Washed Up - Bromo Perkins crime fiction, #2

WASHED UP – a Bromo Perkins investigation

The police decide it is merely another sad case of suicide when an early morning jogger finds the body of beautiful young student Melissa O'Grady tangled in river weeds.

Not so, says Liz Shapcott, Melissa's mentor and architect friend of disgraced British secret service agent Bromo Perkins.

It's murder, she tells Bromo. She prevails upon him to unravel what led to Melissa's death and unmask those responsible.  She reveals the student had been gathering evidence for a thesis on migrant women being forced to work in the city's brothels.

Bromo and Liz are lured along an increasingly murky trail through the underbelly of Richmond, a cosmopolitan suburb of Melbourne still emerging from its reputation as the violence-riddled haunt of crooks, standover men and killers.

They encounter threatening letters, a firebomb lobbed into a brothel, the bashing of a street kid and the abduction of Melissa's two flat-mates. Lives spiral out of control as they battle corruption at city hall, a devious estate agent and a rogue cop.

Is there anyone they can trust?

A hit squad kidnaps Bromo and drives him into the depths of the state forest ready for execution. Only a park ranger and his bipolar wife have a chance of rescuing him and helping him catch those responsible for Melissa's murder.

A cliffhanger climax awaits.