“Intense, unapologetic, and gripping. I devoured her tale in one sitting.”
Bestselling author Samantha Vérant on Xamnesia
Prize-winner Polaroid Nights is out. And she’s not going home soon…
Auckland city bars, 1996, when the click / whirr of a Polaroid proved you were living your best life. Betty’s is on repeat: waitress till late, drink till dawn, in bed to forget. But partying like there’s no tomorrow is no fix for the problems crowding in. Her ex is back and drinking at her favourite haunts, her flat was burgled and she faces eviction if she can’t pay late rent. And then there’s the serial rapist called the Psychic who’s terrorising women in their homes.
When her ex is murdered and left in her bed, Betty and her flatmate Alabama turn to the bar world to find out who did it. Was it the Psychic – or someone closer?
This debut novel won the inaugural NZ Society of Authors Laura Solomon Cuba Press Prize.
“Polaroid Nights is a fun frolic of a crime caper, a transporting novel about women’s vulnerability.” - Josie Shapiro, Read Close review
Suspense & more
An absorbing collection illuminating the lives of complicated, unforgettable women and girls all over the world. Friendship, heartache, and redemption are tackled with wit and candor in these unique, interconnected short stories. - BookBub
In here you read a range of genre: suspense, coming-of-age, cozy mystery, unreliable narrators, oddball families, women's friendships and travel humor. The red thread to tie it all together is a minimalist style and strong female protagonists.
Jaw-dropping memoir
When Lizzie Harwood started working for billionaires, she was exposed to exclusive secrets and ludicrous extravagance. In this witty true account, she reveals her outlandish adventures and the lessons she learned in the unreal world of the elite. - BookBub
"A seriously entertaining read. I was swept away in a tale that reads like fiction. Only it isn't!" Amanda van Mulligan
Books are available as paperback and e-book
Buy as paperback / ebook
What people are saying
“The amazing storytelling has you rooting for Lizzie while simultaneously screaming into the pages, ‘What were you thinking?’”
— M. Ozemet, blogger Laughter is Better than Prozac, on Xamnesia
"Intriguing, shocking, funny, poignant--this memoir is all these things."
— Karen Burns, author of The Paris Effect, on Xamnesia
“I loved this travel memoir. The writing was wonderful, in a self-depreciating kind of way. Nothing about Lizzie's life or her family's is cookie-cutter or average. I appreciated her brutally honest stories, witty narrative and was glad to come along for the bumpy ride. Highly recommend this book!"
— Amazon review, Xamnesia
"It's a courageous, funny, in-your-face book on an unfunny dark real-life experience. Bravo."
— Amazon review, Xamnesia
“Each story in this collection was impossible to put down. I can't recommend this collection highly enough for anyone who loves reading well-crafted short stories by an obviously talented writer.”
— Amazon review, Triumph: Collected Stories