In a city gripped by recession and shattered by violent bank robberies, three lives collide in a web of corruption, ambition, and revenge.

Detective Bruno Karras, haunted by past secrets, receives mysterious photos of a blood-stained house. Amy Owens, a reluctant investigator entangled with the underworld, digs into the dark dealings of a wealthy businessman. Mike Nichols, a backroom player with big dreams, finds himself caught in the crossfire.

As the glittering façade of the Gold Coast crumbles during the 1982 Commonwealth Games, Bruno, Amy, and Mike uncover a sinister plot that threatens to consume them all. In a world where power and deception reign supreme, they must confront their own demons while navigating a labyrinth of danger and betrayal.

PRAISE FOR THE STRIP

‘This is as hard-boiled as Australian crime fiction gets, and it’s very good.’ – Sydney Morning Herald

‘a cracking crime thriller’ –The Australian

‘tense and compelling’ – Garry Disher, author of Bitter Wash Road and Consolation

‘The Strip is an eye-popping, nightmarish miasma that sets a new bar for Australian crime. A total triumph in every respect.’ – Chris Flynn, author of Mammoth and Here Be Leviathans

‘Fast paced, gritty, sharply observed noir that goes hard into the sleaze and corruption of the moonlight state.’ – Andrew Nette, author of Orphan Road and Gunshine State

‘The Strip is bingeworthy reading – a gritty crime thriller reeking of corruption, murder and sex. If you like your heroines flawed and kick-ass and your cops dirty as hell, you’ll love Iain Ryan’s gripping foray into the underworld of the Gold Coast. Hardly took a breath from first page to last.’ – Kate Mildenhall, author of The Mother Fault and The Hummingbird Effect

‘Page-turning from the start, this book ratchets up the tension tenfold as the pieces fall into place and the novel reaches its thrilling pinnacle.’ – Books + Publishing

‘The real-life history of vice and corruption on the Gold Coast in the 1970s and 80s has inspired this pacy, tense work of crime fiction’ – The West Australian

Iain Ryan grew up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. He has written numerous crime novels, and his work has been 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. In 2023 he published The Strip, the first of a planned quartet of novels set in the 1980s in Queensland. His latest novel is The Dream. He lives in Melbourne.