Corruption is a great read. The central figure is multifaceted and intriguing, while the topic of money laundering is very topical in Australia with e.g., the various inquiries into Crown casinos.
The author made a good choice in making most of the account in the first person. That gives him the opportunity to create his own distinctive voice; colloquial, self-deprecatory, and with the occasional wisecrack. It works well.
The plot line is quite original and avoids most of the stereotypical concentration on gory violence, invincible hero, explicit sex, and whodunnit puzzles that permeate most popular crime fiction these days.
I have read a couple of recent novels by Australian authors that have received rave reviews, but that I have regarded as very disappointing. This is much better than most Aussie books I have read.
The book is well produced, with very few glitches.
Patrick O'Leary, Frank Foreshaw, Terence Carmichael, and Martin Gordon have everything in common except their names. In truth, three out of these four names are the aliases of one man, Patrick O'Leary. For every time Patrick changed his city of operation, he, out of necessity, changed his identity and, coincidentally, his spouse. Patrick is a money launderer, and he offers his discreet services to high-profile politicians. He is efficient at what he does and is very rich for that, but he lives a life of modest wealth. At sixty-one, after over thirty years in business, Patrick—Frank, Terence, and Martin—has broken all the laws possible but is still a free man. (It takes a crime to cover up a crime.) Either his deeds have gone unnoticed, or he has been forgotten, or 'justice' just can't figure which of these men committed these crimes. Corruption by Gerard Hogan is simply a complex story of how a young man climbed down the ladder of morality and up the ladder of wealth.
This story was Patrick's, so it was narrated by him, and he makes it clear from the onset that he is Australian and, as such, must tell his story using Australian English. For instance, the doctor's office is called the surgery, and a pickup is called a ute. Set across several cities in Australia, the events in this book happened between the 80s and the present time. On one hand, it was almost confusing for me to keep up with the names of the cities, but on another hand, it was fun to indirectly learn about the geography and operation of Australia. Small portions of the story spread into China and America. Patrick drove his story from the present to the past and back to the present.
Besides its ever-changing geographical setting, the most interesting feature of this book was its characterization, especially Patrick's. At the beginning of the story, Patrick was just an average lawyer trying to win the approval of his lover's father. But Bruce Hungerford, minister of police, had bigger plans for his daughter, Melissa. And so it happened: Melissa was married off to the most promising suitor, and Patrick experienced three increasingly disastrous marriages, all the while in love with Melissa. Despite his failed marriage proposal, Patrick goes under Bruce's employ, and there his journey of corruption began. Melissa and Patrick's lifelong relationship, which took different forms over the years, was another interesting aspect of this book.
It could be said that this book had just one plot, but there was never a dull moment in the story. The book also featured several broad and interesting themes, primarily crime, money, and love. Although Patrick had several romantic engagements, romance was not the focus of this book. However, there was sufficient romantic content to appease romantics like myself. By my judgment, this book was professionally edited, as I noticed less than ten errors in it. It was a unique, engaging, and worthwhile read.
Reviewing certain books immediately after reading them can be almost impossible, for the fear of saying too much or not saying enough; Corruption was one of such books. It left me satisfied but in thought. I recommend this book to anyone who appreciates sociopolitical fiction. Notwithstanding that there was little cussing and sexual content in this book, I believe the book is better suited for an adult audience because of its weighty and sophisticated topics. Also, there were allusions to events of the '80s and '90s which a young audience may not appreciate.
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