Angus McLean

Red Mist Angus McLean

The streets of south Auckland are a tough beat, and Dan Crowley's detective squad is under-resourced and overworked. Violent crime is riding a surging wave and the cops seem helpless to stop it. With a brutal gang of gun-wielding thugs robbing cash vans, each robbery more violent than the last, it is only a matter of time before they have a body on their hands. While Dan is chasing a promotion he's worked his butt off for, his compassion for the underdog leads him to hunt the hoods who have beaten a young boy and left him too traumatised to leave the house. Dan Crowley doesn't like bullies, and he's taking this case personally. A new boss named Kennedy doesn't help, and at a time when his career should have been taking off, Dan is racked with self-doubt and left reconsidering his future. Policing is his passion, but maybe it's become a one-sided affair with a cruel mistress. Between the internal politics, the crooks, and running a squad of oddball detectives, there's not much time to worry about priorities at home. At least he can always count on the lovely Molly, but she has problems of her own. Not only is their best friends' marriage in tatters, but something strange is going on at work and Molly is determined to get to the bottom of it. A little sleuthing on the side can't hurt...can it? Throw in an undercover cop, a blue-flamer, an old adversary and a vulnerable informer, and you have life as a street detective in south Auckland. It's hard, relentless and unforgiving, and Dan Crowley keeps coming back for more. But when the red mist comes down, lines are crossed and there are no guarantees he will walk away unscathed...