The Marmalade Files

Harry Dunkley #1

by Steve Lewis, Chris Uhlmann

When seasoned newshound Harry Dunkley is slipped a compromising photograph one frosty Canberra dawn he knows he's onto something big. In pursuit of the scoop, Dunkley must negotiate the deadly corridors of power where the minority Toohey Government hangs by a thread – its stricken Foreign Minister on life support, her heart maintained by a single thought. Revenge.

Rabid Rottweilers prowl in the guise of Opposition senators, union thugs wage class warfare, TV anchors simper and fawn ... and loyalty and decency have long since given way to compromise and treachery.

From the teahouses of Beijing to the beaches of Bali, from the marbled halls of Washington to the basements of the bureaucracy, Dunkley's quest takes him ever closer to the truth – and ever deeper into a lethal political game.

Award-winning journalists Steve Lewis of News Ltd and Chris Uhlmann from the ABC combine forces in this arresting novel that proves fiction is stranger than fact.

Genres: Fiction, Politics, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Australia

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Steve Lewis has been reporting politics in Canberra since 1992 and has survived the near collapse of the Fairfax media group, three Prime Ministers, Mark Latham and a career switch from The Financial Review to the News Ltd tabloids.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good:
This is an intriguing story, with some very interesting characters. Bonus points from me because this is close to home. Set mostly in Australia’s capital, about Australian public figures and public servants, this political thriller had the tang of authenticity.

The Bad:
The prose isn’t very good. It is infused with cliché and melodrama, and it got in the way of me being able to feel the feels for myself. This might be a dumb place to make a comparison but I am currently also reading The Call of the Wild, and it is incredibly well written, despite being obviously dated. My heart is breaking for that protagonist, and I am well inside his head. Or maybe I just like dogs better than journalists and politicians.

'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
Harry is cynical and opinionated, but deep down a good bloke, like Chandler.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Marmalade Files is a political thriller set in Canberra and written by two well-known political journalists Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann. Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann introduces the readers of The Marmalade Files to Harry Dunkley, a political reporter in Canberra. The readers of Marmalade Files will follow Harry Dunkley quest to find the story of the year which ended in a surprising twist. Also, the readers Marmalade Files would like or dislike the portrayal of one the characters who suffered a rare stroke called locked-in-syndrome. However, the readers will learn about locked-in-syndrome and the way that you take care and support suffers. Marmalade Files also allows the readers to have insight into the political shenanigans and scandals of politics. I recommend this book.

[Latika Bourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the election of Kevin Rudd it’s often refrained about national politics that ‘you couldn’t make this shit up;’ but it turns out you can as Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis demonstrate with their laugh-out-loud novel The Marmalade Files.
Part thriller but mostly satire, Marmalade Files is a deliciously fun look at Australian politics and the characters of Canberra.
Marmalade’s protagonists are easily identifiable caricatures of current political figures. The dumped-Prime-Minister-now-Foreign-Minister is rendered speechless after collapsing from a stroke during one her of many live and unnecessary media appearances, finds comfort in tweeting and hosting from her hospital bed, a live broadcast of a commercial tv breakfast presented by Australia’s best mate ‘Thommo.’ It’s not hard to identify also, the small-l Liberal Leader whose reputation is suffering after being duped by a Finance Department official in an elaborate hoax aimed at bringing down the Prime Minister. A defence minister is sacked because of his relationship with a Chinese spy. Other characters are less obvious and perhaps only recognisable to those who toil daily at Parliament House, like the press secretary who texts bad Newspoll results to the Leader and then attempts a runner or the cross dressing intelligence analyst who helps our hero, Veteran journalist Harry Dunkley eventually unravel the biggest political scandal history could know.
Marmalade sets a pace as cracking as the 24 hour media cycle it lampoons, serves up plenty of character assessments of politicians, their parties, media-tart campaign outfits (GetSet!) but also at times denotes a sadness in the political scene it does not need to exaggerate to mock.
If you’re not a political junkie Marmalade’s wickedly mischievous take on Capital Hill’s antics is for you. If you are a political junkie I hope you’re not in it!

