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Undercurrent: The Hidden Cost of Going Undercover
The city pulled him in. The lie pulled him under.
Undercurrent is a first-hand account of what happens when a police officer disappears into an undercover identity and stays there too long.
Brisbane, mid-1990s. Jason Somerville is a young Queensland police officer who never planned on joining the force, let alone working covert operations. After a routine buy-bust draws attention to his instincts on the street, he is selected for undercover work and gradually absorbed into a world built on deception, performance and constant threat. His assumed identity, Michael Bates, becomes more than a cover name. It becomes a survival tool.
Undercover policing is not cinematic. It is patient, tense and psychologically demanding. It means handling drugs instead of seizing them, laundering money to maintain credibility, and earning the trust of people you know you will eventually arrest. Every word is measured. Every interaction recorded. Act too much like a cop and you are exposed. Act too well as a criminal, and you risk becoming one.
As the operations escalate, so does the personal cost. Jason lives between safe houses and courtrooms. His marriage strains under secrecy. Trust erodes. The line between the man and the persona blurs until pretending no longer feels temporary.
In this world, the “white lie” is not harmless. It is currency. It keeps you breathing. But each compromise leaves a mark. The question is not whether to deceive, but how much of yourself you can surrender before something fundamental shifts.
Written with blunt honesty and a distinctly Australian voice, Undercurrent captures the grit, danger and moral tension of sustained undercover work. It is a true story about identity under pressure and the slow erosion that comes from living too long in the grey.
‘Uncompromising, gritty, authentic … grounded in lived experience.’
‘A compelling exploration of identity, moral compromise and the cost of losing yourself.’
‘Survival can depend on the lies you learn to live with’
Undercurrent is a first-hand account of what happens when a police officer disappears into an undercover identity and stays there too long.
Brisbane, mid-1990s. Jason Somerville is a young Queensland police officer who never planned on joining the force, let alone working covert operations. After a routine buy-bust draws attention to his instincts on the street, he is selected for undercover work and gradually absorbed into a world built on deception, performance and constant threat. His assumed identity, Michael Bates, becomes more than a cover name. It becomes a survival tool.
Undercover policing is not cinematic. It is patient, tense and psychologically demanding. It means handling drugs instead of seizing them, laundering money to maintain credibility, and earning the trust of people you know you will eventually arrest. Every word is measured. Every interaction recorded. Act too much like a cop and you are exposed. Act too well as a criminal, and you risk becoming one.
As the operations escalate, so does the personal cost. Jason lives between safe houses and courtrooms. His marriage strains under secrecy. Trust erodes. The line between the man and the persona blurs until pretending no longer feels temporary.
In this world, the “white lie” is not harmless. It is currency. It keeps you breathing. But each compromise leaves a mark. The question is not whether to deceive, but how much of yourself you can surrender before something fundamental shifts.
Written with blunt honesty and a distinctly Australian voice, Undercurrent captures the grit, danger and moral tension of sustained undercover work. It is a true story about identity under pressure and the slow erosion that comes from living too long in the grey.
‘Uncompromising, gritty, authentic … grounded in lived experience.’
‘A compelling exploration of identity, moral compromise and the cost of losing yourself.’
‘Survival can depend on the lies you learn to live with’
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 30, 2026
Thank you to Jason Somerville for the gifted copy.
I flew through Undercurrent. There’s something incredibly compelling about stepping into a world that exists right alongside your own, yet remains completely hidden.
Following Jason’s years working undercover in the 1990s—living as Michael Bates while infiltrating Brisbane’s drug scene—made for a fascinating read. Long before today’s technology changed policing, everything relied on instinct, trust, and constantly staying one step ahead.
What fascinated me most wasn’t the arrests or the drug busts, it was Michael Bates. Watching Jason build an entirely different identity, inhabit it for years, and then grapple with the reality that parts of that person never truly disappeared made this so much more than a memoir about undercover policing. It became an exploration of identity, survival, and the lasting psychological cost of living a life that was never really yours.
As someone from Brisbane, it was surreal reading about suburbs and places I know. It made me wonder not only what was happening in the shadows back then, but what still happens every day that most of us never see.
The writing is engaging, fast-paced, and incredibly easy to read. I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and ended up flying through it. If you’re interested in true crime, undercover policing, or memoirs that explore the human side of the job, I’d highly recommend this one.
I flew through Undercurrent. There’s something incredibly compelling about stepping into a world that exists right alongside your own, yet remains completely hidden.
Following Jason’s years working undercover in the 1990s—living as Michael Bates while infiltrating Brisbane’s drug scene—made for a fascinating read. Long before today’s technology changed policing, everything relied on instinct, trust, and constantly staying one step ahead.
What fascinated me most wasn’t the arrests or the drug busts, it was Michael Bates. Watching Jason build an entirely different identity, inhabit it for years, and then grapple with the reality that parts of that person never truly disappeared made this so much more than a memoir about undercover policing. It became an exploration of identity, survival, and the lasting psychological cost of living a life that was never really yours.
As someone from Brisbane, it was surreal reading about suburbs and places I know. It made me wonder not only what was happening in the shadows back then, but what still happens every day that most of us never see.
The writing is engaging, fast-paced, and incredibly easy to read. I kept telling myself “just one more chapter” and ended up flying through it. If you’re interested in true crime, undercover policing, or memoirs that explore the human side of the job, I’d highly recommend this one.
October 16, 2026
Enjoyable easy read that provides enough inner monologue to keep it compelling and thoughtful
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
reviewed by Nan van Dissel for Bluewolf Reviews and Big Sky Publishing.
Most readers of the true crime genre will be aware of an undercover police sting which has solved a difficult case; the most highly publicized case being the solving of the 2003 disappearance of Daniel Morcombe in 2011.
However, few readers would be aware of the actual mechanics behind these operations and the dangers undertaken by the officers in the role of undercover agent; a slight slip can expose their identity, putting not only themselves but their friends and family at the risk of unthinkable retribution. Jason Somerville in his page turning debut book “Undercurrent” gives the reader this insight.
Jason Somerville didn’t set out to be a policeman let alone an undercover agent, however in 1991 he started his training in the Queensland Police Service. Drawn to work in clandestine operations and understanding the dangers, in 1995 he joined the Covert Squad; a role which would require him to move between safe houses, lie to drug dealers and buy ever growing quantities of illegal drugs.
Understanding that the success of the operation depended on a fragile thread of trust extended to people whose loyalty belonged only to themselves, he took on the persona of Michael Bates drug dealer. Infiltrating drug syndicates generally required him to befriend small time dealers, gaining their confidence to move up the line; a small mistake or oversight could have catastrophic consequences. With a growing understanding of human behaviour, criminal methods and the nuances of policing, he started noticing his own personality subtly changing.
By the mid-1990s street deals were disappearing as dealers were becoming more cautious about how they sold heroin. There was now a greater separation between suppliers and the actual transaction; some used runners, so that they were never physically caught holding anything themselves. Through informers he started to gain a deeper understanding of the seedy underbelly of the city.
After spending two years pretending to be Michael Bates, the author at times had difficulty deciding where Bates ended and he began; undercover work leaves marks. All readers will find Undercurrent a compelling, absorbing, and very insightful read.
Most readers of the true crime genre will be aware of an undercover police sting which has solved a difficult case; the most highly publicized case being the solving of the 2003 disappearance of Daniel Morcombe in 2011.
However, few readers would be aware of the actual mechanics behind these operations and the dangers undertaken by the officers in the role of undercover agent; a slight slip can expose their identity, putting not only themselves but their friends and family at the risk of unthinkable retribution. Jason Somerville in his page turning debut book “Undercurrent” gives the reader this insight.
Jason Somerville didn’t set out to be a policeman let alone an undercover agent, however in 1991 he started his training in the Queensland Police Service. Drawn to work in clandestine operations and understanding the dangers, in 1995 he joined the Covert Squad; a role which would require him to move between safe houses, lie to drug dealers and buy ever growing quantities of illegal drugs.
Understanding that the success of the operation depended on a fragile thread of trust extended to people whose loyalty belonged only to themselves, he took on the persona of Michael Bates drug dealer. Infiltrating drug syndicates generally required him to befriend small time dealers, gaining their confidence to move up the line; a small mistake or oversight could have catastrophic consequences. With a growing understanding of human behaviour, criminal methods and the nuances of policing, he started noticing his own personality subtly changing.
