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The Greater Good

Series: John Bailey
4.03 goodreads logo

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( 1,307 ratings, 86 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Greater Good by Tim Ayliffe follows investigative journalist John Bailey, who is entangled in a complex web of political intrigue and espionage. While pursuing a high-stakes investigation, Bailey navigates the dangerous underworld of secrets and betrayal. The story captures the tension between personal ethics and the pressure of uncovering the truth.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you love fast-paced thrillers infused with political intrigue and suspense. Filled with complex characters and unexpected twists, it's an engaging read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, perfect for those who appreciate a gripping story with ties to real-world issues.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy.

There’s nothing more dangerous than a man who can fall no further …

‘Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.’ Better Reading

He had never killed anyone who hadn’t deserved it. The means always justified the end. He didn’t need forgiveness. He needed justification. The greater good.

Battered war correspondent John Bailey is a man living on the edge. He’s haunted by nightmares of being kidnapped and tortured in Iraq and he’s drinking too much to drown the memories. As he battles to get his life back together, a story breaks that will force him back into the spotlight – and into the crosshairs of a deadly international player.

When a beautiful prostitute is found murdered in her luxury apartment, Bailey is ordered to cover the story by The Journal’s editor and his old friend, Gerald Summers, because he can’t trust anyone else.

One of the victim’s clients, a key advisor to the Defence Minister, is the chief suspect in her murder and he’s on the run. When he contacts Bailey, claiming to have information that will bring down the government, the stakes become deadly. To complicate matters, the investigating police detective is the woman Bailey walked out on a decade ago.

When a ruthless CIA fixer turns up, followed by a murderous Chinese agent hot on his trail, Bailey realises he has stumbled onto the story of a lifetime – one that he may not live to tell.

The brilliant first book in Tim Ayliffe's bestselling John Bailey series. Bailey's adventures in The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within will be adapted for the screen by CJZ Productions, Australia's largest independently owned production company.

Praise for The Greater Good

‘A brilliantly written character starring in a cracking crime thriller’ Herald Sun

‘A fun and exhilarating political crime thriller that is guaranteed to electrify and entertain in good measure.’ The Unseen Library

‘Readers will not fail to enjoy the ride from start to finish.’ Good Reading

‘A crime thriller with the lot: murder, deceit, corruption and a hint of romance … Ayliffe takes you deep inside the worlds of politics and the media, with a heavy dose of international intrigue thrown in.’ Michael Rowland

‘Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.’ Better Reading

‘If Rake were a journalist, with a talent that equals his capacity to survive being beaten up, Bailey would be him.’ Julia Baird

‘An absolute cracker of a thriller.’ Chris Uhlmann

Praise for State of Fear

‘Another brilliantly crafted thriller from Ayliffe that fits perfectly in today’s worrying world … Verdict: Get this guy on TV’ Herald Sun

Praise for Enemy Within

‘A breathlessly written book, ripped from today’s headlines, this is a cracking read that blurs the line between fact and fiction. More please.’ Michael Robotham

‘A cracking yarn told at breakneck speed. I couldn't put it down.’ Chris Hammer

‘Sharp, gritty, sophisticated. Ayliffe’s criminal world is terrifyingly real.’ Candice Fox

Series: John Bailey

View all
  • The Greater Good
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy. There’s nothing more dangerous than a man who can fall no further … ‘Ayliffe delivers a taut, nail-biting page-turner, stamping his mark on the modern day Australian thriller.’ Better Reading He had never...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • State of Fear
    Set to be adapted for the screen. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and bring down the world’s most wanted terrorist. Catching the world's most wanted terrorist was supposed to be someone else's job... John Bailey has a history of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The former...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Enemy Within
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy. Shortlisted for the 2022 Danger Prize. Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award. He heard a voice, someone calling out in the distance, followed by a loud fluttering of birds. Bailey looked up...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Killer Traitor Spy
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy. Winner, 2024 Danger Awards, People's choice awardShortlisted, 2024 Ned Kelly Awards, Best Crime Fiction AN OLD WAR HAS A NEW BATTLEGROUND Someone wants Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev dead. After years flying under the...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Killer Traitor Spy
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Journalist John Bailey and CIA officer Ronnie Johnson join forces to outwit their most deadly adversary yet. Winner, 2024 Danger Awards, People's choice award Shortlisted, 2024 Ned Kelly Awards, Best Crime Fiction ‘Ayliffe is a master of the genre.’ Sulari Gentill STEALING SECRETS IS A DEADLY GAME Someone wants Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Wrong Man
    The fifth novel in the John Bailey thriller series. Bailey is trying to solve two murders, ten years apart – unfinished business from his former flame Sharon Dexter. But will it cost him his life? When Sydney socialite Tottie Evans is found dead at a house in Palm Beach, Detective Holly Sutton is called in to investigate. She immediately suspects...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Tim Ayliffe's The Greater Good is praised for its action-packed and tight narrative, reminiscent of works by authors like David Baldacci and Lee Child. The protagonist, John Bailey, is described as a compelling character, likened to a journalist version of Rake, who combines charisma, sarcasm, and vulnerability. The book is a gripping crime thriller filled with murder, deceit, and political intrigue, with some reviewers celebrating its relevancy to contemporary headlines.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925640939

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 February 2020

Country: Australia

Imprint: Simon & Schuster Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Tim Ayliffe’s thriller novels have been informed by his 25-year career as a journalist in Australia and around the world. He writes about espionage, extremism, politics and the global power games at play in the 21st Century. He has been the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News and also Executive Producer of News Breakfast. He is the author of the ‘John Bailey’ series including The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within, Killer Traitor Spy and his most recent novel, The Wrong Man. Tim's thrillers are also in development for TV. When he's not writing or chasing news stories, Tim watches rugby and surfs. He lives in Sydney.

Also by Tim Ayliffe

View all
  • State of Fear
    Set to be adapted for the screen. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and bring down the world’s most wanted terrorist. Catching the world's most wanted terrorist was supposed to be someone else's job... John Bailey has a history of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The former...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Enemy Within
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy. Shortlisted for the 2022 Danger Prize. Shortlisted for the 2022 Ned Kelly Award. He heard a voice, someone calling out in the distance, followed by a loud fluttering of birds. Bailey looked up...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Killer Traitor Spy
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Like Michael Connelly’s Bosch, John Bailey will risk everything to get to the truth – and expose a deadly enemy. Winner, 2024 Danger Awards, People's choice awardShortlisted, 2024 Ned Kelly Awards, Best Crime Fiction AN OLD WAR HAS A NEW BATTLEGROUND Someone wants Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev dead. After years flying under the...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Killer Traitor Spy
    SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN. Journalist John Bailey and CIA officer Ronnie Johnson join forces to outwit their most deadly adversary yet. Winner, 2024 Danger Awards, People's choice award Shortlisted, 2024 Ned Kelly Awards, Best Crime Fiction ‘Ayliffe is a master of the genre.’ Sulari Gentill STEALING SECRETS IS A DEADLY GAME Someone wants Russian millionaire Dmitry Lebedev...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Wrong Man
    The fifth novel in the John Bailey thriller series. Bailey is trying to solve two murders, ten years apart – unfinished business from his former flame Sharon Dexter. But will it cost him his life? When Sydney socialite Tottie Evans is found dead at a house in Palm Beach, Detective Holly Sutton is called in to investigate. She immediately suspects...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dark Desert Road
    Dark Desert Road takes us on a hell-ride through the forgotten towns of Australia's Badlands, featuring unforgettable characters and a simmering plot. — Candice Fox Dark Desert Road feels ripped from the headlines, with the signature insight that is Tim Ayliffe's calling card. Kit McCarthy is a good cop, strung out and struggling to adjust after closing a large child...
    Paperback
    $3799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
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    When Ollie heads out for a run in the park, the last thing he expects to find is a dead body. But the real shock is that Ollie recognises the man. And somehow, he's connected to Ollie's father... who vanished ten months ago. And then he learns that the dead man was a spy. With everything he thought he knew...
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