{"product_id":"homicide-on-hydra-george-johnstons-crime-novels-paperback","title":"Homicide on Hydra: George Johnston's Crime Novels - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDes Cowley\u003c\/b\u003e (Preface by), \u003cb\u003eSusan Millard\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by), \u003cb\u003eIan Morrison\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eHomicide in Hydra: George Johnston Crime Novels\u003c\/i\u003e is about the 'forgotten' five crime novels written by the Australian novelist George Johnston (perhaps not Australia's Hemingway but an author held in very high regard nevertheless), which he wrote under the pseudonym 'Shane Martin, ' while living on Hydra in Greece between 1957 and 1962. While they are all out-of-print, they are well-written, entertaining crime novels which, surprisingly, are almost as autobiographical as his greatest book, \u003ci\u003eMy Brother Jack\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003eIn 1951, the acclaimed two-time Miles Franklin Prize-winning Australian author, George Johnston (1912-1970), together with his wife, the Australian author Charmian Clift (1923-1969), their son Martin (1947-1990), and their daughter Shane (1949-1973) moved from Australia to England; then, in 1954, they moved to Greece. They lived on Kalymnos for about a year before settling on Hydra, where the Johnstons' third child, Jason was born in 1956. They returned to Australia in 1964.\u003cbr\u003eJohnston wrote many books while living on Hydra, including five crime novels under the pseudonym Shane Marin, featuring the diminutive, sixty-something, American archaeologist and amateur sleuth Professor Ronald Challis who lives in England and does his fieldwork in Greece; as well as Johnston's break-through autobiographical novel, \u003ci\u003eMy Brother Jack\u003c\/i\u003e (1964), which many argue is 'the great Australian novel' - at least of the second half of the twentieth century. Johnston's Professor Challis series of books consists of \u003ci\u003eTwelve Girls in the Garden\u003c\/i\u003e (1957), \u003ci\u003eThe Saracen Shadow\u003c\/i\u003e (1957), \u003ci\u003eThe Man Made of Tin\u003c\/i\u003e (1958), \u003ci\u003eThe Myth is Murder\u003c\/i\u003e (1959, titled \u003ci\u003eThe Third Statue\u003c\/i\u003e in the USA), and \u003ci\u003eA Wake for Mourning\u003c\/i\u003e (1962, titled \u003ci\u003eMourners' Voyage\u003c\/i\u003e in the USA). As Australian mid-twentieth century crime fiction goes, Johnston's seven crime novels are very good and certainly deserve an audience. However, like much of what he wrote prior to the publication of \u003ci\u003eMy Brother Jack\u003c\/i\u003e, they have been largely forgotten. Therefore, \u003ci\u003eHomicide in Hydra: George Johnston's Crime Novels\u003c\/i\u003e examines the Professor Challis series in depth for the first time\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.64 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 20, 2023\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52701912727859,"sku":"9781941892701","price":32.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/gEKzHgpX_m9781941892701.webp?v=1763283341","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/homicide-on-hydra-george-johnstons-crime-novels-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}