What do you think?
Rate this book
Alice to Nowhere
A story of desperate men and lonely people in the vast emptiness of the Australian outback. Two vicious murderers, fleeing Alice Springs, hide on a battered truck carrying mail, food and supplies on its fortnightly journey to remote cattle stations.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1984
3 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 29, 2018
Most enjoyable pacy suspense written in the late 80’s, which was an enjoyable change! I thought this was a lovely change to my repertoire, stumbling across this whilst browsing through my BorrowBox app. Such a good way to access free books.
Lacking references to technology, the bad guys have to outsmart the good guys without the help of anything fancy. The bad guys greedy; the good guy having to get ahead them their wiles and sheer ability to outsmart. In saying this, our protagonist was extremely patient, with a never ending supply of willingness to succumb.
Alongside of the lack of technology, this was set in the harsh Australian outback, homesteads along the path of destruction had to rely on the bush telegraph to receive the news of two crazy men on the run, which held my breath a little harder.
A refreshing read, excellent narration by Richard Aspel. I also gather a TV mini series was made, I will have to look into this and see how the transition from book to television goes. I think I might cringe - Aussie television is sometimes like that - especially in the 1980's!
Lacking references to technology, the bad guys have to outsmart the good guys without the help of anything fancy. The bad guys greedy; the good guy having to get ahead them their wiles and sheer ability to outsmart. In saying this, our protagonist was extremely patient, with a never ending supply of willingness to succumb.
Alongside of the lack of technology, this was set in the harsh Australian outback, homesteads along the path of destruction had to rely on the bush telegraph to receive the news of two crazy men on the run, which held my breath a little harder.
A refreshing read, excellent narration by Richard Aspel. I also gather a TV mini series was made, I will have to look into this and see how the transition from book to television goes. I think I might cringe - Aussie television is sometimes like that - especially in the 1980's!
February 17, 2013
Having listened to this as an audiobook, it brought me right into the story. I couldnn't wait to get back in the car to keep listening. It was very well written and full of suspense. Must try another one of Evan Green's books.
December 25, 2025
Book seemed good but was put off by the small print, couldn't keep reading
October 20, 2013
I loved this book it had it all another great audio novel about the very nasty Johnny and his wingey sook offsider who stole opals in the outback of Queensland when a cleaning lady came across them so the very nasty Johnny killed her & then they hide in Fred's battered old mail truck who does deliveries every month to remote homesteads with mate and assistant Ivan the Russian & also Barbra Dean the new nurse he is giving a lift to the remote hospital at Birdsville but on this trip they find themselves in the middle of nowhere held at gunpoint. This was a terrific read & superbly narrated by Richard Astel who bought to life the characters and their accents which made me laugh throughout this great book I found the characters very real and so funny in their own special way!!!
April 5, 2020
Boringly repetitive, over characterisation.
June 26, 2009
Many books I've read spent inordinate amounts of time on description. I like descriptive passages but I'm more interested in the story. Alice To Nowhere did the job nicely. I listened to this book and I lost time. Over two days I cared about this book and wanted to know what was going to happen.
Set in the Australian outback, Alice To Nowhere is a well constructed and pacy thriller.
Only criticism were the lead characters. Villain: too patient. Hero: too good. Heroine: too soft. Having said that, I liked them a lot. Very enjoyable "read"
Set in the Australian outback, Alice To Nowhere is a well constructed and pacy thriller.
Only criticism were the lead characters. Villain: too patient. Hero: too good. Heroine: too soft. Having said that, I liked them a lot. Very enjoyable "read"
November 29, 2019
It is a skilled author who can take a handful of characters, and a remote landscape and turn it into a captivating story. The story of two haphazard criminals and their attempt to escape capture after a brazen theft takes the reader on a journey to through all that is good about the Australian outback: the character of the locals, the harsh beauty, and the strength of survival. Great read.
October 25, 2019
I loved this book. What a great yarn. Two desperate criminals who stow away on the mail truck up the Birdsville Track, cause all sorts of havoc along the way.
I looked forward to my slow moving commute home each day so I could listen to a few more chapters of this great audiobook.
