Leave Before You Go

London has ground Daniel down. Grasping for an escape from the urban drudgery of his life, he is enticed by a free trip and the promise of ten thousand dollars, all for the simple delivery of a package for an acquaintance.

Finding himself quickly ensnared in the murky netherworld of drug smuggling, Daniel’s life descends into a montage of casinos and grungy hotels, stuck in New Zealand when he wins and loses a fortune in one night. Grit and tenacity will be his only redemption in this illicit pressure-cooker of a world. Equally dissatisfied with her life, Kate, an usherette in Auckland, pines for an ex-boyfriend and yearns for genuine fulfilment. Their lives will become indelibly entwined.

Sharp and poignant, Emily Perkins’ debut novel examines a disenfranchised generation in search of purpose.