Still

Book Review: Still by Matt Nable

Professional rugby league player, actor, scriptwriter, director, and the man who gets me excited about boxing bouts: Is there anything Matt Nable can’t do? I wondered when I learnt he’s also managed to get four books published. Still, his latest, is also proving to be his most popular and I snatched up a copy via NetGalley, eager to find out how his writing compares to his other career achievements.

It’s 1963 and Ned Potter is a senior constable in the local police force of Darwin. One day Ned stumbles across a body in a swamp and soon he’s embroiled in a mystery which threatens not only his job but his and his family’s lives.

If I had to describe Still, I’d call it atmospheric. Nable’s writing does not rely on a fast paced plot but, instead, his prose drags the reader into far north Australia which exudes a sense of a humid and remote society where laws are bent to their limit.

Nable also manages to create quite a lot of tension. The fate of the characters simmered like a summer storm at sea and I knew when the metaphorical heavens opened up, it was all going to turn ugly.

The book is not for the faint hearted. It’s graphic and violent. There’s many themes covered including racism, domestic violence, child abuse and alcoholism. Unfortunately many of the issues Nable brings up are just as relevant today as they were in 1963.

Ned is a character with a lot of flaws. He’s pretty much an alcoholic, for starters. However, I still really liked him and, although Still is totally standalone, I would not be averse to the idea of Nable turning this into a series. Other standout characters included Ned’s brother, his father-in-law, and the local barmaid, and I can easily imagine further stories featuring them.

As I read, I couldn’t help but picture Still playing out like a movie and I would not be surprised if one of Nable’s mates decided to adapt the book for the big screen. (Funny, given that Nable was one of the stars of The Dry which was adapted from Jane Harper’s novel which Still will be compared to a lot, I’m sure.) I even cast Nable as Ned’s brother, LOL.

If I had a complaint, it would be the ending. The book is fairly long and after such a slow build up, the resolution felt rushed.

I’ll definitely be checking out Nable’s other titles and I highly recommend Still. 4 ½ out of 5

PS I just noticed the audio version is not narrated by Nable himself. Such a waste…