Winterwood

“When I get drunk and find myself in a semi-conscious state, passed out on the sidewalk, someone else might say, ‘That’s life,’ but I would reply, ‘No, that’s just going out on the town.’”

Written with an unerring eye for detail, psychology and breathtaking honesty, 'Winterwood', a tale of conflict, murder and transcendence, relates the cataclysmic events that engulf the Tulloch family during the harsh southern New Zealand winter of 1986. In a family saga that meditates deeply on the nature of love, honour, and duty, the three Tulloch brothers Michael, Martin and Paul are swept up in a whirlwind of violence, revenge, psychosis and lust as they attempt to come to terms with the legacy of their parents’ troubled marriage, their father’s dark patrimony, and the tensions wrought in the social psyche by the strain of trying to establish a life at the very ends of the Earth. Pitted against the fierce elements of their rugged homeland and their own inner demons, the struggles of the Tulloch sons are depicted on an epic scale, and the depth of the author’s vision of human resilience in the face of ferocious odds makes the novel a darkly compelling – and ultimately triumphant – affirmation of our capacity to endure, and overcome, tragedy and torment.

Powerful, honest, gripping . . . 'Winterwood' is a tragic story whose strength lies in its strong, vivid sense of milieu and extremity of events. It is about tough but engaging characters who live a hard life amidst a rugged, fierce land. The novel brings the inner lives of these characters alive, and tinges the landscape and events with an epic quality. The reader invests in the main characters, which makes the story engaging and draws them along. Written in a taut and evocative style, it has occasionally startling and illuminating diction; but, at its best, it is clear and simple. Overall, it shows real honesty and power. The novel is gripping and compelling, and sure to give many people great joy. (First Editors: Editorial review, abridged)

When the mirror holds your reflection and the glass shatters, be wary of the tidal wave of reality that can drown you in dreams. Patrick Andrews is a writer in the masterclass of the dysfunctional. He will take your deeper than you dare to fall. Lose yourself in Patrick's imagination and there is always a part of you that will never be found. (Morry's Book Reviews)