Secret City

3 primary works

The Marmalade Files

by Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann

Published 1 August 2012

Now a major TV series - Secret City - from the team behind The Slap!A sticky scandal. A political jam. An imaginative romp through the dark underbelly of politics by two veteran Canberra insiders. *the Marmalade Files are documents that allegedly exist within the bowels of Foreign Affairs & trade that have been around for a half century. 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 and Chris Uhlmann combine forces in this arresting novel that proves fiction is stranger than fact. Praise for The Marmalade Files: 'A banquet of bastardry' Daily Telegraph '[A] cynical, opinionated, lively gallop through the landscape of contemporary Australian politics' Sydney Morning Herald 'Lewis and Uhlmann use the familiar circus of malevolence and blunted expectations to draw the reader into the bigger story of Australia and its place on the perilously shifting ground between China and the US' Weekend Australian 'A rollicking good story' Good Reading

The Mandarin Code

by Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann

Published 21 July 2014

Second novel in the series that brought you Chinese spies, American bluster, and the deadly dance of Australian politics, long before there was fake news. Inspiration behind the major TV series SECRET CITY.

A body pulled from the murky waters of Lake Burley Griffin links Canberra, Beijing and Washington in a titanic struggle where war is just a mouse click away.

Veteran reporter Harry Dunkley is chasing the scoop of his career, hunting for his best friend's killer. Navigating treacherous political waters where a desperate minority government edges ever closer to disaster, he delves into a cyber world where there are no secrets.

Friendship and loyalty give way to betrayal and revenge as Dunkley stumbles into the sights of the mandarins who wield real power - and who'll stop at nothing to retain it.

Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insights to this sharply observed novel about growing Chinese influence, waning American power, and Australia's inevitable - and deadly - pursuit of a trade deal, in this sequel to the bestselling THE MARMALADE FILES.

'A cracking read' Tony Abbott

'There is an eerie ring of reality' Daily Telegraph

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

'A ripsnorter of a political thriller that'll leave you thinking, I wonder if ... Highly recommended' Good Reading

'Intelligent, rollicking entertainment' Weekend Australian

The Shadow Game

by Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann

Published 22 August 2016

The fast-paced deadly conclusion to the Secret City trilogy. '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 Once feared newshound Harry Dunkley has fallen, disgraced and dispirited at having failed to reveal the existence of the cabal of mandarins pulling the strings of power in Canberra. But new purpose is in the air. Dunkley receives aid from an unlikely band of adversaries, and as the Australian government teeters between fear and greed - wanting US security and Chinese cash - he looks at his enemies afresh. Resurrected Labor powerhouse Catriona Bailey and the hitherto untouchable Defence chief, Sir Jack Webster, leader of the sinister cabal, have played Dunkley at every turn. Yet there is a chink in Webster that might just bring him - and Bailey -down. 'Lewis and Uhlmann's mischeivous use of contemporary political decisions flirts with the possibilities of a roman-a-clef ...THE SHADOW GAME is a welcome addition to the ranks of fictional representations of life in our capital ...it's a book that deserves to be enjoyed by many' Ed Wright, The Australian 'Spies, sex, vengeance, politics, intrigue .
..what more could you want from a book?' Canberra Times 'It reads like an episode of House of Cards or Borgen, however the third book in the Secret City series hits much closer to home ...showcasing Canberra and its politicians at their most evil, corrupt and weak ...an engaging and thought-provoking political thriller.' Law Society Journal