The Dream (Iain Ryan, Ultimo)

Iain Ryan plunges the reader into a seedy underworld of police corruption and political scheming in his latest novel, The Dream. Set during a spiralling recession and the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, this thriller pits the aspirations of the top end of town against the power-grabbing ambition of its shady antipode. The development of a major theme park has hit a financial snag, causing the well-heeled sharks to circle, while a well-regarded magistrate and his family have gone missing. With police resources spread thin due to a series of brutal robberies, former enemies are forced to work alongside each other to try to bring order to the seemingly lawless Sunshine State. Ryan expertly draws on the character foundations established in his previous novel, The Strip, to build a compelling cast of dirty players who refuse to play by the rules. As much as the action catapults the reader through this novel, it is the exploration of the social, sexual, political and familial ties of the characters that make this story an incredible page-turner. Everybody has secrets, nobody is untainted by corruption, and even the ‘good guys’ are bad. Perfect for fans of Garry Disher, Adrian McKinty and Peter Temple, readers can dive into The Dream as a stand-alone, but reading The Strip is highly recommended, for experiencing the gritty underworld that Ryan has created.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Kate Frawley is a former bookseller and a librarian in training. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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