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Camp Leichhardt
Ben Mulligan is a cop from the Northern Territory town of Katherine, with more than his share of problems. When he heads down to Camp Leichhardt, a Grey Nomad camp on the Roper River, to fish and get away from the stresses of life, he finds that all is not what it seems.
Ben uncovers a criminal conspiracy that will destroy lives and wreak havoc on local communities. With the beautiful Malea as his ally, he has to face his past head on, and tackle a cartel intent on making money at any cost. Yet, in doing so, he risks everything, even his own future.
Ben uncovers a criminal conspiracy that will destroy lives and wreak havoc on local communities. With the beautiful Malea as his ally, he has to face his past head on, and tackle a cartel intent on making money at any cost. Yet, in doing so, he risks everything, even his own future.
- GenresCrime
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2017
About the author
Greg Barron
25 books116 followersCrime, terrorism, history, international politics and the wide open spaces of outback Australia are all passionate interests of author Greg Barron. He has lived in North America, New South Wales and in and around Katherine, Northern Territory. He once crossed Arnhem Land on foot, and has a passion for the Top End landscape.
His books, published by HarperCollins Australia and Stories of Oz Publishing, are gutsy pageturners that tell the truth about the world. Rotten Gods was long listed for the prestigious Ned Kelly awards, and has been lauded as "one of the most sophisticated geopolitical thrillers ever written." Savage Tide was described by ABC Radio reviewer Rob Minshull as; "Both supremely intelligent and written at breathtaking pace."
Camp Leichhardt is the first of his Australian stories to see print, and was serialised in 2016 to wide acclaim. Rotten Gods, Savage Tide, Voodoo Dawn and Lethal Sky all feature Marika Hartmann, the Australian intelligence agent who has won the hearts of readers all over the world.
His books, published by HarperCollins Australia and Stories of Oz Publishing, are gutsy pageturners that tell the truth about the world. Rotten Gods was long listed for the prestigious Ned Kelly awards, and has been lauded as "one of the most sophisticated geopolitical thrillers ever written." Savage Tide was described by ABC Radio reviewer Rob Minshull as; "Both supremely intelligent and written at breathtaking pace."
Camp Leichhardt is the first of his Australian stories to see print, and was serialised in 2016 to wide acclaim. Rotten Gods, Savage Tide, Voodoo Dawn and Lethal Sky all feature Marika Hartmann, the Australian intelligence agent who has won the hearts of readers all over the world.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 13, 2020
More in my next Good Reads blog at https://www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.
September 28, 2020
Love a story set up here in the Top End! Barron has an excellent way with words and vividly puts you in the landscape here. I could smell it.
Thanks 🙏
Thanks 🙏
June 20, 2017
Being a Top Ender by birth and having lived a significant portion of my young adult life in the Katherine Region, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of place and people in this story. Each chapter brought back to life the imagery, the smells, the characters and the memories of this wonderfully unique place. Camp Leichhardt is a great yarn. It's fast paced in a casual kind of way, very funny at times and deeply serious at others.
May 28, 2017
This is a fast paced, action filled story, but what I loved most was the writers obvious love of the Australian outback. The writer really made you feel part of the campsite, tasting dust, sidestepping crocs and enjoying great Aussie camping and it's characters!
November 2, 2021
What a cracking read!
I've read and enjoyed most of Greg Barron's books, and once again I felt an immediate affinity with Barron's writing style and his characters.
I love first person present tense writing when it's done well, and in Camp Leichhardt, it immediately drew me in to the pages.
I have been to the Roper River, and to Mataranka, Katherine and Borroloola, many many years ago. I remember the vibrant green clarity of the Roper, and its environs, and can only imagine trying to navigate the river through the kind of scrapes that the main character, Ben, gets himself into.
The story starts at an easy pace, despite Ben's conflicts with the other nefarious types at the camping ground. The early pages about a man fishing and camping—seeking redemption and enjoying solace and reflection as he pits himself against the mighty Northern Territory barramundi (and the crocs!)—it was just a wonderful introduction to the story to come.
I think Greg Barron writes Australia as well as I've seen it done. Descriptions of the stars over a night sky from a swag, the scents and sounds of the river in the morning, and at night. Dust. Insects. Animals. People. It is all there, and he brings it to life.
