Iraqi Icicle: A Neo-Noir

By Bernie Dowling

"Readers will appreciate the author's ability to render colorful characters and understated witty prose." - Publishers Weekly

Meet Steele Hill. He's an unlicensed de facto PI navigating the murky underworld of gamblers, alt-rock musicians, and bad decisions. He's pursuing a case he never wanted, frustrated by official advice he can't use, and tracked by a dangerous femme fatale he certainly can't trust.

Welcome to Brisbane, 1986-1992. Set against the distant rumblings of the U.S. invasion of Panama and the first Gulf War, this sharp, satirical neo-noir captures a changing Australia. Moving from the gritty streets of Brisbane to the high-rolling glitz of the Gold Coast and the more demure Sunshine Coast, Hill finds himself caught in a web of corporate greed, illegal gambling, murder, and political shadow-plays.

To survive, he'll have to outsmart a bizarre lineup of local oddballs:

A multi-millionaire corporate lawyer pulling strings from a fortified mansion.

A teenage mathematics prodigy tripping on magic mushrooms while channeling Jimi Hendrix to hack prohibited military software-all to back winning racehorses.

A washed-up Russian horse trainer who renamed himself Bill Smith, risking his daughter's life on a final, desperate gamble for fame and fortune.

For fans of the dark absurdity of Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and the local rhythms of classic Australian indie pop-rock, Iraqi Icicle is a fast-paced, bleakly hilarious ride through the intersections of global geopolitics and local crime.

You bet your life, baby, baby, it's a wild ride.

Includes exclusive bonus content: Features an eight-page local slang glossary.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1764859545
• ISBN13: 9781764859547
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Bent Banana Books
• Length: 281 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.8" x 6.2"