We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Flood Zone by Brett Austin to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
A thrilling tale of greed, murder and corruption
Flood Zone follows Sam Cole, an older man down on his luck, as he stumbles into a web of murder, council corruption and climate-change decisions. Set against the very real pressures of rising flood risk and local politics, the book examines how communities split when short-term profit collides with long-term survival.
When Detective Sam Cole loses his job and his marriage in the same week, he returns to his home town on the Coromandel Peninsula to recover, rebuild his life and help his ageing mother. Instead of the quiet redemption he hopes for, Sam uncovers decisions by a dysfunctional council willing to approve a housing subdivision in a flood-prone zone. What begins as a moral and civic puzzle quickly escalates into a darker tale of greed, cover-ups and murder, exposing how powerful interests can warp public planning and endanger ordinary people.
Brett Austin began writing in his late 60’s as a personal challenge, picking up the pen to see if he could write a good yarn. The result was his debut novel, The Danger Within. Now, at 74, Brett has written Flood Zone. The book blends political awareness, social commentary and fast-paced storytelling to explore widening social divides in New Zealand through a gripping narrative.
Flood Zone delivers a “bloody good yarn”, as Brett describes it, featuring a family of greedy power players, violent druggies and everyday people caught in the crossfire. Set against contemporary New Zealand concerns about inequality and community breakdown, the novel follows a protagonist who must confront external threats and rediscover his sense of purpose and worth. Brett weaves suspense, a touch of romance and hope into a plot that moves from tense confrontations to a hunt for the villains driving chaos.
Brett’s fiction is grounded in his close attention to current affairs and politics. “When I asked Google ‘How to write a novel?’ one answer said, ‘Write what you know,’” he says. “I couldn’t write a medical drama or a police procedural, but I follow current affairs and politics closely, so the machinations of politicians figure in my stories.” That perspective informs Flood Zone’s themes: the growing gap between the haves and have-nots, and the societal cost of unchecked greed and self-interest.
Climate change, including flood zones, is another theme. A topical issue in the media, it sparked an interest in how people respond to the challenge, and the divide the topic created in communities.
Flood Zone is a gripping read with tight plotting, vivid characters and high-stakes action designed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
About the author
Brett Austin was born and bred in Rotorua but has lived most of his life in the north. Before writing, he was a social worker and a builder, and he worked in community nursing management for NGOs and in child welfare for the government. He has ridden a bicycle across Canada and the US, and done the ‘Big Lap’ around Australia, working on his writing along the way.
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Terms and conditions
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You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
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The competition closes on 19th August 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 20th August 2026.
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It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
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Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
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GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
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By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
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One entry per household.
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The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
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You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
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You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
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