After a career as a trade envoy and lobbyist across Asia, author Sam Guthrie is perfectly positioned to bring the business and diplomatic ties between Australia and China to life.
The Peak kicks off with a shockingly violent act, ratcheting up the paranoia and tension from there.
Charlie is a political fixer who thinks he knows everything about his childhood best friend, ministerial hopeful Sebastian, who he manages. Their shared history with a Chinese girl they both fell in love with decades before prompted a series of falling outs, betrayals, long absences and secrets.
The Peak takes place over a tense day and a half mostly in a Parliament House meeting room, the suburban and rural streets of Canberra. We follow Charlie as he attemtps to discern the truth, not only while the security forces of Australia and China are gunning for him but after a massive cyberattack has seen transport and power in both Sydney and Melbourne grind to a halt.
At times it’s challenging to figure out who’s speaking and who the action is centred on and why it’s broken at a particular point by Sebastian’s voice on a ’90s-era cassette. Each chapter contains another mike drop revelation to the extent they become a bit of a blur.
The Peak is a propulsive and digestible read, starting off with a shockingly violent act and ratcheting up the paranoia and tension from there, effectively entwining a global political conspiracy with a tale of youthful idealism shattered by heartbreak. If you have a quiet weekend, you’ll breeze through it in just a couple of sessions.
Reviewed by Drew Turney
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sam Guthrie writes international political thrillers based on his experience working at the nexus of business, politics, and international diplomacy.
His character-driven fiction explores the human desires and frailties that shape world-altering events, drawing on an insider’s knowledge of the machinations of power, political intrigue, and the geostrategic challenges confronting the global order.
Prior to publishing his first novel, The Peak, Sam had a twenty-five-year career in international relations, serving as a trade envoy to China, an Asia Pacific corporate affairs adviser and political lobbyist, and a senior government official.
He has worked extensively across Europe, the US and Asia, and has spent close to a decade living and working in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Prague. He has a master’s degree in international relations.
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