Wolf Creek: Origin and Wolf Creek: Desolation Game (Greg McLean, Aaron Sterns & Brett McBean, Penguin)

Pre-empting the release of Wolf Creek 2 in cinemas in February come two prequel books about the villain of both films, Mick Taylor. Origin offers an insight into Mick’s childhood and early work as a station hand. Along the way it ticks the boxes for just about every serial killer motivation trope, as Mick ends up fighting for his life in a small country town that is oblivious to the fact it has five (or six, if you count Mick) active serial killers in it. Desolation Game covers Mick’s service in the Vietnam War and his return. The sections in Vietnam are reminiscent of Platoon but with serial killers, as once again Mick is not the only one over there. The other section follows Mick after the war, hunting and torturing travellers. Serious crime readers are likely to find both books lacking in detail and substance. ‘Because psycho’ works well in horror and serial killer films, but tends to fall flat with a reading audience that is used to more. The books are also a bit on the short side, both coming in at around 300 pages. They feel more like film scripts that have had had some exposition added to turn them into books. The books fairly accurately replicate the pace and dynamic of the cinematic experience, so I’d be recommending them to fans of the film rather than dedicated crime readers.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews