Leave Before You Go

Perkins's debut is a merciless and witty examination of a generation cut adrift; what do people do when they don’t know what they want to do?

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.