Retail Price: AUD$27.95 Our Price: AUD$22.95 (USD$)* ISBN: 978-1-920764-21-0 Subject: Fantasy Publication Date: March 2003

Synopsis
As a small boy, Jack Thompson witnessed a creature killing a homeless man. Now, some forty years later, Detective Thompson still holds the belief that creatures exist within society. Most of his colleagues mock him, except for his young partner, Detective Spencer Avatar, gifted with a power that allows him to see more than any normal eye would see.

A crime wave is sweeping the city and just when the Detectives think they have seen every cruelty man can impose on his kind, they are called to investigate a shocking multiple homicide. A family of four lies butchered in their living room like pieces of meat.

When Avatar's gift leads him to another startling revelation, he learns of a race of mythological beings controlled by an evil Wizard who is using the beasts to create a dark army, hell-bent on destroying the world. Avatar also discovers he is more than just a simple seer, and that he alone holds the balance of power between good and evil as the two warring sides vie for his allegiance.

About The Author
Heath Sharples was born in Melbourne in 1974. His parents returned to England where he lived until the age of nineteen. He then travelled the world before returning to his place of birth where he now lives.

Heath's childhood was spent immersed in role-playing games and comic books where his imagination was allowed to run riot. A compulsive passion for writing has seen him produce several screenplays, and he is co-creator on an animated comedy series that is in pre-production.

Mythology is his first novel.

From The Book
Normally Jack would not consider entering the alley. He used it occasionally as a short cut to the rear entrance of the apartments, but aside from that, he avoided it due to the amount of trash bags and cans that lined the walls. The stench from the bags made Jack cover his face on a normal day, but the hot weather had only sped up the decomposition of the garbage and increased the smell tenfold. That, coupled with the recent strike by the city's garbage collectors, made for an unpleasant ball-hunting experience.

He lifted his shirt and held it across the lower portion of his face as he stepped tentatively into the alley. The cobbled floor was uneven and he stumbled once or twice before regaining his footing. He was several feet into the alley and could not see his ball anywhere. He was about to give up the search and head for the clean air of the street before he saw it in the corner of his eye. It had come to rest between three bulging black garbage bags. Jack stepped over to them and crouched down. He extended his free arm and slowly reached for the ball, careful not to make contact with the unhygienic bags. He grasped the ball, retracted his arm, and stood up. He held the ball up to his face and inspected it. It seemed clean. He was about to turn and head for home when he heard a noise from further along the alley.

Jack stood stiff as a board as he focused his attention on the direction of the noise. He listened for further noises but they appeared to have stopped. Shrugging it off, he turned back towards the alley before a loud tearing noise filled the air.

Jack froze.

The noise sounded like the ripping of clothing and he slowly moved a step towards it. This time the noise continued unabated and Jack's curiosity got the better of him.

He took slow, methodical steps in the direction of the noise. His hand gripped the ball so tight that he could not feel it. His heart raced in his chest and he swallowed constantly to push back the lump of fear that was rising in his throat. As he neared, he looked over his shoulder to see the entrance of the alley was a long way away. It was being consumed by the shadows and Jack thought it would take him forever to run back there.

Then he heard the muffled cries.

He stopped in his tracks. The cries were coming from behind a large pile of garbage bags only a few feet to his right.

Jack wanted to run.

Jack wanted to hide.

Jack wanted to know.

He stepped forward and to the left until he rounded the bags on such an angle that he could see the other side of them.

Jack wanted to scream.

Behind the pile of garbage bags, he saw a sight that would haunt him to his grave. On the ground, curled up against the alley wall, was a homeless man. His tatty, soiled clothing and dishevelled appearance had only been made worse by all the blood. Standing over the man was a creature.