[Michael Fierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of the Harry Dunkley trilogy developed into Secret City, an Australian-produced TV series now on Netflix.

[Bec74 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pros: Interesting (if somewhat depressing) insights into Canberra politics & politicians.

The cons: Badly written. Long swathes of Murdoch tabloid-style rants against the left, the Greens, armchair activism, inner-city elites, etc. Very obvious (thinly veiled) use of real people as the basis for most of the characters left me wondering if this so-called work of fiction was an attempt to expose accusations they did not have the proof to publish as journalism. Or did they simply lack the imagination to create new & unique characters?

Conclusion: An unconvincing, long-winded foray into 'fiction' by two long term journalists.

[Rusalka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. And I did love some of it. I loved that the first couple of pages had the phone number that popped up on my phone every time Dad called me from work, as someone was calling the protagonist from his Department. That the protagonist drove down the foggy dirt road along LBG that I pass every morning on the way to work. That he goes and gets his hangover coffee from the cafe I used to deliver bread to at my old job at uni (and hated the people). That he has a secret meeting in a dingy, dated cafe in Manuka, which I used to frequent at 18 as I loved the dingy, dated atmosphere. That the fancy dinner was at the restuarant that Lexx and I had our first fancy dinner date at. That another character takes walks through Telopa Park all the time to clear her head. People stay in the hotel in Deakin that as 8 years old I did my first and only fashion parade modelling in.

Pretty much if you live in Canberra then you should read this book. It's full of shoutouts and places you would recognise. Pretty much it makes you feel how people in Sydney and Melbourne must feel all the time, but as we are often ignored (although this book does make me wonder why, there is so much potential for dodgy and mysterious things to happen here), this is exciting.

And the journalistic and investigative parts of this book are wonderful. The digging and intrigue and the mystery itself I actually really liked. It had potential.

HOWEVER, then we hit the politics. And this is where the book lost me. Not because I didn't understand it, it's because I understood it too much. I got the shits with reading a character thinking "Oh that's Kevin Rudd but a female" "That's Malcolm Turnbull but female" "That's Julia Gillard but male" "That's Tony Abbott but female" "That's Bill Shorten" "That's Sam Dastyari" "That's my friend". I get that these guys write about politics all the time and have some incredible characters they deal with every day. But don't write such blatant rip offs of real people. Mix it up a bit. Okay, so one ends up in a coma, that didn't happen. But THAT'S THE ONLY THING! Seriously, new material people. As an aside, as the only thing they did to make most of these people 'non-identifiable' was to change their gender, apparently Australia has the highest representation of women in parliament in the world if this book it to believed. Yeah, bugger off. The whole political thing was just so predictable and unbelievable.

I actually stumbled upon this book on a weird website I can't find anymore about murder mysteries set in Australia by towns. I had never heard of it before. And then the sequel came out and there was so much publicity about that. I assume this is where it gets better. And I think this must be were most of the story from Secret City comes from (which makes more sense now I looked the character list). I have that on my shelf and will read it. I hope it fills the place that this book opened up but never really filled. Also people, write more stuff in Canberra! We're a gold mine.

[Harinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. If you live in Canberra and are an "inside the beltway" person like me, and work the odd 80-hour week, it's the perfect book. I chuckled and giggled all the way through it. It is so irreverent I can't believe that it ever got through the defamation lawyers. The story is a light political thriller set in Canberra in 2011, among a government which scarily resembles the current one. I particularly loved the jabs at the Greens and at the lobby group GetSet! And of course the entire character of maniacal Foreign Minister Catriona Bailey - who emerges from a coma conscious, but trapped in an immovable body, and learns to tweet by BLINKING! - is so close to the bone it's almost painful to read (and hilarious at the same time).

