Novels
Monsters of Virtue
2018
eugenics (noun)
The science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.
New Zealand, 1932. The height of the Great Depression. In the wilds of the Ōtaki River Gorge, the newly-formed Eugenics Department gathers the best and brightest in an attempt to create perfection.
… But what makes a perfect person?
Fifteen-year-old Eve knows she’s not one – but with her sister’s life on the line, she’d better convince her new classmates that she could be. Together with uneasy allies Orion and Nyx, she’ll pry into the dark heart of this fledgling utopia. Will the future that awaits them there be one worth fighting for?
‘A riveting novel from a powerful new voice in YA literature.’ – Brian Falkner
‘An intellectually compelling “what-if” history of ideas. I devoured it in one long read and enjoyed it hugely.’ – Rob Watts, Professor of Social Policy at RMIT University
Like Nobody’s Watching
2016
We were supposed to be the good guys.
We did the right thing.
At first …
When Oscar and his friends hack into the school’s surveillance system, the plan is simple: find the footage, blackmail the bullies, and leave no fingerprints. But the sense of power it brings them is hard to let go …
How do you go from cyber vigilante to cyber villain, when those around you turn their screen against you?
“A clever story about the seductive power of surveillance … until it goes wrong. Thought-provoking and well written.” Nicky Hager
Available for purchase from the Escalator Press website and all good bookstores.
Also available in both Kindle and Kobo formats.
Other Work
Never Repeats Podcast
L. J. Ritchie co-hosts the podcast Never Repeats, a film-by-film journey through modern New Zealand cinema. RNZ’s Dan Slevin listed Never Repeats as one of the top New Zealand film podcasts.
L. J. Ritchie 