David Whish-Wilson was born in Newcastle, NSW, but grew up in Singapore, Victoria and WA. He left Australia aged eighteen to live for a decade in Europe, Africa and Asia, where he worked as a barman, actor, street seller, petty criminal, labourer, exterminator, factory worker, gardener, clerk, travel agent, teacher and drug-trial guinea pig. His first crime novel, Line of Sight, was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award, and his most recent book, Perth, part of the NewSouth Books city series, was shortlisted for a WA Premier's Book Award. He lives in Fremantle and coordinates the creative writing program at Curtin University.

It's the early 1980s: the heady days of excess, dirty secrets and personal favours. Former detective Frank Swann is still in disgrace, working as a low-rent PI. But when he's offered a security job by the premier's fixer, it soon becomes clear that someone is bugging the premier's phone ? and it may cost Swann more than his job to find out why.