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Detective-Sergeant Eddie Martin, nursing a cappuccino, is getting the lowdown on this Brett Sody character from the squad's number one; Detective Pete Young, who's nursing an organic chai latte with almond milk, extra turmeric and extra ginger. As usual, the lad's been thorough. He takes a big sip of the chai and gets his notebook out.
DS: 'So, Pete. This Brett Sody, what's the story with him? What'd you find out?'
DP: 'Righto; B.S. was born in St. Kilda, Melbourne, 1958. Family moved to Adelaide when he was 14. Been there ever since'
DS: 'Got a record?'
DP: 'Put out a few as a member of 'The Love Mussels'
DS: 'Police record, Pete'
DP: 'Zip'
DS: 'Right, so he's one of these muso types'
DP: 'Played in a lot of bands'
DS: 'What's he do for a crust, this Sody character?'
DP: 'Got his own recording studio'
DS: 'That a fact? What's it called?'
DP: 'SodyPop'
DS: 'Isn't that an Asian soft drink?'
DP: 'He had the name first'
DS: 'Anything else?'
DP: 'Won Most Outstanding Studio Engineer at the 2000 S.A. Music Industry awards'
DS: 'Yeah, okay, big deal. What else?'
DP: 'Inducted, 2016, into the S.A. Music Hall of Fame'
DS: 'What for, Pete?'
DP: '25 years of unquestionable musical excellence'
DS: 'Okay not bad, that it? What about writing?'
DP: 'Wrote and produced A Journey Through the Past'
DS: 'Bullshit, that's Neil Young, everybody knows that'
DP: 'Not the Neil Young album, this was a stage play. Based on Neil & Me, by Scott Young'
DS: 'Never heard of him'
DP: 'Neil's dad'
DS: 'Oh yeah, how'd it go?
DP: 'Not bad, put on four sell-out shows; 2012 and 2013, Adelaide Fringe'
DS: 'That it now?'
DP: 'Wrote the screenplay for 'Home', an 18 minute short film'
DS: 'I'm beside myself'
DP: 'Won an Award of Excellence at the 2014 Canada International Film festival in Vancouver'
DS: 'Big deal. So, what's he done since?'
DP: 'Written a trilogy of detective novels and a collection of short stories'
DS: 'Oh Jesus, not another writer'
DP: 'Afraid so, yeah, yet another one'
DS: 'Tragic. All right then, go on, what are they called?'
DP: 'The Complete Dirty Works'
DS: 'The Dirty Works? You in it?'
DP: 'Among others'
DS: 'Titles?'
DP: 'Dirty Work, More Dirty Work, and Dirty Work Revisited'
DS: 'I know I'll regret asking, but what are they about, Pete?'
DP: 'Shall I read you his spiel?'
DS: 'Go on, humour me'
DP: 'An on-going satire about the struggle to get by, whatever you might be'
DS: 'Spare me. Spoofs, are they?'
DP: 'Sort of'
DS: 'And the short story collection? What's he calling that one?'
DP: 'Revista. Subtitled "Ten Strange Tales"
DS: 'Naturally. So, Pete, what's your take on this Brett Sody bloke?'
DP: 'I say we leave him alone for a bit, see how it pans out'
DS: 'Good plan, Pete. He got a website?'
DP: www.brettsody.com