New crime novel features attempt to assassinate David Lange

MEDIA RELEASE

Did enemies attempt to assassinate David Lange when he was Prime Minister of New Zealand? A new political crime novel by Jennifer Palgrave, The One That Got Away, depicts a carefully planned attempt to poison the reformist leader.

The failed assassination, and its secret cover-up, are set within a government torn between old Labour ideals, and rich businessmen who stand to profit from the asset sell-offs of Roger Douglas. David Lange is trapped at the centre of this conflict between money and ideals.

The fiction’s main character, Lauren Fraser, is a former public servant easing into a comfortable retirement. When her historian friend Ro stumbles across evidence of the plot, Lauren finds herself unwillingly drawn into the Beehive mystery. Which politician was the would-be murderer? Can they be brought to justice after thirty years? Whose money is behind the continuing cover up?

Lauren and Ro’s lives are in danger when their investigation expands past the Lange cold case, and takes on powerful forces still willing to murder, to cover their tracks.

This gripping new novel is set in Wellington, around the time Lauren and her friends are celebrating the rise to power of a new legend in Labour’s pantheon - Jacinda Ardern.

Jennifer Palgrave is the pen name of new writing partnership Lois Cox and Hilary Lapsley. Both are experienced writers of non-fiction.

Hilary says, ‘We love the freedom fiction gives us to let our imaginations run free.’ And Lois promises another Lauren Fraser mystery: ‘We enjoyed the characters we invented, and some of them will be in our next thriller, which is already under way.’

The One That Got Away is available from independent bookshops and will soon be in public libraries. It will shortly be released in e-book format on Amazon’s Kindle and other platforms.

© Scoop Media