Inspector Stephen Villani, head of homicide in Melbourne, Australia, has a full agenda: a murdered woman in a penthouse apartment, three men butchered in a sadistic rampage, a tattoo-faced drug dealer corrupting his rebellious daughter, and a crumbling marriage. As these seemingly unrelated events begin to unfold, Villani finds himself immersed in an unfamiliar world of political scandal and ethical ambiguity. He must navigate the inept bureaucracy that is the police department, all the while maintaining a solid front and trying to keep the press, his family, and his own past from breaking him completely. With each twist and every turn of this taut crime novel, Villani is forced to question whom he can trust.
Peter Temple is the author of eight crime novels, five of which have won the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction. He has worked as a journalist and editor for newspapers and magazines in several countries. He lives in Victoria, Australia.
Michael Carman has worked in film, television, and theater in Australia, including the international film Nim's Island, the ABC television series MDA, and others. He has appeared with the Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth theater companies. He has performed in many ABC radio plays and narrated many books for audio.