Scott Bainbridge is no slouch when it comes to documenting New Zealand crime. As an author this is his eighth book, but perhaps more renowned for his writing for the TVNZ series The Missing. In this piece, Bainbridge looks into one of the most elusive (and intriguing) cases in New Zealand. Robert Gardner, the central character in this tale, is able to somehow throw the FBI, Royal Canadian Mounties and Scotland Yard off his scent for two years in a swindle that took hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the packets of innocent New Zealanders.
The premise of the story alone made the book a worthy read, but as they say, it’s all in the telling. Bainbridge is a master storyteller - adding nuances of plot that even the great fiction writers fail to excel in. His development of character, setting and the plot itself is masterful, adding layers of detail and imagery that provide a rich reading experience.
It’s the 1960s, and these newly arrived swindlers have begun to take over the Auckland market with flashy advertisements offering all kinds of opportunities to those who invest. Unwittingly, many Auckland (and New Zealand) families offer their entire life savings to these people who, on the day of the launch of the new business - with the life fortunes of thousands of people - disappear. This leads to a worldwide search for these men who manage to evade arrest at nearly every turn.
Painstaking research and a thorough understanding of the concepts presented in the book make the fairly challenging aspects of grifting (also known as scamming) much more palatable to more lay people who struggle with parking ticket infringements, let alone international espionage. It is world that seems defined by chaos and extremities where money guides much of the conversation, and people are forever mistrusting the right people, while listening to the wrong.
The Fix also brings in the local element which makes the story much more captivating and interesting. The idea that such things happen, here, really is quite daunting. One may find themselves looking sideways in the supermarket aisle for a few days / weeks after reading, wondering if this person may be running some money-laundering front, or that person is entwined in some interpol investigation. Such is the vivid retelling of events in the plot. Certainly the corrupt police in Sydney do little to help the situation as corrupt cops of the 1960s.
Such a magnificent story, expertly told and scrupulous in its research. A fascinating insight into the world of organised crime in the 1960s and the incredible story of evasion and investigative work.
Reviewer: Chris Reed
Bateman Books
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