Reckless

'True crime adventure, bold memoir and investigative masterclass, but above all a breathtakingly original story.' - Robert Drewe, author of The Shark Net and The Bodysurfers

Jean Kay, my skipper, fellow adventurer, my friend. My brother.
Jean Kay, soldier of fortune, opportunist, embezzler, hijacker.

In her youth, amidst the throes of a reckless grief, aspiring Australian writer Marele Day is caught up in a shipwreck adventure and forges an unlikely bond with an international fugitive travelling under a pseudonym. For the next thirty years they correspond before reuniting, both older and wiser, in France.

Marele is now an accomplished crime writer, and while she knew of her travel companion's previous reputation as 'the hijacker with a big heart' and 'brother to the poor', she is intrigued to discover his connection to the disappearance of eight million francs and a secret dossier that made global headlines.

Brilliantly crafted, Reckless tells the story of how Marele uncovers the truth about Jean Kay's identity and motives by piecing together clues from their letters, her diaries and a stash of newspaper clippings, and how, in the process of telling his story, she ultimately makes peace with the reckless ghosts of her past.

About the Author

Marele Day's four-book Claudia Valentine series won her a Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award for crime writing. Her bestselling literary novel, Lambs of God, was published to acclaim in Australia and overseas, and became a multi-award winning miniseries. Other novels include Mrs Cook: The Real and Imagined Life of the Captain's Wife, and The Sea Bed.

Marele has more than twenty years' experience as a mentor and teacher of Creative Writing. She has served as judge for literary competitions including The Australian/Vogel's Literary Award and the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. She lives on Bundjalung Country in northern New South Wales.