* Copy courtesy of Hachette Australia *I only learned about ex-cop Roger Rogerson when the murder of Jamie Gao hit the news in 2014. I remember being astounded to see the CCTV footage of Rogerson and another ex-copper (Glen McNamara) disposing of Jamie Gao's body and wondering how this could have happened. How could two Australian Policemen become killers, and how could they be so stupid as to be caught on CCTV?
I picked up Roger Rogerson by Duncan McNab in an attempt to understand these questions and my curiosity has now been satisfied.
Duncan McNab is a former police detective and private investigator and he utilises these skills to give the reader a summary of Rogerson's colourful career, including his time in the police force, his criminal activity and jail time leading up to the murder of Jamie Gao.
Plenty of cops - and criminals - are mentioned throughout, and several criminal and court cases are included and outlined. As a reader only interested in the murder of Jamie Gao, the background was moderately interesting, but difficult to keep up with. Without knowing the various 'players' or anything about the NSW Police Force or alleged corruption within, I did feel bogged down at times.
My interest picked up again at the arrest for the murder of Jamie Gao and the content that followed. I was also interested in the relationship between Rogerson and McNamara and how these two teamed up.
However I felt the book was building towards the guilty verdict and because McNab himself rushed to the court to hear the verdict, his delivery of the verdict in the book is likewise delivered in a rush. This created a complete anti-climax and what should have been a 'hurrah' moment, instead fell flat.
Perhaps Roger Rogerson by Duncan McNab is better suited to readers who either served in the police force, worked in the legal system or conducted criminal activity in the last 30-40 years. Readers with a personal or connected interest in Roger Rogerson may get more out of reading this account than I was able to.
My rating = ***
Carpe Librum!
