This novel is set on the Gold Coast when Joh Bjelke-Petersen was Premier, and Russ Hinze was Police Minister before the days of the Fitzgerald Inquiry into police corruption in Queensland.

Into this background of corruption, violence, prostitution, and violent crime our three characters find themselves embroiled in the construction of Fantasyland.

Detective Bruno Karras (one of the few uncorrupted police officers) finds himself in Missing Persons, a dead-end job until he receives a photo of a blood-stained house that he begins to investigate. Amy Owens, whose father is dying but who is one of the movers and shakers on the Gold Coast, finds herself tied to Colleen who runs a prostitution/drugs racket, as her own private detective and receives orders to investigate a crooked cop who has some missing files.

Our third character, Mike Nichols, works for the Country Party (who were in government at the time) and is seconded to work for God (the police minister). Mike’s job is to get Fantasyland up and running. As the plot progresses, each of the characters finds themselves drawn deeper and deeper into the corruption, blackmail and drugs that surround them!

While the plot sounds exciting it takes some time firstly to understand the main protagonists and who is controlling (or trying to control) them. The conclusion, which draws the three of them together, does stretch the imagination a little. However, it is the background that keeps one interested. In particular, the Gold Coast at this time is a place set against a background of greed and underlying corruption.

Reviewed by Anthony Llewellyn-Evans

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iain Ryan grew up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. He has published three previous crime novels, and his work has been previously published by Akashic Books Online, Crime Factory, Kill Your Darlings and Seizure. He has been shortlisted twice for a Ned Kelly Award for his novels Four Days and The Student.

He lives in Melbourne.