As someone living in Canberra it was also terrific to have the events in the book set in such familiar surroundings. I can't think of any piece of FICTION I have read that does this so well. I went to an event with the authors who said that Canberra was a character in the book in its own right. And they're right. Everything is set in cafes, bars and restaurants that I've been to. It's a light and fun read by people who know the business. As a former DFAT officer, I was truly impressed with how much detail they got right (a change from my usual annoyance with books that speculate how business is done and leave me frustrated in a "they would NEVER do that!" sense). The writers manage to blend fact with fiction just perfectly to keep it enjoyable - but you do have to suspend disbelief every now and again.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems that The Marmalade Files might be past it's used by date.
It could also be my state of mind considering the current sordid state of Australian politics. The AG is off on mental health leave after an allegation he's a rapist. Hope he doesn't get his resident defamation lawyer onto me, but he's got more to worry about with 4 corners coming out tonight, than my little review of a 9 year old political thriller.

I saw the miniseries of this a couple of years ago, more because I was enjoying seeing my favourite coffee spots in the various scenes, than for the story, however, it seems the miniseries was an improvement on the novel.

It's an interesting storyline but the pace seemed jumbled up with different time jumps, so I found myself snoozing in-between chapters a bit too often for a political thriller. It seemed to take ages to get to the end and when I did it was obvious there was a hook to another book in a series. I have that second book but not sure I feel like going there anytime soon, it's a chunkster that looks like it needs another edit.

There's also a lot of indulging in dinosaur thinking, certainly no nuance of thought, and I found myself getting mixed up with the female characters they all seemed like one-dimensional bitches that morphed into each other. Really not something for the current times.
As a funny aside, my secondhand copy has a signed dedication by one of the authors to a "Sir Peter, ....remember as you read, this is ALL FICTION". And to think I was just reading Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Governor-General of Australia's bio.... and I know that he donated his books to the same place where I bought this one.... there's a theory to ponder, lol.

Anyway, being a Canberran, I had to try hard to like it, hence the rounding up to 3 stars. I was really hoping for more.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Awful. The agent that persuaded the publisher to take these Murdoch Thugs on is a genius and deserves every penny they earned.

The cover is pretty good and it's well edited but that's it. The blurb oversold it. It's not the same.

These journos had a dig at everyone and everything. Yet it was just lame, zero wit. Not funny at all.

It's basically a first draft of a rehash of the year 2007 to 2012 in Canberra but fictionalised. Very unoriginal and lazy.

If it wasn't for the good editing and cover it'd be 1 star. It's that bad.

There were so many mistakes in logic and fact that these two mugs ought to be ashamed of themselves. No one knows this Steve Lewis punk, but Chris Uhlmann is somehow on TV but his reputation has collapsed in my view. Steve Lewis had no reputation to begin with so there is nowhere for it to go except underground perhaps?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the biggest problems with the blanding out of Australian Federal politics and society is that Political Satire seems to have disappeared around the back, probably mugged by some idiot with a bias obsession. Well that is until THE MARMALADE FILES where I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was to finally find something to laugh about coming out of Canberra. In an amused way, not that panicked titter that escapes when you realise that the idiot on the telly who just said what they said may actually be believed by someone out there...

As a political junkie I will admit to being somewhat predisposed to love THE MARMALADE FILES simply because of some of the opening cracks. It really didn't hurt that it's obviously fact wrapped up in fiction, with the names changed to protect the innocent (for the nanosecond it takes for you to replace the fictional name with the true life name). Well, it didn't hurt until there were aspects of the plot that got a bit too real, too feasible for comfort mind you. What with a dumped Prime Minister / Foreign Minister with a control fetish right down to refusing to die when everything physical had shut down.... A Defence Minister in bucket loads of trouble over his relationship with a Chinese Spy... And a Liberal Leader well entangled in a Finance Department plot to down the Prime Minister. There are other characters who are so magnificently real that you just know, somewhere deep in the bowels of Canberra Society, there are some press secretaries and intelligence analysts that aren't going to be buying Uhlmann and Lewis a drink anytime soon... then again, maybe it's a badge of honour to get a gig in a book like this. It should be. It's hilarious.

