Underworld by Jared Savage

Investigative reporter, Jared Savage returns with Underworld: The New Era of Gangs in New Zealand. Once again, he delivers a gripping, eye-opening account of this country’s criminal landscape. As an avid reader of Jared’s first two books, Gangland and Gangster’s Paradise, I was eager to dive into his latest exploration of New Zealand’s criminal underworld.

Building on the foundation of his previous books, he explores the latest and most dangerous phase in New Zealand’s organised crime scene. The stakes have never been higher: brutal executions, undercover stings that sound like movie plots and the relentless pursuit of the country’s most wanted gangsters. Each case reads like a crime thriller, but with the chilling knowledge that these events actually happened on New Zealand soil!

"On one end of the scale, organised crime is highly sophisticated and large in scale - millions of dollars, flash cars and hundreds of kilograms of drugs - on the other side, the consequences for individuals can be completely chaotic and spiral out of control with people getting killed, sometimes by mistake,” says Jared.

Following the evolution of the methamphetamine trade, Jared exposes how the criminal landscape has become more volatile and connected to international syndicates. Following the influx of '501' deportees from Australia, who arrived with professional criminal networks and a willingness to use violence, local gangs were forced to adapt and escalate their operations. This has led to a dramatic increase in drug trafficking, shootings and turf wars. Jared also shows us that New Zealand is no longer isolated from the world’s crime networks, instead, it’s a lucrative market at the centre of international attention.

Jared expertly weaves together the perspectives of both criminals and police, drawing on years of cultivating sources and attending courtrooms. His writing is clear, fast-paced, and packed with detail, making complex criminal operations understandable and shockingly addictive to read.“The new era of gangs is marked by the globalisation of organised crime, where criminal groups work fluidly across borders and law enforcement do the same to try and keep up.” A recurring theme throughout the book is the extensive time and effort the New Zealand Police dedicate to investigating these crimes, as well as the drawn-out nature of cases that often stretch across multiple trials.

Underworld is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how organised crime in Aotearoa has evolved from small-time meth cooks to global syndicates and violent gang wars. Highly recommended for fans of true crime, investigative journalism and anyone interested in the hidden forces shaping New Zealand society. Jared Savage is an award-winning investigative reporter for the New Zealand Herald.  He lives in Tauranga with his family.

Reviewer: Andrea Molloy

HarperCollins