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Parrot Heaven

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Brief Description
BDTH! The Foveaux Fisherman Facebook page posts this acronym to advise Rakiura Stewart Islanders to ‘batten down the hatches’ before severe weather events. New Zealand’s southernmost librarian Maudie Sanderson reckons this warning could be applied to her life in general these days. Haunted by a parrot... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$5500

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This unconventional and darkly humorous whodunnit is set on Rakiura/Stewart Island in southernmost New Zealand. A book for readers who appreciate libraries, pub quizzes, native New Zealand birds, artichokes, splitting wood, trail running, the eroticism of dictionary stands, and contemporary takes on The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

BDTH! The Foveaux Fisherman Facebook page posts this acronym to advise Rakiura Stewart Islanders to ‘batten down the hatches’ before severe weather events. New Zealand’s southernmost librarian Maudie Sanderson reckons this warning could be applied to her life in general these days.

Haunted by a parrot and falsely accused of soliciting dk pics, Maudie navigates a minefield of rabbit holes and mental health crises as she struggles to be a fit and proper person in a pandemic-hungover world. Sidelined by buggered knees, the avid runner needs projects to maintain sanity.

Island life keeps her busy. Maudie is drawn into an axe cult, scraps with the preschool teacher, discusses The Epic of Gilgamesh in a jailhouse book club, and mis-manages a community astronomy course. When a shocking crime wreaks havoc on her family, she dons her deerstalker cap and dives into the investigation.

All the while, Maudie feels a growing kinship with the ancient desert king Gilgamesh, as the words from 5,000-year-old clay tablets guide her through life’s myriad mysteries.

This unconventional and darkly humorous whodunnit explores island life, the sandwich generation, grief after losing a pet, and a runner's post-injury journey back to the joy of running. A book for readers who appreciate libraries, pub quizzes, artichokes, poetry, splitting wood, native New Zealand birds, the eroticism of dictionary stands, and contemporary takes on ancient stories.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780473766061

Publisher: Rakiura Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 08 January 2026

Country: New Zealand

Imprint: Rakiura Books

Illustration: 7 black and white illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 19.0mm

Width: 145.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 453g

Pages: 303

Collections

Comedic Crime Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction New Zealand and Australia Published New Zealand Published NZ Crime & Thriller

About the Author

 Jessica Howland Kany has called Rakiura Stewart Island home for over twenty years. On the island she worked at the post office/flight centre, the Pub and as “desk crew” for her fisherman husband. Other hats: editor of the Stewart Island News, rat trapper and librarian. Jess is a trail runner, penguin fan and artichoke enthusiast. Past endeavours include writing for The Jackson Hole News in Wyoming and working at the Lahaina Library in Maui, Hawaii. Her first novel, A Runner's Guide to Rakiura, was published in 2022. 

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