The Informant

by Christine Gregory

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing ...

The town of Hopeville is thrown into chaos when the body of Silas Ziccone, president of the notorious bikie gang the Outcasts,is found next to his abandoned car on a dirt road. Evidence suggests Silas was not alone when he was murdered, but there are no witnesses and the locals aren’t talking. When Silas’s son Anton steps into his role determined to get revenge on those responsible police fear an all-out bikie war.Journalist Lars Nilsson is writing a book on outlaw motorcycle clubs and is sent by his former editor to cover the story. Police warn Lars to stay away, but undeterred he pursues a lead that takes him into the centre of the gang rivalry. With debts to pay and a teenage son to raise alone, all Silas’s girlfriend Ashley wants is to escape to Western Australia and start afresh but Anton is keeping her close. There’s one person who may be able to help her get out but when your whole life’s a lie, how do you know who’s telling the truth?  The Informant is a simmering crime thriller that gives a window into the world of outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime and police corruption that will keep readers gripped until the heart-stopping end.PRAISE FOR THE INFORMANT ‘The Informant takes you deep into the perilous and volatile world of Australia’s number one organised crime threat – the outlaw motorcycle gang, where even a hint of suspicion that you’re an informant can be fatal. A terrific and timely read.’ – Duncan McNab, author of Dead Man Running‘Fast-paced and intriguing, with menace simmering beneath the idyllic setting.’ – Iain Ryan, author of The Casino

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

About the author

Christine Gregory is an Australian writer of crime and general fiction. An earlier version of The Community, was runner up for the 2022 Banjo Prize. Christine has previously been shortlisted in the Sisters in Crime, Scarlett Stiletto Awards.

Christine is a former international aid worker and now works as a Director in a national-not for-profit, working on the prevention of violence against women and children. She lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne) with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

🤩🤩For those who don’t have time for one of my usual essays…

𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕖 𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣:
Graham, Lars’ former boss, a gentle soul, wise and fearless. Kind.

𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕙𝕚𝕞:
A man who guided Lars a forthrightness in a crooked world. Still present though very unwell, he offers refuge to Lars and a family in need. He’s the man Lars uses to make the measure of another. The mentor vibe was a standout attribute. An emotional support regardless of his own danger, quietly heroic seeking zero fanfare, only worried about others and seeking the truth.

𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
A good bikie/corruption read. The relationships in the underworld were interesting and bitey, the females in that world portrayed well. All they seem to care about is money and the ‘look at me’ lifestyle. An enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Ultimo Press and the author for generously providing this book for review.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Vibe check: Bikie Gangs, High Stakes Drama, Gritty Crime

full review ⬇️

Books like The Informant remind me exactly why I love Australian crime fiction so much.

After enjoying The Community, I couldn't wait to dive into The Informant and it was every bit as gripping. While it's a fantastic follow up, I also think it works really well as a standalone if you haven't read the first book.

Bikie gangs. Turf wars. Police informants. Corrupt cops. People on the run.
Honestly... say no more. I was sold.

I absolutely inhaled this book finishing in less than 24 hours. The pacing barely let up with plenty of tension, shifting loyalties and enough danger to keep the pages flying by. Every chapter seemed to raise the stakes and I kept telling myself ‘just one more’ until suddenly I'd finished the whole thing.

Christine Gregory does a great job of balancing the action with believable characters, creating a crime thriller that feels gritty without losing sight of the people caught up in it all.

If you're a fan of Australian crime fiction with organised crime, fast paced plots and (my favourite) a combination of crime solving characters including police and journalists I'd definitely recommend adding this one to your list.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t you love a great crime novel? This was fantastic! I love The Community so couldn’t wait to read this.

Christine knows how to hook you in straight away, the first few pages got me and I couldn’t stop!

I loved having a glimpse into outlaw motorcycle gangs, organised crime and police corruption! This was a fast paced read filled with a lot of great things!

It had my heart racing and I was really worried about Ashley, she really couldn’t trust anyone and I felt the angst through pages!

I loved it and I highly recommend it!

Thanks so much @ultimopress for my copy. Always appreciated!

[Nerelle Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had me on the edge of my seat…..

After reading Christine’s previous book The Community, I admit that I was very keen to check out this one, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Seeing the return of Lars Nilsson gave me the feeling of catching up with an old friend, and it didn’t stop there, with several more characters popping up. This added more depth for readers that have read the previous book, however didn’t detract from this story at all, and you will still get an amazing story reading The Informant as a stand-alone.

