Steeplechase

Bec Reich is recovering from surgery when Emily calls, so naturally she thinks she is hallucinating. Emily, famous worldwide for her paintings, and also for her schizophrenia, lives in Beijing. But that's not why she hasn't spoken to Bec for so many years. And now she wants Bec to come to China for the opening of her new show.

Which would mean revisiting the sinister games and shared delusions of their strange, locked-in childhood. It would mean a risk of hurt; even damage. Or worse.

Krissy Kneen is a bookseller and writer in Brisbane. Their memoir, Affection, was published in 2009 and shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Literary Award and the ABIA Award in 2010. Krissy is also the author of the erotic adventure, Triptych, which was published in 2011. Steeplechase is their first non-erotic novel.

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'Steeplechase is both disturbing and mesmerising. This is writing that displays incredible emotional depth. Krissy Kneen is an author who writes with generosity and truth.' Favel Parrett

'Kneen has a rare gift for constructing the most exquisite architectures of narrative and meaning from simple and elegant prose.' John Birmingham

'Krissy Kneen's deceptively simple prose careens towards a startling and horrifying denouement; her talent for strikingly vibrant imagery shines...Steeplechase is a departure for Kneen, who is best known for her erotic writing. This novel will appeal to a broader audience, while her fans will continue to relish Kneen's vivid imagery and fearless prose.' Australian Bookseller & Publisher

'A densely plotted and compelling tale...Kneen is adept at defusing tension with scenes of Beijing life and with the homely affection of Bec's reluctant affair, but as the novel nears its revelatory and satisfying climax she cuts more and more rapidly and with absolutely assurance between past and present, never losing the reader but ramping up tension and expectation until the book is impossible to put down....Kneen's first real fiction is an accomplished work that will not easily be forgotten.' Adelaide Advertiser

'A compelling tale with a brilliant climax...This thought-provoking tale touches on obsession, adulation, artistic genius, student-tacher affairs, guilt, inferiority, love and mental illness...This is a hypnotic, powerful, stirring tale: Kneen is a writer to look out for.' BookMooch.com

'The voice is strong, the writing vivid, the prose disarmingly frank, uncluttered and easily propels the reader along...Conversational exchanges are convincing, creating high-resolution snapshots of scene and people. Verdict: Lyrical, persuasive and intriguing.' Courier Mail