City inspires new thriller

Author Ray Berard signing copies of his book Inside the Black Horse, which is set in Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker

An author says he's getting positive reactions to his thriller, which is set in Rotorua and partly based on his time working in the city.

Ray Berard signed copies of his debut novel Inside the Black Horse at McLeods Booksellers on Friday.

Mr Berard said he enjoyed speaking to locals about his novel, and coming across familiar faces, after being inspired by the city in his time as a TAB supervisor in Rotorua.

The book combines Mr Berard's experience in Rotorua with his time working in "hard public bars" in South Auckland and around the Waikato.

"A lot of the guys that know me from pubs came around and said hello [at the signing].

"Part of the job was dealing with armed robberies and things like that. The novel follows the lives of regular people caught up in an armed robbery. I wanted to use Rotorua because I know the city so well.

"I knew some gang members, and they are just people." He said he was getting positive reactions to the novel which showed real people and their back-stories.

"It is a good New Zealand book that anyone can read. I want whanau to read and know about it." He said he kept a diary while working in Rotorua. "I started recording people's reactions to criminal events, how it impacted on their lives and what it did to their relationships."

McLeods Booksellers owner Dave Thorp said he thought the novel had great potential.

"It shows events that happened in Otara but it is set in Rotorua. When you read it as someone from Rotorua you can just picture it."