Red Herring

Auckland, 1951. Tensions between striking workers and the government are rising, and the waterfront has become the front line. A man is found overboard, a murder follows, and the investigation leads into a tangled web of rival union factions, hidden political motives, and the anti-communist fear sweeping the world at the time. Johnny Molloy, a private detective with a past of his own, is drawn into this murky world. Caitlin O'Carolan, an ambitious young reporter, pursues her own leads, and before long the two are piecing together a conspiracy that reaches the upper ranks of the country's establishment and puts their lives at risk.

The novel is populated by memorable characters, several of them based on real figures from New Zealand's recent past. It is the first novel by Jonothan Cullinane, a New Zealand writer.