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No Country for Girls: an outstanding outback thriller and winner of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize
GOLD. THEFT. MURDER. A ROAD TRIP TO DIE FOR.
*Winner of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize*
Shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger
Shortlisted for the Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Novel
Shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction
Longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize
'An unrelenting page-turner' CHRIS WHITAKER, author of WE BEGIN AT THE END
'Perfectly paced' SCOTSMAN
'A breathless outback chase' THE AGE
'It's not exactly how I imagined the week starting. An accessory to murder. On the run in the victim's vehicle . . .'
Charlie and Nao are strangers from different sides of the tracks. They should never have met, but one devastating incident binds them together forever.
A man is dead and now they are unwilling accomplices in his murder there's only one thing to do: hit the road in the victim's twin cab ute, with a bag of stolen gold stashed under the passenger seat.
Suddenly outlaws, Nao and Charlie must make their way across Australia's remote outback using only their wits to survive. They'll do whatever it takes to evade capture and escape with their lives . . .
Thelma & Louise for a new generation, No Country for Girls is a gritty, twisty road-trip thriller that follows two young women on the run across the harsh, unforgiving landscape of Australia.
*Winner of the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize*
Shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger
Shortlisted for the Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Novel
Shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction
Longlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award
Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize
'An unrelenting page-turner' CHRIS WHITAKER, author of WE BEGIN AT THE END
'Perfectly paced' SCOTSMAN
'A breathless outback chase' THE AGE
'It's not exactly how I imagined the week starting. An accessory to murder. On the run in the victim's vehicle . . .'
Charlie and Nao are strangers from different sides of the tracks. They should never have met, but one devastating incident binds them together forever.
A man is dead and now they are unwilling accomplices in his murder there's only one thing to do: hit the road in the victim's twin cab ute, with a bag of stolen gold stashed under the passenger seat.
Suddenly outlaws, Nao and Charlie must make their way across Australia's remote outback using only their wits to survive. They'll do whatever it takes to evade capture and escape with their lives . . .
Thelma & Louise for a new generation, No Country for Girls is a gritty, twisty road-trip thriller that follows two young women on the run across the harsh, unforgiving landscape of Australia.
352 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2023
103 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Emma Styles
2 books38 followersEmma Styles writes contemporary Australian noir about young women taking on the patriarchy. She grew up on Whadjuk Noongar Country in Perth, Western Australia and now lives in London where she was born. Emma loves a road trip and once sat out a cyclone on the north west coast of WA in a LandCruiser Troop Carrier. She is less afraid of great white sharks than she should be, and hopeless at surfing.
Emma has an MA in crime fiction from the University of East Anglia. Her debut novel, No Country for Girls, won the Little, Brown UEA Crime Fiction Award in 2020 and will be published by Sphere in the UK in July 2022, and by Hachette in Australia and New Zealand in September.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
January 19, 2023
As Charlie and Nao made their way from southern Western Australia to the north of the state, in a vehicle belonging to a dead man, with a bag of gold which was stolen, and stolen again, both Nao and Charlie had no idea what their futures looked like. On the run from the law, with little money, they just knew they had to keep going. After stopping overnight at Nao's Auntie's place, they continued on, aiming for Port Hedland then Broome. Charlie's sister was in a bad place as well. Geena was trying to get in contact with Charlie, while Charlie was trying to do the same. There was a reason they kept missing each other's calls...
The person following the two girls in the green ute knew he wouldn't lose them. He also knew the two girls - both under twenty - would make a mistake and then he'd be onto them. But as time went by, the girls proved they had the courage and guts to evade capture. But could it continue? What would happen at the end of the road?
No Country for Girls is Aussie author Emma Styles' debut novel and is set in the harsh Australian outback of Western Australia. Nao and Charlie were thrown together by circumstances and made an unlikely pair. But a gradual, tentative friendship formed and they had each other's backs. I quite enjoyed this gritty, tense crime novel, and look forward to what Ms Styles writes next. Recommended.
The person following the two girls in the green ute knew he wouldn't lose them. He also knew the two girls - both under twenty - would make a mistake and then he'd be onto them. But as time went by, the girls proved they had the courage and guts to evade capture. But could it continue? What would happen at the end of the road?
No Country for Girls is Aussie author Emma Styles' debut novel and is set in the harsh Australian outback of Western Australia. Nao and Charlie were thrown together by circumstances and made an unlikely pair. But a gradual, tentative friendship formed and they had each other's backs. I quite enjoyed this gritty, tense crime novel, and look forward to what Ms Styles writes next. Recommended.
September 3, 2022
Billed as a modern day Thelma and Louise, No Country For Girls is an intense and thrilling outback adventure that I just wanted to keep reading. I love a good Aussie crime fiction novel, and this debut from Emma Styles was right up my alley.
Teenagers, Charlie and Nao are strangers, who are suddenly bonded for life when a man ends up dead with a bag full of gold bars. They jump in the dead mans ute and go on the run. Somebody is after that gold and will stop at nothing to get it. The pair must improvise, and use their knowledge from police dramas on TV to get away and survive. It is a cat and mouse race across the Australia outback in the middle of summer. The girls no longer know who they can trust, except for one another.
In a year of fantastic debut Australian authors, here we have another to add to that list. I look forward to more from Emma in the future.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. No Country for Girls is out now in Australia.
Teenagers, Charlie and Nao are strangers, who are suddenly bonded for life when a man ends up dead with a bag full of gold bars. They jump in the dead mans ute and go on the run. Somebody is after that gold and will stop at nothing to get it. The pair must improvise, and use their knowledge from police dramas on TV to get away and survive. It is a cat and mouse race across the Australia outback in the middle of summer. The girls no longer know who they can trust, except for one another.
In a year of fantastic debut Australian authors, here we have another to add to that list. I look forward to more from Emma in the future.
Thanks to Hachette Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. No Country for Girls is out now in Australia.
November 12, 2024
I've seen this one described as a kind of modern day 'Thelma and Louise' story which is fairly accurate as an overall concept. Charlie and Noa are two young women who are strangers until they are both involved in the murder of a man which leads to them fleeing together in a road journey. This is a compelling storyline as the girls are forced into relying on one another despite being complete strangers. It's an intense ride with the point-of-views primarily interchanging between the two girls as they are being rapidly chased down. The drama is high and readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering how the two are going to get out of this dangerous situation.
Overall: an enjoyable outback Australian suspense crime thriller.
Overall: an enjoyable outback Australian suspense crime thriller.
January 25, 2025
I doubt I would have picked this book off a shelf to read personally but it was given to me as a gift and I must say I really enjoyed it.
I have a soft spot for the three female characters and was really hoping they got their happy ending. After a week of running from numerous bad people, would they come out of this unscathed?
I have a soft spot for the three female characters and was really hoping they got their happy ending. After a week of running from numerous bad people, would they come out of this unscathed?
December 31, 2022
Tense and exciting No Country For Girls is an excellent debut from Emma Styles.
Told primarily from the alternating viewpoints of Nao and Charlie, I enjoyed the contrast of the unlikely pairing. The characters are distinctive but familiar, and read authentically.
There are plenty of twists in the fast-paced plot as their escape becomes a pursuit. Styles pushes the bounds of credibility a little but not so much that it becomes farcical. Though compared to the blockbuster movie Thelma and Louise, I think it has a fair bit in common with the Australian TV series, Wanted, (though I’ve only watched the first season).
Themes include friendship, addiction, police corruption, domestic violence, and also touch on Australian First Nations issues including the Stolen Generation and mining rights.
Vivid descriptions deftly evoke the varying Australian landscapes, particularly the outback areas of Western Australia. Styles use of Australian vernacular also firmly grounds the book in its setting.
No Country For Girls is a well-written, thrilling read I’m happy to recommend.
Told primarily from the alternating viewpoints of Nao and Charlie, I enjoyed the contrast of the unlikely pairing. The characters are distinctive but familiar, and read authentically.
There are plenty of twists in the fast-paced plot as their escape becomes a pursuit. Styles pushes the bounds of credibility a little but not so much that it becomes farcical. Though compared to the blockbuster movie Thelma and Louise, I think it has a fair bit in common with the Australian TV series, Wanted, (though I’ve only watched the first season).
Themes include friendship, addiction, police corruption, domestic violence, and also touch on Australian First Nations issues including the Stolen Generation and mining rights.
Vivid descriptions deftly evoke the varying Australian landscapes, particularly the outback areas of Western Australia. Styles use of Australian vernacular also firmly grounds the book in its setting.
No Country For Girls is a well-written, thrilling read I’m happy to recommend.
March 28, 2023
- thanks to @hachetteaus for my #gifted copy
I found myself pleasantly surprised when I received No Country for Girls unexpectedly. I've learned to be wary of unrequested books, but reading the blurb of this novel is all it took: a Mystery Thriller that takes place in the Aussie outback? Sold.
Sadly, the minute I started reading this novel, I was immediately taken aback by the author's choice of spelling to represent one of the main character's accent. Charlie has an intense 'bogan' accent which Styles emphasises through misspelling, both in dialogue and during Charlie's point of view. For example, Charlie uses expressions like: "can't ya", "gunna tell", "orright", "epi tantrum I'm gunna chuck", "musta hurt", "s'posed", "fucken", "how thick d'ya reckon I am" ... you get the drill. The use of these expressions goes beyond representing the Australian vernacular. Now, this is obviously a personal preference. I am a big fan of proper spelling, and I cannot tolerate when incorrect spelling is used for characterisation.
But why would an Aussie author intentionally misspell words to make emphasis on the accent? A little bit of research helped me find the answer. It turns out that Styles lived in Australia but now resides in London, so No Country for Girls was first published in the UK and later in Australia and New Zealand... which means that this book was written for an English audience, and that could explain all the misspelling. So how do I feel about that? Definitely not good. I firmly believe that authors should trust the readers' ability to fill in the gaps, accents included.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the constant misspelling. But, apart from suspending disbelief a few times, I didn't have significant concerns with this novel. The story is entertaining and easy enough to read.