Whilst THE MARMALADE FILES is definitely more on the satire side than a straight-forward thriller, it sets a cracking pace. You have to wonder whether the authors have gotten themselves caught in the 24 hour media vortex and simply can't let go. Regardless of how or why, or what the book is, this was a fantastic read, although I think those who are less interested in politics as a spectator sport might not see the glorious wonder of some of the in-jokes and references. Now, whenever anything, no matter how normal or how odd, occurs in Canberra's political halls, all I'm going to be wondering is how these two are going to spin that into the next book.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable Australian satirical political thriller by a couple of political journalists. Fascinating look at the Aussie federal system, and frequently laugh out loud funny. Illustrates that in politics the picture is the same, even though the frame is different. It is the source for the Aussie TV series "Secret City".

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

So so political thriller set in Canberra. Probably won't continue with this series.

[Darren Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Liz!

[Jillwilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The real Marmalade Files" are not an ASIS "dirt file", but “merely a collection of humorous, often risqué and sometimes downright bizarre communications kept by our early diplomats for no reason other than their amusement value.” (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-16...) This article, ‘The Marmalade Files: DFAT's cabinet of curiosities’ is worth a read for some of the bizarre examples of what is kept in the files.

Here’s an example: “An account by our man in Manila, KCO "Mick" Shann, about a luncheon conversation with the "broad-minded and witty" papal nuncio was a classic of the Marmalade genre. The nuncio had told Shann that during a revolution in Central America, conditions became so bad that some monks who were tied by their vows to the precincts of their monastery were forced to leave. A British report of this had the monks "violat[ing] their holy vows". A transmission error, had however replaced the "v" in the word "vows" with a "c". As Shann recounted it, "When the despatch reached the Foreign Office the unusual circumstances did not disturb the Foreign Secretary who is reported to have said: what was needed in these circumstances was a papal bull." (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-16...)

The novel of the same title has a hugely popular Prime Minister knifed by the Labor Party to become a vengeful Foreign Minister. The new PM is left struggling to survive in a minority government propped up by the Greens and Independents. There's a Defence Minister trying to cut military expenditure, only to find himself pursued by a journalist tipped off by secretive enemies about old ties with Chinese powerbrokers.

Here’s an example of the description of the ex-Prime Minister, turned Foreign Minister: ”…she had worked hard at contriving a common touch. "Call me Cate," she implored everyone she met. In casual conversation she would deploy words she imagined were in routine public use; unfortunately, since everything she learnt came from books, much of her information was dated and she fell into a unique argot that one wit dubbed "wonk-strine".
It led to famously weird constructions like, "Come on, cobber, that's a bodgie piece of analysis. I am fully seized of the need for China to engage with the councils of the world and, in due season, it will." One colleague mocked her as a "human metaphor for the chasm between knowledge and wisdom".”

The book has a mystery at the heart of it but the real pleasure is in working out which character resembles which real life person and which unlikely event might just be true.

“There haven’t been a huge number of Australian novels set in the world of federal politics – Jessica Rudd’s forays into political chick-lit with Campaign Ruby and Ruby Blues being recent exceptions – so it’s refreshing to see two political insiders taking up the challenge.” (http://newtownreviewofbooks.com.au/20...) It’s not the best written book in the world but it is fun. Its sequel is The Mandarin Code which I reviewed a while ago.

[Elina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up when I realised it was the inspiration for the TV miniseries The Secret City, and I enjoyed the premiere episode of that so much that I couldn't wait for more. As a political thriller, this really delivers. It is fast paced, and keeps the suspense building so you can't help but devour it as quickly as possible. The added level of fun is laughing along as Lewis & Uhlmann satirise everyone in Australian politics, spotting the real life inspiration behind this cast of extraordinary characters. They really don't seem to like anybody and certainly don't pull any punches, except at the noble art form of print journalism. *eye roll* Truly, though, I think Lewis & Uhlmann should turn themselves to fiction full time, this book is at least 100 times more palatable than their editorials.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Airport fiction filled with many very thinly veiled versions of current and recent Australian politicians and hangers-on (like the Rudd character, who just won't die). Often the narrative feels like it's just stringing together various pub adecdotes and insider gossip. Wildly critical of the Greens and GetUp ("GetSet! was an online activist organisation. It rarely identified an original issue or put effort into a need that wasn't already on the political radar. No, that demanded spending real time and intellectual capital...") while sympathetic to the Wets and the true believers. Ok for a beach read.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an enjoyable satirical thriller set in the political milieu of Canberra. A political journalist is given a photograph by a mysterious contact. The quest to uncover the meaning of the photograph and who is behind its leaking reveals a web of relationships that span the world and a group determined to defend the US/Australian alliance at all costs. Peopled by characters who are recognisably based on real politicians with situations which also resemble recent political events, the novel is written by working political journalists. The style of writing is humorous but the short paragraphs and three page chapters make the narrative quite shallow even though some serious issues are raised.

