{"title":"Jason Somerville","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJason Somerville\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts gripping tales that plunge readers into the darkest corners of the human psyche. His work, including titles like \u003cem\u003eUndercurrent\u003c\/em\u003e, seamlessly blends suspense and intricate plotting to keep you guessing until the final page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFans of \u003cem\u003eCrime \u0026amp; Thriller\u003c\/em\u003e will appreciate Somerville’s keen insight into complex characters and atmospheric settings, where danger lurks beneath every calm surface. His stories explore the tension between hidden motives and explosive revelations.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"undercurrent-by-jason-somerville-9781923514928","title":"Undercurrent","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe city pulled him in. The lie pulled him under.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eUndercurrent\u003c\/em\u003e is a first-hand account of what happens when a police officer disappears into an undercover identity and stays there too long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBrisbane, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUndercover 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten with blunt honesty and a distinctly Australian voice, \u003cem\u003eUndercurrent\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Uncompromising, gritty, authentic … grounded in lived experience.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“A compelling exploration of identity, moral compromise and the cost of losing yourself.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“Survival can depend on the lies you learn to live with.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47642192445676,"sku":"9781923514928","price":41.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781923514928-undercurrent.jpg?v=1779143625"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/jason-somerville.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}