Overall, No Country for Girls is an entertaining 'Telma and Louise' narrative with a solid and atmospheric setting. I'd recommend it to readers that are not troubled by grammar and spelling.
I found myself pleasantly surprised when I received No Country for Girls unexpectedly. I've learned to be wary of unrequested books, but reading the blurb of this novel is all it took: a Mystery Thriller that takes place in the Aussie outback? Sold.
Sadly, the minute I started reading this novel, I was immediately taken aback by the author's choice of spelling to represent one of the main character's accent. Charlie has an intense 'bogan' accent which Styles emphasises through misspelling, both in dialogue and during Charlie's point of view. For example, Charlie uses expressions like: "can't ya", "gunna tell", "orright", "epi tantrum I'm gunna chuck", "musta hurt", "s'posed", "fucken", "how thick d'ya reckon I am" ... you get the drill. The use of these expressions goes beyond representing the Australian vernacular. Now, this is obviously a personal preference. I am a big fan of proper spelling, and I cannot tolerate when incorrect spelling is used for characterisation.
But why would an Aussie author intentionally misspell words to make emphasis on the accent? A little bit of research helped me find the answer. It turns out that Styles lived in Australia but now resides in London, so No Country for Girls was first published in the UK and later in Australia and New Zealand... which means that this book was written for an English audience, and that could explain all the misspelling. So how do I feel about that? Definitely not good. I firmly believe that authors should trust the readers' ability to fill in the gaps, accents included.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the constant misspelling. But, apart from suspending disbelief a few times, I didn't have significant concerns with this novel. The story is entertaining and easy enough to read.
Overall, No Country for Girls is an entertaining 'Telma and Louise' narrative with a solid and atmospheric setting. I'd recommend it to readers that are not troubled by grammar and spelling.
August 6, 2023
My honest feelings about this book are quite neutral. I didn’t dislike it, I enjoyed the general premise, but I didn’t particularly miss it when I didn’t pick it up for a while, either. The characters were believable, flawed and well-rounded, but I wasn’t particularly rooting for them or invested. The character I found myself invested in most was Geena, who, ironically, is a side character. I wouldn’t exactly call it an “easy read” as I never found myself desperate to pick it up, but I enjoyed myself when I was going through the pages. Some plot points were quite unclear and could have been explained better than they were- some parts lacked detail. Not a page turner but I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it, either. It’s very rare that I feel a solid middle ground when it comes to a book, but that’s how I feel with this one. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, was happy to pick it up when I got around to it.
November 23, 2022
As a fan of Australian crime fiction, I was excited to start reading No Country For Girls.
From the very first chapter, the reader is thrown into a tense and gripping story. We meet the wonderfully sharp-edged Charlie and the calmer Nao during the night, they’ve never met before but when they stumble across each other they become allies after a brutal murder. We then follow their journey through rural Australia as they try to outrun the law in a dead mans Ute with a bag full of stolen gold ingots!
I mean the premise for the story is bloody superb, and it does not let up! I found No Country For Girls an exceptional book, so well written from the point of view of 2 girls from different sides of Australia by descent, the way Emma Styles portrays their inner feelings and thoughts is so perfect! Both girls have “backgrounds” that have molded them into the people they are now, and it shapes the whole novel and the outcome.
I was literally full of anxiety reading No Country For Girls, the plot weaves at a fast pace just like the girls across Australia, and there are so many shocking moments that will have you going ” oh no” out loud! As always I’m not giving any of the plots away, but if you like your thrillers dark, edgy and realistic then No Country For Girls is going to be a book for you.
I read this novel in 2 days so that tells you how superb it is, I had both girls, Charlie and Nao firmly in my mind, in fact even after finishing No Country For Girls, they are still vivid and alive in my mind!
A triumphant debut novel from Emma Styles, about friendship, hope, and survival. I hope Emma Styles will be up there with the other big names of Australian Thrillers very soon. I am so eager for the next novel!
A ripper of a 5-star read from me!
From the very first chapter, the reader is thrown into a tense and gripping story. We meet the wonderfully sharp-edged Charlie and the calmer Nao during the night, they’ve never met before but when they stumble across each other they become allies after a brutal murder. We then follow their journey through rural Australia as they try to outrun the law in a dead mans Ute with a bag full of stolen gold ingots!
I mean the premise for the story is bloody superb, and it does not let up! I found No Country For Girls an exceptional book, so well written from the point of view of 2 girls from different sides of Australia by descent, the way Emma Styles portrays their inner feelings and thoughts is so perfect! Both girls have “backgrounds” that have molded them into the people they are now, and it shapes the whole novel and the outcome.
I was literally full of anxiety reading No Country For Girls, the plot weaves at a fast pace just like the girls across Australia, and there are so many shocking moments that will have you going ” oh no” out loud! As always I’m not giving any of the plots away, but if you like your thrillers dark, edgy and realistic then No Country For Girls is going to be a book for you.
I read this novel in 2 days so that tells you how superb it is, I had both girls, Charlie and Nao firmly in my mind, in fact even after finishing No Country For Girls, they are still vivid and alive in my mind!
