Naked Ambition

You're a politician, a public figure. What on earth were you thinking?

Up-and-coming junior minister Gregory Buchanan has had a portrait painted of himself by the acclaimed artist Sophie White—a painting she intends to enter in this year's Archibald Prize. Until then, Gregory has hung it in pride of place on his dining-room wall. It's a life-sized standing portrait, practically photographic in nature. And it's a nude.

His wife will be home soon, and he thinks the painting will be a pleasant surprise. Even more surprising will be an unexpected accumulation of guests—his sardonic mother, his fundamentalist mother-in-law, his lycra-clad cycling-enthusiast sister, and the state premier, Louisa Wetherly. A senior minister has just resigned in scandalous circumstances, and she needs Gregory to step into the spotlight ahead of the coming election.

It's going to be a wild afternoon, and an even wilder campaign—to do something about Gregory's naked ambition.

A madcap, witty delight—it's like Oscar Wilde or Noel Coward, but naked.
—Toni Jordan, author of Dinner with the Schnabels and Prettier If She Smiled More

A wickedly fun comedy full of larger-than-life characters, plot twists, and sharp one-liners.
—Graeme Simsion, author of The Rosie Project

Reads somewhat like a closed-circle mystery. Most of the story is dialogue-driven, giving it a fun, campy, stagey feel, with characters often facing off against one another. Naked Ambition is witty and full of laughs; readers looking for offbeat entertainment will find it here.
—Chris Saliba, Books+Publishing