Richard Beasley – December 26 2021

Richard is an author and barrister. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Adelaide before moving to Sydney where he completed postgraduate studies at the University of Sydney and worked as a solicitor then barrister. Richard has been Senior Counsel Assisting the Murray Darling Basin Royal Commission, Senior Counsel Assisting the Ruby Princess Special Commission of Inquiry and since 2016, he has been the Presiding Member of the New South Wales Racing Appeal Panel. Richard’s other novels include Hell has Harbour Views, adapted for ABC television, which deals with corruption versus human rights and social conscience, and the first two books in the Peter Tanner Thriller series, Cyanide Games and The Burden of Lies. Richard has also published a non-fiction work, Dead in the Water, concerning the illegality and maladministration of Australia’s most important environmental law, the Commonwealth Water Act, and the Murray Darling Basin Plan.

Me and Rory Macbeath
Hachette Australia, 2013; ISBN 9780733630309
Adelaide, 1977. The year Elvis died. And the year twelve-year-old Jake Taylor meets Rory Macbeath. Jake’s world is small – his street, his school, the courthouse where his mum, Harry, was a barrister. His best friend lives only a few houses away. For them daylight is for spinning a cricket ball, riding bikes and swimming at the pool. But then Rory Macbeath moves into the neighbourhood and everything changes. At first Jake has his doubts about Rory. But after long days and nights of swimming, fishing and daring each other into trouble, Jake discovers Rory has talents and courage beyond anyone he’s ever known. Then, early one evening, Rory disappears and everyone is about to discover why. For Jake and Rory, nothing will ever be the same.

The Ambulance Chaser
Pan Macmillan Australia, 2004; ISBN 9781405035989
After 12 years as a human rights lawyer, Chris is now bankrupt, his only work giving pro bono advice at a legal centre on how to sue a cat which doesn’t pay his creditors. In desperation, he takes on a job with the world’s fastest-growing insurance company, a place where injured plaintiffs should just stop moaning and die. Which, he notices, they happen to be doing at an alarming rate. Chris decides to conduct his own investigation into the company, and The Ambulance Chaser becomes a brilliantly funny tale of what happens when a corporation breaches the golden rule – never employ an honest lawyer.