Frank Calder, an ex-soldier whose post-military career as a police hostage negotiator ended after he got into a physical altercation with a sadistic fellow officer, now works as a private mediator.

Outwardly a hardened loner, on the inside, he nurtures demons from his military days and is plagued by constant self-doubt.

[6] On the "AustCrime" website Karen Chisholm had this to say about the Text Publishing reprint of the novel in 2019: "Shooting Star has always been a masterclass in thriller execution.

Sparse, cleverly paced, littered with clues that make for many 'of course' proclamations, there isn't a wasted moment in all 232 pages.

And then there are the little touches, the turns of phrase that show you how his characters, think, behave, interact, never in an overbearing manner, often with dry wit and wry humour.