Living at the turn of century in Australia, two brothers, Tommy and Billy McBride, are only aware of the hardscrabble existence that is forced upon their family. Just as the drought is over, and Tommy and Billy should be relieved that they no longer have to struggle for water, their family is murdered. Believing that the former Aboriginal foreman is responsible for murders, the brothers are forced to ally with John Sullivan who urges them to avenge their family. Cunning as well as charismatic, John Sullivan will take the two brothers through the forbidden outback on a journey that will leave none unscathed...
ONLY KILLERS AND THIEVES by Paul Howarth deserves a careful and slow reading because there is a great deal of focus on psychological issues, and readers are given the chance to make up their own minds about the characters and their actions. The characters in this book are hard to love or hate; they are multifaceted. Some of the messages within this book are controversial, and they will definitely make readers think.
I will warn that ONLY KILLERS AND THIEVES is a tale that doesn't shy away from the raw and ugly sides of human nature and does contain scenes of violence towards humans and animals.
For a reader seeking a tale that is similar to the American Old West but also questions colonialism and whether or not gentle virtues are necessary or hindrance within the land of extremes, ONLY KILLERS AND THIEVES will definitely be a book to remember.
Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novelโa story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australiaโreminiscent of Philipp Meyerโs
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 themโtheir former Aboriginal stockmanโthe distraught brothers turn to the ruthless and cunning John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the region and their fatherโs 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 lifeโand 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 Meyerโs The Son, the atmospheric beauty of Amanda Coplinโs The Orchardist, and the raw storytelling power of Ian McGuireโs The North Water.
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