Perverse Consequences

Australian private investigator Andrew Schlakier is hired by a mysterious government agency that wants a conviction on a ten-year-old murder case – and is willing to pay handsomely if he delivers. Broke, burnt out and binge drinking since splitting with his girlfriend, Schlakier takes on the cold case against his better judgement. He begins tracking the whereabouts of Christopher Hohl – the eldest son of one of Australia’s richest families. Questions hang over him concerning the disappearance of his wife a decade earlier, for which he is widely believed to be responsible.

But far from unearthing a man of murderous intent, Hohl’s back story reveals a family tragedy in which he was an innocent victim. Is Hohl the cold-blooded predator the media paints him as or just fodder for a vociferous press baying for blood? Schlakier seems to be the only person who believes his target is not guilty, even while evidence to the contrary continues to mount. But as Schlakier traverses the streets of Melbourne, the state and the entire continent in search of clues, each lead propels him further into jeopardy – and a step closer to the man who could put his very own life in peril.

Author's note: This work is inspired by the life of Robert Durst and the documentary, The Jinx, which chronicles it.