4.5★s
Snake Island is the second novel by Australian teacher and author, Ben Hobson. When his old friend, Reverend William Kelly brings news of his son’s condition, Vernon Moore realises his callous attitude has been remiss. Caleb was convicted and imprisoned for domestic violence, and Vernon and his wife, Penelope cut off all contact: they couldn’t forgive him for this behaviour.

But jail time is one thing; being regularly beaten up with the tacit approval of the prison governor? That is another thing entirely. Vernon has to do something. His (perhaps rather naïve) solution is to calmly appeal to the father of the man meting out this punishment. Brendan Cahill has decided the formal punishment administered by the law is insufficient, and he will give Caleb what he really deserves for hurting his friend, Melissa.

But his father, Ernie Cahill is a hard man who has turned from sheep farming to hydroponic pot growing and who deals with some ruthless Melbourne types to sell his product. He has the local cops in his pocket and, understandably, keeps a low profile locally. That first encounter with Vernon does not go well. And from there on, things go rapidly downhill. Vernon initially has little idea what he has brought down on his family and close friends.

The plot crashes along like a train wreck, each act compounding those before it while the reader follows, enthralled, to the tragic climax. A collision with a roo, fists and boots and a cricket bat, and arson all contribute to the (not inconsiderable) toll of injuries while quite a lot of shooting sees a high body count by the final pages. This is not a gentle book.

With his evocative descriptive prose, Hobson easily captures the era and the feel of country-town Victoria. His characters are multi-faceted and believably flawed. Their dialogue is authentic. Some make poor decisions when faced with moral choices, while others display a fierce loyalty that pays a terrible dividend. Several whose actions have been governed by fear or material gain find a conscience and draw a line under their corrupt behaviour.

For all that, most are characters of some integrity who keenly feel their guilt and grief and remorse, who love their families in their own ways, even if their actions sometimes seem to belie that. The strength of this rural crime thriller is in the depth of these characters and their interactions. This is a powerful follow up from a talented author.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.