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  • Published: 26 March 2024
  • ISBN: 9781761342127
  • Imprint: Vintage Australia
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $34.99

What I Would Do to You




A compulsively readable debut novel for those who could not put down Dirt Town or Before You Knew My Name.

‘Surprising, ferocious and stubbornly full of heart.’
Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town

'Books of this calibre are hard to find, especially from debut authors. '
Alicia Guiney, Readings

'An original and powerful thriller.'
Lyn Yeowart, author of The Silent Listener
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A near-future Australia.
The death penalty is back. But if the victim’s family wants the perpetrator to die, they have to do it themselves. Twenty-four hours alone in a room with the condemned. No cameras. No microphones. Just whatever punishment they decide befits the crime.

Ten-year-old Lucy was murdered.
Through counselling sessions with their court-appointed psychologist, we learn the stories of her family members: Lucy’s two mothers – Stella and Matisse – her much older brother and her bookish teenage sister, who is too young to participate in the execution, but who has plans of her own . . .

Secrets and grief threaten to break the family.
As the execution date nears, already-struggling Stella remains adamant that she must carry out the punishment. But it becomes clear that if she steps into that room, the family may lose her too.

  • Published: 26 March 2024
  • ISBN: 9781761342127
  • Imprint: Vintage Australia
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $34.99

About the author

Georgia Harper

Georgia Harper is a psychologist who has worked with both serious violent offenders and victim-survivors of crime. Her career spans correctional, forensic mental health, mental health and rural psychology roles. She advises on LGBTIQ+ workforce matters and, in keeping with her passion for animal welfare, was the Senior Inspector Prosecutions for RSPCA Queensland. Born in Brisbane, Georgia currently lives and works on the beautiful Darling Downs, where she enjoys writing in her paddock under the supervision of her shire horse. What I Would Do to You is her first novel.

Praise for What I Would Do to You

From one of the best openings to a book I’ve had the fortune to read, and all the way to its staggering conclusion, What I Would Do to You does not relent. Surprising, ferocious and stubbornly full of heart. With this novel, Georgia Harper announces her arrival on the Australian literary scene – I, for one, am glad she’s here!

Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town

Books of this calibre are hard to find, especially from debut authors. If you like speculative fiction, or enjoy reading books that not only grip you but make you think about the world, I would highly recommend this one. I can’t wait to see what Georgia Harper writes in the future.

Alicia Guiney, Readings

Equal parts moving, thought-provoking and deeply unsettling, this skilfully written page-turner will stay with you long after you close the book.

The Australian

Harper weaves all of these threads into a seamless story that manages to both engross and challenge, to be lyrical and stark. What I Would Do To You is an astonishingly accomplished first novel that not only makes you think but won’t let you go.

Meredith Jaffe, New Voices Down Under

An original and powerful thriller, What I Would Do To You flings readers into wild, uncharted waters with its extraordinary premise and startling conclusion. Presenting one of the most chilling ethical dilemmas a family could possibly face, it compels readers to question their perception of justice and morality as the story unfolds in volatile and complex layers. Intelligent fiction that left me reeling.

Lyn Yeowart, author of The Silent Listener

Harper explores in some depth the pros and cons of an important issue in an engaging and affecting way. That is quite an achievement and definitely deserving of your attention.

Erich Mayer, ArtsHub

This is for you if you are looking for a good read out of left field with a psychological forensic spin.

Grant Hansen, Good Reading

Harper creates a plausible, disturbing near-future dystopia, and her dramatic examination of the justice (or otherwise) of capital punishment feels more like a psychological thriller than a single-issue novel.

Cameron Woodhead, The Sydney Morning Herald

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Read More: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/what-i-would-do-to-you-9781761342127 A compulsively readable debut novel for those who could not put down Dirt Town or Before You Knew My Name. ‘Surprising, ferocious and stubbornly full of heart.’ Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town A near-future Australia. The death penalty is back. But if the victim’s family wants the perpetrator to die, they have to do it themselves. Twenty-four hours alone in a room with the condemned. No cameras. No microphones. Just whatever punishment they decide befits the crime. Ten-year-old Lucy was murdered. Through counselling sessions with their court-appointed psychologist, we learn the stories of her family members: Lucy’s two mothers – Stella and Matisse – her much older brother and her bookish teenage sister, who is too young to participate in the execution, but who has plans of her own . . . Secrets and grief threaten to break the family. As the execution date nears, already-struggling Stella remains adamant that she must carry out the punishment. But it becomes clear that if she steps into that room, the family may lose her too. What would you do?

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