A triumphant debut novel from Emma Styles, about friendship, hope, and survival. I hope Emma Styles will be up there with the other big names of Australian Thrillers very soon. I am so eager for the next novel!
A ripper of a 5-star read from me!
December 23, 2022
This book tries to be a modern day Thelma and Louise and misses the mark. Nao and Charlie are connected by a crime and end up travelling across Australia together in search of answers and to escape danger. The chapters are told from the perspective of different characters and they often repeat what happened in the chapter prior which is frustrating and doesn’t help the telling of the story. Despite being Australian, I also found the writing difficult to read. The incomplete sentences were frustrating and found myself rereading them because it was like a word had been missed. I did love the use of Australian vernacular in the dialogue though. I didn’t think the characters were very well developed and while the first couple of chapters were good (despite a few unbelievable parts of the plot), nothing else happened until the second half of the book. I read this for my book club and look forward to discussing it. I would probably not have finished it if it wasn’t for the book club FOMO.
May 31, 2024
Setting: Western Australia; modern day.
Charlie and Nao are strangers until a chance encounter one dark night throws the pair together - and a man is left dead. Disposing of the body, the two young women set off into the Australian outback in the dead man's ute, which they later discover contains a bag of gold bars. Running from their fears, deeper into the harsh outback terrain, the couple are being relentlessly pursued by someone who will stop at nothing to recover the gold....
Populated with significantly-flawed characters, this Aussie road trip is a real rollercoaster ride - and the backstory as it gradually emerges is even more fascinating than the harsh and unforgiving setting. Loved the whole Aussie vibe and the satisfactory outcome. Great read - 9/10.
Charlie and Nao are strangers until a chance encounter one dark night throws the pair together - and a man is left dead. Disposing of the body, the two young women set off into the Australian outback in the dead man's ute, which they later discover contains a bag of gold bars. Running from their fears, deeper into the harsh outback terrain, the couple are being relentlessly pursued by someone who will stop at nothing to recover the gold....
Populated with significantly-flawed characters, this Aussie road trip is a real rollercoaster ride - and the backstory as it gradually emerges is even more fascinating than the harsh and unforgiving setting. Loved the whole Aussie vibe and the satisfactory outcome. Great read - 9/10.
August 25, 2022
Really enjoyed this. The characters are very different, which is hard to do successfully, and there are lots of unexpected twists and turns and plot reveals.
January 1, 2023
"it's past eight at night when I get near home, full dark except for a half-arsed moon.'
For an opening sentence - that told me I would probable like the author's style and I did. worth a 3.5 - 3.75 didn't quite make the 4 stars for me.
For an opening sentence - that told me I would probable like the author's style and I did. worth a 3.5 - 3.75 didn't quite make the 4 stars for me.
January 12, 2023
This book was quite slow and I really struggled to get through. I know the language was designed to portray the lack of education in Charlie and also just the Australian accent but I found it hard to read and just really basic.
The plot line in the last 100 pages was good but was ruined for me because I had to sit through 200 pages of the same car ride where they continuously complain that is hot, stuffy and they have no petrol.
**1.5 stars**
The plot line in the last 100 pages was good but was ruined for me because I had to sit through 200 pages of the same car ride where they continuously complain that is hot, stuffy and they have no petrol.
**1.5 stars**
July 15, 2022
Rating: 3.1/5
In recent years I have read a number of novels written by graduates of the University of East Anglia's creative writing course and I have been impressed to varying degrees by all of them. Emma Styles debut, "No Country for Girls" is the latest example and is another capably written and enjoyable piece of fiction.
As is already indicated in the accompanying marketing blurb, it is impossible not to draw comparisons with "Thelma and Louise". There are certainly some clear similarities, but it would be doing the author a disservice to say that this is merely a facsimile of that story, but with the location switched to Australia. Charlie and Nao are two young women brought together by circumstance, who find themselves on the run and being pursued across the country. There is plenty of action and adventure along the way, but at its heart this is essentially a character-driven story. The narrative is predominantly supplied from the viewpoints of Charlie and Nao with Emma Styles generally doing a good job of distinguishing clearly between the two central protagonists.
I have to confess that I didn't warm to this novel immediately and in the early stages I wasn't convinced that I was going to find it to my liking. However, bit by bit, I found myself being drawn and I think much of the credit for that must go to the author for delivering a storyline with decent pace and regular tantalisers, but also for moulding characters that became increasingly captivating.
The option to bring this to the screen has already been taken up and it wouldn't be difficult to imagine it replicating the recent success of Jamie Dornan's "The Tourist", which was also set in the wide-open spaces of Australia. In the meantime, you could certainly do far worse than to pick this book up and spend some time in the company of Charlie and Nao.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
In recent years I have read a number of novels written by graduates of the University of East Anglia's creative writing course and I have been impressed to varying degrees by all of them. Emma Styles debut, "No Country for Girls" is the latest example and is another capably written and enjoyable piece of fiction.
