Only Killers and Thieves A Novel

Paul Howarth

eBook - 2018

An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its early years.It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched; their cattle are starving. When the rain miraculously comes, it renews their hope for survival. But, returning home one afternoon after swimming in a remote water hole that had been replenished by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy encounter a shocking tragedy.Thirsty for vengeance against the man who they believe has wronged them—their former Aboriginal stockman—the distraught brothers tu...rn to the ruthless, cunning John Sullivan, their father’s former employer and the wealthiest landowner in the region. Sullivan gathers a posse, under the leadership of the dangerous, fascinating... more