Humorous back-stage banter and telling remarks about opera are abruptly interrupted by particulars of a shocking murder in Australian author Garrison Jones’ latest thriller, AUSTRALIA’S SON: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN VOICE (2019, 326 pp). AUSTRALIA’S SON is set in 1902 within Sydney’s The Theatre Royal along with other nearby stages and neighborhoods. The novel focuses upon two brothers, Édouard (“Eddie”) and Theodore (“Theo”) Marais, who change their last name to Murray to help put behind them their past childhood lives. Growing up in poverty, having no father in their home and watching their mother physically wither away, bounced from place to place including foreign lands, and seeing six of their siblings die premature deaths, the two brothers have had only each other to cling to for support. As adults, Theo becomes a success as a singer and stage entertainer, but it is Eddie who reaches the greatest of heights as an acclaimed operatic baritone, “Australia’s Son… the Man with the Golden Voice.” All of their hard-earned success is threatened, however, when an unknown person kills and defiles the body of Eddie’s dresser and sometimes on-stage replacement for curtain calls, Howard Talbot, apparently mistaken for Eddie in a backstage dressing room—a murder committed for completely inexplicable reasons to the two brothers and the police investigators.
Written with immense expertise, AUSTRALIA’S SON offers readers a multitude of delights. The murder mystery, with Eddie as the first-person narrator, itself is totally riveting. Jones never allows the suspense of the novel to lag as the body count begins to rise and with each revelation leading to more questions than answers.
Having sung on major stages “as a professional opera singer, performing as a soloist in opera houses and in concert halls all over the world” for thirty years, Jones adds a wealth of real-life knowledge about the opera world in AUSTRALIA’S SON. Ranging from information about a variety of roles and operas to the numerous backstage operations necessary to put on an opera which most in the audience never see, and to rehearsals, vocal exercises, physical demands, and even personal superstitions of performers, readers are given a course in Opera 101 without it ever taking away from the story and always enhancing it. Eddie’s unabashed nonchalance regarding appearing in the nude backstage in front of others for costume fittings and changes, the undergear he needs to wear to avoid “wardrobe malfunctions” (as they have become to be known), and the sexual shenanigans of many of the performers and stagehands backstage frequently provide mirthful moments.
Another strength found in AUSTRALIA’S SON which adds to the uniqueness of the novel throughout is the dialogue. Witty, inspired repartee is repeatedly on display and helps to define and add to the appeal of the personalities of the characters—characters readers will quickly become attached to and for whom readers will care.
Given his public status and popularity Eddie Murray is quickly provided constant police protection which introduces a number of singular individuals, chief among them being Chief Constable Andrew Bolton. Described as “not only comely,” but possessing “the most disconcertingly charming personality,” Andrew, like Herman Melville’s handsome Billy Budd, has but one minor imperfection which makes Andrew even more appealing to Eddie. As Theo explains, Eddie has never had a good track record with men and relationships. Still, Eddie begins to see a potential “affinity of the soul” with the young officer with no initial confirmation of Andrew’s sexual orientation or interest. Jones’ introduction of potential romance to AUSTRALIA’S SON is tenderly and realistically done as well as deeply moving, especially considering the times in which the novel is set.
Many American readers are likely to want to keep access to Google nearby to look up some of the lesser known Australian terms, phrases (and curse words) utilized in the text. Although readers are likely to be able to decipher the meanings of many of the unfamiliar words in context, part of the fun of reading AUSTRALIA’S SON is being sure of the exact connotation of the slang and colloquialisms which Jones occasionally employs, especially since the vernacular adds to the characters’ veracity as well as the keen Australian flavor Jones brings to his work.
As Eddie, Theo, Andrew, and the Sydney police force move closer to knowing the identity of the murderer who threatens Eddie’s life and the reason for the intimidation and violence, the tension Jones’ story reaches is nearly unendurable as the game of cat-and-mouse between the murderer and Eddie as well as events and action in the novel escalate to fever pitch. Additionally, as readers near the conclusion of AUSTRALIA’S SON, Jones provides an unexpected and perfectly plausible plot twist.
For a person who did not take up writing until he retired from a thirty-year career on the stage, AUSTRALIA’S SON is a stunning work of confidence and accomplishment. Clearly, Garrick Jones is a man capable of growing, limitless, genuine artistry and creativity regardless of his chosen artistic outlet. For readers who enjoy a mesmerizing, character-driven mystery-thriller with a multitude of riches, they need look no further than to AUSTRALIA’S SON: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN VOICE.
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