Author(s): Peter Doyle

Crime

As 1959 dawns, Billy Glasheen is in deeper trouble than ever. The past has caught up with him in the form of Fred Slaney, Sydney's meanest, most corrupt cop, who's got Billy framed up for the murder of his crooked partner. Not that Slaney wants to arrest him - what he wants is ten grand. He gives Billy a choice - pay up within six months, or take early retirement, forever. Billy can't think of a legal way to come up with the money that fast, and anyway, earning an honest living has never been his strength. So what's the answer? Up the ante on Uncle Dick's mailorder scams? Rig a horse race or two? Rob a bank? Maybe all of the above? Surely something will work . . . And it does, though not in the way you might expect - and not before Billy's situation gets a whole lot worse. Amaze Your Friends delivers a wild and hairy ride through Sydney's dark underside, but even when he's lying in the gutter, Billy's somehow looking at the stars.