Nice Try (Murray Whelan Thrillers) [Paperback]

Shane Maloney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2001 | Series: Murray Whelan Thrillers

When the Lords of Five Rings-the IOC-come to town to choose a site for the summer Olympic Games, you know the money will fly and the ambitions boil. Murray, advisor to the minister for Water Supply and the Arts, would just as soon steer clear of the frenzy and confront his inner beanbag on an exercise bike. But the future of the government depends on its bid, and Murray is recruited to help the cause. When a young athlete is found dead, Murray learns that murder is a contact sport. He is soon mixing it up with a wily Aboriginal activist, a body-building psychopath, a gorgeous aerobics instructor, and the enigmatic Dr. Phillipa Verstak.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the third book (after Stiff) of this wry Australian mystery series, sardonic and diffident detective Murray Whelan gets recruited to help the government win its bid to host the Summer Olympics. As a senior adviser to the minister for the department of water supply and the arts, Whelan would rather spend his time pedaling away his midlife paunch and ennui on an exercise bicycle while watching young women prance around in their seamless Lycra bodysuits than get entangled in politicking. But when Steve Radeski, a thick-necked weightlifter loaded up on ram steroids, rages through the streets of Melbourne and a promising young black triathlete turns up dead, Whelan knows he has no choice but to lace up his gumshoes. While the plot here tends to be rather formulaic, readers will be drawn to the lively cast of hilarious personalities, including a fat and dour minister of sport; a sexy, whip-smart physician battling her nicotine addiction; a vapid aerobics instructor; and a sly Aboriginal activist. Far and away the most fully realized character in this whimsical novel is Whelan himself, who makes for an irresistible narrator. Maloney renders a vulnerable and very human portrait of this unlikely hero as he struggles to quit smoking, lose weight, rejuvenate his waning sex life and reconnect with his young son, all the while trying to stop a psychopath dead in his tracks. In so doing, the author adds a fresh and immensely appealing dimension to the genre. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Murray Whelan, an Australian arts ministry adviser, tries to support government efforts to impress the Olympics site selection committee but winds up investigating the murder of a young athlete. Another welcome, witty, off-the-wall, and devil-may-care adventure for Murray (Stiff).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559706007
• ISBN-13: 978-1559706001
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,502,079 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He knew it all along, May 30, 2000

By 

lvkleydorff - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nice Try: A Murray Whelan Mystery (Murray Whelan Thrillers) (Hardcover)

Today - Memorial Day 2000 - the New York Times headlined a story about a massive protest by the Aborigines in Sidney. They feel left out of the cultural doings at the upcoming Summer Olympics. In his book, Mr.Maloney's protagonist Murray Wheelan tries to nail down Melbourne's bid for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Guess what the problem is? The aborigines feel neglected and protest. This being fiction, things get quite involved, of course, with murder, mayhem and a family confusion right out of Gilbert and Sullivan. We have a passel of Aussie crackpots, and the author's humor makes you laugh out loud. Ignore the mystery part - just enjoy the incredible humor.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars So Near Yet So Far Away, May 8, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nice Try: A Murray Whelan Mystery (Murray Whelan Thrillers) (Hardcover)

A word of warning to non-Australian readers, although written in English, the Australian vernacular in this book is used often and with wild abandon. Before reading the book, it would be wise to brush up on your Aussie slang, lest you get left behind. A quick test is provided at the end of this review to see if you're up to it.

In case you want to brave it without fortifying yourself with the lingo, err...language, here's a rundown as to what the book's about. Fair dinkum!

It's 1990 and the city of Melbourne is making a bid for the 1996 Olympic Games, and things are looking very promising. As far as the Bid Committee is concerned, they're a shoo-in, with only one possible cloud on the horizon. They want to ensure that the aboriginal people are on board when the IOC delegates hit town. So Murray Whelan is enlisted to keep things quiet on the aboriginal front. A simple job as far as he's concerned, it should be money for jam and then back to his job as advisor to the Minister for Water Supply.

And so it was until a young aboriginal athlete is bashed to death, and pretty soon, the whole bid starts to become jeopardised. As fast as Murray tries to fix the problems, the more they seem to crop up with the problems becoming more outlandish and, at times, amusing.

As we all know, the Melbourne bid for the 1996 Olympic Games failed and this is a humorous suggestion as to a contributing factor to it's failure.

Oh yes, and here's my test to see how hard or easy it will be to understand the language: "Take a squiz at this book, she's a real corker, fair dinkum. You'd be a real drongo to miss it and probably about as popular as a blowie at a barbie .So garn, give it a burl."

5.0 out of 5 stars What a HAPPY ACCIDENT!, July 17, 2008

By 

Carol (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nice Try: A Murray Whelan Mystery (Murray Whelan Thrillers) (Hardcover)

I came up with 'Nice Try' without knowing that I was looking for it: I found a copy at a yard sale. Needless to say I was "hooked" on Shane Maloney, and set out to get all of his books, which I did. My only regret is that I have read them all. All I have to look forward to now is another Maloney book, or old age and a bad memory so I can reread them!! The Aussie government is a bit different from ours in the USA, but it's not hard to catch on. The political manipulations and greed are easily identifiable there, too. You can't go wrong with a Murray Whelan mystery!!!