By the tracks we leave

by David J. Briggs

To neighbours and friends in Otago, ‘JT’ Nielsen was a reclusive man, yet also something of a hero: a man who had once escaped from the Sandinistas, and in the years since had committed himself to doing good. When Rogan Fielding discovers JT's body on the Otago hills, he sets out to tell his life-story. As he does so, however, he discovers a different version of the man: villain rather than hero.
Which was the real JT? And can Rogan uncover the truth without ruining his own chances of happiness?
Meanwhile, in the background, other people remember a JT Nielsen who Rogan will never really know…

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

David Briggs was brought up as the son of a farm-worker in Kent and Sussex, in England, where he gained his love of the countryside. After a career in academia, during which he published widely on the topics of geography, environmental science and environmental health, he took early retirement and moved to New Zealand, where he now lives.

He has always enjoyed writing, and as an escape from university work wrote a number of short stories and children’s stories. An early novel, Figures in a Tuscan Garden, written while he was still working in universities, was short-listed for the UK Constable Trophy but never submitted for publication. Since moving to New Zealand, he has devoted himself to writing novels and poetry. Since moving to New Zealand, he has devoted himself to writing fiction and poetry.

By the Tracks We Leave was self-published through CreateSpace. The Direction of Our Fear was published by BMS Books, in New Zealand, in 2016. The Claim, which was long-listed for the inaugural Michael Gifkins prize in 2018, was published by UK publishers RedDoor in 2019.

Reviews

[Lesley Vlietstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A many layered story written well by an accomplished author. Rogan Fielding is the main protagonist but other characters offer their own stories about the man found dead in a hut in the back country of Otago. On finding out the man’s identity, Rogan, a journalist, is given the job of putting together a short piece on his life, aided by the people in the small township who knew him. As Rogan uncovers clues that seem to reveal unsavoury details about the man, little vignettes from seemingly, at first, unrelated characters, give the reader deeper glimpses into who this man really was. This was another of the author’s books that I found difficult to put down. Dave Briggs writes his characters in a way that they become real people, their emotions and actions so well portrayed they carry the story along, taking the reader with them. I wondered, as I neared the last few pages, how it was going to end. I wasn’t disappointed.