Find out why readers can’t get enough of today’s feature book, a gripping debut thriller, Message Stick by Laine Cunningham. A panoramic look at Australia, its land, its peoples and the social issues that continue to this day. It already boasts an impressive 4.9 star rating with 18 reviews. “It’s a terrific book – a great mix of harrowing adventure, myth, culture, and real mystery, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is willing to venture somewhere that might deeply unsettle them in a way that has nothing to do with gore or fake thrills.”-Amazon Reviewer
Message Stick won two national awards and was supported by The Jerome Foundation, the New York Mills Cultural Center and Cornucopia Arts Center.
A Brief Synopsis of Message Stick:
Gabriel Branch leaves his home on the Queensland coast to search the rugged outback for his best friend. Everything about the red desert seems alien including the artifact, a message stick, that is his only clue.
While crisscrossing the unforgiving terrain he draws the attention of Dana Pukatja, a Pitjantjatjara shaman who runs the smuggling ring. As Gabe struggles with the loss of both his friend and his biological family, the shaman draws closer. The men clash on an arid plain of twisted mulga shrub far from any law except that of the outback itself.
About the Author:
Laine’s work has won multiple national awards, including the Hackney Literary Award for $5,000 and the James Jones Literary Society fellowship for $6,000. In past years, the Hackney Award was received by Horton Foote and William Styron, placing Laine in the ranks of Pulitzer Prize-winning authors. For several years she has chaired the advisory board for The Blotter, a literary magazine. For twenty years she has worked as a publishing consultant. She conducts writing and marketing sessions for authors through a variety of programs. All of Laine’s works utilize the core components of thrillers while keeping a strong focus on the elements that appeal to women. Her second novel, He Drinks Poison, pits FBI agent Priya Conlin-Kumar against a serial rapist and a serial killer working the same city.
What Readers Are Saying About Message Stick:
“You may not currently be familiar with Laine Cunningham, but that’s about to be remedied. With the Message Stick she is going to jump front and center on the best-seller’s lists. So, don’t wait, get your copy now.” –Donna Coomer
“It’s one of those stories that sinks its hooks into you and won’t let go. LOVED the descriptions of the Outback and really felt like I was there…great for summer reading or a plane ride or anywhere where you want to keep your mind engaged in a good story.” –Dena Harris
“A Thrilling Exploration of Cultural Collision and Identity Wrapped Up In A Gripping Mystery” –E A Fow
Don’t miss today’s gripping debut thriller, Message Stick.