Put a cliff-hanger election together with the creator of the bestselling Murray Whealan crime novels and you have the makings of a classic account of the sharp end of the Australian electoral cycle. This year's federal election campaign will be closely fought and keenly watched, not least by Shane Maloney, author of six crime novels set amid the machinations of inner-Melbourne Labor Party politics. Glued to the television, one ear on the radio, leafing through the morning papers, Shane Maloney will watch the election unfold as most of us see it - via the media. The result - published two weeks after the election - will be a funny and revealing view of the election, as well as a unique insight into how the media covers Australian politics.