The Shadow Game (38 page)

STEVE LEWIS
arrived in Canberra in late 1992, and spent the next two decades tormenting the nation's political elite. He worked for the
Australian Financial Review
before joining
The Australian
as chief political reporter. In 2007, he was appointed national political correspondent for News Limited's big-selling metropolitan dailies – the
Daily Telegraph
,
Herald Sun
,
Courier-Mail
and
Advertiser
. He is the author of
Stand & Deliver
, a lively account of the National Press Club's fifty year history, and works as a senior adviser to Newgate Communications.

CHRIS UHLMANN
is one of Australia's best known and most respected political broadcasters. He began his career in journalism at the
Canberra Times
as the world's oldest copy-kid, after failed stints as a student priest, storeman and packer and security guard. He cohosted 666 ABC Canberra's breakfast program before switching to federal parliament as ABC Radio's chief political correspondent. He has anchored the flagship current affairs programs
AM
and
7.30
, and in 2008 he won a Walkley Award for broadcast interviewing. He is now the ABC's political editor.

PRAISE FOR STEVE LEWIS AND CHRIS UHLMANN

The Marmalade Files

‘The book's blurb says it's a romp through the “dark underbelly of politics” and for once the blurb doesn't lie' – News.com.au

‘It's a fair bet that Canberra insiders and those beyond will drive themselves close to hallucination trying to figure out whether they are reading a tantalisation of fact or a facsimile of fiction' – Tony Wright,
Sydney Morning Herald

‘There is an eerie ring of reality' –
Daily Telegraph

‘A fast-paced political thriller that will appeal to any cynical observer of Australian politics' –
Adelaide Matters

‘Two prominent and seasoned Australian political journos have given us the best antidote to our current political drudgery by writing a delicious farce which will have you guessing who might be who. It's gripping and funny' –
Manly Daily

‘Cynical, opinionated, lively gallop through the landscape of contemporary Australian politics' –
Sydney Morning Herald

‘a joy-ride through an all too recognisable federal parliament heaving with a cast that, initially at least, seems only slightly blurred by gender reassignment . . . Will it fill you with hope? Probably not. But it's definitely fun' –
Weekend Australian

The Mandarin Code

‘A cracking read' – Tony Abbott

‘Intelligent, rollicking entertainment' –
The Australian

‘This is fiction, but truth lurks behind every corner of it' –
Canberra Times

‘Uhlmann and Lewis are Australian federal journalists and the insider aspects of this political thriller ring true . . . there is plenty of action and the pace is quick' –
Newcastle Herald

‘A great “must-read”' –
Townsville Bulletin

‘Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insight to this sharply observed novel . . .
House of Cards
, Canberra style' –
Sunday Canberra Times

‘For the sake of the nation, read' –
Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin

Like all works of fiction, this story was inspired by events in the real world, but it is a work of fiction and none of the main characters in this book really exists and, more importantly, none of the acts attributed to these fictional characters ever took place. So please do not interpret anything that happens in this book as a real event that actually happened or that involved any person in the real world (whether living or now deceased).

HarperCollins
Publishers

First published in Australia in 2016

by HarperCollins
Publishers
Australia Pty Limited

ABN 36 009 913 517

harpercollins.com.au

Copyright © Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann 2016

The right of Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000
.

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

HarperCollins
Publishers

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand

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195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, USA

ISBN: 978 1 4607 5125 1 (paperback)

ISBN: 978 1 4607 0584 1 (ebook)

Lewis, Steve, author.

The Shadow Game / Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann.

Journalists – Fiction.

Satire, Australian – 21st century.

Australia – Politics and government – Fiction.

Other Creators/Contributors: Uhlmann, Chris, author.

A823.4

Cover design by Darren Holt, HarperCollins Design Studio

Cover photograph by David Messent / Getty Images; background images by shutterstock.com

Author photograph by Gary Ramage, News Ltd