A brilliant dual narrative, historical crime fiction title inspired by a true unsolved murder case, asking questions about integrity, identity and if there is such a thing as ‘the right side’ in the fog of war.This novel has all the rich detail needed for enthralling historical fiction, with a fascinating mystery at its heart, culminating in a heartracing twist.

THE MADNESS LOCKER
by Eddie Russell
Big Sky (Australia), October 2021
(via Randle Editorial)

In the early hours of Christmas morning in 1986, the body of an older woman was discovered inside a wheelie bin in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. There were no clues and no suspects. After an extensive investigation, the police admitted defeat and filed it as a cold case. It is a case that taunts them still. Eddie Russell’s debut conjures a plausible motive to this strange crime in this artfully wrought, page-turning story which takes the reader from Utrecht to Berlin, to Auschwitz, and finally, to a sleepy neighbourhood in Sydney, Australia.
Autumn, 1986. Ruth, a Jewish woman in her later years, is grieving the death of her husband. His old friend, a widowed neighbour called Sam, offers her comfort. But Ruth feels there is something off about Sam. Whatever story he’s peddling, she doesn’t buy it. She’s determined to uncover the truth about how he came to find himself in Sydney and where his real loyalties lie.
Winter 1941. Two young girls living under the tyranny of a brutal and dictatorial Nazi regime experience a fateful twist, leading one to escape to freedom and the other to be subjected to incarceration in a concentration camp, and how she got there is buried in the depths of her memory. But remembering is key. Somebody is responsible for her ending up in the depths of hell. And, if she survives, she will make that person pay if it’s the last thing she does…
In an extraordinary story of hidden identity, revenge and deception, THE MADNESS LOCKER is a chilling reminder that the truth will always catch up with you someday.

Eddie Russell has a degree in English literature and Masters in Creative writing. Born and raised in the then English colony of East Africa to English parents, he immigrated to Australia to complete his schooling before moving to San Diego to work in technology. He is now settled back in Australia with his life partner and following his passion to write. THE MADNESS LOCKER is his first novel. You can watch Eddie introduce the novel here.