CRUCIAL STEP - Laver, Ian

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Résumé :
Following the death of his estranged father, Theo travels to Malaysia to try to understand why his father abandoned him and his mother 16 years earlier. Theo's father, Vince, and his best mate, Jack, disappeared after the Vietnam War, unable to settle back into Australia. Full of youthful bravado, 22-year-old Theo has his conservative Adelaide values tested from the moment of touchdown. Jack is nowhere to be found. Malaysia is an ancient land full of beauty and wisdom and as he discovers rapidly, a deadly underworld. Theo blunders along, confidence rapidly evaporating, from one bad situation to worse. He purchases a book called 'Beyond Pardon' which shocks him but eventually provides him with answers. Two Malaysian women seem to control his destiny - one, Biru, a beautiful young Muslim woman with whom he falls in love; the other an ancient, wise, tribal woman from Borneo who knows more than she ought about him. But even they cannot save him from a terrifying period of imprisonment. Theo is released under a cloud of mystery and although more danger looms, he can make a more realistic appraisal of his situation. He has been accused of a drug crime, implicated by association in other serious criminal matters involving his late father, has fallen in love with a Muslim woman whose suitor takes ultimate offence, and the police are watching his every move. And Jack, the one man who could help, is impossible to locate. Theo realises in this different world decisions of life and death sit on the razor's edge. ?

Biographie:
Ian Laver is a fiction writer living in southeast Queensland. A short working life in the government gave him a solid grounding in writing fiction. Also, many years in the building industry and travelling the world has added to his story-telling experiences. He was editor of a small country association magazine and had a regular column in an on-line magazine. Ian has been associated with many writing groups and was President of the Sunshine Coast Literary Association. He has two novels and three collections of short stories to his credit as well as numerous writing awards, including two Henry Lawson Emerging Writer. At present he is involved in a Haiku poetry group.

Sommaire:
Ian Laver is a well-travelled fiction writer living in south east Queensland. His first novel, CRUCIAL STEP, was published in 2021. His second novel, UNEASY, was published in 2022, followed by the publication of a short story collection, DEADLY SINS, in 2024. He enjoys writing short stories, and many of these stories have been published in anthologies and magazines. HARD HITS is his second collection of short stories and he is currently writing COMEBACK, the sequel to UNEASY, which continues the adventures and investigations of Queensland detective Rodney FitzMichael.Ian was editor of a small country association magazine and had a regular column in an on-line publication. He was President of the Sunshine Coast Literary Association, has been active in writing organisations and is at present involved in a Haiku poetry group. Two Henry Lawson Emerging Writer and a Tom Howard Short Story Award are listed among his more than a dozen writing awards....