Angel Rock

Description

A beautiful, haunting, engrossing, terrifying, enchanting novel destined to win prizes and storm the bestseller lists. To read this book is a total immersion experience. Since it was first acquired in a hot auction, Darren Williams' novel has attracted comparisons -- Picnic at Hanging Rock, To Kill a Mockingbird, Stand By Me, to name but a few (and no coincidence that all three have been made into major movies, because Angel Rock is a feast for all the senses) -- but it is also a completely unique and original novel. The setting is Australia, 1969. Two half-brothers get lost in the wild wooded countryside around the small town of Angel Rock. Only the eldest, 13-year-old Tom, finds his way home. At about the same time, a 16-year-old girl goes missing from the town and is found in Sydney. She has killed herself. The policeman who gets the case in the city follows the trail back to Angel Rock. In searching for a meaning in this tragic death, he is searching for nothing less than a meaning in his own troubled life. The tales of the policeman, Gibson, and the boy, Tom, converge in the mystical back-country of Angel Rock, in a story that is part coming-of-age, part detective thriller, of redemption both individual and communal, and altogether one story that you will never forget.

Darren Williams lives in Brisbane, Australia. His previous novel, Swimming in Silk, was published in 1995 and was the winner of The Australian/Vogel Literary Award.

'A mixture of beautifully judged description and the gradual building of suspense' The Times 'A compelling page-turner where powerful, poetic writing creates a pressing sense of menace.' Daily Mail 'This corking Australian novel has all the makings of a future classic. Beautifully written, the haunting coming-of-age tale lingers in your mind long after you've put it down.' Glamour 'Both a detective story and a wonderful evocation of place and time. It is a disappointment when the last page is turned and there is no more to read' Sunday Telegraph 'A dark, haunting and evocative novel which highlights Darren Williams' exceptional writing and storytelling skills' Punch 'This assured, heart-stopping novel...is sure to garner lots of attention. ... Williams deliberately keeps his prose and action low-key in the early going, relying on details of both scene and character to add tension as he brings his outstanding ensemble to life in a unique and compelling setting. The shocking ending packs a major wallop, establishing Williams as a writer with a formidable range of skills, including the ability to twist both his plots and the genre in some startling, unexpected directions.' Publishers Weekly 'This is a haunting story, full of worrying twists...but, in the outcome, redeemed by decency and hope.' Gerald Kaufman, Scotsman 'It's amazingly good. Williams translates the intangible subtleties of small town life and the appalling burden of childhood fears into something poetic and affecting' Glasgow Herald 'It's an intensely atmospheric work, authentically portraying heat and brutality...it's entirely original.' Scotland on Sunday