Inside the Black Horse

2017 Longlist

Pio Morgan is waiting outside a pub on a cold winters’ night. There is a debt he must pay and no options left. What he does next drags a group of strangers into a web of confusion that over the course of a few days changes all their lives. There’s the young Maori widow just trying to raise her children, the corporate executive hiding his mistake, the gang of criminals that will do whatever it takes to recover what they’ve lost – and the outsider sent to town to try and figure out who did what. Time is running out for all of them as events take an increasingly sinister turn.

(from publisher)

About the Author

Ray Berard is a Canadian-born Kiwi writer based in Christchurch, New Zealand. A McGill University graduate and five-year member of the NZ authors association, writing has always been his passion, and in recent years a full-time one. Inside the Black Horse is his debut novel, based on a diary he kept during his years supervising betting outlets for the New Zealand Racing Board. Ray is currently working on his second novel, The Diary of a Dead Man.

Librarian’s Comments

Atearoa’s answer to Underbelly. Ray Berard has based this novel on reality. The novel explores equally the emotions felt by the victim and perpetrator and the effect of crime on the lives of ordinary people, gang members and drug dealers. This book could be based in any city in New Zealand. So real that you can visualize the characters in the book, feel their desperation, sense their hope for the future, and find compassion for them as you join them on their journey. With a few good twists along the way, it’s a great read.