This story has a little bit of everything. The chaos that comes with a murder and bikie wars, the connection of family and friends, small community support, a mystery with twists and turns, a lot of crime and an adrenaline fuelled pace.

The locations are depicted with a skill that gives you no doubt exactly where you are and exactly what you are seeing. Taking the reader through the hinterland, coastline and the suburbs of Queensland, as well as into the lives of a vast array of characters, with different circumstances and vastly different agendas.

I found that the emotional events that took place, really grounded the story with a reminder that in reality, life keeps happening and time keeps moving forward no matter what the circumstances. Well, unless you are the one that got murdered I guess.

I highly recommend The Informant as it is an entertaining and enjoyable read, giving you a glimpse into the fringes of a notorious bikie gang, and the collateral damage to those around it, but just remember that not all is as it seems, and not all is black and white.

#theinformant
#christinegregory
#comealongfortheride
#ultimopress

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Informant was a gritty, straight‑up crime thriller that felt grounded, tense, and easy to follow. I enjoyed how the story kept things simple but suspenseful. There were no overcomplicated twists, just raw gang politics, messy loyalties, and that constant "sus" feeling about who’s lying to whom. It’s the kind of book you can read fast because every chapter pushes you into the next.

The setting in Hopeville worked well: small town, big secrets, and everyone pretending they “didn’t see anything.” The bikie gang rivalry, police pressure, and Lars chasing the truth made the whole thing feel like a simmering pot ready to boil over. The arcs were clear, intriguing, and easy to track. It was perfect for a quick and engaging read.

What I Liked:
• Realistic gang tension
• Straightforward storytelling
• Multiple intriguing arcs

What Didn’t Work Out:
• Some pacing dipped slower
• Certain characters felt underexplored
• Police side felt a bit thin

Ratings Breakdown:
• Setting: 5⭐
• Characters: 3⭐
• Writing: 4⭐
• Message: 3⭐
• Overall: 4⭐

Final Thoughts:
A gritty, grounded crime thriller with believable gang politics, strong suspicion throughout, and arcs that keep you hooked. Quick to read, easy to digest, and packed with tension without being overwhelming. A solid, enjoyable ride.

Huge thanks to the Ultimo Press and author Christine Gregory for the copy.

~JaNnA~

[Julie (Bookish.Intoxication) · Rating 3 out of 5]

From page one, we are thrown into a motorcycle gang war. And wow, is it hectic. Action packed, not knowing who to trust, with narrators who you aren't entirely sure, are providing the whole truth.

The Informant is easy to read, and feels oddly familiar. It also feels like a peek behind the curtain into police work, detectives and organised crime.

I enjoyed how the focus wasn't solely on the motorcycle gangs, it also took a dive into the police, into members themselves. How their perspectives, biases and histories can change the course of an investigation.

This book is easy to read, with a pace that keeps pages turning, but doesn't feel rushed. Until the last 100 pages. Then everything turns full-throttle (see what I did there). The last 100 pages are a whirlwind of action, deceit and revelations. And an unexpected bond that is heartbreakingly sweet.

The Informant feels current and edgy. Set in coastal Australia, the setting and the locals all feel familiar and that gives the novel authenticity. If MC crime fiction novels are your thing, you can't go past this one!

Thank you to UltimoPress for sending a review copy of this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Michele (michelethebookdragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fantastic story featuring journalist Lars Nilsson from Christine's first book, The Community.

This time Lars is drawn into a growing war between two local Bikie gangs, when he is offered a lifeline at his old employer, The Herald.

But this is war and these people have no regard for the law, the police, or nosy journalists.

Lars should be taking things easy writing his book, enjoying his growing relationship with Miriam and his renewed closeness with his daughter Annika, but the lure of getting inside information and breaking this story open is too hard to resist.

Throw in some good cops and some bad cops, a desperate mother who has got herself in too deep and puts everything she loves at risk and you have one hell of a ride (pardon the pun 🤭).

I really enjoy Christine's writing, it is clear and well paced. Her characters are so well written and the storylines are topical and therefore realistic. I'm keen to see if there is more to Lars's story. Melbourne is a big city......

