Ian Green

Deep inside an aging mansion in the south of France a wealthy recluse agrees to fund a campaign of civil disruption twelve thousand kilometres away. Soon after, The Earth Alliance activates in Sydney. Their goal: planetary sustainability. A cryptic message promises embarrassment for the New South Wales government during the popular Sydney Festival, and Isabella Jones, rising star of the Australian Federal Police, is assigned to the case. Derisive of what she describes as “pollie baby-sitting”, Isabella’s professional pride takes a battering when she fails to make any progress whatsoever on discovering who TEA is and what they intend. The Festival opens and, as promised, TEA announces itself to the world in style -- by hacking into the gala event of the opening night. Using the Sydney Opera House sails as a canvas for its message, TEA embarrasses the government with its demands and threats. But all is not well within TEA. Its leader realises too late that by accepting his benefactor’s money he has allowed his ideals to be corrupted. Worse, the beautiful but deadly Françoise Meunier arrives and ruthlessly takes control of the organisation’s agenda, transforming its disruptive but mostly harmless tactics into a series of terrifying acts of violence. In the days that follow, Isabella Jones, with the help of her trusted team, fights battles on multiple fronts. Our heroine makes breakthroughs on TEA but every piece of knowledge is hard-fought and comes at a price; ambitious colleagues undermine Isabella’s authority at every step; and the head of Festival security ends up high on Isabella’s list of suspects. Isabella’s character and strength are tested and more than once found wanting as she closes in on the perpetrators of a truly terrifying attack on the people of Sydney. The final scene set in the centre of Sydney’s CBD is a classic of suspense, action, courage and heroics.