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​A provocative new Outback novel by award-winning writer and broadcaster Russell Guy.
Boolarong Press is proud to announce the release of The Honeypot, the latest novel from acclaimed writer, journalist and broadcaster Russell Guy—a sharp, compelling and deeply human story set in the raw heart of the Australian Outback.
Guy, whose career spans radio, screenwriting, Indigenous media, journalism and fiction, brings decades of experience to this powerful new work. His voice—shaped by time spent in remote communities, the music industry, and the spiritual searching that underpins much of his writing—resonates strongly throughout The Honeypot, a novel charged with tension, cultural encounter and redemption.
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ABOUT THE NOVEL
John Booke, a farmer’s son from south-east Queensland, is on the run—caught up in the fallout of an affair he never knew was illicit. With a price on his head, he escapes to a lonely Outback roadhouse where he hopes anonymity will keep him safe.
But anonymity is short-lived. After an unexpected moment at a funeral is perceived as a miracle, the neighbouring Indigenous community begin referring to him as an “ingkarte”—a man of God. Despite his shaky faith and a life shaped by the dislocations of the sexual revolution, Booke finds himself reluctantly stepping into the role of missionary, spiritual guide and reformer.
The roadhouse becomes a crucible.
Bruce Shepherd, an Indigenous activist who has traded city life for his grandmother’s world of traditional art, watches Booke with curiosity.
Cheeseburger, the roadhouse cook, digs too deeply into Booke’s past.
And Rhonda, a former rock guitarist living quietly in a caravan, holds secrets of her own.
Amid Indigenous artists, grey nomads, roadhouse politics, outback humour and a “river of grog” that divides the community, Booke searches for moral footing in a place where truth, identity and belonging have never been more contested.
The Honeypot is at once a story of flight and arrival, fear and courage, and of the fragile bridges built between cultures on Australia’s remote mulga plains.​
​His previous novel, Dry Crossing (2015), received national praise for its vivid depiction of outback life, its Indigenous characters, and its exploration of identity and spirituality. Critics have hailed Guy’s writing as “an Australian gem” (The Senior), “crisp and compelling” (The Age), and “spiritually powerful” (The West Australian).
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A WORK OF CULTURAL HONESTY AND NARRATIVE BOLDNESS
The Honeypot continues Russell Guy’s commitment to telling stories that cross borders—cultural, spiritual and emotional. With humour, insight and authenticity, Guy explores the clash of ideals, the ache of reinvention, and the fragile territories that shape the lives of people living in remote Australia.
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