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?
‘Captivating, incredibly well-written … Retribution is a ripping thriller, deeply Australian, and an absolute must-read for all crime fans.’
Better Reading
‘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
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‘Retribution is full of interesting texture, fresh characters, authentic rural issues, and an absorbing storyline.’
Craig Sisterson, Crime Watch
‘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
‘Retribution is a good one, different, unusual and a refreshing twist on crime fiction as a whole … Elegantly written, beautifully evocative of the sense of place, and people in it, Richard Anderson knows that of which he writes.’
Aust Crime Fiction
‘A lovely elegiac book about a horse and an unlikely love affair between a couple of lonely misfits … the book is a triumph of the very best kind of gritty Aussie writing.’
Listener
‘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
‘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
