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The Cross Thieves
‘Razor sharp and startlingly original, The Cross Thieves crackles with street spirit. A big-hearted, unholy riot!’ Bram Presser, author of the award-winning Book of Dirt.
Two hungry boys set out from their squat by a slow river on a not quite mythic quest for revenge. At the same time, a local pastor drives from his beachside home to visit a dying parishioner. What each means to the other will be revealed as brothers, Gark and Pell, run for their lives over one desperate night, across a coastal town haunted by its past.
The Cross Thieves is bold, mature and compassionate. And sprinkled with humour, 80s pop, carny lore, and the mysteries of philately. Fyfe’s knowing eye for place, poverty and powerlessness and his empathy for the underdog is captured in an unforgettable story of profound emotional power.
Two hungry boys set out from their squat by a slow river on a not quite mythic quest for revenge. At the same time, a local pastor drives from his beachside home to visit a dying parishioner. What each means to the other will be revealed as brothers, Gark and Pell, run for their lives over one desperate night, across a coastal town haunted by its past.
The Cross Thieves is bold, mature and compassionate. And sprinkled with humour, 80s pop, carny lore, and the mysteries of philately. Fyfe’s knowing eye for place, poverty and powerlessness and his empathy for the underdog is captured in an unforgettable story of profound emotional power.
197 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 24, 2026
The Cross Thieves by Alan Fyfe is the story of two brothers living below the poverty line in a coastal town in Western Australia (WA). It's a short and punchy novel that takes place over the course of one night and I'll admit the structure took a little getting used to.
It's a third-person narrative that regularly dips into the character's internal perspective but is largely written in past tense with some past continuous tense. In addition, there are also letters back and forth from two female characters, one of whom is the mother of our two protagonists.
A narrator addresses the reader directly and offers to 'tell you the whole thing if you've got the right heart to hear it' but their identity and connection to the story or the characters as they pop in from time to time is unclear.
Here's an example where I love the first line, but the rest is confusing.
"You and I are together inside a comfortable room the height, width, and depth of a page. I can try to manipulate you into having the heart I want you to have by telling you that kind of heart is the right kind. But you get to pick what you believe and what you value. You're alone with that choice as much as I'm alone when I decide what to tell you about these skinny boys.
As much as Gark and Pell were alone with their choices about what they valued, what ending they picked to aim at, and what to do with that ridiculous cross." Page 100
Is the narrator telling me I can think and decide for myself? Don't I already do that? And isn't that true for all stories? I often found myself wondering if the story needed this narrator at all.
The inclusion of 80s pop and mysteries of philately that piqued my interest in the blurb are brief - at less than 200 pages it is a short book after all - while Joshua's fascination with the religious meaning in We Built This City by Starship reminded me a little of Patrick Bateman's obsession with music in American Psycho.
The writing also reminded me many times of Tim Winton in terms of the male protagonists living below the poverty line, struggling with their underdog status in the world and living hand to mouth. More than that though, the dialogue and setting in a coastal town in WA in addition to themes of drugs, crime and religion was definitely Wintonesque in my opinion.
Back to the book and the novel has a satisfactory conclusion but the narrator never jumps back in to finalise the story, provide perspective or guide our thoughts about any of the events.
My critique of the story over, I always read the author's Acknowledgements section and there were several issues in this one that affected my overall enjoyment of the book and I'll attempt to outline them here.
The relationship between the brothers was moving and their desperate and ongoing hunger and lack of food or adequate shelter made me feel quite uncomfortable while reading; a testament to the skill of the author. In the Acknowledgements, Fyfe tells us that The Cross Thieves started as an 'impulse to write a neo-epic about people suffering food insecurity' which made perfect sense although there was no resolution or call to action about the issue in the novel, it just 'was'.
Fyfe mentions that the Foodbank's Hunger Report noted that 15% of Australians were experiencing food insecurity in 2018 but a quick Google tells me the figure is now 20% according to the 2025 report. Giving us data that is 8 years old when recent data is more compelling was a lost opportunity.
It's a minor oversight, but the author goes on to claim these problems are easily within reach of solution and that the houseless could be provided with shelter, the hungry fed and the welfare rate increased for a fraction of the price of nuclear submarines. As a Veteran of the ADF, this certainly ruffled my patriotic feathers but acknowledge this is the view of many Australians. While I don't agree with the author's politics, I understand his desire to use this platform to spread his message. Pity there wasn't any advice or resources for those readers motivated to take action other than talk about it on social media, email politicians and take to the streets in protest.
Finally, the author also mentions the following in the Acknowledgements:
"The Cross Thieves is written in a little known (and very old) structure called ring composition. It's not very important that you know what that is, just that it's bloody hard to do." Page 199
Despite a BA in Literature, I readily admit I hadn't heard of ring composition before and even after attempting to educate myself on the basics, I wasn't able to recognise elements of this in the novel. It felt condescending for the author to state that it wasn't 'very important' for the reader to know what it is. In my opinion, it's not important at all! It wasn't relevant to the plot and surely it's enough for those readers who do recognise the achievement to do so as part of their overall appreciation of the book. It seemed to me the author was saying 'even if you have no idea what this is, you should be impressed by my writing ability.'
Perhaps if the author had set aside the difficult task of writing in ring composition and spent more time clarifying the role of the narrator I'd have enjoyed the story of Pell and Gark a lot more. They were certainly compelling characters.
All of the above led me to draw the conclusion that The Cross Thieves by Alan Fyfe is best enjoyed by frequent readers of literary fiction able to recognise the achievements of little known writing structures who also appreciate a healthy dose of politics with their fiction.
* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *
It's a third-person narrative that regularly dips into the character's internal perspective but is largely written in past tense with some past continuous tense. In addition, there are also letters back and forth from two female characters, one of whom is the mother of our two protagonists.
A narrator addresses the reader directly and offers to 'tell you the whole thing if you've got the right heart to hear it' but their identity and connection to the story or the characters as they pop in from time to time is unclear.
Here's an example where I love the first line, but the rest is confusing.
"You and I are together inside a comfortable room the height, width, and depth of a page. I can try to manipulate you into having the heart I want you to have by telling you that kind of heart is the right kind. But you get to pick what you believe and what you value. You're alone with that choice as much as I'm alone when I decide what to tell you about these skinny boys.
As much as Gark and Pell were alone with their choices about what they valued, what ending they picked to aim at, and what to do with that ridiculous cross." Page 100
Is the narrator telling me I can think and decide for myself? Don't I already do that? And isn't that true for all stories? I often found myself wondering if the story needed this narrator at all.
The inclusion of 80s pop and mysteries of philately that piqued my interest in the blurb are brief - at less than 200 pages it is a short book after all - while Joshua's fascination with the religious meaning in We Built This City by Starship reminded me a little of Patrick Bateman's obsession with music in American Psycho.
The writing also reminded me many times of Tim Winton in terms of the male protagonists living below the poverty line, struggling with their underdog status in the world and living hand to mouth. More than that though, the dialogue and setting in a coastal town in WA in addition to themes of drugs, crime and religion was definitely Wintonesque in my opinion.
Back to the book and the novel has a satisfactory conclusion but the narrator never jumps back in to finalise the story, provide perspective or guide our thoughts about any of the events.
My critique of the story over, I always read the author's Acknowledgements section and there were several issues in this one that affected my overall enjoyment of the book and I'll attempt to outline them here.
The relationship between the brothers was moving and their desperate and ongoing hunger and lack of food or adequate shelter made me feel quite uncomfortable while reading; a testament to the skill of the author. In the Acknowledgements, Fyfe tells us that The Cross Thieves started as an 'impulse to write a neo-epic about people suffering food insecurity' which made perfect sense although there was no resolution or call to action about the issue in the novel, it just 'was'.
Fyfe mentions that the Foodbank's Hunger Report noted that 15% of Australians were experiencing food insecurity in 2018 but a quick Google tells me the figure is now 20% according to the 2025 report. Giving us data that is 8 years old when recent data is more compelling was a lost opportunity.
It's a minor oversight, but the author goes on to claim these problems are easily within reach of solution and that the houseless could be provided with shelter, the hungry fed and the welfare rate increased for a fraction of the price of nuclear submarines. As a Veteran of the ADF, this certainly ruffled my patriotic feathers but acknowledge this is the view of many Australians. While I don't agree with the author's politics, I understand his desire to use this platform to spread his message. Pity there wasn't any advice or resources for those readers motivated to take action other than talk about it on social media, email politicians and take to the streets in protest.
