Unorganised Crime is a gritty and fast-moving crime-comedy novel set on the Gold Coast, following two down-on-their-luck publicans, Jack Perkins and Hung Van Thanh, who stumble deeper and deeper into the orbit of loan sharks, bent cops, and assorted misfits. The book opens with Jack and Hung preparing to torch their own pub, The Hackston, a desperate attempt to free themselves from the grip of Magdalena Black, a razor-tongued loan shark whose presence dominates much of the story. From there, the novel jumps back and forth, slowly revealing how a pair of ordinary blokes managed to get themselves neck-deep in a mess involving arson, debt, and a colourful parade of criminals. It’s a crime caper at heart, but one wrapped in a very Australian blend of chaos, humour, and menace.

The writing swings between sharp, funny dialogue and gritty tension, and I found myself leaning in any time Jack and Hung tried to reason their way through a terrible decision. Author Jamie Richter captures the Gold Coast’s strange cocktail of sun, seediness, and swagger in a way that feels honest without being bleak. Some scenes hit with a punch, others with a wink, and the tone shifts feel intentional rather than jolting. I appreciated how the humour sits right beside the danger, sometimes bleeding into it, which feels true to the crime-comedy genre this book lives in.

What stood out to me most was how the characters are drawn. Jack’s cynicism, Hung’s anxious logic, Magdalena’s operatic rage, Mark Campbell’s blunt force loyalty, everyone feels heightened yet recognisable, like people you could overhear at a pub and immediately think, Of course that guy exists. The book doesn’t shy away from absurdity, but it also doesn’t let its characters become cartoons. Choices have weight. Violence has consequences. Even at its funniest, there’s a hum under the surface reminding you that these people are in real trouble. I liked that balance. It gave the story more texture than I expected going in.

I felt like I’d been pulled through a whirlwind of bad luck, worse decisions, and strangely heartfelt moments. I’d recommend Unorganised Crime to anyone who enjoys crime fiction with personality, especially readers who like their crime stories messy, funny, and grounded in character rather than procedure. If Australian crime-comedy is your genre, or if you just want a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously yet never phones it in, this one will hit the spot.

Pages: 376 | ASIN : B0G45N2762