The Rush

By: Michelle Prak

Narrated by: Emma Leonard, Ruby O'Kelly, Jaimee Taylor-Nielsen, Jessica Tovey

‘Compelling and explosive: you won’t be able to put this book down.’ Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town

‘Prepare to be terrified! A real rollercoaster of a debut.’ Nicci French, author of The Favour

SOME THREATS ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR ...

Longlisted, Best Adult Novel, Davitt Awards

The first drops start to fall when Quinn spies the body. With no reception and nothing but an empty road for miles, does she stop to help or keep driving to safety?

Back at the iconic country pub where Quinn works, Andrea is sandbagging the place in preparation for heavy rains. Alone with her sleeping son in the back room, she reluctantly lets a biker in to wait out the storm.

Out on the wet roads, tensions arise among four backpackers on their way to Darwin. They haven’t prepared for this kind of weather and the flooding isn’t the only threat on the horizon …

Chilling, tense and twisted, this compulsive thriller will send adrenaline coursing through your veins.

‘An electrifying outback thriller that’s unlike anything I’ve read.’ Mark Brandi, author of Wimmera

‘This has to be the most terrifying book I've read in years! Michelle is a very assured writer, and her characters are so believable. I genuinely cared whether they lived or died, which is what made the book so deliciously tense.’ Shelley Burr, author of Wake

‘What a rollercoaster ride! A cracking debut you won’t be able to put down.’ Kelli Hawkins, author of Other People’s Houses

‘An utterly chilling read with an unexpected twist.’ Vikki Petraitis, author of The Unbelieved

‘Masterful twists all the way to its shattering ending.’ Greg Woodland, author of The Night Whistler

‘Taut, unpredictable, terrifying.’ Neela Janakiramanan, author of The Registrar

‘A haunting road trip through the outback with a terrifying finale.’ Tim Ayliffe, author of The Enemy Within

'The only thing wrong with this Aussie holiday read is it is so hard to put down.' The Chronicle

‘The Rush by Michelle Prak gives new meaning to the words gripping and horrifying ... It is anything but your typical outback thriller.’ Books+Publishing

©2023 Michelle Prak (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

‘A sunny outback road trip with two friendly young couples: what could possibly go wrong? The Rush flips the trope with sudden floods, then piles on the threats for its women heroes – stranded far from home, isolated and vulnerable … not just to flooded creeks and cut off roads, but to the deadly games of a predator. Like a river in full flood, Michelle Prak’s heart-pounding debut thriller sweeps the reader along through masterful twists all the way to its shattering ending.’ (Greg Woodland, author of The Night Whistler)

‘The Rush is a wild ride through the remote outback during an extreme weather event. Some threats aren’t obvious at first glance, but Andrea, Mark, Quinn, Scott, Livia, Hayley, and Joost are all on a collision course which will send shockwaves through the remote communities. Compelling drama in a backdrop of flooding, Michelle Prak takes the reader through flooded roads and washed-out generators and menacing strangers who come knocking in the dark. An utterly chilling read with an unexpected twist, this crime novel is hard to put down.’ (Vikki Petraitis, author of The Unbelieved)

‘Taut, unpredictable, terrifying; the uniquely Australian weather and landscape are both joyful and become an unwitting accomplice. Michelle Prak weaves such a suspenseful story that you might never want to be alone or isolated again.’ (Neela Janakiramanan, author of The Registrar)