Click

Set in Melbourne at the start of 2020, this new offering from accomplished crime novelist Sarah Bailey deals with a killer on the loose, but also elucidates in a gripping story how modern technology has become both a help and a hindrance to law enforcers.

Three women bring this story of a possible serial killer to life: Pen, the copper; Oli, the journo; and Clarissa Dunkley, the Premier. Through them, the uneasy, interdependent and complicated relationships between police, media outlets and politicians are deftly laid out. All are under pressure: Pen, to solve crimes in a timely fashion; Oli, to be first to break the news and get those much-needed paid subscriptions to keep the whole show rolling; and Clarissa to respond to the unfolding crime wave to keep the public on side and to ensure re-election prospects.

In this hotbed environment, there is social media, where everyone is a commentator or influencer, there are the relentless demands of the news cycle, and the impatience of the public for perpetrators to be caught. The lines between news, entertainment, and PR are often blurred.

With advancements such as image altering and the ability to disguise digital footprints, the grip on what is true and what has been doctored can be slippery; nothing can be taken at face value. As police scramble to catch the killer, the city is on edge, the media is on alert, and the premier is on notice.

Click is a narrative of men’s violence towards women, and is full of scenarios with which we are all too familiar. But it is also the story of strong women and of those who, when faced with ethical dilemmas, are determined to do their jobs the right way, rather than the easy way.