My first book. I was racing in Adelaide at the time but I had been thinking of writing for some time, I felt it would be a good way to get some past experiences out of my head. Each of my books are loosely based on real life events.

It was the last race of the season, I had been involved in a few high speed Nascar crashes over the year and my body was aching. I needed some recovery time, the off season would give me that time and what better opportunity would I have to begin to write? The problem was I had no idea how to go about it, I had never even written a note to the butcher and I had never actually read a novel, but I did know the story I wanted to tell.

I didn’t know how to use a computer and the only way I knew how to write was in capital letters. I bought a thick ring bound notebook and a pen and began writing.

I found writing the persons name, what they said and then what they did at least gave me a format to follow. Then of course I changed all the names, the locations and the time lines to protect myself and the privacy of everyone involved.

I taught myself how to turn on a computer and with two fingers began to type. One and a half years later, much of it in race car transports between races there it was. Final Custody was published by Hodder Headline and went on to make best seller lists across Australia and New Zealand.

There is much more on how this came about and you will be able to read about it in depth in my upcoming book, ‘Prof.’

Final Custody is a story set in the jungles of Columbia, far from New York where they married, Manuel Cabou has just beaten his Australian born wife Mary half to death and sent her packing. Killing his long term associate in front of her eyes simply to make a point, was a mere trivia. Make any attempt to get her son and he would do the same to them both. Their child would be raised the same way he had been, as a future drug lord.

Through the Judge, an old acquaintance of her fathers, Mary is introduced to Jimmy Devlin. Jimmy, a would be retired non-government agent, if the Judge would let him, is a professional race car driver, jet helicopter pilot and broken down hotel owner. The Judge convinces Mary that if there is anyone who can help her it’s Jimmy.

Once again teamed up with his Aboriginal side kick, Ritchie Richards, Jimmy decides that there is only one way to get to the boy. Through the drugs his father sells. So equipped with some natural cunning, an Australian sense of humor and a good idea that will eventually rely solely on Mary’s courage, the two set off to set up the sting.

In a game that’s played for keeps, they slide into the underworld nightlife of Las Angeles in order to establish credentials as hard men in a hard world. The pair are so successful at their charade, they unknowingly become pawns in a bigger game played by the FBI and the CIA.

They graduate to the streets and clubs of New York, buying large amounts of cocaine, slowly working their way into the enemy’s camp, but also attracting further unwelcome attention from the FBI along the way.

Finally they start buying direct from Columbia. It’s time to bring Mary back into the equation. Will she be able to carry out the biggest challenge of her life? The stakes are high, the risks are higher and Mary is about to become the key to life and death for all of them.

Unaware that the Columbian government and the CIA have mounted a combined operation against Cabou, Jimmy and Ritchie unwittingly think their biggest concern is Mary’s nerve.

The race is on and if one thing goes wrong it will be the end for all of them.