Dan Taylor’s career as a bomb disposal expert in the British Army ended when an IED killed three of his team and left him scarred for life. Years later, and on the brink of self-destruction, Dan struggles to cope with the nightmares that haunt him.

Until the day an estranged friend leaves a voicemail message for him, moments before he is assassinated in cold blood.

Plunged into a global conspiracy, Dan must unravel the research notes that Peter Edgewater left behind and locate an explosive device that is being smuggled towards London by a secretive organization hell-bent on protecting its assets – and time is running out.

It's an absolute given that one of the great strengths of crime / thriller fiction is the way that it gets into issues from the time and place in which it is set and WHITE GOLD is no exception. There's an increasing number of these sorts of books, looking at things from an environmental and/or activism role, and WHITE GOLD takes on the idea of terrorism to influence marketforces and fight off an increasing alternative viewpoint with rather frightening realism.

Given that the book has a number of very highly scientific principles at its core the language, and stylings are pure thriller. The technical information is delivered in a very accessible manner, although Amphlett also avoids the dreaded talking down to an audience. I think it's probably the rather matter of fact way in which the scientific elements are delivered, the technical aspects of the bomb and it's making and workings are described that make the details not just digestible, but considerably more chilling in the process.

There are good characterisations, with a bit of romantic attachment chucked in for those that like it, although it's not too overblown, and has some nice friendship / meeting of equals aspects to it which balance that out. There are a few plot points and elements of the action which might mean that readers have to suspend their disbelief a little more highly than they are normally comfortable with, and although there were points where I craved a little heaving lifting equipment, I did manage to hoick the disbelief high enough to get over the bumps. I should image that other readers, particularly fans of thrillers where the unexpected always happens, are not going to have too many problems following me in that.

Whilst it's particularly pleasing to see female writers in Australia taking on the thriller format, it's even more pleasing to see so many good ones coming along. There is, happily it seems, a sequel to WHITE GOLD in the making.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/white-gold-rachel-amphlett ( )