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The Cross Thieves
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Expected 1 Mar 26‘Razor sharp and startlingly original, The Cross Thieves crackles with street spirit. A big-hearted, unholy riot!’ Bram Presser, author of the award-winning Book of Dirt.
Two hungry boys set out from their squat by a slow river on a not quite mythic quest for revenge. At the same time, a local pastor drives from his beachside home to visit a dying parishioner. What each means to the other will be revealed as brothers, Gark and Pell, run for their lives over one desperate night, across a coastal town haunted by its past.
The Cross Thieves is bold, mature and compassionate. And sprinkled with humour, 80s pop, carny lore, and the mysteries of philately. Fyfe’s knowing eye for place, poverty and powerlessness and his empathy for the underdog is captured in an unforgettable story of profound emotional power.
Two hungry boys set out from their squat by a slow river on a not quite mythic quest for revenge. At the same time, a local pastor drives from his beachside home to visit a dying parishioner. What each means to the other will be revealed as brothers, Gark and Pell, run for their lives over one desperate night, across a coastal town haunted by its past.
The Cross Thieves is bold, mature and compassionate. And sprinkled with humour, 80s pop, carny lore, and the mysteries of philately. Fyfe’s knowing eye for place, poverty and powerlessness and his empathy for the underdog is captured in an unforgettable story of profound emotional power.
197 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 17, 2026
The Cross Thieves is an absolute gut-punch of a read. Told over the course of single night it examines the themes of race, religion, revenge, and what happens when people take justice into their own hands.
Central to the story are two teenagers, Gark and Pell, struggling to survive with no family and mourning the loss of a friend. The book opens as Gark’s grief overflows and my heart broke for these boys as I was compelled to keep reading with the hope the situation could change for them at the conclusion.
The cast of characters around them, whether in direct contact or not, is diverse and on the whole many are very unlikeable. I had trouble with the corse language but it was needed to keep the book true to the story being told.
An interesting and confusing element of this book is that it is written in a ring composition, something I wasn’t familiar with and often struggled with.
This book isn’t for everyone but it is a powerful read that will keep you glued to the pages. Five well deserved stars.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Central to the story are two teenagers, Gark and Pell, struggling to survive with no family and mourning the loss of a friend. The book opens as Gark’s grief overflows and my heart broke for these boys as I was compelled to keep reading with the hope the situation could change for them at the conclusion.
The cast of characters around them, whether in direct contact or not, is diverse and on the whole many are very unlikeable. I had trouble with the corse language but it was needed to keep the book true to the story being told.
An interesting and confusing element of this book is that it is written in a ring composition, something I wasn’t familiar with and often struggled with.
This book isn’t for everyone but it is a powerful read that will keep you glued to the pages. Five well deserved stars.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Superficially the story of one night of action-packed drama and suspense, THE CROSS THIEVES (Transit Lounge 2026) by Alan Fyfe is a deeply thoughtful exploration of issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, addiction, institutionalised abuse, violence, poverty and powerlessness.
Two young brothers, Gark and Pell, are living rough on the outskirts of a small town, squatting in an abandoned structure, hungry most days, with government support miniscule and unreliable, and no support at all from family or friends. They are on their own. They get by, just.
In this almost mythical, fairytale story of revenge, one night the boys steal a homemade cross, a memorial to someone they don’t think deserves any remembering. As they run through the night, hungry, thirsty, and chased by a series of people meaning to do them harm, they remember their life before, their family, their dashed hopes.
There are points of kindness and joy during this night, and during their remembering of past interactions, but not enough to douse the rage, anger and revenge boiling in their souls.
On this same night, a local pastor drives across town to spend some time with a dying parishioner. The connection between the two stories becomes gradually apparent.
The story is interspersed with letters between two women that also shed some light on the current circumstances.
This slim, fast paced novel presents a highly original voice, whip-smart humour, tenderness, poignancy and visceral brutality. Gark and Pell are unforgettable characters, tied by blood and familiarity and loyalty, tested by everything the world throws at them. This is humanity on the page: religion, class, race, poverty and power. The brothers champion the spirit of the underdogs and we as readers cheer them on at every step.
With the mysteries of philately, stories of constructing buildings and of tearing them down, myths and legends about carnivals and beliefs and the difference between right and wrong, THE CROSS THIEVES is an unputdownable read that is thoughtful, gripping and shocking, with some unexpected twists and surprises and an (in hindsight) inevitable and satisfying denouement. Highly recommend.
Two young brothers, Gark and Pell, are living rough on the outskirts of a small town, squatting in an abandoned structure, hungry most days, with government support miniscule and unreliable, and no support at all from family or friends. They are on their own. They get by, just.
In this almost mythical, fairytale story of revenge, one night the boys steal a homemade cross, a memorial to someone they don’t think deserves any remembering. As they run through the night, hungry, thirsty, and chased by a series of people meaning to do them harm, they remember their life before, their family, their dashed hopes.
