This element of mystery is one of many carriers of Wood Green’s narrative that skips along energetically, due in no small part to the short chapters, but also to Rabin’s aptitude for naturalistic dialogue between the novel’s ensemble of characters. Of particular note are the amusing chapter-long monologues by cab drivers that act as effective vehicles – pardon the pun – for insights into modern Tasmanian culture.

Despite some faults in the opening chapters, including uneven characterisations and an inclination to over-explain trivialities (for example, a flight attendant’s heavy makeup in the opening chapter), Wood Green is an engaging read, culminating in a satisfying conclusion. As one cab driver notes to Michael, while describing his own novel in progress: ‘it won’t be about escaped convicts or hunting Tasmanian Tigers’, a quote which could have featured in the blurb for Wood Green.