Pipeline to Plenty by Paul Clifton

Pipeline to Plenty by Paul Clifton is an exciting corporate thriller about building a pipeline in central Australia, which turns out to be a lot more complicated and dangerous than anticipated. James Clayton – newly marriage with a new child and new house in a wealthy section of Melbourne – is tasked with the monumental duty of building the pipeline, on the urging of the giant construction firm Robco. Things are not as easy as they seem as Clayton and his brother have to battle the rough Australian terrain, ambitious politicians, thieves, terrorists, and more, who all threaten to sabotage the project. There’s also some romance along the way as well.

As someone who’s unfamiliar with Australia, this was an interesting read to get the ins and outs of the Australian landscape, and the country’s business and political practices – and that’s before criminal and terrorist threats are introduced. Clifton clearly has a great interest in his subject – sometimes to a fault, as the descriptions of building practices are a bit too detailed for the layman – but his enthusiasm for all facets of Australian culture and history shine through in this novel.

It’s not a turgid examination of Australian society, it’s a corporate thriller, so Australian readers will find a lot to like here as well. There’s a bit too much of a description to dialog ratio, but the story is engaging enough to help Clifton’s colorful narrative and story chugging along at a quick pace.

Links
Paul Clifton’s Author Site
Amazon
Goodreads