PENINSULA author Mate Antolos is preparing to unveil his second novel, The Fall, with a book launch to be held this month in Mornington. The writer’s new book follows Emir ‘Eddy’ Muravic, a young detective sergeant with the Australian Federal Police as he takes long service leave to visit his family in the former Yugoslav state.
Antolos said he was inspired by the Brit Lapthorne case, an Australian backpacker who died in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2008, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading’s dealings with Aussies abroad during events such as the Bali Bombing and the Boxing Day Tsunami.
The book, which took Antolos eight months to write including research of newspaper articles and podcasts, delves into a mix of themes including death, mourning, war crimes, post-traumatic stress disorder, whether enemies can reconcile after a war, ethnic rivalry, and the illegal white sex slavery trade in Europe and politics.
“I also wanted to write this second book as a voice for all those who lost loved ones on trips, whether they were holidays, business trips or military deployments, to show them that those left behind should never be left forgotten nor considered footnotes in history – everyone’s story is important,” Antolos said. The Fall is a sequel to his first book The Uneasy Silence, published last August.
Antolos moved to Sorrento in 2012 after the death of his father in which he became sole carer of his mother until her passing in 2023. He noted he was very fortunate to have spent time with his mum and “as a tribute I have included her as a character in my first three novels as the mother of the protagonist Eddy”.
At the time of mourning the passing of his parents, Antolos was motivated to get into publishing after initially producing a small series of short stories. “Some people who are mourning the loss of their loved ones look to old home movies and also albums full of photographs whilst I chose to preserve my parent’s memories in the form of my first novel The Uneasy Silence. Thus it was initially a form of therapy, and now it’s a hobby I find really enjoyable and at times it can be addictive,” he said.
Previously, Antolos had worked in office admin and later in engineering in the UK, before returning home and dabbling in textile waste and property investment. His last venture was running a courier business which operated for seven years between Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
Today, he lives in Mornington and says life on the peninsula was the perfect backdrop for his creativity where “any writer can take inspiration from the ever-changing scenery and panorama, which we all take for granted”.
The launch of the book will be held on 15 June at Mr Paul’s Beer and Wine at 11/234 Main St, Mornington from 2pm-4pm. There will also be complimentary drinks and nibbles. The book will also be available for purchase.
First published in the Mornington News – 10 June 2025
