Guest Blog: Ross Meurant – OUT OF THE INFERNO
Three men who grew up in the same country town find themselves at the heart of a national crisis. One a gang member. One a cop. One an MP.
An incident involving the MP, prostitutes, gangs and ultimately police intervention, sours the former friendship of the schoolmates.
A decade later, poised to deliver testimony of corruption against his former school friend the Minister of Maori Affairs, detective inspector Erwin Olsen is whisked away from a parliamentary enquiry to take charge of a terrorist attack on the Auckland Harbour Bridge – unbeknown at the time to have been committed by the other childhood mate.
Seconded onto Olsen’s squad to deal with the terrorist attack, sergeant Brenda Mathieson embraces the ruthlessness of the detective inspector, exposing a culture within the police of racism, corporate bullying and blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Within the corridors of parliament, political corruption is exposed as a Chinese conglomerate battles pressure to prevent extension of their Silk Road, to NZ.
As the tragedy of young men in gang life unfolds, Brenda, who joined the police in search of vengeance, uncovers a hidden truth. This throws light on the darkness of the police culture she has embraced and the role she is to play.
Her epiphany takes a quantum leap when she goes to the aid of an officer in line to be the first Maori Commissioner, but suspended on serious allegations.
A nation in crisis hangs in the balance.
‘In Out of the Inferno, Meurant proves there’s only one way to tell the unvarnished truth about the country he loves – write fiction.’ Christ Trotter: political commentator & editor.
Good luck with the book! Sounds interesting with the NZ set crime ‘fiction’.
Heh, still got my copy of “Red Squad Story” by Ross, my bookend so to speak, “By Batons and Barbed Wire” authored by Tom Newnham, RIP, is long gone via a recalcitrant borrower unfortunately–and hard to replace these days.
Anyway, good to see Ross still engaged, and open to different narratives from the ones he began with!
You certainly have changed Ross. But you still walk on the wild side. I’ve read the sample on your web page. This “tell all” under the guise of a novel, is likely to seriously upset some. I have bought a copy – one day you can sign it – if you don’t end up arrested for having a kilo of heroin handed to you by an agent of someone who is seriously upset.
Ross I look forward to reading your book. Based on your insightful comments in TDB I am sure it will be a great read.
I look forwarding to reading your book Ross.
Cheers
“The Celestine Prophesies”, proved, to me at least, the validity of this method of imparting essential/useful knowledge…. I’m hoping this gets the front foot push… It would also be nice if other useful information make a re-emergance as a by product…
Need I remind anyone.. Johnny still works in NZ.. He can still be got…