Finally, the author also mentions the following in the Acknowledgements:
"The Cross Thieves is written in a little known (and very old) structure called ring composition. It's not very important that you know what that is, just that it's bloody hard to do." Page 199
Despite a BA in Literature, I readily admit I hadn't heard of ring composition before and even after attempting to educate myself on the basics, I wasn't able to recognise elements of this in the novel. It felt condescending for the author to state that it wasn't 'very important' for the reader to know what it is. In my opinion, it's not important at all! It wasn't relevant to the plot and surely it's enough for those readers who do recognise the achievement to do so as part of their overall appreciation of the book. It seemed to me the author was saying 'even if you have no idea what this is, you should be impressed by my writing ability.'
Perhaps if the author had set aside the difficult task of writing in ring composition and spent more time clarifying the role of the narrator I'd have enjoyed the story of Pell and Gark a lot more. They were certainly compelling characters.
All of the above led me to draw the conclusion that The Cross Thieves by Alan Fyfe is best enjoyed by frequent readers of literary fiction able to recognise the achievements of little known writing structures who also appreciate a healthy dose of politics with their fiction.
* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *
February 17, 2026
The Cross Thieves is an absolute gut-punch of a read. Told over the course of single night it examines the themes of race, religion, revenge, and what happens when people take justice into their own hands.
Central to the story are two teenagers, Gark and Pell, struggling to survive with no family and mourning the loss of a friend. The book opens as Gark’s grief overflows and my heart broke for these boys as I was compelled to keep reading with the hope the situation could change for them at the conclusion.
The cast of characters around them, whether in direct contact or not, is diverse and on the whole many are very unlikeable. I had trouble with the corse language but it was needed to keep the book true to the story being told.
An interesting and confusing element of this book is that it is written in a ring composition, something I wasn’t familiar with and often struggled with.
This book isn’t for everyone but it is a powerful read that will keep you glued to the pages. Five well deserved stars.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Central to the story are two teenagers, Gark and Pell, struggling to survive with no family and mourning the loss of a friend. The book opens as Gark’s grief overflows and my heart broke for these boys as I was compelled to keep reading with the hope the situation could change for them at the conclusion.
The cast of characters around them, whether in direct contact or not, is diverse and on the whole many are very unlikeable. I had trouble with the corse language but it was needed to keep the book true to the story being told.
An interesting and confusing element of this book is that it is written in a ring composition, something I wasn’t familiar with and often struggled with.
This book isn’t for everyone but it is a powerful read that will keep you glued to the pages. Five well deserved stars.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
March 10, 2026
If you’re looking for a light read that barely touches you, then this is not the book for you. It is definitely not a light read; it is quite aggressive and edgy with lots of sub-stories to concentrate on and follow. It challenges the reader – or at least it did me.
The story is about two brothers, Gark and Pell, who are currently living in a dilapidated shack with no running water and no power. Their mother is dead, and they haven’t eaten anything for 48 hours. Through the book, you learn more of their story and those associated with them – be prepared that you may not like all you discover.
A range of social issues are in play throughout the novel – homelessness, roles of women, mental health, anger management, senseless violence, fight for survival, drugs and dealers, abuse within religion, and vengeance. The stories within are gritty, and some parts are quite hard to read, but they certainly touch you.
This is definitely a different book to read, even the chapters A to F, X, F to A leave you wondering why, and going back over what happened in those chapters to create that sequence.
I can’t honestly say I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure the author wanted me to. If he aimed to make me uncomfortable and to question myself and my actions, then he has succeeded. Definitely worth a read, but be prepared.
The story is about two brothers, Gark and Pell, who are currently living in a dilapidated shack with no running water and no power. Their mother is dead, and they haven’t eaten anything for 48 hours. Through the book, you learn more of their story and those associated with them – be prepared that you may not like all you discover.
A range of social issues are in play throughout the novel – homelessness, roles of women, mental health, anger management, senseless violence, fight for survival, drugs and dealers, abuse within religion, and vengeance. The stories within are gritty, and some parts are quite hard to read, but they certainly touch you.