From my perspective, and quite aside to how Ben Mulligan brings the bad guys to heel, my very favourite part of this book is that at times it felt like I was reading the ultimate Top End fishing manual. The very best fishing manual actually, because it had story wrapped around it. The pages I've bookmarked are those dealing with lures, snags, fishing braid, and how to bleed and fillet and cook a mackerel and a barra.
Mouth-watering!
Of course, eventually they have to leave the river and the boats, because there are bad guys to collar, and from there it is a race to the finish and a shoot out that will keep you up late reading. But the beauty of a Greg Barron thriller is, no big criminal fish gets off the hook!
I've read and enjoyed most of Greg Barron's books, and once again I felt an immediate affinity with Barron's writing style and his characters.
I love first person present tense writing when it's done well, and in Camp Leichhardt, it immediately drew me in to the pages.
I have been to the Roper River, and to Mataranka, Katherine and Borroloola, many many years ago. I remember the vibrant green clarity of the Roper, and its environs, and can only imagine trying to navigate the river through the kind of scrapes that the main character, Ben, gets himself into.
The story starts at an easy pace, despite Ben's conflicts with the other nefarious types at the camping ground. The early pages about a man fishing and camping—seeking redemption and enjoying solace and reflection as he pits himself against the mighty Northern Territory barramundi (and the crocs!)—it was just a wonderful introduction to the story to come.
I think Greg Barron writes Australia as well as I've seen it done. Descriptions of the stars over a night sky from a swag, the scents and sounds of the river in the morning, and at night. Dust. Insects. Animals. People. It is all there, and he brings it to life.
From my perspective, and quite aside to how Ben Mulligan brings the bad guys to heel, my very favourite part of this book is that at times it felt like I was reading the ultimate Top End fishing manual. The very best fishing manual actually, because it had story wrapped around it. The pages I've bookmarked are those dealing with lures, snags, fishing braid, and how to bleed and fillet and cook a mackerel and a barra.
Mouth-watering!
Of course, eventually they have to leave the river and the boats, because there are bad guys to collar, and from there it is a race to the finish and a shoot out that will keep you up late reading. But the beauty of a Greg Barron thriller is, no big criminal fish gets off the hook!
May 8, 2017
Ben Mulligan is on holidays and trying to get his life back together. He goes to a remote fishing camp called Camp Leichhardt only to find himself in the thick of things. Things are just not right in this camp in the middle of no where in the Northern Territory. What should be a relaxing time ends up with him fighting for his life.
I really enjoyed this. The locations, the characters, the story. It all comes together nicely to make for an exciting thriller. It's captivates you, drags you in and doesn't let you go. I just hope this is the start of a new series.
Well worth reading.
I really enjoyed this. The locations, the characters, the story. It all comes together nicely to make for an exciting thriller. It's captivates you, drags you in and doesn't let you go. I just hope this is the start of a new series.
Well worth reading.
May 8, 2017
When Ben Mulligan arrived for his week-long break at Camp Leichhardt, he was dismayed to see the place he loved - even though it had been five years since his last visit - overrun with caravans, campers and tents – Grey Nomads. But he found a spot by the river, near the boat ramp and settled in to relax and forget his worries for a while. Ben loved to fish and was looking forward to the tranquillity of the Roper River of the Northern Territory - as well as some big barramundi.
But the hostilities he encountered almost immediately from some of the inhabitants made him suspicious. Ben was a cop from Katherine and that knowledge seemed to upset some; he vowed then and there to discover why.
His days of fishing were a balm to his soul, but all too soon Ben found certain things that didn’t add up. And of course, being a cop he began to silently and stealthily investigate – but he didn’t realise the criminal activities which were going on would immediately put his life in danger. Plus the lives of others in the campsite as well; in particular the lovely Malea…
Would Ben succeed in his quest to break up the criminal activities and get them behind bars? Or would the criminals stop at nothing to keep Ben from discovering the truth?
Camp Leichhardt is another gripping, fast-paced thriller by Aussie author Greg Barron which I absolutely flew through. Intense and breathtaking, it was great to be reading another by this author who knows how to keep his readers enthralled. Set in outback Northern Territory among the dust and flies, it also conveys the amazing beauty of the country. The cover is spectacular as well.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
But the hostilities he encountered almost immediately from some of the inhabitants made him suspicious. Ben was a cop from Katherine and that knowledge seemed to upset some; he vowed then and there to discover why.
