Only Killers and Thieves, Paul Howarth
Only Killers and Thieves, Paul Howarth
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Only Killers and Thieves
A Novel

Author: Paul Howarth

Narrator: David Linski

Unabridged: 11 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 02/06/2018


Synopsis

Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel—a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia—reminiscent of Philipp Meyer’s The Son and the novels of Cormac McCarthy.An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years.It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving. When the rain finally comes, it is a miracle that renews their hope for survival. But returning home from an afternoon swimming at a remote waterhole filled by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy meet with a shocking tragedy.Thirsting for vengeance against the man they believe has wronged them—their former Aboriginal stockman—the distraught brothers turn to the ruthless and cunning John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the region and their father’s former employer. Sullivan gathers a posse led by the dangerous and fascinating Inspector Edmund Noone and his Queensland Native Police, an infamous arm of British colonial power charged with the ""dispersal"" of indigenous Australians to ""protect"" white settler rights. As they ride across the barren outback in pursuit, their harsh and horrifying journey will have a devastating impact on Tommy, tormenting him for the rest of his life—and will hold enduring consequences for a young country struggling to come into its own.Recreating a period of Australian and British history as evocative and violent as the American frontier era, Only Killers and Thieves is an unforgettable story of family, guilt, empire, race, manhood, and faith that combines the insightfulness of Philipp Meyer’s The Son, the atmospheric beauty of Amanda Coplin’s The Orchardist, and the raw storytelling power of Ian McGuire’s The North Water.

About Paul Howarth

Paul Howarth is a British-Australian author and former lawyer who holds an MA in creative writing from University of East Anglia, where he was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury Scholarship. In 2018 his debut novel, Only Killers and Thieves, was published to international acclaim, winning the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for best fiction, and appearing on numerous other awards and books of the year lists.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Will on September 08, 2021

The guilt is collective, the responsibility shared. In a hundred years no one will even remember what happened here and certainly no one will care. History is forgetting. Afterward we write the account, the account becomes truth, and we tell ourselves it has always been this way, that others were......more

Goodreads review by Jill on November 14, 2017

Oh my. Where should I begin? Perhaps here: it is not yet 2018 and this book has already earned a secure place on my Best of 2018 list. It is a searing indictment of racism, and injustice, a glowing tribute to the part of us that struggles to remain human in the worst of circumstances, and a riveting......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on February 14, 2020

3+ stars Many countries have a history of violence toward the indigenous population, and Australia is no exception. This book vividly (sometimes too vividly) details attacks on the aborigines. It is a suspenseful story or racism, injustice, revenge, and good vs. evil. It is well worth the time and I......more

Goodreads review by Dave on August 22, 2022

"These natives… they’ve the Devil in them, Tommy, they’re naught but killers and thieves." Initial Thoughts I've had some great Westerns recommended to me recently, including Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and Paradise Sky by Joe Lansdale, and it's certainly a genre I'm looking to explore m......more