[Tessa Kinsela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of crime suspense will love this one. It just went from strength to strength, reminding me of the days when a great episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent would come on and you’d be completely glued to the screen.

Split into two parts with multiple POVs, the story keeps you on your toes as perspectives shift and new details are revealed through each character’s piece of the puzzle. The writing is sharp, the pacing relentless, and I couldn’t stop reading—I had to know how it would end.

Every character brought something valuable to the story, and the background on the bikie wars felt incredibly well researched. I remember so much of that era being all over the news.

Best of all, motive is not quite what it seems, and books that can genuinely surprise me always earn extra points. A gripping, binge-worthy read that won’t disappoint.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Informant ticks all the boxes for me when it comes to gritty Australian crime. I love a thrilling, rural crime novel and The Informant is set in a coastal town and centres around the murder of an outlaw bikie gang leader and the small town politics that ensue when not only the police are on the case, but the journos and locals too. There was a fairly big cast of characters to get acquainted with but it made for all the more suspicion of who was in on the hit and left me wondering what the underlying explanation was, I was hooked all throughout.
the pacing was perfect, the writing was gripping and the suspense was high. I couldn't put this book down and was so invested to see how it all unfolds. Fans of Jane Harper’s work will love this read. I believe it is a follow up to The Community which I definitely need to pick up next.

[Peta · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first read for this author. A story about Bikie gangs, corrupt cops and a journo. Obviously also, its about the informant - a woman called Ashley, who is a gang leader's 'woman' but also a mother and importantly, a police informant.
I found the story a bit laboured, and lacking in that factor that gets the heart racing as you read. The last third of the book was where the story really took shape, with some action.
Not all crime books need heart racing moments, but they do all need a hook; that thing that a reader clings to and invests in - whether that's the victim, the bad guy turning good, whatever. This story was trying to build that but it needed just a little more to grip the reader.
So....three stars because it was readable and not a bad storyline, and importantly I would invest in another book by this author.

[Emilie (emiliesbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crime, corruption, an outlaw bikie gang and a murder.. and that doesn’t even scratch the surface!

When the President of the Outcasts, a notorious bikie gang is found murdered, his son Anton steps up to throne and plans to stop at nothing to avenge his fathers dead

For Detective’s Davis & Fuller, the evidence suggests he was not alone when he died, but no one is saying anything

Ex-journalist Lars Nillson is in the middle of writing a book about bikie gangs, and his old editor recruits him to cover this story

While the Detective’s warn Lars to not get too involved, he continues to follow leads and before he knows it ends up in the thick of it

The Informant packs some serious punch, I could feel my heart racing through each chapter. It was so interesting and intense getting a glimpse of a bikie gang, while I was also preying for the informant Ashley to stay safe.

A must read Aussie crime novel

Thanks so much to Ultimopress for my gifted copy 🫶

[Jillwilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set up in the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, this novel focuses on the infighting of a group of bikes along with their interactions with the ordinary people in the district and with the police. The story is moved along through the perspectives of the barmaid girlfriend of the head of one of the bikie gangs, through two policemen, and through a local writer who is compiling a book about the illegal activities of bikies. There are some murders and attempts to work out who is providing information to whom.

This book was very readable – I enjoyed it. It might have needed a touch more swearing to totally build the authenticity of the worlds that it is working to evoke (bikies and cops) but this is a minor quibble.

[Mon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - could hardly put it down. I loved the Community and this sort of follows on from that but doesn’t.
A good crime story that follows the local bikie gang wrong doings and a story just waiting to be written with some questionable police dealings thrown in. Whats not to love.
If you liked the Community you’ll love The Informant but expect some on the edge of your seat moments and late nights reading.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this author's debut novel, The Community, I was super excited to hear that a new book was released. And it did not disappoint. Our journalist with issues, Lars is back on the job with bikie gangs, corrupt cops and murder. I had so much fun reading this. The Queensland biker gangs and corrupt cops was really well researched. If you have ever lived in Queensland, this will almost feel like a true crime story.
Loved it and can't wait for the next book.

[Asha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Wonderful! Highly recommend (and I’m not biased at all). Characterisation great! Story had me hooked, an emotional roller coaster. So proud of you Mum your an inspiration, got me teary.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I'd agree that I was gripped with this run of the mill' aussie rural noir murder'...and how novel bikies runniing the drug business!!!}}.
It was a fast easy read.