The Carnival is Over
Greg Woodland
1971—Hal is seventeen, with dreams of escaping from Moorabool to a life in the city. But right now he’s on a good behaviour bond and stuck in a job he hates, paying off the car he ‘borrowed’ and crashed. Hal’s packing-room job makes him a target for workplace bullies and the friendship of the older, more worldly Christine is all that makes each day bearable. So when she doesn’t turn up for work, he’s on the alert.
So is Sergeant Mick Goodenough. But he already knows what’s happened to Christine: the same thing that happened to the newly elected deputy mayor. When another gruesome ‘accident’ occurs in Moorabool, Goodenough suspects there’s something sinister going on behind the scenes at the abattoir.
Mick and Hal are both determined to dig up the truth. Before long each of them is going to find himself in mortal danger and running for his life.
Greg Woodland, author of the acclaimed The Night Whistler, returns with another nailbiting rural thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.
andThe Carnival is Over
‘The Carnival Is Over was a hair-raising, heart-racing rollercoaster ride of a read. Loved it!’
‘The Carnival is Over starts with a bang and doesn’t let up. Woodland is unafraid to tackle dark themes and his books are a welcome addition to Aussie rural noir.’
‘You don’t have to have read Greg Woodland’s acclaimed debut novel The Night Whistler to thoroughly enjoy his latest, The Carnival is Over…But (five years later) everyone has moved on and become better and worse versions of themselves, but their underlying complexities, strengths and weaknesses are ever apparent…the run through to the climax is a series of twists and turns helmed by a villain grisly enough to cause nightmares. Another stellar performance from a writer at the top of his game.’
‘This atmospheric, fast-paced and suspense-filled novel grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let up until the last. A thoroughly entertaining and terrific sequel.’
‘Troubling undercurrents swirl in a seductively involving story of small-town secrets and obsessions.’
‘The Carnival is Over is a complex but tightly woven page-turner, full of expertly portrayed characters that are battling against an array of dark and menacing crimes…if they’re not committing them!…and interspersed with wonderful moments of kindness and humour. If you love well-written Aussie crime thrillers, you’re going to devour this.’
‘A haunting, tense and unforgettable debut.’
‘Greg Woodland’s cinematic imagination delivers with this fast-paced journey into 1970s small-town Australia. A thrill-ride into the past.’
‘Moving between multiple character’s perspectives through short and sharp chapters, from the sergeant to town locals, The Carnival is Over is a fast-paced read that really takes you back in time. Woodland joins a growing number of Australian authors writing brilliant rural crime, and we can’t get enough of them. Fans of Margaret Hickey and Chris Hammer will devour this.’
‘Woodland…[draws] the story forward five years…delivering a very different type of crime story, one that digs deep into the culture of small towns at the time…The Carnival is Over is another atmospheric and engaging work of crime fiction from Woodland.’
‘Gripping.’
‘Thrilling.’
‘With vivid characters adding local colour to the familiar tale of corruption in regional politics…the women in [The Carnival is Over] take centre stage and leave a lasting impression.’
