{"title":"Chris Johnston","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChris Johnston\u003c\/strong\u003e explores the darker edges of human nature through gripping stories that blur the lines between crime and personal truth. Readers can expect tightly woven narratives filled with suspense and emotional depth, where every revelation challenges perceptions of loyalty and justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn works such as \u003cem\u003eThe Family\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eTrue Faith\u003c\/em\u003e, Johnston delves into themes of trust, betrayal, and resilience. His writing often balances thrilling plots with thoughtful insights, making his books compelling reads for those drawn to crime thrillers and memoir-like reflections on the human condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-family-by-rosie-jones-9781925321678","title":"The Family","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe apocalyptic group \u003cem\u003eThe Family\u003c\/em\u003e and their guru, Anne Hamilton-Byrne, captured international headlines throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Hamilton-Byrne, who some followers believed was Jesus Christ, was glamorous and charismatic—and, many allege, very dangerous.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShe acquired children—some through adoption and some born to cult members—and raised them as her own, bleaching their hair blonde to make them look like siblings. The group, which grew out of Anne's yoga classes in the heady days of the countercultural movement, became surrounded by rumours of LSD use, child abuse, and strange spiritual rituals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1987, police swooped on \u003cem\u003eThe Family\u003c\/em\u003e's lakeside compound and rescued children who claimed they were part of Anne's future master race. The children recounted terrible stories of near starvation, emotional manipulation, and physical abuse. But Anne could not be found, sparking an international police hunt that involved Interpol and the FBI. Could they bring Anne to justice?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eToday, the elderly Anne lives in a nursing home with dementia. She has only one criminal conviction to her name, but her estate is estimated to be worth millions. Her few remaining followers attend her bedside.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHow did such a notorious group come to flourish in suburban Melbourne? How did Anne, one of few female cult leaders, maintain a hold over her followers? Drawing on police files, diary entries, recordings of Anne, and original interviews with survivors and investigators, \u003cem\u003eThe Family\u003c\/em\u003e goes inside one of the most bizarre cults in modern history to expose its strange and shocking story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46675278561516,"sku":"9781925321678","price":37.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/13542113482873.jpg?v=1752930810"},{"product_id":"true-faith-by-chris-johnston-9781743799437","title":"True Faith","description":"On New Year’s Eve 1991, Richie McNeill, under the banner of his newly founded Hardware brand, threw his first rave party at the Mercantile Rowing Club on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne’s CBD. A fundraiser for his dad's charity, which helped young kids throughout Victoria at a time when state funding for youth projects was in short supply, the event was a runaway success.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fast forward 30 years and Richie has taken the Hardware juggernaut on a rich journey, putting Melbourne on the international map and unquestionably contributing the most to Australia's storied electronic culture. From an inthemix Lifetime achievement award to countless legendary award-winning festivals, including Apollo, Two Tribes, Stereosonic and now Festival X, Hardware has had a profound impact on the Australian electronic-music scene.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Richie DJ’d across the planet, flying the flag for his proud Melbourne town from 1990 ‘til the mid 2000s, all the while establishing record stores, music distribution businesses, record labels and infamous club nights. He also ran Australia's most influential independent dance distributor, Mushroom’s DanceNet, from 1992-95 during the global explosion golden era of dance music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The Hardware impression on Australia is undeniable and this 30-year book tells the story through Richie’s eyes across more than 400 pages of stories, photos, posters and memorabilia.","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48244795834604,"sku":"9781743799437","price":109.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781743799437-true-faith-1.jpg?v=1788014907"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/chris-johnston.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}