Publisher's Synopsis
The Boys from Beirut is the story of boyhood friends. One sent to Australia to head up a drug syndicate, the other going along for the ride.
In Sydney, Al Hamad is looking for a new life. He's young, ambitious and street smart and is building a courier business. His cousin and boyhood friend, Michel, has been sent to manage a development company fronting for an east coast drug syndicate. their lives are diverging, their lifelong friendship is fracturing.
Al can't shake off his past links to the Lebanese mafia and takes orders from the Syndicate. he tries to pull out. they send him a video of a hit and run in Beirut. Al recognises the injured woman is his sister Marie. the message is clear. Michel and the Syndicate won't let him pull out.
By chance, Al meets Sydney architects, Rick Bradley and Joanne Robinson. They're from different worlds, but they become close friends. Ric and Jo learn of Al and Michel's double lives, but are prepared to put ethics aside to design for Michel's development companies.
As the federal police close in, Al gambles on playing both sides. Problems multiply for the Syndicate, but nothing sticks to Michel, who has become a well-known public figure.
Ric stumbles into a major drug operation being run by Michel's right-hand man, who doesn't believe Ric is there by accident. He orders Al to kill his friend. It will be the ultimate test. Al shoots Ric and kills Michel's right-hand man.
The Federal Police break up the Syndicate, but Michel escapes to Beirut, where he is untouchable. In revenge, he sends two operatives to Sydney to kill Al's little boy, but they turn against him. They despise Michel. He's crossed a line in ordering them to kill an innocent little boy. They abduct Al's wife Soraya, and her little boy. They plot to fake the boy's death and kill Michel to protect themselves. Soraya will co-operate. She sees the free life ahead that Al has longed for. Back in Beirut, they kill Michel. By chance Al's sister Marie learns of Michel's death. Returning to her apartment she finds Michel's mother waiting for her.
