Paper Cage

Masterton isnt a big town. The communitys tight, if not always harmonious. So when a child goes missing its a big deal for everyone. And when a second kid disappears, the whole towns holding their own children that little bit tighter.

Lorraine doesnt have kids, but she has a nephew. Shes holding him a bit tighter, too, because she works for the police, and she knows they dont have any idea.

Los not a cop, shes a records clerk. She sits out back among the piles of paper, making connections, remembering things. Working things out that the actual cops dont want to hear about.

Until the new investigator, Hayes, arrives from Wellington, and realises Los the only person there with answers to any of his questions. Which is just as wellbecause the clock is running down for the children of the town.

Both a nail-biting thriller and a beautifully written, acutely observed portrait of a community, Paper Cage is the prize-winning debut from young New Zealand novelist Tom Baragwanath.

Tom Baragwanath is originally from Masterton, New Zealand, and now lives in Paris. His short fiction has been widely published. Between pastries, hes working on his next novel.