When a boarding master at an exclusive boys’ school is shot dead, it is deemed accidental. A lazy and usually drunk detective is sent to write up the report. Cardilini unexpectedly does not cooperate, as he becomes riled by the privileged arrogance of those at the school. He used to have instincts. Perhaps he should follow them now…

With no real evidence he declares the shooting a murder and puts himself on a collision course with the powerful and elite of Perth. As he peels back layers, the school’s dark secrets being to emerge. But is his dogged pursuit of justice helpful or harmful to those most affected by the man’s death?

Man at the Window is the first in the Detective Cardilini series, set in 1960s Western Australia.

 

Robert Jeffreys worked as an actor, teacher, builder, real estate agent, personal security agent and playwright of the professionally produced stage plays Cox Four, Covert, The Simple Truth and The Messenger. ABC Radio National featured his radio plays Covert (which received an AWGIE award) and Bodily Harm. He also published a poetry anthology, Frame of Mind. Robert’s first novel, Man at the Window (Book 1 in the Detective Cardilini series), was published in 2018. Robert sadly passed away in 2019, while working on the final draft of Book 2 in the series, The Final Cut. The manuscript was completed by his wife, Rosalba Jeffreys.

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‘Man at the Window, the first book in a series, is classic detective storytelling, and a novel with a moral dilemma at its heart that twists and turns all the way to its gripping conclusion. While the subject matter is dark and difficult at times, the morality at its core is handled well and with sensitivity. It’s refreshing to read a WA-based detective novel… there are moments where the prose lifts from the page and stuns. Man at the Window may appeal to Jane Harper and Garry Disher fans, and to readers who get a kick out of Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch series.’ – Books+Publishing

‘Author Robert Jeffreys has a brilliant ear for dialogue and the exchanges between the detective and all who come into his sphere, fizz and buzz with a thrilling verisimilitude, often very funny, as well as propelling the plot in page turning frenzy.’ – Sydney Arts Guide

‘The writer’s prose is clear, objective and strong. His presentation methods are downright sloppy. Chief among these is the untoward use of italic script. The expected development of the plot is not standard and, while the situations were regular enough, it was the writer’s habit of jumping all over the place that kept me on edge.’ – Queensland Reviewers Collective