There are points of kindness and joy during this night, and during their remembering of past interactions, but not enough to douse the rage, anger and revenge boiling in their souls.
On this same night, a local pastor drives across town to spend some time with a dying parishioner. The connection between the two stories becomes gradually apparent.
The story is interspersed with letters between two women that also shed some light on the current circumstances.
This slim, fast paced novel presents a highly original voice, whip-smart humour, tenderness, poignancy and visceral brutality. Gark and Pell are unforgettable characters, tied by blood and familiarity and loyalty, tested by everything the world throws at them. This is humanity on the page: religion, class, race, poverty and power. The brothers champion the spirit of the underdogs and we as readers cheer them on at every step.
With the mysteries of philately, stories of constructing buildings and of tearing them down, myths and legends about carnivals and beliefs and the difference between right and wrong, THE CROSS THIEVES is an unputdownable read that is thoughtful, gripping and shocking, with some unexpected twists and surprises and an (in hindsight) inevitable and satisfying denouement. Highly recommend.
Review of advance copy
Finally able to review now this has been added to Goodreads.
I entered through Good Reading magazine and this is the second early review book I’ve received. It’s only 197 pages.
I don’t think you need to read the first one “T” to get the gist of the story as it refers back at times. Gark and Pell are two brothers who are down in their luck. They don’t even have any money and cannot ‘sign onto’ anything as they have no fixed address either only a ‘squat’. It’s down and out to the extreme like not even having shoes and this is set in Western Australia.
They’ve been brought up with Christian values and know how to play the recorder so in their early lives with their mother it wasn’t all bad but she’s not around anymore.
The author certainly knows how to write this type of raw scenario so I’m sure he must have either lived with or thoroughly researched homeless young people or he has a huge imagination. I didn’t enjoy the book in the beginning but then I had to keep reading to see what happened to these two boys after stealing a cross from a bit of a hard man’s garden after a death in the house. Why they did it … well you need to find a copy of the book to find out. But it sets off a wild chase all over the town. It’s sad and it has a bit of humour too. All in all a typical Aussie yarn likened to Shuggie Bain with the huge problem of poverty.
If you don’t like swearing or violence this isn’t for you.
I entered through Good Reading magazine and this is the second early review book I’ve received. It’s only 197 pages.
I don’t think you need to read the first one “T” to get the gist of the story as it refers back at times. Gark and Pell are two brothers who are down in their luck. They don’t even have any money and cannot ‘sign onto’ anything as they have no fixed address either only a ‘squat’. It’s down and out to the extreme like not even having shoes and this is set in Western Australia.
They’ve been brought up with Christian values and know how to play the recorder so in their early lives with their mother it wasn’t all bad but she’s not around anymore.
The author certainly knows how to write this type of raw scenario so I’m sure he must have either lived with or thoroughly researched homeless young people or he has a huge imagination. I didn’t enjoy the book in the beginning but then I had to keep reading to see what happened to these two boys after stealing a cross from a bit of a hard man’s garden after a death in the house. Why they did it … well you need to find a copy of the book to find out. But it sets off a wild chase all over the town. It’s sad and it has a bit of humour too. All in all a typical Aussie yarn likened to Shuggie Bain with the huge problem of poverty.
If you don’t like swearing or violence this isn’t for you.
February 26, 2026
The Cross Thieves is set over the course of a night where brothers Gark and Pell are seeking revenge. Tearing down a cross sends a powerful message and Gark and Pell make that clear: “This cunt doesn’t deserve remembrance.”
Raised in poverty and shaped by an unstable upbringing, the brothers lean on each other to survive. It’s clear when side characters have opinions about their family life they are fiercely protective over what remains and what once was. Nobody can come between their bond, not even their dire situation. Meanwhile, on the same night, a local pastor drives to visit a dying parishioner. His significance isn’t immediately clear, but as the story unfolds, his role gradually comes into focus.
Fyfe has written some incredibly strong characters that feel realistic. Their personalities shine through and were the driving force behind this book. With heavy themes spread throughout, The Cross Thieves is not a light read, it’s confronting and needed.
The use of the ring composition structure made it difficult to understand at times but once I was clued on, I was absorbed. A compelling read for anyone who appreciates character-driven books rich in emotion.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book*
Raised in poverty and shaped by an unstable upbringing, the brothers lean on each other to survive. It’s clear when side characters have opinions about their family life they are fiercely protective over what remains and what once was. Nobody can come between their bond, not even their dire situation. Meanwhile, on the same night, a local pastor drives to visit a dying parishioner. His significance isn’t immediately clear, but as the story unfolds, his role gradually comes into focus.
Fyfe has written some incredibly strong characters that feel realistic. Their personalities shine through and were the driving force behind this book. With heavy themes spread throughout, The Cross Thieves is not a light read, it’s confronting and needed.
The use of the ring composition structure made it difficult to understand at times but once I was clued on, I was absorbed. A compelling read for anyone who appreciates character-driven books rich in emotion.
*Thank you to Good Reading Magazine and the publisher for sending me an early copy of this book*
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews