Wallace Keown will launch his latest novel, Vengeance is Mine, at Old Hokonui Museum & Distillery on Sunday.
The story begins in Gore, post-World War 1, and follows the main character after he witnesses the murder of a woman at the hands of her partner.
The story details how the murder affects the central character, how he seeks revenge and its aftermath.
Mr Keown was born in Gore in 1938. When he was a teenager, he worked with a lot of World War 1 veterans.
That is when, the author said, he began to hear their stories and to understand their psyche.
"I’m totally familiar with the values of the people of the time, the way they spoke, the things they talked about and the way the war affected people down at street level," he said.
The author has lived many lives as a teacher, an accomplished landscape painter, a farm worker and even spent some time with the police — all across the rural Southland areas.
Most notably, his experiences in the police were an inspiration for this book, along with an altercation he witnessed many years ago that stuck with him.
Mr Keown said at a country dance "years ago" he saw a woman enjoying herself while her boyfriend, a drummer in the band onstage, became increasingly jealous.
He said he witnessed the man jump off stage and to proceed to beat her until others intervened.
The writer said the moment stuck with him.
"It wouldn’t have surprised me if he’d killed her".
A deadly incident, "loosely based" on that memory, becomes the catalyst for his new book.
The launch of Vengeance is Mine runs from 4pm to 6pm.
