The Operators
By (Author) Barry Heard
Scribe Publications
Scribe Publications
3rd September 2019
Australia
Paperback
272
Width 154mm, Height 232mm, Spine 30mm
358g
Sophisticated computer hacking told the syndicate everything about Wally. Everything but why it would be a big mistake to kidnap him. Retired farmer Wally Flannagan is on a pilgrimage to Indonesia to witness the once-in-a-lifetime blooming of a rare flower. His holiday soon goes awry when he finds himself the target of kidnapping with the goal of extortion. Yet these plans, as alarming as they are for Wally, are little more than a diverting pastime for this criminal syndicate. They are organised, powerful, and ruthless. Yet there's one thing they don't know about Wally. He's a Pig. What's a Pig Read on . . . The Operators is a thrilling yarn of wit, man bags, and old-fashioned ingenuity in the face of a changing world from master storyteller Barry Heard.
Barry Heard was conscripted in Australia's first national-service ballot, and served in Vietnam as an infantryman and radio operator. After completing his national service, he returned home, where he found himself unable to settle down. He had ten different jobs in his first ten years back, worked as a teacher for a further ten years, and then held several mid-managerial posts before succumbing to a devastating breakdown due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder. Since recovering, Barry has decided to concentrate on his writing. His short stories have received several prizes, including the Sir Edmund Herring Memorial Award and the Sir Weary Dunlop Prize. Barry's books include the bestselling memoir Well Done, Those Men, its prequel, The View from Connor's Hill, and the World War I novel Tag. He lives with his family in rural Victoria.