As is already indicated in the accompanying marketing blurb, it is impossible not to draw comparisons with "Thelma and Louise". There are certainly some clear similarities, but it would be doing the author a disservice to say that this is merely a facsimile of that story, but with the location switched to Australia. Charlie and Nao are two young women brought together by circumstance, who find themselves on the run and being pursued across the country. There is plenty of action and adventure along the way, but at its heart this is essentially a character-driven story. The narrative is predominantly supplied from the viewpoints of Charlie and Nao with Emma Styles generally doing a good job of distinguishing clearly between the two central protagonists.
I have to confess that I didn't warm to this novel immediately and in the early stages I wasn't convinced that I was going to find it to my liking. However, bit by bit, I found myself being drawn and I think much of the credit for that must go to the author for delivering a storyline with decent pace and regular tantalisers, but also for moulding characters that became increasingly captivating.
The option to bring this to the screen has already been taken up and it wouldn't be difficult to imagine it replicating the recent success of Jamie Dornan's "The Tourist", which was also set in the wide-open spaces of Australia. In the meantime, you could certainly do far worse than to pick this book up and spend some time in the company of Charlie and Nao.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
July 23, 2022
4.5*. Wow! What a debut No Country for Girls is. I loved it from beginning to end. An outback noir novel which will have you on the edge of your seat.
Charlie is having a bad day. In trouble at school again and her sister’s boyfriend is trying to hunt her down. Some of her difficulties may be down to the small gold bar she has in her pocket. Charlie comes across the mysterious Nao, who claims to have been in a car accident when she offers Charlie money to sleep on her sofa.
After a night of spiralling bad luck and poor decisions, Charlie and Nao find themselves on the run. Racing further into the wilds to the north of Western Australia, they need to outrun the mess they have left behind and potential pursuers.
No Country for Girls is incredibly well plotted and it remains tense throughout. The characters are fantastic and it picks up and runs with the baton of some superb Aussie crime fiction in recent years.
I picked this book as it’s been chosen as one of Val McDermid’s ‘New Blood’ choices for debut authors at the 2022 Theakstons Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate (Europe’s largest festival for the genre). Previous choices on the same panel have included Jane Harper and Chris Hammer, both amazing writers and now both auto-pre-order authors for me. Emma Styles will rightly sit alongside them and I look forward to her next book.
Huge thanks to Little Brown and Netgalley for an advance copy and Theakstons/Val McDermid for the tip off. I would hugely recommend this book.
Charlie is having a bad day. In trouble at school again and her sister’s boyfriend is trying to hunt her down. Some of her difficulties may be down to the small gold bar she has in her pocket. Charlie comes across the mysterious Nao, who claims to have been in a car accident when she offers Charlie money to sleep on her sofa.
After a night of spiralling bad luck and poor decisions, Charlie and Nao find themselves on the run. Racing further into the wilds to the north of Western Australia, they need to outrun the mess they have left behind and potential pursuers.
No Country for Girls is incredibly well plotted and it remains tense throughout. The characters are fantastic and it picks up and runs with the baton of some superb Aussie crime fiction in recent years.
I picked this book as it’s been chosen as one of Val McDermid’s ‘New Blood’ choices for debut authors at the 2022 Theakstons Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate (Europe’s largest festival for the genre). Previous choices on the same panel have included Jane Harper and Chris Hammer, both amazing writers and now both auto-pre-order authors for me. Emma Styles will rightly sit alongside them and I look forward to her next book.
Huge thanks to Little Brown and Netgalley for an advance copy and Theakstons/Val McDermid for the tip off. I would hugely recommend this book.
January 1, 2023
A gritty, gripping novel about two unlikely teenagers thrown together by circumstances. I loved both the pacing of this, as well as the writing. The colloquialisms inserted in the conversations and narrations added a whole lot to the atmosphere. I’m not particularly convinced about the title—I think it could have been more imaginative, but I guess you shouldn’t judge a book by its name!
Yet another sterling Aussie YA novel. I’ve been so impressed by the quality of the work coming from there.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
Yet another sterling Aussie YA novel. I’ve been so impressed by the quality of the work coming from there.
(Review copy from NetGalley)
July 21, 2022
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
If you’re a regular visitor to my blog, damppebbles.com, then you may be aware that Australian crime fiction is very much a passion of mine and it’s my mission to read it all! So when I saw No Country for Girls mentioned on the socials, I jumped at the chance to read it. It felt a little different to my usual go-to Aussie reads, more of a modern day Thelma and Louise than the police procedurals set in a dusty town I tend to pick up. And what a joy it was!
Charlie and Nao, two teenagers living very different lives, are forced on the run after things go horribly wrong and one of them accidentally kills a man. With a bag full of gold and driving the victim’s stolen ute, they hit the road knowing that if they don’t, there’s a chance they won’t be alive for much longer. But the road ahead is tough. The outback is a very lonely place and it’s clear they’re being tailed. Someone wants the gold, they’ll go to any length to get it and the girls must do whatever it takes to survive…
No Country for Girls is a tense, thrilling read which I very much enjoyed. Charlie and Nao are both likeable characters and I found myself warming to them as the book progressed. However, as much as I liked them, they really weren’t keen on each other! Coming from very different backgrounds, having very different approaches to life and at times a different understanding of their situation, really added to the tension of the story and kept me turning the pages, desperate to find out how things would end for them both. I really enjoyed watching their initial frostiness towards each other thaw a little as the story neared its climax.
The plot moves at a great pace with many ‘hold your breath’ moments along the way and lots of well-written, thrilling action. The locations the girls stopped at along the way were all vividly drawn and I could picture the scenes unfolding in my mind with ease. But the absolute highlight for me was the drama the author captured in one of the final scenes which felt a little Bond-esque to me. OK, it was perhaps a little far-fetched (maybe it wasn’t – I live in a small rural town in the south of England – what do I know about the Australian Outback?!), but I didn’t give a damn! It was exciting, it was something I don’t think I’ve encountered in a novel before and I loved how theatrical it was!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. No Country for Girls is an action packed, high-octane read featuring two great characters you can’t help but like. I loved the setting, it felt authentic and very vivid. I loved the urgency of the writing and the way the tension built almost from the opening chapter. You could feel the characters were in a race against time with the ever-present threat right at their heels. This is an accomplished debut and I look forward to reading more from Styles in the future. All in all, a gripping road trip thriller overflowing with well-written tension which I very much enjoyed. Recommended.
If you’re a regular visitor to my blog, damppebbles.com, then you may be aware that Australian crime fiction is very much a passion of mine and it’s my mission to read it all! So when I saw No Country for Girls mentioned on the socials, I jumped at the chance to read it. It felt a little different to my usual go-to Aussie reads, more of a modern day Thelma and Louise than the police procedurals set in a dusty town I tend to pick up. And what a joy it was!
Charlie and Nao, two teenagers living very different lives, are forced on the run after things go horribly wrong and one of them accidentally kills a man. With a bag full of gold and driving the victim’s stolen ute, they hit the road knowing that if they don’t, there’s a chance they won’t be alive for much longer. But the road ahead is tough. The outback is a very lonely place and it’s clear they’re being tailed. Someone wants the gold, they’ll go to any length to get it and the girls must do whatever it takes to survive…
No Country for Girls is a tense, thrilling read which I very much enjoyed. Charlie and Nao are both likeable characters and I found myself warming to them as the book progressed. However, as much as I liked them, they really weren’t keen on each other! Coming from very different backgrounds, having very different approaches to life and at times a different understanding of their situation, really added to the tension of the story and kept me turning the pages, desperate to find out how things would end for them both. I really enjoyed watching their initial frostiness towards each other thaw a little as the story neared its climax.
The plot moves at a great pace with many ‘hold your breath’ moments along the way and lots of well-written, thrilling action. The locations the girls stopped at along the way were all vividly drawn and I could picture the scenes unfolding in my mind with ease. But the absolute highlight for me was the drama the author captured in one of the final scenes which felt a little Bond-esque to me. OK, it was perhaps a little far-fetched (maybe it wasn’t – I live in a small rural town in the south of England – what do I know about the Australian Outback?!), but I didn’t give a damn! It was exciting, it was something I don’t think I’ve encountered in a novel before and I loved how theatrical it was!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. No Country for Girls is an action packed, high-octane read featuring two great characters you can’t help but like. I loved the setting, it felt authentic and very vivid. I loved the urgency of the writing and the way the tension built almost from the opening chapter. You could feel the characters were in a race against time with the ever-present threat right at their heels. This is an accomplished debut and I look forward to reading more from Styles in the future. All in all, a gripping road trip thriller overflowing with well-written tension which I very much enjoyed. Recommended.
August 17, 2022
Huge thank you to Hachette Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is way out of my comfort zone genre-wise, so I was a little nervous going in, but the setting and the characters from the blurb drew me in and I’m so glad I trusted my gut because this book was fantastic.
These characters felt raw and real and, despite everything, like kids I could have gone to school with. They’re scrappy and messy and broken and more often than not, they make the wrong choice, but they’re so incredibly loveable, too.
I adored the Australian outback setting and the connections to Country. I felt like I was there with them, seeing the empty, flat red stretch on, feeling the stifling heat of the sun, smelling the eucalyptus. I loved every moment of it.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the plot. It never once felt boring. Styles keeps you on your toes the whole time, never knowing what exactly might come next.
If you enjoy thrillers and the idea of girls on the run across Australia, then this is definitely the book for you.
This is way out of my comfort zone genre-wise, so I was a little nervous going in, but the setting and the characters from the blurb drew me in and I’m so glad I trusted my gut because this book was fantastic.
These characters felt raw and real and, despite everything, like kids I could have gone to school with. They’re scrappy and messy and broken and more often than not, they make the wrong choice, but they’re so incredibly loveable, too.
I adored the Australian outback setting and the connections to Country. I felt like I was there with them, seeing the empty, flat red stretch on, feeling the stifling heat of the sun, smelling the eucalyptus. I loved every moment of it.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the plot. It never once felt boring. Styles keeps you on your toes the whole time, never knowing what exactly might come next.
If you enjoy thrillers and the idea of girls on the run across Australia, then this is definitely the book for you.
July 23, 2022
Explosive!
One dead man.
Two young women on the run.
What transpires afterwards is dark, dangerous and quite frankly, f*cking awesome.
When Charlie meets Nao neither of them could have predicted where that chance meeting would lead.
However one mind blowing and bloody event leaves them bound to one another.
Outlaws!
This novel screams girl power.
I loved both Nao and Charlie as characters.
Both so different but so similar at the same time.
Independent, feisty and determined to have a better life, despite the horrors that seem to follow them around like a bad smell.
This is a road-trip like no other.
Filled with thrilling twists. Described as Thelma and Louise or a new generation, I'd say expect the unexpected.
I honestly can't believe that this is Styles' debut novel. It's an exceptional piece of writing and I cannot wait to see what she has to offer next!
One dead man.
Two young women on the run.
What transpires afterwards is dark, dangerous and quite frankly, f*cking awesome.
When Charlie meets Nao neither of them could have predicted where that chance meeting would lead.
However one mind blowing and bloody event leaves them bound to one another.
Outlaws!
This novel screams girl power.
I loved both Nao and Charlie as characters.
Both so different but so similar at the same time.
Independent, feisty and determined to have a better life, despite the horrors that seem to follow them around like a bad smell.
This is a road-trip like no other.
Filled with thrilling twists. Described as Thelma and Louise or a new generation, I'd say expect the unexpected.
I honestly can't believe that this is Styles' debut novel. It's an exceptional piece of writing and I cannot wait to see what she has to offer next!
June 26, 2022
I can honestly state that I don't know what i was expecting when I started this book. It's a book I was invited to review and the premise sounded interesting, something a little different to my usual go to police thrillers. Plus I'm always interested in reading new authors and what could be newer than a debut? So how was the book? Tense, packed with action and featuring two of the grittiest and most resilient, ethnically and culturally diverse young women you could help to meet. Fate draws them together, and an overwhelming threat means that, even if they wanted to, they just cannot say goodbye. Well ... that and the small matter one one dead body and a bag full of gold ...
This really was the most unexpected of books. I found that I grew to like the two protagonists almost immediately. They are most definitely chalk and cheese, two people whose worlds would not normally intersect, but when those worlds start to collapse about them the reverberations are felt not just by them but by those all around them. Charlie is the younger of the two but has a real spark within her. A fighting spirit that can only grow within someone who has constantly been faced with adversity. She is spiky, obstropolous, and angry, traits that will both help and hinder her on her journey. She is bright, but with an intelligence born of her environment rather than her education. Nao seems the softer of the two, forced into action for reasons we aren't initially privy to, but there is a strength within her too that her personality and appearance don't immediately make clear. They couldn't be more different and yet they compliment each other and Emma Styles has done a great job of developing them and their friendship which feels both authentic and organic.
There is a feeling of threat and urgency from the very beginning, one which rarely lets up, propelling me onward, turning those pages as fast as my little fingers would allow me. Those opening pages are atmospheric, the threat implied rather than being anything you can put a face to. That doesn't take long to change and just a few short, but intense scenes in, the stage is set for the road trip of all road trips, the two young women finding themselves pitted against a sinister opponent. Whilst most of the action focuses on the Charlie and Nao, on their efforts to get to safety, there is a secondary thread, one which serves to explain more of how the current situation came to pass. It is more overt in threat and intensity, some scenes pushing the tension so far that I found my pulse pounding, wondering just how dark things may get.
There is a fine balance between the action and the story which the author manages well. Although violent in parts, it is never excessive or unnecessarily explicit. The author has done a great job of illustrating the diversity of the landscape that Nao and Charlie have to face in order to reach safety, and of the scale of the journey they are about to make. The long roads, the heat and the sheer space that they have to traverse almost becomes and adversary in it's own right, adding another unwelcome complication to an already challenging quest.
There were times when I did have to suspend disbelief a little, a largely because of the nature of the threat against Nao and Charlie. They were very much out of their depth, often aided by luck more than judgement in terms of coming out on top. So many close calls where the maturity of the two seemed almost too perfect, and yet there is always that question mark hanging over how far someone might go when faced with such an intense threat. Maybe luck alone was just enough to tip the scales in their favour, and maybe that is okay. I liked the story, enjoyed the pacing and the intensity of their adventure, and believed the corruption at the heart of the whole book and the essence of what people might be willing to do in order to take back what they felt was theirs.
Coincidences aside, the book packs a punch and is a very assured and enthralling debut. I'm definitely interested to see what the author has to offer us next as I think Emma Styles is one to watch for the future.
This really was the most unexpected of books. I found that I grew to like the two protagonists almost immediately. They are most definitely chalk and cheese, two people whose worlds would not normally intersect, but when those worlds start to collapse about them the reverberations are felt not just by them but by those all around them. Charlie is the younger of the two but has a real spark within her. A fighting spirit that can only grow within someone who has constantly been faced with adversity. She is spiky, obstropolous, and angry, traits that will both help and hinder her on her journey. She is bright, but with an intelligence born of her environment rather than her education. Nao seems the softer of the two, forced into action for reasons we aren't initially privy to, but there is a strength within her too that her personality and appearance don't immediately make clear. They couldn't be more different and yet they compliment each other and Emma Styles has done a great job of developing them and their friendship which feels both authentic and organic.
