AUTHOR

Richard Newsome was born in the small New Zealand riverside town of Wanganui. He migrated with his family to Australia at the age of two. His first job after leaving school was as a cadet journalist at the local newspaper, where he honed his craft by chasing ambulances and police cars around the streets of the Gold Coast. After several stints on other newspapers and in radio and television with the ABC, he undertook university studies and graduated in economics at the University of Queensland.

The billionaires curse is Richard's first novel.

The world's most valuable diamond has been stolen and its police constable guard lies unconscious in the British Musum, two sedative darts protruding from his bakcside. Not something Gerald Wilkins knows or cares anything about.

Not until he finds himself on a private luxury jet heading for London to attend the funeral of a great aunt he has never met.

Not until he inherits her estate, worth twenty billion pounds. Not until he opens a bundle of envelopes from his dead great aunt.

Was she murdered? Who stole the diamond? And what is the mysterious casket that everyone seems to be looking for?

With the help of the Valentine twins, the rat-fearing Sam and the gymnastic champ Ruby, Gerald's got a mystery to solve. A mystery that will take them into secret passageways, a musty jumbled bookshop, an ancient crypt, the tower of a ruined church and a colossal cavern where the secret of a priceless treasure lies protected by deadly booby traps.

The Billionaire's Curse is an irresistible adventure story with an array of curious characters, some ancient folklore and an engrossing whodunit.

You won't be able to put it down!

Richard 's favourite books while growing up included Yertle the Turtle by Dr Seuss (a brilliant treatise on democracy) and Which way to Mecca, Jack? by William Peter Blatty, which he bought for 40 cents from a second hand bookstore. This was the book that opened his eyes to how weird the world of grown-ups can be!

Richard is available for school, library and literature festival visits and is best suited for grades 5 to 9.