This raw and true account of the life of a tough cop has all the twists, turns and drama of a rattlingly good thriller. 

Before eighteen-year-old Craig Semple joined the New South Wales Police Force in 1988, he was someone who generally preferred to steer clear of trouble. But – like so many young police officers – he gradually built resilience to fear through a process of selflessly, and often recklessly, turning towards danger. By the time he started locking horns with some of the most notorious members of Australia’s outlaw motorcycle gangs, Craig believed himself to be bulletproof. 

After his brother, a rookie police officer, was near-fatally stabbed by a drug dealer on the streets of Sydney in 1998, Craig’s life suddenly jumped the track, his fight against drug crime becoming an obsession that took him to the brink of personal, professional and marital destruction. Attempting to give his family and career a new start, he moved to the New South Wales north coast – and here Craig himself became the victim of a violent crime, at the hands of outlaw bikies. This attack was the catalyst for a ten-year battle between one regional detective and a group of brutal motorcycle gangs.

Trained and shaped in a pre-Royal Commission era of alcohol abuse and maverick culture within the police force, Craig saw just about everything during a career spanning a quarter of a century: murder, drug addiction, suicide, fatal accidents, armed robbery, organised crime and much more. This dangerous and unforgiving environment would ultimately take its toll. After years of struggling with his deteriorating mental health, Craig retired with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. He had no idea that ahead of him was a journey that would challenge him on a level way beyond anything he had faced as a cop. A journey that would take him to the lowest point his life could possibly reach and, consequently, provide him with an opportunity to find a new meaning and purpose inspiring others as a mental health educator.

In this raw and unflinchingly honest autobiography he gives a rare insight into the difficulties and dynamics of criminal investigation. Crime scenes described in vivid detail provide a front-row seat to the challenges of trauma, while gripping narratives of covert operations shine a light on the shadows cast by despair, greed and power at all levels of society.

The Cop Who Fell to Earth is Craig Semple’s story of transformation and profound personal growth through exposure to extreme life events. As compelling as a thriller, it is a story of how human endurance, tenacity, sacrifice and belief in something beyond the self ultimately lead to the triumph of good over evil.