Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book is astonishing and needs to be read by anyone in any country who is involved in policing and or local politics. Although looking at corruption in Queensland Australia, I believe there are lessons here for many countries.

Mr Bleakley is describing endemic and hideous corruption in Queensland Police in the 1980’s and 1990’s and the reasons it was allowed to continue as long as it was. And it was "allowed" because state politicians were part of the crime. They might not have gained financially the way the high up police officers did but they knew the corruption existed and used that knowledge to create a favourable political landscape by having police get information on opponents etc.,

Several attempts were made to root out the disease but it never took until finally there was a big enough will and powerful enough people to get the difficult job done and the outcome and level of corruption was shocking.

It would be easy to believe nothing like this exists now in the world but when you have an insular group which is indoctrinated to protect their own - understandably - it would be naive to see this as a one off. A fascinating book which is academic but perfectly suitable for a lay person.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley

This book investigates systemic corruption in Queensland, Australia in the latter half of the 20th century. It draws attention to the broad impact of various schemes and coverups that were made possible by the government and police working in tandem. It shows how this interconnected apparatus achieved social control and managed the public narrative surrounding their actions through both kinds of corruption: the more obvious and notorious accepting of bribes along with the insidious and expansive process corruption, whereby police bend rules to see their version of justice done, relying on the support of their colleagues to avoid repercussions.

I love putting an academic, historical hat back on. This was an opportunity to learn specifics of Australian history that were new to me as well as some more generalizable conclusions in the field of historical criminology. The fact that these corruption schemes can fill a whole book is staggering.

I have complicated feelings towards the writing. While I loved the bulk of evidence, the analysis got a bit repetitive. I can understand not necessarily telling this tale linearly, but it added to the sense of repetition to find myself back in a period that had already been covered with frequent reminders about historical events and people to assure readers were making necessary connections across chapters.

Also, I would have liked more conversation around privilege and lines of power that intersect with the police as a system. Race and xenophobia are fleetingly mentioned but not to a satisfying degree, and gender is never addressed despite frequent references to the blue "brotherhood" and their "hypermasculine" culture. Gay men who were targeted for blackmail by corrupt police did receive an entire chapter of focus with attempts to comment on the psychological and physical damage of those actions. I think the author could have gone deeper on analysis if he used a lens that allowed for more interrogation of intersectionality and that recognized social forces beyond generalized comments about "conservative values" and "left-wing" agitators. I think a complete picture of systemic issues is not possible without discussion of the role played by class, race, and gender identities, to name a few.

Under a Bad Sun covers the history of corruption in the Queensland Police Force (QPF) from its inception to the explosive revelations inthe 1980's that blew the lid off the sordid mess.

Bleakley covers a lot of ground in his book and does it well, there are a multitude of personalities involved and he untangles the deceit and underhand behaviours clearly.

Where the book falls slightly is that it sometimes reads as quite dry and academical whilst, occasionally, there are flourishes of drama and excitement that read like a thriller. Unfortunately the pacy sections don't last and the dryness resumes. Whilst the subject matter is quite convoluted I do feel that Bleakley could have made this book a lot more readable.

Also, an explanation as the different types of corruption would be nice too. He often mentions 'noble cause' or 'mercenary' corruption but doesn't really explain what these are or what the motivations are behind these types of corruption.

Still, a reasonable book that covers an interesting time and place.