August 6, 2024
When reading author and screenwriter Christian White’s fourth novel, The Ledge, it’s worth remembering the adage: ‘When you assume, you make an ass of u and me.’ As a seasoned crime reader and long-time fan of White’s storytelling (both on the page and on the screen), I thought I might be able to anticipate the plot twists and sniff out the red herrings, but my assumptions led me astray. Once again, White has crafted a pacy and ingenious thriller you’ll immediately want to reread. The Ledge explores male friendship over two parallel timelines. In 1999, 16-year-old Aaron runs away from home, leaving his closest friends, Justin, Chen and Leeson, baffled. Twenty-five years later, human remains are found in a nearby forest, and long-buried secrets resurface. While the present-day timeline feels less focused than that set in the past—characters jostle for space in the storyline, making it difficult to connect with the key players—White’s skill with character development and voice shines in the 1999 timeline, which is told through Justin’s diary. Justin is an endearing teenager who loves his friends as fiercely as he loves Stephen King novels. His experiences coming of age in a small Victorian town and his internal battle with right and wrong are expertly conveyed in diary form. It’s impossible not to enjoy the twists and turns in The Ledge, and it’s a must-read for fans of Aussie crime.