We’re excited to be giving away two copies of Three Little Vikings by DeAnne Nicoloso 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.
About Three Little Vikings
A New Zealand lawyer turned writer publishes a thought-provoking novel that delves into child sex offending, giving power where it belongs – with the victims.
A hit on a child sex offender has gone terribly wrong, and an innocent man is almost killed. An underground vigilante group called Practical Justice is responsible, a group formed by old school friends, Jillian, Kathleen and Hannah, to meet the needs of those mistreated within the criminal justice system. They administer punishment to child sex offenders who deny their offending.
The women have a long history together, executing an act of vengeance on a pedophile as 12-year-olds. But now matters are serious. Loyalty to their cause and each other is tested as the criminal investigation unfolds. Their history, complex and steeped in trauma, is told through a wise old Māori woman named Moana. Secrets and lies reveal why the women adopt different perspectives on their experiences. And then their Practical Justice hitman resurfaces. His version of events means nothing as it seemed. They are divided on the reasons behind their discovery. Their mental health and liberty are seriously compromised. Will they remain united in their campaign to avoid detection?
Author Note
‘Three Little Vikings is contemporary fiction, but the three main characters are inspired by significant events from my life, giving it a semi-autobiographical layer. When I began documenting my life, it became clear I would need three characters to carry the content, which has a certain immensity about it. Three marriages, eight children, spanning 53 addresses, across different countries and states. I have twenty years of experience in criminal justice, representing clients, and teaching law to university students.
I use my experience within the criminal justice system as a child and an adult, from roles which traverse both sides of the courtroom. I explore raw moments of my life, such as delivering my own baby into the world and the discovery of a deceased loved one. The juxtaposition of birth and death. The grind of single parenting a large tribe while studying full time to crawl out of the poverty trap. Everything that comes with managing a demanding career and a large tribe of children.
The Three Little Vikings are three girls who grew up in the provincial town of Dannevirke. One of the girls discloses an incident of sexual abuse and convinces her best friends to promise to keep her secret. The girls orchestrate a cunning plan seeking vengeance on the offender, which becomes their first vigilante act.
During their teenage years, each of the girls face traumatic events, which cause them to leave their hometown and lose their sisterhood. They reconnect later in life as mature women, when one of them becomes trapped within a crisis. Their intimate circle is restored. Then a situation presents itself, and they navigate their way through it in an unorthodox manner and go on to form a vigilante group called Practical Justice. The group deals exclusively with child sex offenders.
Practical Justice offers restorative justice to offenders who admit to what they have done, managing to circumvent the court system. They execute acts of revenge for those who deny their offending. Vigilante hits are carefully curated in collaboration with the victims. Although the content is at times dark and confronting, I have used humour throughout to lighten the tone and take the power from the offenders, giving it back to where it belongs, with the victims.
About the Author
DeAnne Nicoloso is a mother of eight children and grandmother of three, who lives between New Zealand, Australia and Brazil. She is a Criminal Barrister, and Yoga Instructor currently residing in Queenstown. Her passion is dance and languages.
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Terms and conditions
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
The competition closes on 27 August 2025. Winners will be notified via email by 28 August 2025.
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.
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
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One entry per household.
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
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