Carol has a compulsion for money and danger,
Micky a buried past and an uncertain future.
Can they con the Sydney underworld, and get away with murder, or will they both end up in a dumpster?
What readers are saying:
"Bloody bold, and brilliant!"
"Compelling and utterly convincing!"
"The most likeable thug I've ever encountered."
Career criminal Micky DeWitt washes up in Sydney with nothing more than a run down yacht and his wits. He'd no CV, and no skills other than those earned by any dedicated career criminal. His twisted inertia draws him to the only place where he can survive; Kings Cross, Sydney's red-light district.
He takes a job as barman, and after a while, he's approached by the sultry and seductive Carol. She needs something stolen from a lawyer's safe and sweet-talks Micky into helping her.
Nothing is what it seems as Micky falls into a honey trap that spins his life out of control, backs him into a corner, and no matter which way he jumps, someone's going to get hurt.
His decision leads him into a hedonistic free-fall that pushes him to the edge of insanity before finally finding a warped redemption.
Awarded the AIA Seal of Excellence for Outstanding Fiction, and the prestigious B.R.A.G. Medallion, Flank street is: "an unforgettable novel from one of the most distinct and exciting new voices in crime writing."
I took a different approach to writing Flank Street than I did to writing Heather. I wrote the last page first, called it a prologue, and then worked out how the MC would get there. It was fun and the writing went fast.
Flank Street is set in Australia, mainly in Sydney's Kings Cross. It's written in first person from the distorted reality of Micky DeWitt, a shiftless career criminal and world sailor.
Career criminal Micky Dewitt sails into Sydney on his run-down yacht Nina. Micky has always had to keep moving; from Hamburg, London, Boston, Antigua... the list goes on. Every time Micky ties up his boat in a new country, he lands in a heap of trouble. Why would Australia be any different?
He soon becomes a barhop in Kings Cross, Sydney's red light district--where tourists, locals, gangsters and sex workers go about their daily business--then a burglar, and an arsonist, and an accessory to murder.
Micky observes the dysfunctional world around him with suspicion. And he's right to be suspicious. You can't trust anyone who inhabits Sydney's underbelly, least of all Micky.
The two main female characters, seductive Carol, and the sweet and vulnerable Meagan, both play a part in Micky's downfall. When he first meets Carol he makes assumptions about her based on the way she presents herself to the world. But as he gets to know her, he finds out that she has a depth and intelligence that are not immediately obvious. However, Carol has darker elements that surface too, and it is that darkness that ultimately ensnares him.
Some characters from Shadow House make an appearance, including Mitchell, and the enigmatic Ray Peterson.
You can read an excerpt by clicking here
More comments from readers:
"Written in the first person, Micky's observes the dysfunctional world around him with suspicion. And he's right. You can't trust anyone who inhabits Sydney's underbelly, least of all Micky. In Micky, the author has created a most unreliable narrator. And even though this reader didn't particularly like him, the characterisation is utterly convincing, as is the depiction of King's Cross at the time."
"Micky Dewitt has a Jason Statham feel about him. He is crooked as hell but there's a side to him that's passionate about what he does. Whether this is good or bad, the reader decides. If you have seen Parker, The Expendables or The Bank Job, you will gulp this book in one seating.
The action scenes in the book are fast and furious with the writing painting an imagery that will sit in your head for days. Although not realistic all the way, Flank Street is gritty, thrilling with non-stop action."
Thank you for posting this fantastic article.
I’m a long time reader however I’ve never actually left a comment.
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Many thanks again for a great article!