This is definitely a different book to read, even the chapters A to F, X, F to A leave you wondering why, and going back over what happened in those chapters to create that sequence.
I can’t honestly say I enjoyed this book, but I’m not sure the author wanted me to. If he aimed to make me uncomfortable and to question myself and my actions, then he has succeeded. Definitely worth a read, but be prepared.
February 26, 2026
The Cross Thieves is set over the course of a night where brothers Gark and Pell are seeking revenge. Tearing down a cross sends a powerful message and Gark and Pell make that clear: “This cunt doesn’t deserve remembrance.”
Raised in poverty and shaped by an unstable upbringing, the brothers lean on each other to survive. It’s clear when side characters have opinions about their family life they are fiercely protective over what remains and what once was. Nobody can come between their bond, not even their dire situation. Meanwhile, on the same night, a local pastor drives to visit a dying parishioner. His significance isn’t immediately clear, but as the story unfolds, his role gradually comes into focus.
Fyfe has written some incredibly strong characters that feel realistic. Their personalities shine through and were the driving force behind this book. With heavy themes spread throughout, The Cross Thieves is not a light read, it’s confronting and needed.
The use of the ring composition structure made it difficult to understand at times but once I was clued on, I was absorbed. A compelling read for anyone who appreciates character-driven books rich in emotion.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book*
Raised in poverty and shaped by an unstable upbringing, the brothers lean on each other to survive. It’s clear when side characters have opinions about their family life they are fiercely protective over what remains and what once was. Nobody can come between their bond, not even their dire situation. Meanwhile, on the same night, a local pastor drives to visit a dying parishioner. His significance isn’t immediately clear, but as the story unfolds, his role gradually comes into focus.
Fyfe has written some incredibly strong characters that feel realistic. Their personalities shine through and were the driving force behind this book. With heavy themes spread throughout, The Cross Thieves is not a light read, it’s confronting and needed.
The use of the ring composition structure made it difficult to understand at times but once I was clued on, I was absorbed. A compelling read for anyone who appreciates character-driven books rich in emotion.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book*
February 28, 2026
Brilliant on so many levels. At its most basic, a rattling good and fast paced yarn about a couple of blokes making several bad decisions across one night - escaping from the criminal brothers chasing them because of the stolen cross. But wonderfully woven in are themes of people suffering from food and shelter insecurity, drugs, rape, family and churches (particularly money focused ones). Yes, there is a lot going on for a short book, which means the pace never lets up. Importantly, the story is told with heart and compassion for our two main protagonists. They are trying to "do the right thing" in a screwed up world. Lots of great characters that develop the themes. Don't worry if you haven't read "T", this can stand alone (but I would strongly encourage you to read it!). The writing is amazing - a poet's use of spare phrases and sharp dialogue to really illuminate an image. And the structure (apparently called a "ring composition according to the notes at the back) works very very well. Can't wait for the 3rd instalment.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Superficially the story of one night of action-packed drama and suspense, THE CROSS THIEVES (Transit Lounge 2026) by Alan Fyfe is a deeply thoughtful exploration of issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, addiction, institutionalised abuse, violence, poverty and powerlessness.
Two young brothers, Gark and Pell, are living rough on the outskirts of a small town, squatting in an abandoned structure, hungry most days, with government support miniscule and unreliable, and no support at all from family or friends. They are on their own. They get by, just.
In this almost mythical, fairytale story of revenge, one night the boys steal a homemade cross, a memorial to someone they don’t think deserves any remembering. As they run through the night, hungry, thirsty, and chased by a series of people meaning to do them harm, they remember their life before, their family, their dashed hopes.
There are points of kindness and joy during this night, and during their remembering of past interactions, but not enough to douse the rage, anger and revenge boiling in their souls.
On this same night, a local pastor drives across town to spend some time with a dying parishioner. The connection between the two stories becomes gradually apparent.
The story is interspersed with letters between two women that also shed some light on the current circumstances.
This slim, fast paced novel presents a highly original voice, whip-smart humour, tenderness, poignancy and visceral brutality. Gark and Pell are unforgettable characters, tied by blood and familiarity and loyalty, tested by everything the world throws at them. This is humanity on the page: religion, class, race, poverty and power. The brothers champion the spirit of the underdogs and we as readers cheer them on at every step.
With the mysteries of philately, stories of constructing buildings and of tearing them down, myths and legends about carnivals and beliefs and the difference between right and wrong, THE CROSS THIEVES is an unputdownable read that is thoughtful, gripping and shocking, with some unexpected twists and surprises and an (in hindsight) inevitable and satisfying denouement. Highly recommend.
Two young brothers, Gark and Pell, are living rough on the outskirts of a small town, squatting in an abandoned structure, hungry most days, with government support miniscule and unreliable, and no support at all from family or friends. They are on their own. They get by, just.
In this almost mythical, fairytale story of revenge, one night the boys steal a homemade cross, a memorial to someone they don’t think deserves any remembering. As they run through the night, hungry, thirsty, and chased by a series of people meaning to do them harm, they remember their life before, their family, their dashed hopes.
There are points of kindness and joy during this night, and during their remembering of past interactions, but not enough to douse the rage, anger and revenge boiling in their souls.
On this same night, a local pastor drives across town to spend some time with a dying parishioner. The connection between the two stories becomes gradually apparent.
The story is interspersed with letters between two women that also shed some light on the current circumstances.
This slim, fast paced novel presents a highly original voice, whip-smart humour, tenderness, poignancy and visceral brutality. Gark and Pell are unforgettable characters, tied by blood and familiarity and loyalty, tested by everything the world throws at them. This is humanity on the page: religion, class, race, poverty and power. The brothers champion the spirit of the underdogs and we as readers cheer them on at every step.
With the mysteries of philately, stories of constructing buildings and of tearing them down, myths and legends about carnivals and beliefs and the difference between right and wrong, THE CROSS THIEVES is an unputdownable read that is thoughtful, gripping and shocking, with some unexpected twists and surprises and an (in hindsight) inevitable and satisfying denouement. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy
Finally able to review now this has been added to Goodreads.
I entered through Good Reading magazine and this is the second early review book I’ve received. It’s only 197 pages.
I don’t think you need to read the first one “T” to get the gist of the story as it refers back at times. Gark and Pell are two brothers who are down in their luck. They don’t even have any money and cannot ‘sign onto’ anything as they have no fixed address either only a ‘squat’. It’s down and out to the extreme like not even having shoes and this is set in Western Australia.
They’ve been brought up with Christian values and know how to play the recorder so in their early lives with their mother it wasn’t all bad but she’s not around anymore.
The author certainly knows how to write this type of raw scenario so I’m sure he must have either lived with or thoroughly researched homeless young people or he has a huge imagination. I didn’t enjoy the book in the beginning but then I had to keep reading to see what happened to these two boys after stealing a cross from a bit of a hard man’s garden after a death in the house. Why they did it … well you need to find a copy of the book to find out. But it sets off a wild chase all over the town. It’s sad and it has a bit of humour too. All in all a typical Aussie yarn likened to Shuggie Bain with the huge problem of poverty.
If you don’t like swearing or violence this isn’t for you.
I entered through Good Reading magazine and this is the second early review book I’ve received. It’s only 197 pages.
I don’t think you need to read the first one “T” to get the gist of the story as it refers back at times. Gark and Pell are two brothers who are down in their luck. They don’t even have any money and cannot ‘sign onto’ anything as they have no fixed address either only a ‘squat’. It’s down and out to the extreme like not even having shoes and this is set in Western Australia.
They’ve been brought up with Christian values and know how to play the recorder so in their early lives with their mother it wasn’t all bad but she’s not around anymore.
The author certainly knows how to write this type of raw scenario so I’m sure he must have either lived with or thoroughly researched homeless young people or he has a huge imagination. I didn’t enjoy the book in the beginning but then I had to keep reading to see what happened to these two boys after stealing a cross from a bit of a hard man’s garden after a death in the house. Why they did it … well you need to find a copy of the book to find out. But it sets off a wild chase all over the town. It’s sad and it has a bit of humour too. All in all a typical Aussie yarn likened to Shuggie Bain with the huge problem of poverty.
If you don’t like swearing or violence this isn’t for you.
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