Summary: The Midnight Promise, Zane Lovitt's debut novel, is billed not as a detective story, but as a detective's story. It's a minor grammatical change that makes for a major shift in the focus of the tale. Here there's no dramatic revelation, no car chase, forensic science, femme fatale. Instead the reader is offered a character study of a man slowly succumbing to depression, apathy, and alcoholism, worn down by his cases and his inability to maintain his independence from them. Structured as a series of ten cases connected only by the central character, it's a wonderful read. Sky chats to Zane Lovitt about the unique qualities of Australian crime fiction, the importance of a good beginning and moving from short stories to novels. Originally broadcast on 25/09/2012. The Midnight Promise is out now through Text Publishing.