[Annette Chidzey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel but not quite as much as The Mandarin Code. I suspect this was because I read this one after the Mandarin Code not having realised it existed and preceded it. Having established that understanding, the novel was still one that enabled clear connections to the Australian political scene and resonated with my strong interest in domestic politics and international relations. Where we sit as an alleged mediator and so called middle power between the USA and the Peoples Republic of China remains at the centre of this novel's appeal and intrigue.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, easy read that is so much more enjoyable than my bookshelf of half-read books on real Australian politics... maybe this one, with all its (barely, slightly) embellished ridiculous events is more real than the others after all.

Going, within a fortnight, from three Orhan Pamuk's in a row to Richard Flanagan to Michael Chabon, to this... well it's a refreshingly light read that i got through in 24 hours.

Looking forward to reading the next one from these two.

[Malise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book partly because I live in the city in which it was set and know the places, the coffee shops even some of the people and many of the types described in this book. It is an interesting twist on the political events of the last ten years in this country viewed from conservative and liberal points of view. I had several good laughs while reading it.

[Michele Meehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it I was in Canberra at the time! But a bit deflated by ending

[Rosalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lively tongue-in-cheek romp through contemporary Australian media and politics. Especially fun if you know your way around Canberra and are a little bit cynical about our political party system.

[Andrew Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one got the ball rolling to a positively addictive series.
Well done.

[Deborah Emin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the parallels drawn between corporate journalism and government officials. The story is captivating though the characters are not, more stereotypes than people.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course not like the TV show (Secret City) but just as thrilling. Like House of Cards but in Canberra.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A political thriller comprising three novels with essentially the same characters, chief being reporter Harry Dunkley, and all set in Canberra: The Marmalade Files (2011), The Mandarin Code (2013) and The Shadow Game (2015). Dunkley is a reporter for The Australian and is told there is a great story behind there faces in a mysterious photo: Brice Paxton and two Chinese. It’s a set up. The Alliance, which come clearer later, is a group formed during the Whitlam years comprising senior Liberals and intelligence and US agents, precisely to strengthen the relationship between Australia, as the toady, and the US. The group is genuinely believed to have orchestrated Whitlam;s downfall. Back to fiction: the 21st century version comprises Jack Webster head of defence, several ASIO operatives and senior Liberal politicians. The Prime Minister Martin Toohey whose rival is the wildly erratic Celia Bailey. Note the date 2011, and the Rudd-Gillard affair: in fact too close to this for a while but it rapidly inhabits a totally different universe. Bailey suddenly takes seriously ill with Locked-in syndrome, can't move but mentally active. She is a vicious evil person but even when ill, has enormous public support, all the hgher when hi tech nebaler her to communicate. Toohey is in danger. On the Coalition side it;s the same: Elizabeth Scott a nice small ‘l’ Liberal has the dreadful insanely clever and maleficent Emily Brooks as her succubus. China enters, determined to put a se wall across the Spratley Islands blocking free passge anywhere in the South China Sea. This theme dominates all three books, the various powerplays between China and America, America and Australia, and within Australia and within the Liberal Party itself. The story is long and convoluted, the characters hard to keep track of – a mistake to have such different characters, Brooks and Bailey, beginning with ‘B’ for instance – and at times unbelievable yet much founded in facts or plausible extrapolations of where we are now. It is at times, hilarious, satirical, and despite its size a page turner, possibly because if you are interested in politics, you will be hooked, rather than down to fine writing itself. The writing can be melodramatic, over the top, but the dialogue is excellent. Lewis is in with News Corp and Murdoch himself is given a sympathetic passage, the Australian is billed as fairly fair especially when Dunkley writes from fact, but we know better than that in real life. The two sympathetic characters are Martin Toohey (Labor) and Elizabeth Ross (Liberal); the Chinese are painted very badly except for a beautiful girl who is killed, and most of the rest are utterly ruthless bastards. The Americans don’t come off well either. I wondered how two different writers could collaborate on this: it seems seamless, not two authorial voices. Possibly not worth 4 stars as a piece of literature, but I enjoyed it. It could have done with a bit of editing as there is lots of detail, particularly on super hi tech stuff, which I suspect is mostly sci fi.

