Jeff Popple reviews three good reads about fictional and true adventures in rural Australia. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog; murdermayhemandlongdogs.com

Sanctuary by Garry Disher

Text, $34.99

Garry Disher has been at the pinnacle of Australian crime writing for over twenty years.  Each of his books are well crafted examples of the best of the crime writer’s art and all are very enjoyable. Sanctuary brings back a secondary character, a thief called Grace, from an earlier book and pairs her with another woman on the run. Together they are hiding out in rural Adelaide Hills, and doing a bit of thieving in Grace’s case, until dangerous figures from their pasts come looking. 

Mixing together vivid locations, nuanced characters, unexpected twists and a mounting sense of unease, Sanctuary is a terrific read.

Run For Your Life by Sue Williams

Simon & Schuster, $34.99

Sue Williams’ account of the tribulations faced by Nick Stride and his family makes for intriguing reading.

Stride initially moved from England to Russia in 1998 to help build the British Embassy in Moscow, but after leaking secrets from Vladimir Putin’s one-time deputy, he found himself under threat and on the run. A decision which led to Nick, his wife and two children hiding out on remote beaches in far northwestern Australia and elsewhere. There they faced many challenges and dangers, with no official assistance. It is an interesting story of resilience that raises many issues, and lots of questions.

Datsun Angel by Anna Broinowski

Hachette, $34.99

Also full of outback adventures and bad decisions, is Anna Broinowski’s memoir of her journey through the savage heart of Australia in the 1980s.

Drawing on her battered travel diary, Anna recounts her trip from Sydney to Darwin and back, with humour, astuteness and a good deal of 1980s feminism. The characters she encounters are recalled in vivid colours, and her recollections of the uncertainty and dangers of hitch hiking in the 1980s resonates strongly. Juxtaposed against her experiences at Sydney University’s male dominated, elitist Wesley College, Anna’s account of her road trip provides a fascinating insight into the 1980s, as well as contemporary Australia.