Blake Friedmann are delighted to announce that Australian thriller writer Tony Park has joined the agency to be represented worldwide by Isobel Dixon for book rights and Conrad Williams for film and television rights.

Australian writer Tony Park fell in love with South Africa on a short trip in 1995 and he and his wife now divide their time between their home in Sydney and a tent in the Kruger Park. He is a qualified military parachutist and a major in the Australian Army Reserve. He has worked in journalism and PR, including 6 months in Afghanistan in 2002 as PR officer for the Australian ground forces there.

He has written PART OF THE PRIDE, the life story of 'the Lion Whisperer' Kevin Richardson, as well as seven acclaimed, action-packed adventure thrillers for Macmillan Australia: FAR HORIZON (ANZ: Macmillan 2004; Czech Republic: Dobrovsky 2007; Holland: De Bezige Bij 2004; Italy: TEA 2007), ZAMBEZI (ANZ: Macmillan 2005; Czech Republic: Dobrovsky^; Latvia: Kontinents^), AFRICAN SKY (ANZ: Macmillan 2006; UK: Macmillan 2007; Czech Republic: Dobrovsky^; Germany: Blanvalet 2007; Italy: TEA 2008), SAFARI (ANZ: Macmillan 2007), and SILENT PREDATOR (ANZ: Macmillan 2008; Italy: TEA^).

His next book, THE DELTA, will be published by Macmillan Australia on July 31st, 2010:

Sonja Kurtz has led a troubled life: her father is an abusive alcoholic, her lover Danny - an IRA leader - is dead, and her teenage daughter Emma hasn't spoken to her since she became a hired assassin. When her latest assassination goes horribly wrong, she realises that the mission was a setup, and ends up alone in the African wilderness. Elsewhere, groups of revolutionaries are plotting to destroy the dam being erected on the Okavango Delta and simultaneously bring about a regime change.

Sam, popular star of multiple wildlife documentaries, is stranded in the jungle after his entire crew disappears. After Sonja saves him from a crocodile attack, he is immediately attracted to her, but her past has left her unwilling to let anybody in. Unless Sonja can forgive her father, who claims to be a changed man, and open up to Sam despite the tragedies of her past, she and her daughter will both be at risk from the men who seek to destroy them.

In THE DELTA, Park again blends an action-packed thriller with sensual descriptions of the African wilderness.


Praise for Tony Park:

'Park's heroes are tough, blokey types - soldiers and coppers - and his heroines sassy and smart, but Africa always steals the show…a great way to spend a winter evening, transported to somewhere warm and exotic.'    
-- Georgia Gowing, The Independent Weekly

'[FAR HORIZON] uses many of the standard devices of action-thriller writing. But underneath that is a deep knowledge of, and concern for, the fragile natural and human environments of south-east Africa that lift it onto another plane.'
-- Michael McGirr, Sydney Morning Herald

'FAR HORIZON offers a great mix of intrigue, revenge and education about Africa. With Major Park's knowledge of Africa and a genuine understanding of the Aussie military persona, he looks set to rival Wilbur Smith in the development of a great African dynasty.'    
-- Capt Jason Logue, Army News, Navy News & RAAF News

'[AFRICAN SKY] has all the right ingredients: the hero is flawed but courageous, the women are sometimes as predatory as the wild animals, the baddies are really bad, and there is plenty of action. All in all, a good macho yarn that will also appeal to the ladies.'    
-- Graeme Moore, Bookseller & Publisher

'He just gets better and better. His descriptions of the southern African bush and mountain jungles are so vivid you can just about feel the sun on your skin and smell the dust and animals. SAFARI is a well told, compulsive yarn.'
-- Frank Walker, Sun Herald

'SILENT PREDATOR is probably his best to date…an exciting and well-constructed thriller…a very enjoyable piece of thriller fiction. The action is frequent and believable, and the story winds its way through some good twists and turns. The pursuit through the African jungle is evocatively conveyed…a very good read.'
-- Jeff Popple, Canberra Times


For more information you can visit Tony's website here and his blog is here