Bücher der Reihe Richard West

When Richard West is asked to go to Fern Valley to save a school from closure he discovers a conspiracy of silence in the small community; the foresters, the farmers, the huge MALFOR company, and the teachers. There is also a strong distrust between Maori and European sectors. His second task is to find the school principal, who has simply disappeared. He finds people are resentful of his efforts and is puzzled by the questions he asks himself as he discovers more of this remote community. What is upsetting the Maori community? Why has a young surveyor disappeared? Where is the previous School Principal? Did the experienced Alex Jamieson die naturally in a tree fall, or was he murdered? What secrets are buried in the ancient burial caves? What are the MalFor payments hiding, and how does Richard break the cone of silence??

Richard West is drawn into a web of intrigue and violence as he unwittingly uncovers evidence of murder, prostitution and drug trafficking in an exclusive school for girls. He befriends a young policewoman, June Crawford who has been undercover investigating drug trafficking. The drugs and prostitution are controlled by a committee of otherwise respectable citizens. The Committee view Richard as a danger. They discredit him and kidnap his daughter Jo Hannah to force Richard and June to delay or halt their investigation until the Committee can finish their last delivery of drugs and disband. The twin sister of the murdered witness seeks revenge for her sister's death, while the vicious Harley Davidson and Clown, the hit-man for the Committee, are ever-present threats to Jo's life.

Raewyn is seventeen and pregnant but she does not know how that happened. While investigating the death of the School Principal, Dr Richard West finds several cases like Raewyn's. The babies mysteriously die in the nursing home. Wyatt Roeske tells the police about sexual abuse in a Children's Home. He is brutally tortured. While involved in finding the truth, Richard becomes a target for a sophisticated international network of people traffickers.

Richard West and his wife Alex become involved in life and death struggles with a gang of sex slave dealers who are protected by a ruthless politician and a corrupt senior policeman. One of Dr Richard West's students, Boon, falls into their hands. Spurred on by students and friends, Richard searches for Boon, hoping to rescue her before it is too late. PC Rebecca Nolan is suspended when she links Boon's abduction to similar student disappearances. The trail leads from her boss to the mysterious Tall Oaks Resort where Richard makes a gruesome discovery.

Richard West has a bad day. He loses his job at a university. It gets worse: his house is demolished, he is injured and is sued. Worse still, his wife Alex disappears with a known criminal. He must have faith in her judgement against all odds. He begins to fight back against his attackers, but who are they? And will Alex be in danger if he retaliates?