Castelle - Kerri Reeks

Early 1990s, James 'Ned' Kelly, is a survivor of numerous colourful events throughout his life, including the Vietnam War. James, or Ned as he prefers to be called, now lives a quiet life on his secluded property in the tranquil Southern Adelaide Hills. Enjoying this solitude with wife Carla, daughter Katerina and faithful stray dog Goliath.

However, tranquillity is challenged when the mysterious Castelle Corporation, led by an assertive Alison Jordon Renfrey (call me RJ), offers James a compelling proposition. Established in the late 1950s, Castelle specialises in providing market entry support, risk and security services to Australian companies wishing to expand operations and venture into international markets, navigating uncertain and sometimes politically precarious environments.

Drawn into Castelle's operations, James becomes immersed in investigations of corporate corruption, cross-border crime, massive fraud and theft to name a few activities he's involved in. One pivotal operation requires an assessment of an oil and gas construction venture in Indonesia. Upon arrival in-country, he's confronted with the brutal aftermath of a murderous ethnic cleansing terrorist attack. Then the remote oil operation itself also unveils immensely corrupt activities and significant environmental devastation. Forced to flee the site with a co-conspirator, James embarks on a perilous jungle journey to eventual safety.

In a later endeavour, James, through Castelle, monitors the installation of a highly sophisticated over-the-horizon surface radar system off the coast of West Africa, intended to monitor devastating illegal off shore fi shing. Occurrences escalate into kidnappings, murder, a military coup and a narrow escape through the Sahara Desert. James' next faces people trafficking and a para-military organisation's involvement in a violent sea rescue.

Regardless of narrowly escaping all this, his life spirals further into pandemonium with a violent home invasion. In self-defence, James finds himself potentially charged with the deadly consequences. He ponders the never-ending layers of complexity in his tumultuous life journey, questioning if there will ever be an end to the turmoil.