The Silo By: Hugh Watson
In The Silo, novelist Hugh Watson takes readers down a scary track informed by his long experience in Canberra and with electoral shenanigans in country New South Wales. In his gripping new political thriller, the residents of Gwydir, and intuitive Sydney detective, Susan Swift, must deal with a troubling series of murders. Newcomer, Barry Kingscliff, a party power-broker from the big smoke, appears to be at the centre of it all. Can anyone stop him ascending the ladder of corruption?
Has the reader hooked from the very first page. We quickly find ourselves immersed in the shadowy dealings of a newly elected corrupt politician. The pace is unrelenting. (Adrian D’Hage, author of The Omega Scroll, The Beijing Conspiracy and The Russian Affair)
All the elements are there: politics, greed, power and deception. (Michael Brissenden, author and double Walkley Award winner)
This second novel by Hugh Watson captures his country roots and political experience in a compelling story of political corruption and dogged pursuit. (Philip Williams, author and former Chief Foreign Correspondent, ABC) When he was in second class at Bega Primary School, Hugh’s teacher Mrs Ubrihien gave him back his composition and said: ‘You write very well Hugh. Keep it up.’ In his varied career as teacher, academic, political advisor, public servant, consultant, Olympics executive, song writer and author he has.
As a former Private Secretary to a Cabinet Minister and senior executive with the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games in Sydney, Hugh has had to opportunity to observe politics and politicians closely. This is reflected in his novels. He was also Partner-in-Charge of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Canberra and more recently he has been a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University and a director of his own consulting company.
With degrees from Sydney, Oxford, Canberra and Oregon Hugh decided to turn from academic writing to fiction. His first novel ‘Home Grown’, a political thriller, led us on an imaginative and twisting plot of terrorism and political intrigue. His second novel ‘The Silo’, draws on his county roots and political background to take readers on a compelling story of political corruption and dogged pursuit.
Hugh is also a musician and with his band Willie and the Correspondents (previously called West Texas Crude) he has written and released two albums, Writing on the Wall (2010) and Take Your Chances (2012) including the song Sons of the Somme which was added to the National Collection of the Australian War Memorial in 2013.
Hugh will be having a book launch and signing at the Tathra Pub on March 17th, 2022. www.hughwatsonauthor.com.au
