This thrilling novel is set in 2026, in a New Zealand where individual freedoms are curtailed and the government is riddled with corruption. People can easily be placed on a Watch List with state surveillance common. There are also rumours about a Kill List, which puts all residents on high alert.
In this environment, the story centres on Minnie. She has given up doing research to teach science at the local high school to care for Brendan, her widowed father, who is suffering from dementia. One evening she discovers a phone in her bag that is identical to her own, it even has the same password, but when she unlocks it, she discovers it is full of coded messages. It’s a burner phone that reveals top-level government corruption, with a person called The Broker masterminding shadowy deals. Minnie decides to enlist the help of her best friend Rumble to see if they can uncode some of the messages, and when they do, she later enlists the help of Luke, a former parliamentary press reporter, to join them. As they unravel the evidence, they put themselves in extreme danger, with ruthless people who will do anything to hide the truth.
There comes the point of no return, when the three of them must put their lives at risk to expose government corruption at the highest levels.
The Shadow Brokers is another page-turning read from Tina Clough. She does a superb job of creating characters and believable relationships that feel real and authentic. There is plenty of action-adventure, but also the puzzle of solving the clues that they find keeps the momentum going. If you haven’t read a novel by Tina Clough, read one of her books soon! This would be a great one to start with.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Lightpool Publishing