'We ran, down through the thick bush below the slip, Rebecca leading. Lisa's light pack slung over one shoulder and bouncing wildly, as if it was as frightened as the rest of us. Below me I could hear the chatter of a stream, mixed with the heavy breathing of the others. Above me I could hear the men giving chase.' Marko surfaces from a drug induced haze to find himself hidden from the world in a psychiatric ward. He is certain the 'Doctor' means to kill him, and he in turn has vengeful plans of his own. But how is it he came to stop taking his medication? Who can Marko trust and how much time does he have? Time enough to write it all down, his story of a coast-to-coast trip, and the earthquake which ripped his world apart. A thriller that will breathe cold air under your collar. JOLT is a chilling psychological thriller. Here Beckett addresses serious themes; death, revenge and morality. He delves into the primitive side of human nature and looks at how people respond when pushed to the edge of survival.

Reviews

Originally released in New Zealand in 2001, Jolt has been described as part Tomorrow When The War Began, and part One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Marko is 16 and bored. When an opportunity to join an outdoor education program at school to trek coast-to-coast presents itself, he signs up on the spot. Here he is teamed up with an eclectic mix of students. Ms Jenkins their teacher is strong and capable and despite the bickering and chaotic group dynamic, Marko starts to enjoy himself. Then the earthquake hits, tearing the ground apart and forcing the group to pull together. When Ms Jenkins meets a group of men in the woods Marko is powerless to stop their violent act, and then Jolt hits high gear as the group must fight the ravages of the earthquake, and the men who seek to silence them. Told in counterpoint between the vivid detail of the trek, and Marko's drug-induced thoughts in a journal, Jolt delivers all of the elements of a fine thriller. A less than satisfactory resolution and relatively predictable plot, result in a book that will entertain most readers, but won't be elevated to the success of the novels it references. Ben Beaton is a writer and teacher in Perth