Steve Lewis

Chris Uhlmann

Shadow Game

Second novel in the series that brought you Chinese spies, American bluster, and the deadly dance of Australian politics, long before there was fake news. Inspiration behind the major TV series SECRET CITY. A body pulled from the murky waters of Lake Burley Griffin links Canberra, Beijing and Washington in a titanic struggle where war is just a mouse click away. Veteran reporter Harry Dunkley is chasing the scoop of his career, hunting for his best friend's killer. Navigating treacherous political waters where a desperate minority government edges ever closer to disaster, he delves into a cyber world where there are no secrets. Friendship and loyalty give way to betrayal and revenge as Dunkley stumbles into the sights of the mandarins who wield real power - and who'll stop at nothing to retain it. Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insights to this sharply observed novel about growing Chinese influence, waning American power, and Australia's inevitable - and deadly - pursuit of a trade deal, in this sequel to the bestselling THE MARMALADE FILES. 'A cracking read' Tony Abbott 'There is an eerie ring of reality' Daily Telegraph 'This is fiction, but truth lurks behind every corner of it' Canberra Times 'A ripsnorter of a political thriller that'll leave you thinking, I wonder if ... Highly recommended' Good Reading 'Intelligent, rollicking entertainment' Weekend Australian

Negotiating Chinese ambitions and American loyalties turns deadly for some

The Mandarin Code

The novels that flushed out on Chinese spies, American disorder, and the deadly dance of Australian politics, long before there was fake news. Tie-in to the six-part Foxtel political thriller based on THE MARMALADE FILES and THE MANDARIN CODE Two books in one: THE MARMALADE FILES When seasoned newshound Harry Dunkley is slipped a compromising photograph one frosty Canberra dawn, he knows he's onto something big. In pursuit of the scoop, Dunkley must negotiate the deadly corridors of power where the minority Toohey Government hangs by a thread -- its stricken Foreign Minister on life support, her heart maintained by a single drive: revenge. And all about rabid Opposition senators, union thugs and simpering TV anchors ready to pounce. From the teahouses of Beijing to the beaches of Bali, from the marbled halls of Washington to the basements of the bureaucracy, Dunkley's quest takes him ever closer to the truth -- and ever deeper into a lethal political game. THE MANDARIN CODE A body pulled from the murky waters of Lake Burley Griffin links Canberra, Beijing and Washington in a titanic struggle where war is just a mouse click away. Veteran reporter Harry Dunkley is chasing the scoop of his career, hunting for his best friend's killer. Delving into a cyber world where there are no secrets, he stumbles into the purview of the mandarins who wield real power -- and who'll stop at nothing to retain it. ‘Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insight to this sharply observed novel … House of Cards, Canberra style' Sunday Canberra Times

the books that inspired the major TV series by two of Australia's top journalists

Secret City

The three novels that inspired the acclaimed Foxtel/Netflix series condensed into one compelling thriller. When seasoned journalist Harry Dunkley is slipped a compromising photograph of a federal MP one frosty Canberra morning, he knows he is onto something big. But the deeper Harry investigates, the more he realises that this photograph is merely the hint of a larger conspiracy at work, and a secret its guardians are willing to kill to protect. 'There are more spies in Canberra than anywhere else in the country' - Chris Uhlmann 'I'd always had this idea of writing a political thriller' - Steve Lewis 'Given the fact that the books are set in Canberra (the capital of Australia), the novels' authors definitely have some solid background in the city's political workings' - Bustle.com 'Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insight to this sharply observed novel ... House of Cards, Canberra style' Sunday Canberra Times

The Capital Files

The book behind the major TV series - Secret City - screening on Netflix and Fox. A sticky scandal. A political jam. A prescient tale of creeping Chinese influence, stuttering US strategy and shaky Australian loyalty, by two veteran Canberra insiders. *the Marmalade Files are documents that allegedly exist within the bowels of Foreign Affairs & trade that have been around for a half century. When seasoned newshound Harry Dunkley is slipped a compromising photograph one frosty Canberra dawn he knows he's onto something big. In pursuit of the scoop, Dunkley must negotiate the deadly corridors of power where the minority toohey Government hangs by a thread - its stricken Foreign Minister on life support, her heart maintained by a single thought. Revenge. Rabid Rottweilers prowl in the guise of Opposition senators, union thugs wage class warfare, tV anchors simper and fawn ... and loyalty and decency have long since given way to compromise and treachery. From the teahouses of Beijing to the beaches of Bali, from the marbled halls of Washington to the basements of the bureaucracy, Dunkley's quest takes him ever closer to the truth - and ever deeper into a lethal political game. Award-winning journalists Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann combine forces in this arresting novel that proves fiction is stranger than fact. Praise for The Marmalade Files: 'A banquet of bastardry' Daily Telegraph '[A] cynical, opinionated, lively gallop through the landscape of contemporary Australian politics' Sydney Morning Herald 'Lewis and Uhlmann use the familiar circus of malevolence and blunted expectations to draw the reader into the bigger story of Australia and its place on the perilously shifting ground between China and the US' Weekend Australian 'A rollicking good story' Good Reading

The Marmalade Files

The fast-paced deadly conclusion to the Secret City trilogy. 'Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insight to this sharply observed novel ... House of Cards, Canberra style' Sunday Canberra Times Once feared newshound Harry Dunkley has fallen, disgraced and dispirited at having failed to reveal the existence of the cabal of mandarins pulling the strings of power in Canberra. But new purpose is in the air. Dunkley receives aid from an unlikely band of adversaries, and as the Australian government teeters between fear and greed -- wanting US security and Chinese cash -- he looks at his enemies afresh. Resurrected Labor powerhouse Catriona Bailey and the hitherto untouchable Defence chief, Sir Jack Webster, leader of the sinister cabal, have played Dunkley at every turn. Yet there is a chink in Webster that might just bring him -- and Bailey --down. 'Lewis and Uhlmann's mischeivous use of contemporary political decisions flirts with the possibilities of a roman-a-clef ... THE SHADOW GAME is a welcome addition to the ranks of fictional representations of life in our capital ... it's a book that deserves to be enjoyed by many' Ed Wright, The Australian 'Spies, sex, vengeance, politics, intrigue ... what more could you want from a book?' Canberra Times 'It reads like an episode of House of Cards or Borgen, however the third book in the Secret City series hits much closer to home ... showcasing Canberra and its politicians at their most evil, corrupt and weak ... an engaging and thought-provoking political thriller.' Law Society Journal

Chris Uhlmann

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