Southern Style

by Craig Marriner

The youth from the old colonies head to London, a mecca for hedonism, dangerous encounters and self-discovery in this vibrant, shocking novel by the award-winning writer of Stonedogs. Craig Marriner's second novel lifts the lid on the Big OE as his sprawling cast of young Southerners tackle London head on. There's Lisa from Cape Town, class warrior and part-time drug dealer; Ryan the Aussie, with little to show for two years of overstaying but hangovers and hang-ups; and Alex from Auckland, fresh off the plane, a management graduate with the world at his feet, if he can grow up fast enough. And there's London itself, a stage that sets no limits on hedonism and personal discovery. The ancient city has never seemed so promising. Or so dangerous. Cockney villains tussle with blacks, establishment toffs tug invisible strings, but newcomers from the East could be the jokers in the pack as old institutions are threatened by the forces of a globalised world. In the midst of it all, the neo-explorers are set to learn just how far from home they really are, how much London has to give, and the price it can demand in return. In this brilliant novel, Marriner further develops the distinctive brand of fiction he introduced in the jaw-dropping Stonedogs. Southern Style rubs philosophy and polemic up against a story that swings from the hilarious to the shocking and every shade in between.

Genres: Fiction

458 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Craig Marriner was born in New Zealand in 1974. He was raised & schooled in Rotorua.

In the days since, he has mined gold in the Aussie Outback, worked security at English soccer stadiums, wintered on a angry Ruapehu, MCed at an Amsterdam comedy club, haggled in the markets of Istanbul & slept in more train stations than he cares to remember.

His first published novel was the award winning Stonedogs. His second novel Southern Style was released in 2006.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Fast paced and entertaining. Keeps you engaged throughout. Well written and brilliantly descriptive. A great read that I would recommend.

[Brett Martelletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Interesting story with relatable characters. It is fast flowing witty and easy to read as I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
That good I have read it twice in 4 years. Enjoyed Stonedogs but this is a better read. Shame Craig only wrote the 2 books.