Book Review – Ripple Effect by Scott Cooper

Australian Political Thriller About Disappearance of Harold Holt

Jul 28, 2009 Susan Whelan

Written by an ex-Military and Signals Intelligence operative, this political thriller is based on the disappearance of Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt in 1967.

Spanning more than three decades of political intrigue, Ripple Effect by Scott Cooper is an account of the years leading up to the mysterious disappearance of an Australian Prime Minister.

Ripple Effect Plot Summary

Set primarily in the 60s and early 70s, Ripple Effect focuses on three young men and their experiences as part of an elite military intelligence team.

The story begins in 1997, when the 30 year Official Secrets Act is about to expire on documents found after the mysterious disappearance of the Australian Prime Minister, Harry Horton in December 1967.

The story then reverts to 1962, setting the scene in the years leading up to Horton’s disappearance. With the background of Australian military action and intelligence gathering in the Vietnam War, Ripple Effect is a political thriller filled with acts of treachery, loyalty, courage, manipulation and sacrifice.

Australian involvement in the Vietnam War

Ripple Effect is a fictionalised account the involvement of Australian soldiers in the Vietnam War, both on the ground and in military intelligence gathering operations in Vietnam and Australia. Confronting battlefront scenes offer a contrast to the political manipulations and turmoil brought about by the opposing government factions debating Australia’s involvement in the war.

The behind-closed-doors manipulations of the political and military decision-makers will most likely come as no surprise to those familiar with more recent public debates on issues similar to those faced by the Australian leaders in the 1960s. The power struggles and manoeuvring are well described, however, and make for an intriguing plot.

The Disappearance of Harold Holt

Modern readers and those unfamiliar with the disappearance of Australia’s ex-Prime Minister Harold Holt may find it difficult to believe that there was such minimal investigation into his disappearance. No body was ever recovered and Holt was officially declared dead two days after his disappearance.

Holt went missing, presumed drowned, at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria in December 1967. Conspiracy theories have flourished over the years, with Holt’s disappearance being attributed to political intrigue, kidnapping by the Chinese, alien abduction, suicide and a faked death to allow Holt to disappear with his mistress.

Australian Ex-Military Officer Writes from Experience

Ex-military and Signals Intelligence operative Scott Cooper has served actively in both Australia and South-East Asia.

Cooper combines fact with fiction in Ripple Effect and it is difficult for readers to know where the blurred line between the two can be drawn. In an interview reported in an article by Alan Lander in May 2009, Cooper claims that his inside knowledge, thanks to his own experiences and information given to him by a friend and fellow spy, is something that he has been living with for more than four decades.

Due to the Official Secrets Act and threats against his son, Cooper offers his account of the events as fiction. Readers are left to decide how closely art imitates life. As would be expected given the veiled claims and secrecy, some have questioned whether Mr Cooper does have the experience and insider knowledge he claims.

Australian Military and Political Thriller

Moving at a good pace, Ripple Effect maintains a sense of suspense, although readers should be aware that it contains frequent military and war references and is not exclusively focussed on political intrigue. The graphic accounts of South-East Asian battlefield scenes and war crimes seem at odds with some of the personal relationship scenes, with the latter probably unnecessary and not working particularly well within the context of the story.

Aside from this minor point, this story gives an interesting perspective on a significant moment in Australian and World history. Australian military and political history buffs are offered a number of details to compare with recorded facts and an interesting perspective on Harold Holt's disappearance, an event which has retained its air of mystery for more than forty years.

Ripple Effect (ISBN: 978-1-92151-705-1, 255 pages)

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Ripple Effect by Scott Cooper