My second novel, Gunshine State is a heist thriller set in Queensland, Melbourne and Thailand. Think Richard Stark’s Parker, Garry Disher’s Wyatt, and Wallace Stroby’s Crissa Stone. Add a touch of Surfers Paradise sleaze and a very dangerous stopover in Asia.
Gunshine State is out now Down and Out Books.
Gary Chance is a former Australian army driver, ex-bouncer and thief. His latest job sees him in Queensland working for Dennis Curry, an aging Surfers Paradise standover man. Curry runs off-site, non-casino poker games, and wants to rob one of his best customers, a high roller called Frederick ‘Freddie’ Gao.
While the job may seem straightforward, Curry’s crew is anything but. Frank Dormer is a secretive former Australian soldier turned private security contractor. Sophia Lekakis is a highly-strung receptionist at the hotel where Gao stays when he visits Surfers. Amber is Curry’s attractive female housemate and part of the lure for Gao. Chance knows he can’t trust anyone, but nothing prepares him for what unfolds when Curry’s plan goes wrong.
Praise for Gunshine State:
“A tense, fast-moving, vividly-drawn thriller.”
Garry Disher, author of the Wyatt novels
“A gritty slice of Down-Under noir, served lean and mean.”
Wallace Stroby, author of The Devil’s Share and Shoot the Woman First
“A phenomenal, hard-as-nails thriller with more tight corners than a maze and a double cross around every one of them. I loved it.”
Timothy Hallinan, award-winning author of the Poke Rafferty and Junior Bender mysteries
“A lean, mean, hard-boiled knockout.”
David Whish-Wilson, author of Line of Sight and Zero at the Bone
“Gunshine State moves like a bullet. The prose is taught without sacrificing atmosphere, character or psychological depth. Brimming with evocative settings, sharp dialogue and vibrant characters, this novel firmly positions Nette as one of Australia’s leading writers of hard-boiled crime.”
Alex Hammond, author of The Unbroken Line and Blood Witness
“Gunshine State is magnificent. Taut, tense-a tremendous thriller.”
Andrew Grant, author of False Positive and Run
“Gunshine State is a breakneck ride from first page to last. Nette drags the reader into a sharply drawn world of dark motives and even darker morals. A must for lovers of hard-boiled crime fiction.”
Emma Viskic, author of Resurrection Bay
“This brutal, hard-boiled thriller comes at you like a furious street brawler and pins you to the wall with a white-knuckle plot and authentic characters. Like a vicious left hook to the ribs it will leave you breathless.”
Leigh Redhead, author of Peepshow, Rubdown, Cherry Pie and Thrill City
