REVIEWS

  • SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
    "Maguire is particularly good on the points of agreement in her two main characters' world views and the way that mutual desire starts to break down their hidebound convictions...Unlike most writers who take on overtly political subjects, she can dramatise ideological difference with realism and sympathy for all of the characters concerned."
  • AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW
    "Maguire is a master of her craft; her prose is sharp and full of imagery and her dialogue rings true."
  • BOOKMUNCH
    "With The Gospel According to Luke, Maguire has crafted an engrossing narrative of faith, fanaticism, and lust and love in the face of violence and adversity."
  • CANBERRA TIMES
    "There's an edginess to Maguire's prose, never forced, just right...Sexuality, abortion, gay rights; and fundamentalism's appeal in the face of them. Loneliness and insecurity. Violence, identity and long-term psychological harm. Maguire is adept at weaving these themes into her story, fitting all the bits together, and giving them bounce and life."
  • GOOD READING MAGAZINE
    "Emily Maguire...invites the reader to slide into the skins of her beautifully flawed characters and share in their human weaknesses. Be prepared to be absorbed; this is compelling storytelling."
  • KATHLEEN MITCHELL AWARD, SPECIAL COMMENDATION
    "Emily Maguire weaves a compelling love story into a narrative rich in social commentary."
  • STRAITS TIMES
    "Maguire...excels at painting sympathetic portraits of people caught in the vice of their passions."
  • THE AUSTRALIAN
    "[This] book asks important questions and there's more than enough fun between the covers to tempt the most jaded reader..."
  • THE AUSTRALIAN LITERARY REVIEW
    "Maguire is an energetic, often powerful writer who has once again shown us her hunger for more than most of us can chew comfortably."
  • THE BIG ISSUE (UK)
    "This suspense-fuelled tale becomes a deeper exploration of the strange places humans go to look for love."

Gospelaccordingtoluke "Erotic and erudite, The Gospel According to Luke is a witty contemporary morality tale bursting with lust, longing, and the meanings of life." Mandy Sayer

Aggie Grey is a jaded sexual health counsellor who finds herself having to defend her business against the attacks of a radical new fundamentalist sect. Pastor Luke Butler is young, idealistic and out to capture the hearts and minds of Sydney's disaffected youth; his first order of business is to shut down Aggie Grey's clinic.

Caught in the crossfire is 16-year-old Honey – pregnant, battered and ready to cling to whatever hope is offered. As Aggie and Luke fight over the fate of Honey's unborn child, they discover a deep and surprising connection. But as the war between the secular and religious intensifies, Aggie, Luke and Honey find themselves in moral and physical danger. Gospelaustralia

Against a backdrop of religious terrorism and social decay, The Gospel According to Luke is a contemporary love story about belief, family, grief and hope.

The Gospel According to Luke is published in Australia and New Zealand by Brandl & Schlesinger, and in the UK by Serpent's Tail .

NEW: Russian translation published by RipolGospelrussia_2