DEADLY OUTBACK: GUNPOWDER CREEK by ALEX DOOK

Alex Dook’s debut novel, Gunpower Creek (Echo, 2 September 2025), is partially set in the Australian outback, but has a strong gritty, urban feel to it.

Perth mother Emily Barnes is busily finishing her clerical work for the week, when she receives a panicked phone call, punctured by a gunshot, from her wayward son Zach: “Mum, please. I need your help. I’ve done something stupid … They’re coming for me.” Three hours later she is driving a stolen car out of Perth, with explicit instructions from Zach’s captors – in three days, deliver the car to Gunpowder Creek a ghost town 900 kilometres deep into the West Australian outback. Miss the deadline and Zach dies. She is also told, much like Jason Stratham in The Transporter, do not open the boot.

Gunpowder Creek is, literally, a wild ride of a story. From the opening tense scene to the final bloody encounters, it moves along at a hectic pace as Emily tries to make the deadline while dealing with an unexpected pursuer, unhelpful locals, the police and the contents of the boot. While back in Perth Zach’s situation steadily worsens.

I am not going to go into the details of the plot and ruin its many surprises, other than to say that nothing plans out as expected and that the body count steadily rises as the novel progresses. The characters are generally well sketched, especially Emily and some of the people she meets along the way. The outback is described in vivid detail and weaved into the story are interesting themes around PTSD, parenting, and generational differences.

The basic premise of the story probably does not withstand close scrutiny, but overall it is a very exciting and bloody thriller that will have you rapidly turning the pages, especially over the final quarter. Warmly recommended.

Gunpowder Creek is released in Australia on 2 September 2025.