The Old School

'P.M. Newton's bitter-sweet thriller is an arresting debut: astonishingly accomplished and as authentic as a .38 bullet wound. File between D for Disher and T for Temple and sweat on the sequel.' Andrew Rule Sydney, 1992. Nhu 'Ned' Kelly is a young detective making her way in what was, until recently, the best police force money could buy. Now ICAC has the infamous Roger Rogerson in the spotlight, and the old ways are out. Ned's sex and background still make her an outsider in the force, but Sydney is changing, expanding, modernising, and so is the Job. When two bodies are found in the foundations of an old building in Sydney's west, Ned is drawn into the city's past: old rivalries, old secrets and old wrongs. As she works to discover who the bones belong to - and who dumped them there - she begins to uncover secrets that threaten to expose not only the rotten core of the police force, but also the dark mysteries of her own family. P.M. Newton worked in the New South Wales Police Force for thirteen years. Her debut is both a gripping crime novel and a brilliant portrait of Sydney's recent past. 'The writing is razor-sharp and the dialogue sizzles with tough-as-nails authenticity. Newton is a writer to watch.' Matthew Reilly 'Relentless...... What a multi-layered, powerful piece of writing. This novel puts P.M. Newton in the company of Marele Day, Gabrielle Lord and Peter Temple.' Graeme Blundell 'Brilliant...The mystery element keeps you second-guessing until the last few pages but you are sucked into Ned's personal journey along the way... P.M. Newton is a great new voice in Australian crime fiction.' Pages and Pages blog 'An extraordinary debut - beautifully written and nuanced, with interesting and believable characters.' Readings review 'All the elevated anxiety, pace and snippy dialogue of classic crime fiction, yet it somehow comes across as a true story... The Old School is a cracker. There's a new voice on the beat.' Weekend Australian 'A gripping crime novel that sweeps up the reader in its enthralling multi-layered plot, powerful characters and spot-on descriptions of Sydney... A tough and authentic novel. The Old School is already shaping up as the year's best debut crime novel.' Canberra Times