Retribution

Description

A rural-crime novel about finding out how to survive and surviving what you find. In a small country town, an act of revenge causes five lives to collide. Early one Christmas morning, Graeme Sweetapple, a man down on his luck, is heading home with a truck full of stolen steers when he comes across an upended ute that has hit a tree. He is about to get involved with Luke, an environmental protestor who isn't what he seems; a washed-up local politician, Caroline Statham, who is searching for a sense of purpose, but whose businessman husband seems to be sliding into corruption; and Carson, who is wild, bound to no one, and determined to escape her circumstances. Into their midst comes Retribution, a legendary horse worth a fortune. Her disappearance triggers a cycle of violence and retaliation that threatens the whole community. As tensions build, they must answer one question- is true retribution ever possible - or even desirable?

Richard Anderson is a second-generation farmer from northern New South Wales. He has been running a beef-cattle farm for twenty-five years, but has also worked as a miner and had a stint on the local council. Richard is the author of two rural-crime novels, Retribution and Boxed, both published by Scribe. He lives with his wife, four dogs, and a cat.

`This powerful novel has thrills and emotions to spare ... the evocation of dust and heat all come together for a tense tale of human emotions at their rawest. A genuine discovery and a unique voice.' -Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time `This book is fluently written around a story that is set squarely in the world that Anderson knows so well ... Richard Anderson is a good writer and a good observer of human behaviour.' -Dominion Post Weekend, Wellington `If you like your crime hot, gritty and dusty then this gem, set in rural Australia, is for you ... A fine tale that'll have you sweating with its heat and intensity.' Jon Wise, Weekend Sport Captivating, incredibly well-written ... Retribution is a ripping thriller, deeply Australian, and an absolute must-read for all crime fans.' -Better Reading [A] slow-burning thriller that reads like a neo-Western ... vividly captures the vast, rugged landscape and the brutal intensity of the heat in the back country. -Declan Burke, The Irish Times Richard Anderson is ... a fine writer ... In lucid, unflashy prose, he relates how the theft of a priceless mare, retribution, results in a human pile-up for five utterly believable characters, good, bad and ugly. -Saga