Life and Death in Birkenhead, K. M. Tarrant
Published by Mary Egan Publishing, DECEMBER 2022, RRP $35.00
ISBN: 9780473634629
For readers who enjoy Jo Nesbo and Ruth Rendell, this local thriller will have you on the edge of your seat.
Within the small suburb of Birkenhead lurks a monster, one the local residents entrust with their recently departed loved ones. He has been inflicting his depraved atrocities unnoticed. But what happens when he turns his attentions to the living?
Maisie Manson lives a typical kiwi life: she works hard at school, enjoys the outdoors, and finally takes off for her big OE. She is having the best time, until a tragic event back home shatters her world and sets off a chain reaction of decisions which lead her on a frightening collision course with the man responsible.
Once the mortuary’s secrets are revealed, life and death in Birkenhead will never be the same.
Author note:
‘My years embalming were fascinating, exhausting and incredibly rewarding. However, to those who do not earn a living caring for the dead, the mortuary may seem to be a dark and secretive place. Possibly a little frightening. My hope is that Maisie’s story demystifies the embalmers world. And then as soon as the reader gets comfortable, Gerald scares the absolute crap out of them.’
“A gripping psychological thriller that will quickly reel you in, hold you captive, and leave you craving more from this talented author. Tarrant is a masterful storyteller reminiscent of the likes of Stephen King and Thomas Harris.”
“Life and Death in Birkenhead peeks behind the curtain of ordinary people’s lives, and juxtaposes the warmth and comfort of home with the horror of the devil-next-door… a chilling piece of suburban crime.”
About the author:
K. M TARRANT was born in Temuka, a quiet, friendly little town, in the South Island of New Zealand. From a very young age, she loved to write. As she grew to adulthood, she continued writing but apart from a few memorial pieces for friends who had lost loved ones, she kept her ‘scribbles’ to herself. Kim often recited ‘made up stories’ to her three children at bedtime as they preferred those to the books on their shelves.
In 2004, Kim, her husband, their children and three cats, moved to Lower Hutt where they lived for several years before moving even further north to the North Shore of Auckland. Once there, Kim began looking for work, and an inspired suggestion during a phone call with a dear friend and neighbour in Lower Hutt, the wonderful Helen Whatman (sadly now deceased), pointed Kim toward a career in funeral service and in 2012 she qualified as an embalmer.
Life and Death in Birkenhead is her first novel. It borrows from her years as an embalmer and blends two other interests – crime and figuring out what makes people tick.
For media queries, review and giveaway copies, extracts and interviews, please contact publicist Karen McKenzie, 027 693 9044, karen@lighthousepr.co.nz, www.lighthousepr.co.nz