His days of fishing were a balm to his soul, but all too soon Ben found certain things that didn’t add up. And of course, being a cop he began to silently and stealthily investigate – but he didn’t realise the criminal activities which were going on would immediately put his life in danger. Plus the lives of others in the campsite as well; in particular the lovely Malea…
Would Ben succeed in his quest to break up the criminal activities and get them behind bars? Or would the criminals stop at nothing to keep Ben from discovering the truth?
Camp Leichhardt is another gripping, fast-paced thriller by Aussie author Greg Barron which I absolutely flew through. Intense and breathtaking, it was great to be reading another by this author who knows how to keep his readers enthralled. Set in outback Northern Territory among the dust and flies, it also conveys the amazing beauty of the country. The cover is spectacular as well.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
April 25, 2023
Ben Mulligan, a member of the Katherine constabulary, heads to his favourite place for a bit of peaceful R & R on the Roper R. Camp Leichhardt has become a busy place for Grey Nomads since he was last there & it also appears to have attracted some wronguns to its isolated location. A few of the campers don't appreciate having a copper on site, be he on holiday or not.
Fishing isn't an interest of mine but by the end of this book I really appreciated the author's joy in it. He gets almost lyrical in his descriptions of the beautiful fish & his happiness to be out there & up close.
The theme is very familiar to me, I feel like I've read something along similar lines quite recently, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. This is a well-paced & -plotted novel for the most part: the first 3/4 was excellent but I thought the end let it down a bit, it seemed a little incoherent & hurried. I'll definitely try some of this author's other works.
Fishing isn't an interest of mine but by the end of this book I really appreciated the author's joy in it. He gets almost lyrical in his descriptions of the beautiful fish & his happiness to be out there & up close.
The theme is very familiar to me, I feel like I've read something along similar lines quite recently, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. This is a well-paced & -plotted novel for the most part: the first 3/4 was excellent but I thought the end let it down a bit, it seemed a little incoherent & hurried. I'll definitely try some of this author's other works.
April 15, 2023
This is a new author to me, so I was not sure what to expect. Ben is a member of the police force looking forward to a camping trip where he can be by himself and spend some peaceful time fishing. However, in this remote camping ground, it quickly becomes apparent that all is not quite right, and a couple of campers have built themselves a small fiefdom and are calling the shots with the rest of the campers (primarily grey nomads). When the realise that Ben is a 'cop' he finds himself to be a 'marked man'. Unable to let his professional side rest, Ben makes it his mission to discover what is going on and it gets very messy.
Although a lot of the book was about fishing (I must remember to tell my brother about this book) there was a good plot that held my intrigue and the book also gave good insight into the impact on drugs and alcohol on our first people.
Although a lot of the book was about fishing (I must remember to tell my brother about this book) there was a good plot that held my intrigue and the book also gave good insight into the impact on drugs and alcohol on our first people.
January 12, 2021
A very Australian novel set on the Roper River in the Northern Territory. Holidaying cop, Ben Mulligan, carrying some emotional baggage, arrives at a camp of mainly Grey Nomads for some barra fishing on the river. There, trouble follows him and a few of the campers seem to be into nefarious activities connected to a nearby Aboriginal community. Mulligan is a little dense and the reciprocal falling quickly in love with the young Filipino wife of a suspect strains credibility, but it is an intense and involving read in a superbly described setting
July 19, 2018
Aussie yarn
Enjoyable read. Did it in one sitting after dinner. Having travelled a fair bit in the Northern Territory I was able to identify with the culture. Having family who are police officers I also understand the mind set. I will say the main character is a bit slow on the uptake. Enjoy the read.
Enjoyable read. Did it in one sitting after dinner. Having travelled a fair bit in the Northern Territory I was able to identify with the culture. Having family who are police officers I also understand the mind set. I will say the main character is a bit slow on the uptake. Enjoy the read.
December 6, 2022
Good read
Fast paced, loved the descriptions of the Australian bush and the fishing. Good characters but a bit unrealistic at times.
Fast paced, loved the descriptions of the Australian bush and the fishing. Good characters but a bit unrealistic at times.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews