The Mandarin Code

Second novel in the series that brought you Chinese spies, American bluster, and the deadly dance of Australian politics, long before there was fake news. Inspiration behind the major TV series SECRET CITY.

A body pulled from the murky waters of Lake Burley Griffin links Canberra, Beijing and Washington in a titanic struggle where war is just a mouse click away.

Veteran reporter Harry Dunkley is chasing the scoop of his career, hunting for his best friend's killer. Navigating treacherous political waters where a desperate minority government edges ever closer to disaster, he delves into a cyber world where there are no secrets.

Friendship and loyalty give way to betrayal and revenge as Dunkley stumbles into the sights of the mandarins who wield real power - and who'll stop at nothing to retain it.

Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insights to this sharply observed novel about growing Chinese influence, waning American power, and Australia's inevitable - and deadly - pursuit of a trade deal, in this sequel to the bestselling THE MARMALADE FILES.

'A cracking read' Tony Abbott

'There is an eerie ring of reality' Daily Telegraph

'This is fiction, but truth lurks behind every corner of it' Canberra Times

'A ripsnorter of a political thriller that'll leave you thinking, I wonder if ... Highly recommended' Good Reading

'Intelligent, rollicking entertainment' Weekend Australian

Steve Lewis arrived in Canberra in late 1992 and spent the next two decades tormenting the nation's political elite. He worked as a political reporter for the Australian Financial Review, the Australian and News Corp metro papers, and is currently senior adviser at Newgate Communications. 

Chris Uhlmann is one of Australia's best-known political broadcasters. He won a Walkley award for broadcast interviewing in 2008 and is highly respected for for the quality of his reporting and analysis as political editor of ABC News.