Cross Fingers by Paddy Richardson

Rebecca Thorne is a television journalist who is researching a documentary about a crooked property developer in Rarotonga. Her boss takes her off the story to begin another documentary for the 30th anniversary of the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour protests. At the same time Rebecca begins to receive anonymous phone calls and photographs of herself; is it her ex-boyfriend or something to do with her research?

Rebecca becomes interested in the identities of the two protesters who dressed up as lambs, taunted the police and entertained the crowds. Is an under-investigated murder of a gay man around the same time related to the tour and the protesters?

Paddy Richardson mixes the significant history of a time when New Zealand became deeply divided into pro and anti-tour factions and hard line policing came into practice; with the story of a capable young woman determined to find out the truth about what happened 30 years ago, and who is stalking her.

New Zealand currently has a talented group of crime writers and Paddy Richardson is a favourite of mine. I was at secondary school in 1981 and well remember the heated conversations in families and between friends about whether New Zealand should play rugby against a country with an apartheid regime, the uncompromising Muldoon government of the time, police and protester clashes, and the law forbidding homosexuality. Richardson combines great story telling and history with pace and suspense.

Posted by Katrina

Catalogue link: Cross fingers