The Third Affidavit

by Steve Schach, Sharon Stein

This historical murder mystery is set in Sydney in 1880. Detective Inspector Harland believes that the body lying in a clearing is a local shopkeeper. Dr. Jenkins insists that the victim is his patient, the wealthiest man on the North Shore. They’re both wrong.

The action moves from downtown Sydney to the rural villages of the Blue Mountains as DI Harland and Rabbi Montague of The Great Synagogue team up to solve a series of mysterious killings. Are Irish republican terrorists behind the wave of murders? Why is Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, involved? And what role does the house on Pitt Street play?

307 pages, Paperback

Published January 16, 2025

About the author

For 26 years, Steve Schach was a professor at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. At the end of 2009, Steve moved to Sydney, Australia. Before he began writing thrillers, Steve wrote 13 best-selling software engineering textbooks, which are used in universities all over the world. Down Under, Steve intended to become a full-time grandfather, and limit his intellectual activities to solving cryptic crossword puzzles and avidly watching Sesame Street with his grandchildren. However, the urge to write proved to be far too strong to overcome, hence his historical spy thriller, Old Bach Is Come which was published in March 2013. While the book was in production, Steve completed two more historical spy thrillers, both set in World War II.