Ghost River, by Tony Birch

 

A coming of age story set on the Yarra River.

Two boys, Ren and Sonny, are growing up on the poor side of the Yarra River. They make frequent visits to the river and discover a community of homeless men, who in a roundabout way adopt the boys. Sonny has a lot of problems at home, and is often trying to evade the authorities. Ren has a decent enough home life, but he too is trying to keep himself out of trouble. When the two boys inadvertently find themselves caught up in a local crime ring and blackmailed by its boss, there is adventure, but also great danger.

Tony Birch has the ability to write gritty, realistic novels that read like page turning thrillers. His depiction of the evil cop in Ghost River is truly frightening - an image of Australian old school masculinity at its worst. This story of desperate, hardscrabble inner city lives is balanced by beautiful descriptions of the Yarra, its environs and people. 

A novel that will surely be read for a long time to come.