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The Stretch
Six years ago Annie lost her husband in a motorcycle accident. Six days ago her and the kids were preparing to go camping on the Stretch. Six hours ago they decided to go hiking in the sand hills. Six minutes ago they found an old shack with a body inside. Six seconds ago the man woke up and told her to take the suitcase and run.
All they have to do is leave the beach, but they’re not the only ones on it…
The debut work of Rhys Stalba-Smith. The Stretch is a harsh thriller in the turbulent landscapes of South Australia. Alone with her family on the 150 kilometre stretch of beach in the Coorong National Park, Annie stumbles upon a secret, a dangerous wish. If they can escape the park their lives will be changed forever, but they're not the only ones on it...
All they have to do is leave the beach, but they’re not the only ones on it…
The debut work of Rhys Stalba-Smith. The Stretch is a harsh thriller in the turbulent landscapes of South Australia. Alone with her family on the 150 kilometre stretch of beach in the Coorong National Park, Annie stumbles upon a secret, a dangerous wish. If they can escape the park their lives will be changed forever, but they're not the only ones on it...
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2021
7 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 24, 2021
Three stars for this one. That's neutral, right? First, I didn't like the lack of quotation marks. I get it, other writers do it. James Joyce, Margaret Atwood, McCormac. It still distracts me as a reader, especially when I find myself re-reading sentences to pick out the dialogue. It pulls me out of the story. Lack of dialogue toppled with Australian dialect, and I just didn't understand some parts. Did you know a ute was a car? I didn't, until I Googled it.
I forced myself to push through. The first 20%, not much happened. But I won this on Library Thing and felt obliged to review it. I'm going with nuetral
I forced myself to push through. The first 20%, not much happened. But I won this on Library Thing and felt obliged to review it. I'm going with nuetral
January 2, 2022
Annie takes her family camping on a 150 km, mostly deserted, stretch of beach in the Coorong National Park where, on an afternoon hike, they find a body chained up in an old shack clutching a suitcase.
What follows is a desperate race for Annie and her kids to get off the beach and evade the gang who want the contents of the case at any cost.
This starts a bit slow but once the shack is discovered it explodes into a taut psychological battle between the family trying to stay safe and the murderous group of criminals who want to stop them leaving.
Who can Annie trust? Can she get her family to safety?
What begins as a relaxing family holiday turns into a terrifying race for life as they flee the relentless pursuit.
A tight and fast paced plot plus some interesting twists and turns and an ending that I didn’t see coming. This was an enjoyable read.
What follows is a desperate race for Annie and her kids to get off the beach and evade the gang who want the contents of the case at any cost.
This starts a bit slow but once the shack is discovered it explodes into a taut psychological battle between the family trying to stay safe and the murderous group of criminals who want to stop them leaving.
Who can Annie trust? Can she get her family to safety?
What begins as a relaxing family holiday turns into a terrifying race for life as they flee the relentless pursuit.
A tight and fast paced plot plus some interesting twists and turns and an ending that I didn’t see coming. This was an enjoyable read.
February 28, 2021
The Stretch - Rhys Stalba-Smith
Pretty good book. Lots of action and suspense. Felt like the plot moved too slowly at times, but since it was the author’s first book I can understand. I still enjoyed the story and would recommend it as a good read.
Pretty good book. Lots of action and suspense. Felt like the plot moved too slowly at times, but since it was the author’s first book I can understand. I still enjoyed the story and would recommend it as a good read.
February 18, 2021
A fantastic thriller, and such a page turner! It really showcases the strengths and weaknesses within the family, with such a great ending that left a hole in my heart... A definite recommend!!
November 14, 2023
Wow. This was painful to read but I couldn't put it down. Constant action. Constant suffering. Physical and mental. Hard scrabble plot. Very strong characters.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews