The Stoning

“A remarkable debut… It’s hard to believe this is Peter Papathanasiou’s first novel. He makes Chris Hammer and Jane Harper seem like amateurs. Outback noir has a new star.” – Mark Sanderson, The Times UK

“A brutal, unflinching look at the country’s treatment of refugees… Not an easy read, but political crime fiction of a high order.” – Joan Smith, The Sunday Times UK

“In a town no one visits and everyone wants to leave, and where people eat strips of crocodile meat and the heat is pitiless, Papathanasiou conveys how the temperature infuses every interaction. Deliciously dark outback noir.” – Alison Flood, The Guardian UK

“This dark, brooding story is the first in a planned series of ‘outback noir’, and it bodes well.” – Geoffrey Wansell, The Daily Mail UK

“Papathanasiou has succeeded in delivering a vivid and atmospheric novel that explores a wide range of contemporary themes such as culture, race and migration. The writing is evocative, the characters are superbly drawn and the clever plot is layered and engaging. The scene setting is also superb, with palpable descriptions of a small, hot outback location that is simply drowning in oppression and unsure how to find its way back. If you like your crime fiction dark, claustrophobic and thought-provoking with a strong sense of place then this book might be for you.” – Breda Brown, Irish Independent

“Gripping.” – Bella magazine

“Pick of the month.” – Lisa Howells, Crime Monthly magazine

“Another terrific Australian thriller.” – Janet McKechnie, Peterborough Telegraph

“A mightily impressive first crime novel, powerful, dramatic stuff. The author pulls no punches expressing his outrage at immigration detention in Australia and describes the emptiness of life in the outback with a grim savagery.” – Mike Ripley, Shots UK crime and thriller magazine

“An outback in turmoil: a murder of Old Testament savagery exposes the desperate path deepest Australia finds itself on.” – Strong Words magazine

“The Stoning is drier than a Martian canal, hotter than a smelting forge: the investigation into a Biblical execution in a poverty-ravaged outback town finds city-based cop George Manolis battling drunken incompetence, racial hatred, and decades of state-sponsored dysfunction. Papathanasiou writes unsparingly, confidently, and compellingly. His book is desperately bleak but possessed by a savage beauty.” – Angus Batey, The Quietus

“The subgenre of Outback noir is producing some of the most interesting crime writing of the day… an involving and distressing novel… I look forward to the sequel.” – Natasha Cooper, Literary Review

“As the praise this debut is garnering from critics and crime fiction fans demonstrates, it stands out in that highly competitive genre, in part for a willingness to shine an unforgiving light on real world injustice and inequality.” – Isabel Costello, The Literary Sofa

“This is an assured debut that marks Papathanasiou as a name to watch in what is becoming an established and popular sub-genre.” – John Cleal, Crime Review

“Outback noir plus. It’s atmospheric, relevant and totally brutal. This is a book I would highly recommend.” – Paul Burke, Heads Together: Crime Time FM Magazine Show

“The Stoning is a deeply disturbing outback noir that confronts our treatment of asylum seekers, our First Nations and each other. It’s a superb start to a new series, heralding Peter Papathanasiou as a brilliant new name in Australian crime.” – Cheryl Arkle, The Weekend Australian

“The Stoning grips from its disturbing opening to its high-octane showdown. This book has everything Australian rural noir readers could want: suspicious townsfolk, searing heat and a flawed main character given a case bungled by local law enforcement that seems unlikely to hold up in court. Peter Papathanasiou’s debut novel is a bleak, harrowing look at small-town racism, hypocrisy and intolerance, and an altogether gripping read.” – Fiona Hardy, Readings bookseller, Books + Publishing

“If you want an intriguing page-turner that will keep you guessing, this novel will immerse in brilliant characters and a nuanced exploration of nationhood and prejudice.” – Reema Hindi, HerCanberra

“This is a raw political novel at its core, not just a crime story, although its two dimensions are integrated seamlessly. Papathanasiou is critiquing the ugly racism of Australia… The narrative is littered with cliched Australiana… It’s almost comic. But I think it’s deliberate. Papathanasiou is portraying an Australian version of Dante’s Inferno. This is not so much outback noir as outback horror in the Kenneth Cook Wake in Fright tradition… We’ve been here plenty of times before but Papathanasiou has lifted the genre to a whole new level. This is the best it’s ever going to get. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. It’s superb, and you will never forget it.” – Peter Donoughue, Booknotes

“Make sure you add The Stoning to your must-read list. Tough going in places due to the subject matter and prejudices of the characters at times but 100% worth it. An accomplished and astute read which will leave you thinking long after the last page has turned.” – Damppebbles blog

“If you love a gripping crime/thriller which at once breaks your heart, makes you want to punch something and cry buckets of tears (I honestly did), then I would urge you most strongly to buy this fabulous book. 5 stars.” – Zoe’s Book Nook blog

“This is a gripping and thoroughly compelling read: at times funny in that sardonic noir way, while also being heart-piercingly sad, and profoundly shocking, with beautifully conceived twists and turns – and a chilling revelation at the end. I read the whole thing in one jaw-dropping session, delighted when I turned the final page to know that this is the first part in a new series following DS Manolis. I cannot wait for the next instalment.” – Brown Flopsy’s Book Burrow blog

“A compelling murder investigation, a brilliant cast of characters, atmosphere dripping from the pages and topics to make you think… there is so much to like about The Stoning. Often harrowing, sometimes heartbreaking, always thought-provoking.” – Novel Deelights blog

“I really enjoyed this atmospheric and gritty outback noir novel, with its intense and claustrophobic setting in sweltering heat in a hellish small town. I was gripped as the unconventional investigation unfolded and we learned more about the secrets that the locals and others were hiding. It’s a compelling read and I couldn’t put it down! This dark and disturbing book makes uncomfortable reading at times, with its descriptions of violence and racial tension, but it’s well written, intriguing and very thought provoking – I was still mulling things over after I’d finished it.” – Locky Loves Books blog

“A really terrific Aussie noir novel, with a small-town setting – an observant, atmospheric and relevant tale that is beautifully written & intensely authentic with a complex cast and engaging main protagonist. Recommended.” – Liz Loves Books blog

“The uglier sides of Australian life are explored in a hard-hitting outback noir debut… Papathanasiou doesn’t pull any punches as he delivers outback noir with a clear-eyed look at hypocrisies old and new and some of the ugly sides of modern life in the ‘lucky country’.” – Craig Sisterson, New Zealand Listener