The Stoning cover art

The Stoning

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Stoning

By: Peter Papathanasiou
Narrated by: Todd Boyce
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

A small town in outback Australia wakes to an appalling crime.

A local schoolteacher is found taped to a tree and stoned to death. Suspicion instantly falls on the refugees at the new detention centre on Cobb's northern outskirts. Tensions are high, between whites and the local Indigenous community, between immigrants and the townies.

Still mourning the recent death of his father, Detective Sergeant George Manolis returns to his childhood hometown to investigate. Within minutes of his arrival, it's clear that Cobb is not the same place he left. Once it thrived, but now it's a poor and derelict dusthole, with the local police chief it deserves. And as Manolis negotiates his new colleagues' antagonism, and the simmering anger of a community destroyed by alcohol and drugs, the ghosts of his past begin to flicker to life.

Vivid, pacy and almost dangerously atmospheric, The Stoning is the first in a new series of outback noir featuring DS Manolis, himself an outsider, and a good man in a world gone to hell.

©2021 Peter Papathanasiou (P)2021 Quercus Editions Limited International Mystery & Crime Mystery Police Procedural Fiction Crime

Critic Reviews

"Outback noir with the noir dialled right up. I loved it." (Chris Hammer)

"It's hard to believe this is Peter Papathanasiou's first novel.... Outback noir has a new star." (Mark Sanderson, The Times)

"Outback noir has a new star." (Mark Sanderson, The Times)

"Political crime fiction of the highest order." (Joan Smith, The Sunday Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
This is a very impressive debut novel. As a mystery it was excellent and as an Australian I think the author addresses a very important issue/issues that too many ignore. That said, I would perhaps have liked a little more light and shade instead of full noir bleakness.
On another note: In spite of what the author/publisher says, this is a rural town, not “the Outback”. I’ve taught in enough of them to know. Usually it’s called “the Bush”.
I’ll eagerly await Papathanasiou’s second instalment. I’m hoping desperately it centres on Onions.

Rural Noir

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Tedious preaching, tendentious and needed editing badly. A very politicised and jaundiced view of Australian culture disguised as detective novel.

Don't bother

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I can’t say I found anything to enjoy in this. The story was grim without any measure of relief. The characters were unrelateable and unengaging. The performance was forced and monotone.
I only finished it because it is this months book club selection.

Not a pretty picture

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.