[David Maywald · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Marmalade Files is the gripping first instalment of the Secret City trilogy, a political thriller series that blends sharp journalism with page-turning intrigue. It was written by Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis, and originally published in August 2012. Set in Canberra, the novel captures the unique rhythms and atmosphere of Australia’s capital, with locations so vividly described that anyone familiar with the city will recognise the corridors of Parliament House, the embassies, the cafés, and the quiet streets where whispers of power change the course of events.

At its heart, the story follows the cut-and-thrust of political manoeuvring, investigative journalism, and personal ambition. But it also ventures far beyond Australia’s borders. The novel is infused with the shadow of strategic rivalry between the United States and China, a contest that feels even more relevant today than when the book was first released. The authors skilfully weave this geopolitical tension into the narrative, exploring how Great Power competition can play out through smaller nations, shaping domestic politics, policy decisions, and national security.

In today’s world, where the Indo-Pacific has become a focal point for both economic opportunity and military brinkmanship, The Marmalade Files reads as both a compelling work of fiction and as a prescient commentary on current affairs. It is a reminder that the high-stakes games between superpowers often unfold not in distant capitals but in the offices, meeting rooms, and back corridors of places like Canberra. For readers who enjoy political thrillers with local authenticity and global resonance, this is a smart and engaging starting point to a trilogy that only gets more intense from here...

[Art Jackson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really excited to read this book but I'm only 40 pages in and its not going well. I can see why it was in an op shop. It is very transphobic to the point I'm suprised it was written in 2012. There is a trans charater who is deadnamed a lot and its just thought of as normal, the narrator brushes it off when the trans charater corrects someone about it, I will put quotes at the end it was really disgusting. Also I'm 40 pages in and queer people have already been mentioned twice when its not necessary. The first time they mention gay men saying, "to each their own, mate", this is on the third page. Then later you have
"You know better, its Kimberly, Gordan chided before launching inti a monologue Dunkley knew would have to be endured for ten ir so minutes before sensible conversation could begin."
It makes me very sad and so far as been an over all very uncomfortable read.
There are also 2 slurs against queer people that dont add to the story at all and the 3 female characters so far are a "bitch", a Chinese diplomat who was " recruited for her sexy good looks as for her brains" and the trans lady who people are just treating like a man.
I'm probably going to keep reading a bit to see how it all goes but it is an uncomfortable read and I hope the environment in Canberra has changed since these journalists wrote their book

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is wonderful satire of politics dressed up as a political thriller. The characters are thinly disguised current (and immediately past) politicans and elements of the storyline parallel recent policial history, so much of the fun in reading this boook is in working out 'who is who' and recalling various political fiascos of recent history. The story moves at a fast pace and it is an easy read. While the satire was great, the actualy storyline was only ok. I think Lewis and Uhlmann's second book in this series, the Mardarin Code, is much more successful as a story, however this is still an interesting and fun read.

[Gayle Tourish · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in the Harry Dunkley trilogy and while not a bad read, not as good as the following two. Too much time spent on setting up the story line for the following books. I do recommend persevering though.