By Peter C Byrnes.
Book Synopsis
This is the 40th Instalment in the series on the life and career of Murder Squad DetectiveJoseph Lind. His long-term partner Detective Shelley Anne Shields, due to a confrontation with a fleeing felon, has not been able to carry out her normal duties and has been ordered home on Sick Leave.
Joseph is now paired with the young and enthusiastic Detective Grade 1 Sasha Blayney who had been mentored by Lind and Shields at an earlier time.
Lind and Blayney are relieved of two murder investigations in a row much to the chagrin of their Boss, DI Clive Butler. The cases involved multiple deaths of illegal immigrants. People who have out-stayed their Temporary Visas of certain classes and been used as nothing short of slave labour. A situation that exists in this day and age and in a country such as Australia!
The cases are taken over by the AFP and Border Protection and Customs.
Detective Lind is sequestered to a Special Operations Unit as the Team Leader investigating the shooting homicides of a sitting Criminal Court Judge, a high-standing Criminal Lawyer of some repute and a man thought to be one of the ‘Godfathers’ of Australia’s Mafia.
While Lind has misgivings on the move, there are others who see it for what it is, a feather in his cap and an indication that the Hierarchy are optimistic concerning the Detective’s abilities as a number one Detective able to bring the case to a successful conclusion.
The political pressures and ramifications for a successful completion have Lind in two minds about accepting the role, but he plainly is told that filling the position is an order, not a choice. He relocates to the AFP Headquarters in Redfern a little concerned that he may be but a pawn being used in a higher game of chess.