I looked forward to my slow moving commute home each day so I could listen to a few more chapters of this great audiobook.
April 7, 2023
An-+-other good descriptive outback story. Kept going to Google maps to see the area in all its raw beauty which gave me a stronger understanding of the hardships faced in this harsh environment. Great author, great books.
January 5, 2025
Great book ..
February 21, 2026
Listened to the Audio book. Took us ages to get through as only listened on long road trips.
Kept my non-reader partner keen to listen. Is of its era, but that’s how it is/was.
Kept my non-reader partner keen to listen. Is of its era, but that’s how it is/was.
Read
July 25, 2009Alice to Nowhere, by Even Green. A. Narrated by Richard Astel, produced by Bolinda Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
Fred Crawford is the mail carrier who heads across the Australian outback once a month dropping off mail and supplies at remote cattle stations where people don’t see anyone between mail drops and whose main communication is by radio or utility truck sometimes with hundreds of miles between neighbors. Fred’s mail trip this time includes bringing a nurse, Barbara Dean to the remote Queensland town of Birdsville to provide care for the people there. Unfortunately their path is cross by two desperate men who stole a bunch of opals in Alice Springs, and ended up killing the cleaning woman because she was there unexpectedly. They left Alice Springs in a broken-down old truck which soon died on them. They jumped a train which ended them in a small town. By this time the sheriff had been alerted to the murder and the escape of the two men with the opals. The only way for them to leave town without being caught was to hide in the mail truck. So Fred Crawford, Barbara Dean, and Fred’s assistant, Ivan, the Russian, suddenly found themselves in the middle of nowhere at gunpoint from the two desperate men. The rest of the book is a nail-biting totally engrossing thriller as Fred and company attempt to get away from the men, and the men attempt to make Fred take them to Birdsville by truck where they plan to kill Fred at least. This book is full of descriptions of desert land with nothing to break its surface but sand and sand dunes, of surprising flash floods, and everyone’s life is in the hands of a totally crazy psychopath. A very good book, and Richard Astel does wonderfully well with the Australian accents, particularly of the psychopath. I couldn’t put the book down from start to finish.
Fred Crawford is the mail carrier who heads across the Australian outback once a month dropping off mail and supplies at remote cattle stations where people don’t see anyone between mail drops and whose main communication is by radio or utility truck sometimes with hundreds of miles between neighbors. Fred’s mail trip this time includes bringing a nurse, Barbara Dean to the remote Queensland town of Birdsville to provide care for the people there. Unfortunately their path is cross by two desperate men who stole a bunch of opals in Alice Springs, and ended up killing the cleaning woman because she was there unexpectedly. They left Alice Springs in a broken-down old truck which soon died on them. They jumped a train which ended them in a small town. By this time the sheriff had been alerted to the murder and the escape of the two men with the opals. The only way for them to leave town without being caught was to hide in the mail truck. So Fred Crawford, Barbara Dean, and Fred’s assistant, Ivan, the Russian, suddenly found themselves in the middle of nowhere at gunpoint from the two desperate men. The rest of the book is a nail-biting totally engrossing thriller as Fred and company attempt to get away from the men, and the men attempt to make Fred take them to Birdsville by truck where they plan to kill Fred at least. This book is full of descriptions of desert land with nothing to break its surface but sand and sand dunes, of surprising flash floods, and everyone’s life is in the hands of a totally crazy psychopath. A very good book, and Richard Astel does wonderfully well with the Australian accents, particularly of the psychopath. I couldn’t put the book down from start to finish.
June 22, 2010
Decent tale of suspense set in the Australian Outback in the fifties. The author did a great job of conveying how hard it is to survive, let alone thrive, the various elements (the heat, wind, and multitude of flies) of the remote Outback.
June 4, 2010
Couldn't put it down
Read
September 7, 2012one of the best books I have read
February 21, 2015
I read this book many many years ago. I still remember it as being a really good book
September 27, 2019
Loved it
March 2, 2015
A great story.
March 15, 2017
Great suspense. Got annoyed with the main female character who was a bit pathetic at critical moments.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews