Early take on Aussie Terrorism
Paperback, 482 pages, Published July 26th 2017 by Allen & Unwin
Sydney, 1972 two bombs are detonated in the CBD targeting Yugoslavian business owners. Anna Rosen, an ABC journalist, has been investigating alleged war criminals harbouring in Australia who are members of the Ustasha movement is certain that they are responsible for these recent attacks.
Complicating matters for Anna is that her former lover, Marin Katich who disappeared two years ago maybe caught up in the workings of the Ustasha due to his father’s involvement. Anna is working under two motives one to discover the story about the Ustasha and the other to discover why Marin left her.
Woven through this narrative is the Australian political climate at the time, with the power shift to the recently elected Labor (Socialist style) Government flexing its muscles after many years of the Liberal Party (Conservative) rule. The Attorney General, Lionel Murphy is raging against the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) as he tries to discover if they have been assisting members of the Ustasha movement. Coupled with the impending arrival of the Yugoslavia President and the possibility of an assassination attempt everyone is on tenterhooks.
Tony Jones is an Australian journalist who has made the crossover to novelist. For a first effort Jones has pulled together an engaging thriller that moves along at a cracking pace. He has been able to combine historical and fiction to give the reader a story that has impressed by the depth of the conspiracy.
Anna is touted as the main character and driving force behind the story. I am not sure that she actually achieves that objective. This is mainly because towards the end of the novel when Murphy confronts ASIO, she becomes a spectator. Her personal drive to succeed in the men’s world of journalism is realised by Jones with vibrancy and realism.
The character that I did struggle with was Lionel Murphy as Attorney General. At one stage I thought he was about to rip his short open and reveal his Superman outfit as he battled the tyranny of ASIO. I know that the real Murphy was a larger than life character and did achieve real reform in the portfolio including establishment of the Family Law Court and no-fault divorce. Towards the end of the novel Murphy’s character almost takes over with Anna watching the chaos unfold.
There were some characters mentioned that while cheeky, did not really drive the story along. Especially the guy who used to pain the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
There are clever descriptions that capture the essence of the new Whitlam Government at the time for example ‘Freshly sworn-in ministers patrolled the space with their staff like schools of fish in a new tank.’ Jones also provides some insight into the minds of those who want to disturb the peace ‘They are waiting for us to forget. Forgetting is what makes possible their resurrection.’ It is relevant then and it is relevant today that organisations often go underground, waiting to rise again to bring about their agenda.
This is a great Australian political thriller and you are kept turning the pages as you try to unravel the complexities of who is betraying who and for what reason. Jones has been brave is taking a historical event and weaving in a fictional ‘what if’ situation. To his credit, it works and works well.
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