Riot - by Nancy Paton (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When a desperate university student turns to drug running to save her family from financial ruin, she is pulled into a world of crime, loyalty, and betrayal where protecting the people she loves may cost her everything, including her freedom.

Page Kowalski has always known right from wrong, but desperation quickly blurs the line. Living in multicultural Sydney, the Polish-Australian university student watches her family edge toward financial collapse. Determined to protect her younger brother and sister, Page accepts a dangerous lifeline from her childhood friend, Ranya: running drugs.

Caught between the polished world of university and unforgiving streets, one job quickly becomes another. As violent riots erupt across the city, the stakes turn deadly. Page must navigate the chaos to shield her siblings from the destruction. Complicating matters is Ahmed--Ranya's older brother and the leader of the deadly biker gang, The Serpents. Charming, handsome, and Page's childhood crush, Ahmed draws her deeper into his dangerous orbit. As they date and fall in love, the boundaries between the people she loves and fears vanish entirely.

As hidden secrets from her family's past surface, Page is torn between her strict Polish Catholic upbringing, the weight of family expectations, and the intoxicating allure of independence. She faces an impossible choice: fully embrace Ahmed's ruthless criminal world or find a way to escape it to save her family.

Relying on courage, cunning, and the strength of her heritage, Page must fight to survive in a city tearing itself apart. Riot is a gripping coming-of-age crime thriller exploring family, loyalty, identity, and the dangerous price of survival.

About the Author

Nancy Paton is an award-winning Polish-Australian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, author, and founder of Desert Rose Films, a female-led production company focused on globally resonant stories. Her films, including Daisy, Postpartum, and Mountain Boy have received more than sixty-six international awards. She is the founding president of Women in Film & TV--MENA and advocates for greater opportunities for women and culturally diverse voices in cinema. Nancy studied at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts and holds a BSc (Hons) in Pathology from the University of Sydney. She also undertook postgraduate study in Creative Writing and Literature at Harvard University, completing the majority of the program before placing her studies on hold following the birth of her children. It was at Harvard that she began developing Riot, her debut novel.