The Disappearances of Madalena Grimaldi: A Claudia Valentine Mystery

The title of the 4th Claudia Valentine mystery does a good job of describing a large part of the plot. The Disappearances of Madalena Grimaldi finds Claudia hard at work on a missing person case during one of Sydney's hottest and most brutal summers in living memory. Claudia Valentine is a private investigator living and working in Sydney, Australia. She's tough, quick-witted and independent and has been a very enjoyable protagonist to get to know over the previous 3 books. The person Claudia is hired to find is a 15 year old schoolgirl named Madalena Grimaldi who, it appears, has run away from home after a disagreement with her father. Not as straightforward as it first sounds, she was staying with some friends in a share house for a while before she disappeared a second time. It's the second disappearance that is cause for concern. Who is she hiding from? What made her run again? Where would she hide? Or was there an even more sinister reason for her to vanish? From Lugarno in Sydney's south all the way in to Kings Cross in the dingy heart of the city and even under Sydney's streets, Claudia covers an awful lot of territory in her search for Madalena. But she finds her focus distracted by some unexpected news. The subplot that runs parallel to the main case is an issue that has been present on the periphery of Claudia's thoughts through each of the previous 3 books. The question of what became of her father after he walked out on her and her mother when Claudia was 5 years old has been constantly nagging at her. By all reports he had become one of Sydney's many homeless deros living rough on the streets. Finally, it looks as though she may have a chance at finding out what really became of him. Set during the Sydney bushfires of January 1994, Marele Day uses the backdrop of a hot, dry city constantly shrouded in smoke and ringed by bushfires to help create the atmosphere of a grim, desolate landscape in which Claudia had to work. Her feelings of desperation during both her personal and professional searches confirm this background very effectively. Consequently, compared to the earlier books in the series, the mood here is a little more subdued. I had the impression that Claudia was playing for higher stakes, particularly seeing as one half of her investigation was very personal for her. There are still traces of the wry humour that endeared us to her in the earlier books, it's just tinged with a more sober realisation that failure will have a profound emotional effect on her. Through her desperate search we get an even more complete picture of Claudia Valentine, revealing her weaknesses and fears whereas in the past we only really ever encountered her strengths. This is a typical private investigator story with the usual methods of scouring the streets for clues, discreet surveillance jobs and the over-consumption of alcohol by the protagonist taking place. But then a plunge into some of Sydney's more unsavoury sections plus a flir

This book was required for my Literature class and I was pleasantly suprised. I was initially expecting something boring, that would be painful to study, but it was actually a very good and interesting read. Being from Australia myself some of the colloqiualisms were very great, yet could be missed by someone who does not understand the Australian culture. The storyline was great and the characters were very realistic and the imagery used was also very accurate of the places described. The use of stylistic devices was subtle and created a great feeling in the novel. Claudia Valentine wasn't your avergae female P.I., but a standout amongst the best. She used her wits and great abilities to solve her cases, one very dear to her heart. The Disappearances of Madalena Grimaldi was a great novel and I would reccommend this for anyone who wants to be intelligently entertained. Great work by Marele Day.

This is an excellent Australian crime novel.The sub-plot concerning Claudia's search for her father is compelling and poignant and, to me, far more interesting that the search for the missing girl, Madalena Grimaldi.This book serves to effectively de-romanticise Sydney with its depictions of the demeaning squalor and degradation faced by the homeless in that city.

Set in Sydney, Australia, it is an excellent novel for those who know Sydney. Ms Day gives a fabulous story which, unfortunately, falls a little bit flat at the last pages. Still, an excellent read which I recommend to those with time to spare.