S G Bryant
Fresh Air and Foul Play
Border Books, 2025
It's 1898 in fabulous Sorrento, Melbourne's holiday playground, and Inspector Harry Holloway, wife Effie and family are taking a much-anticipated summer holiday. But murder and intrigue soon unsettle their holiday plans, and Harry must forego the pleasures of the seaside when he is called back on duty.
Harry's overbearing boss, Chief Inspector Winston Marks, suspects international intrigue, but Harry is not so sure. He's investigating other possibilities, but he's struggling to make progress, and he's getting precious little help from the sleepy local constabulary. And a wall of silence seems to surround the murder victims, adding to Harry's frustrations.
Meanwhile, Effie does her best to enjoy Sorrento's cultural attractions in Harry's absence. But there too, all is not quite as it seems and Effie suspects a connection to Harry's investigation. She and her friend Lydia reckon they can help Harry crack the case.
Death in Black and White
Border Books, 2022
Death in Black and White is the second in the Harry Holloway murder mystery series, set in Melbourne in the 1890s.
High in the stand at the MCG the Holloway family settle in to watch their beloved Carlton play the mighty Collingwood Magpies. A beautiful winter’s day, their son Alfie playing happily at their feet, and always the promise of victory; for Harry and Effie, life seems very agreeable.
But death abruptly intrudes, Inspector Holloway is required to investigate, and a chain of events is set off that will send shock waves through Melbourne’s football community. A famous club is threatened with a calamitous scandal as the inquiry leads Harry into the seedy world of Melbourne’s illegal gambling culture.
Harry’s detective powers are severely tested as he confronts a desperate and formidable adversary. And as always, Effie is on hand to support her husband, with forthright and sometimes unsolicited advice.
Shortlisted, 2023 ACT Notable Book Awards
About the Author
S G Bryant grew up on a farm, a soldier settler block in the South East of South Australia. After graduating with an English Literature degree from Adelaide University, he has pursued a number of paths, including farming, managing a radio station, working in tourism, and most recently, an extended spell in the public service in Canberra.
Now retired, he is dedicating his time to a life-long interest in creative writing, and, in particular, to writing historical Australian fiction.