By the mid-1990s street deals were disappearing as dealers were becoming more cautious about how they sold heroin. There was now a greater separation between suppliers and the actual transaction; some used runners, so that they were never physically caught holding anything themselves. Through informers he started to gain a deeper understanding of the seedy underbelly of the city.
After spending two years pretending to be Michael Bates, the author at times had difficulty deciding where Bates ended and he began; undercover work leaves marks. All readers will find Undercurrent a compelling, absorbing, and very insightful read.
October 20, 2026
🚨Undercurrent: The Hidden Cost of Going Undercover by Jason Somerville🚨
There is something incredibly fascinating about reading a true story that pulls back the curtain on a world most of us will never experience firsthand, and this book did exactly that 👀
Set in Brisbane in the mid-1990s, this memoir offers a raw, unfiltered look at the reality of undercover policing and the enormous personal cost that comes with living a lie. I found the psychological side of this story particularly compelling. Becoming someone else to survive in a dangerous environment sounds intense enough, but gradually losing the distinction between your real identity and the person you’re pretending to be? That is a whole other level of unsettling 🙈
What really stood out to me was how different undercover work is from the glamorous, action-packed version we often see on screen. It is about patience, calculated risks, constant vigilance and the emotional toll of maintaining a false identity while trying to hold onto your real life. The impact on Jason’s marriage and personal relationships added another layer of complexity to the story.
Overall, a fascinating and thought-provoking read that explores identity, deception and the hidden cost of living two lives. If you enjoy true crime, police memoirs or real-life stories that delve into the psychological impact, this one is worth adding to your TBR!
Thank you so much to @bigskypublishing for sending me a review copy, I am forever grateful 🙏🏼
QOTD: What is a topic or time you’d like to read more about?
#undercurrent #jasonsomerville #bookreview #aussiebookstagrammer #books
There is something incredibly fascinating about reading a true story that pulls back the curtain on a world most of us will never experience firsthand, and this book did exactly that 👀
Set in Brisbane in the mid-1990s, this memoir offers a raw, unfiltered look at the reality of undercover policing and the enormous personal cost that comes with living a lie. I found the psychological side of this story particularly compelling. Becoming someone else to survive in a dangerous environment sounds intense enough, but gradually losing the distinction between your real identity and the person you’re pretending to be? That is a whole other level of unsettling 🙈
What really stood out to me was how different undercover work is from the glamorous, action-packed version we often see on screen. It is about patience, calculated risks, constant vigilance and the emotional toll of maintaining a false identity while trying to hold onto your real life. The impact on Jason’s marriage and personal relationships added another layer of complexity to the story.
Overall, a fascinating and thought-provoking read that explores identity, deception and the hidden cost of living two lives. If you enjoy true crime, police memoirs or real-life stories that delve into the psychological impact, this one is worth adding to your TBR!
Thank you so much to @bigskypublishing for sending me a review copy, I am forever grateful 🙏🏼
QOTD: What is a topic or time you’d like to read more about?
#undercurrent #jasonsomerville #bookreview #aussiebookstagrammer #books
August 9, 2026
An easy-to-read and eye-opening memoir that offers a fascinating insight into undercover police work in Brisbane and rural Queensland in the early 1990s, depicting just how tough the work and expectations of those who serve undercover can be. The undercover processes and colourful criminal and fringe characters are vividly drawn, while the memoir leaves room for the reader to consider the personal cost of living behind an undercover persona and the impact this work can have on those closest to the officer.
This fast-paced memoir would suit older teens and adults.
This fast-paced memoir would suit older teens and adults.
October 16, 2026
A fast, easy, insightful and enlightening read. You would need nerves of steel to do this job.
I enjoyed the stories, the colourful characters, the compassion, empathy, and karma (I won’t give more than that away)!
I enjoyed the stories, the colourful characters, the compassion, empathy, and karma (I won’t give more than that away)!
September 29, 2026
Great book dealing with his time as a Undercover police officer covering the Brisbane area
October 9, 2026
An easy read and it flows really well. It's interesting on the life of an undercover cop, the toll it takes on them mentally.
I enjoyed this one.
I enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews