Danielle De Valera

Dropping Out Danielle De Valera

Character-linked short stories. 212 pages. When undercover narcotics agents Michael O'Neill and sidekick Baby Johnson are sent from Sydney to the Northern Rivers of New South Wales to bust a heroin dealer so big everyone up there calls him God, they fall in love with the area and decide to drop out. Johnson is pursuing his interest in Star, another urban fugitive on the run from a violent marriage to Wayne, God's local dealer. O'Neill, still suffering post-traumatic stress as a result of his experiences in the Vietnam War, hopes to live a quiet life in the bush with long-time girlfriend Azure. Although they arrive with high hopes and meet many colourful characters, life in the country does not turn out to be as idyllic as they'd imagined. A collection of stories covering 35 years, by an award-winning Australian short story writer.