Killer Ute

by Rosanne Hawke

Joel Billings is in trouble...again. After being threatened by his jailbird father, Joel is packed off to a sleepy beachside town for a holiday with his biker foster dad, Dev. Only when a monster ute runs them off the road does Joel begin to suspect that all is not as it seems. Who is driving the killer ute, and why are they after Joel? As danger mounts, Joel and Dev are forced further into hiding. But a killer ute isn't all Joel has to fear. Will Dev still want to be his dad even though he's a magnet for trouble? This exhilarating action-adventure is the third and final installment in the trilogy, following "The Keeper" and "Sailmaker."

156 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

When little I ran around with a jotter and a pencil, pretending to write a story but not knowing how to spell any words except Dick, Dora and cat. My mother asked me to tell stories. A lot of my stories stayed in my head, as being the youngest and living in the country didn't bring many opportunities for an audience. I was born in Penola, in South Australia. We had a sheep farm until I was six, then we moved to a property in Central Queensland. I went to school at a one-teacher school in Banana, a little country town named after a bullock.

My first short story was published in the Moura State School magazine in 1967 when I was in grade 8. At 14 years, I moved back to South Australia and attended Gawler High School where I won an Arts Scholarship to complete Years 11 & 12. I started a romantic novel when I was 17 but I burnt it later.

It wasn't until I was working in the Middle East and Pakistan, teaching ESL, bringing up kids, when I started to write seriously. My kids loved the story game we played and one night after telling a story, my daughter asked me to write it down.

I have a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide and teach Creative Writing at Tabor Adelaide, South Australia, a Christian accredited tertiary institution. I have researched Cornish identity in Australian children's literature and enjoy writing about culture, faith, relationships, displacement and belonging, music and cats.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read for younger readers, Killer ute is the 3rd in the series that will be very appealing to boys and reluctant readers. I particularly like the way Hawke overturns stereotypes in an exciting plot.

[Judy Wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripping story was a great read.
Joel has things tough. He has to give evidence against a man who tried to run him over. His father paid the killer. Joel wanted a dad so much that he put an ad in the local paper. Dev answered the call—a man with a past who had turned his life around and wanted to give back.
Joel wished he could be his real dad, especially after his father threatened him in court.
Dev takes Joel into hiding, but danger follows them.
A well-written book with fast action and engaging characters. Not too long. Great for reluctant readers.
Recommended for readers aged 12 years or older.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid storytelling, with a story that carefully pulls its punches. Been a teenager is hard enough, never mind having a dad who hates you and wants to get even with you, despite the best efforts of your Gran and foster dad to keep you safe. Set against a South Australian backdrop (truly, we do have some lovely national parks and forests), this story is at its heart about the emotional distress our broken society and judicial system causes.
I loved this book so much that I was really disappointed in my filing system when I discovered that I had book 2 on my bookshelves! Now to find book 1.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel has to go to court to do the unthinkable - testify against his dad. It's the last thing he wants to do. Actually, that's not quite true - the last thing he wants to do is jeopardise the secure new life he's found with his foster father, Dev.

It might be the first day of the new school year but Dev decides it's holiday time for Joel and off they go on the Harley to a remote farm on the southern coast of South Australia. But is it a holiday?

Dev should have been more open and trusting with Joel because Joel's been secretly contacting a girl he likes through a mobile phone she got through a special deal. Suddenly everyone's in danger: because Joel's biological dad is not a nice person at all. He's into revenge big time and Joel's his next target.

A great adventure with lots of twists.