August 10, 20251 yr "A literary psychological thriller set in Melbourne’s queer scene with the suspense of The Talented Mr Ripley and the gritty emotional landscape of Christos Tsiolkas and Bryan Washington." So goes the PR blurb for Thomas Vowles novel Our New Gods. The basis of the story line? “Ash has recently arrived in Melbourne and fallen in love with his charismatic new friend, James. After witnessing a disturbing altercation at a party, Ash suspects that James’s mysterious boyfriend is hiding a sinister side. Is he dangerous? Or is Ash’s jealousy fuelling paranoid delusions? “A compulsive novel that offers no easy answers, Our New Gods has an assuredness that reflects Thomas Vowles’s success as a screenwriter: the atmosphere is taut, the plot twists are dizzying, and the story will haunt readers long after the final page." A pre-reviewer on amazon writes, “Enthralling, dark, elegant, sexy, electrifying” Looking at various websites, it is clear that this book takes the reader into many gay haunts including the world of gay apps and saunas. It is both gritty and explosive. As stated in the site appended below, it “wades into the muck of modern desire.” Most of the above is the basis of a preview that appeared in The Guardian on June 27. The novel will be published on September 3 and available from amazon. http://www.ourdailyread.com/2025/06/our-new-gods-by-thomas-vowles-review-debut-queer-thriller-dares-to-wade-into-the-muck-of-modern-desire/ https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jun/27/our-new-gods-by-thomas-vowles-review-debut-queer-thriller-dares-to-wade-into-the-muck-of-modern-desire
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