Former Mallacoota policeman Mark Tregellas has an interesting story to tell and he will dive in depth at a book signing in Lakes Entrance this Friday.
Mark’s story of policing in remote East Gippsland had captured such significant attention his first book, Back Up Is Three Hours Away, flew off the shelves, selling out on Amazon in just three days and totally in three weeks.
Mark will speak at the Lakes Entrance Library at 1pm on August 23, detailing his incredible working history in the police force with tales only his eyes can tell.
The idea for the book came from his daughter, but never did Tregellas think his story would become quite the phenomenon.
“I was not expecting it to sell out in three weeks, I thought I’d be giving them to my family at the end of the year,” he said.
“I never thought anyone would be so interested in what goes on at a rural police station.”
Tregellas is still trying to wrap his head around his new-found fame and the opportunities the book has presented.
“It was selected by the Melbourne Film Festival for possible adaptation into a TV series,” Tregellas said.
“Since publishing I have been doing interviews and podcasts around the world. The Blue Ribbon Foundation has asked me to go onto their Insider Story team and I’m doing talks at Scotch College in August and Mildura in October.
“I wrote my book for my daughters who asked that I record all my crazy stories that they grew up with.”
Back Up Is Three Hours Away earned high praise from Crime Reads Bookshop’s Kimberley Phillips.
She said it was “an enthralling read that captures the essence of remote policing with raw, unfiltered emotion”.
“The book offers a gripping account of his experiences in the field, and I found myself unable to put it down, finishing it in just six hours,” she said.
Ms Phillips said the book is “about the human spirit, resilience and finding joy in the midst of chaos”.
“You can almost feel the pressure, the danger, and then, suddenly, the happiness that punctuates the most intense times,” she said.
To attend the event bookings are essentials. Contact the Lakes Entrance Library for more details.