There is a feeling of threat and urgency from the very beginning, one which rarely lets up, propelling me onward, turning those pages as fast as my little fingers would allow me. Those opening pages are atmospheric, the threat implied rather than being anything you can put a face to. That doesn't take long to change and just a few short, but intense scenes in, the stage is set for the road trip of all road trips, the two young women finding themselves pitted against a sinister opponent. Whilst most of the action focuses on the Charlie and Nao, on their efforts to get to safety, there is a secondary thread, one which serves to explain more of how the current situation came to pass. It is more overt in threat and intensity, some scenes pushing the tension so far that I found my pulse pounding, wondering just how dark things may get.
There is a fine balance between the action and the story which the author manages well. Although violent in parts, it is never excessive or unnecessarily explicit. The author has done a great job of illustrating the diversity of the landscape that Nao and Charlie have to face in order to reach safety, and of the scale of the journey they are about to make. The long roads, the heat and the sheer space that they have to traverse almost becomes and adversary in it's own right, adding another unwelcome complication to an already challenging quest.
There were times when I did have to suspend disbelief a little, a largely because of the nature of the threat against Nao and Charlie. They were very much out of their depth, often aided by luck more than judgement in terms of coming out on top. So many close calls where the maturity of the two seemed almost too perfect, and yet there is always that question mark hanging over how far someone might go when faced with such an intense threat. Maybe luck alone was just enough to tip the scales in their favour, and maybe that is okay. I liked the story, enjoyed the pacing and the intensity of their adventure, and believed the corruption at the heart of the whole book and the essence of what people might be willing to do in order to take back what they felt was theirs.
Coincidences aside, the book packs a punch and is a very assured and enthralling debut. I'm definitely interested to see what the author has to offer us next as I think Emma Styles is one to watch for the future.
July 9, 2024
I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. A group of girls who wouldn't normally be in each other's company ,on the run from an assortment of baddies and a bag of gold. Such fun. I ended up rooting for the girls and the adventure on the way.
December 3, 2022
3.75 stars
November 2, 2024
I found it hard to get into this book because of how it’s wrote, however, I really enjoyed the storyline.
March 24, 2025
bookclub read. 3.5! not the usual type of book i'd pick up but i was pleasantly surprised, the story was quite gripping
August 1, 2023
Well what a ride it was, enjoyed the drama, warmed to the key characters and overall the flow was just full of drama. Loved it xxx
January 8, 2025
Very suspenseful, strong female leads, on- the-run road trip, Aussie crime thriller.
July 15, 2022
I enjoyed No Country For Girls, the two main protagonists are interesting, different and well-rounded characters, and the plot zips along with a good amount of action and tension.
I liked the Aussie colloquialisms, and that together with the descriptive language over the locations really set the scene and gave the novel a great outback adventure vibe.
My only criticisms are that I felt the secondary characters were less well fleshed out, and that there were some characters who felt a little red-shirty, but I did feel at the denouement that all the characters were at risk which made it a thrilling ending.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this one in return for an honest review!
I liked the Aussie colloquialisms, and that together with the descriptive language over the locations really set the scene and gave the novel a great outback adventure vibe.
My only criticisms are that I felt the secondary characters were less well fleshed out, and that there were some characters who felt a little red-shirty, but I did feel at the denouement that all the characters were at risk which made it a thrilling ending.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this one in return for an honest review!
January 15, 2023
I love a story written in my own backyard! The good old Australian outback. Great southern land. This book had me from the start. A page turner, part adventure, part thriller. The relationship between Nao and Charlie develops slowly and had me wondering if they were going to ditch each other so many times. But by the end you see that their bond was deeper then you thought. I loved references to Woolies and all the Australian language and slang like “placcy bag” (plastic bag). And the Australian scenery described. Especially after reading so many books by American authors which I am tired of. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more from this author! The playlist at the end just made it for me - the cherry on top. What an amazing Aussie road trip playlist - I shall be adding it to my Spotify.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2022
What an incredible, high octane, thrilling ride this book is! No Country For Girls by Emma Styles follows three young women, each of them on the run from a dark past, their lives clashing in the remote Australian outback. Charlie and Geena and Nao are such vivid, authentic, heartbreakingly flawed but loveable characters. I read this book at top speed, it had me hooked from literally page one. A kick-ass Australian Thelma and Louise (plus one), Brilliant!
June 27, 2022
3.5
Thank you to Sphere for the advance copy!
This book was a promising debut - involving gold, theft, murder, and a road trip in the Australian outback, this book was full of action. I got sucked into the plot relatively quickly, and really into our characters heads. However, sometimes a bit of disbelief had to be shooed away, and I was a bit confused by some Aussie slang. But overall a wonderful story I read in one sitting!
Thank you to Sphere for the advance copy!
This book was a promising debut - involving gold, theft, murder, and a road trip in the Australian outback, this book was full of action. I got sucked into the plot relatively quickly, and really into our characters heads. However, sometimes a bit of disbelief had to be shooed away, and I was a bit confused by some Aussie slang. But overall a wonderful story I read in one sitting!
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