THE RUSH, by Michelle Prak (Simon & Schuster, 37.99)
Thrillers aren’t often truly terrifying, but Michelle Prak’s The Rush is. Four young people go on a road trip through the Australian outback. Scott and Hayley are boyfriend and girlfriend. Scott is horrible. Hayley is annoyingly needy and relentlessly Miss Sunshiney. The other two are not a couple. Hayley hooked up with them through an online forum for backpackers. The mysterious Livia wears army-surplus pants and sturdy black boots and her hairdo is a buzzcut. Joost is from the Netherlands and is on his gap year. He looks like a spider, and he might turn out to be even more of a creep than Scott.
A storm is coming. The first proper rains for a decade are forecast, as are flash floods. It is not a good time to be in a car on those bare roads in the remote emptiness that is South Australia. Quin, who works and boards at the only pub for miles and dusty miles, is in her car. The kids are in their van. At the pub, Matt and Andrea are lugging sandbags. Matt has to leave the pub to help out a flooded neighbour. Andrea is left alone with the kids. The power goes out. The mobile phone dies. A sinister biker turns up. It’s nasty out there in the storm and it is about to get even nastier inside the pub.
Denne historien er fra May 06 - 12 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 06 - 12 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sights to behold
Being blind didn't deter Aucklander FRASER ALEXANDER and his partially-sighted wife from travelling in Europe. Their memories were shaped by sound, touch and smell.
Pages of delight
Charming survey of children's literature throughout the centuries should be treasured and reread.
Heart of the matter
Women are less likely to be diagnosed with heart disease than men, and less likely to get best treatment. Researchers are struggling with old stereotypes to right the balance.
Balaclava beats
Their paramilitary shtick is intentionally menacing, offensive and alienating, but to be fair to the hip-hop trio Kneecap, their infamous balaclava is disarmingly hilarious. Kneecap, the 2024 movie that offers a fictionalised account of their rise to fame, is a Bafta- and Oscar-nominated Northern Irish film sensation.
Friends like these
One of the stranger characteristics of the populist oligarchy mobilising around Donald Trump's new administration is the interest taken in the domestic politics of the UK.
Irresistible force
A new documentary about gentle rugby giant Jonah Lomu reveals little but is a reminder of what made him special.
Fleeing the nest
A tale of building a new life after an abusive relationship makes for an impressive debut.
Life less ordinary
Chelsie Preston Crayford follows a big 2024 with a new comedy role and putting the finishing touches on her debut feature as a director and writer.
Not on our watch
Nasa, one of the most technologically advanced organisations on the planet, made prospective astronauts take inkblot tests to determine their sexuality.
No free lunch
The new, cut-price school lunch programme will shut out many community providers. But will bulk-supplied meals meet children’s needs?
