin Award
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
in 2010.
The book is set around the time of the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria. Temple was in the process of writing the book, set during a hot bushfire-prone season, when the fires occurred. The disaster almost stopped him continuing, saying "I wasn't quite sure how to cope with that. I wasn't sure what kind of book I would write."
Plot synopsis
Truths central character is Inspector Stephen Villani (who had appeared in The Broken Shore but not as a major character), acting head of the Victoria PoliceVictoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
homicide squad. Already under a cloud over the deaths of two Aboriginal boys during a botched police operation, and a series of unsolved cases, Villani finds the certainties of his life crumbling after the discovery of a murdered woman in an exclusive apartment block.
Awards
Truth was nominated for a Ned Kelly AwardNed Kelly Awards
The Ned Kelly Awards are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction and true crime genres...
for crime fiction, however Temple withdrew the novel from contention, saying that he wished to "clear some small space for the many talented crime writers who haven't won a Ned or been shortlisted", having won five "Neds" since his debut novel
Debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel an author publishes. Debut novels are the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to publish in the future...
Bad Debts in 1997.
In 2009, Truth was one of six novels shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
, a prestigious Australian literary prize. On 21 June 2010, it was announced that it had won the prize, becoming the first crime genre novel to be nominated and to win the award. The Miles Franklin judges described Truth as "a stunning novel about contemporary Australian life, written with all the ambiguity and moral sophistication of the most memorable literature".
External links
- Truth (Text Publishing)