It starts in a suburban backyard with Darren Keefe and his older brother, sons of a fierce and gutsy single mother. The endless glow of summer, the bottomless fury of contest. All the love and hatred in two small bodies poured into the rules of a made-up game. Darren has two big talents: cricket and trouble. No surprise that he becomes an Australian sporting star of the bad-boy variety-one of those men who's always got away with things and just keeps getting. Until the day we meet him, middle aged, in the boot of a car. Gagged, cable-tied, a bullet in his knee. Everything pointing towards a shallow grave. The Rules of Backyard Cricket is a novel of suspense in the tradition of Peter Temple's Truth. With glorious writing harnessed to a gripping narrative, it observes celebrity, masculinity-humanity-with clear-eyed lyricism and exhilarating narrative drive. 'The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong, while classified as 'crime', is a compelling literary novel dissecting toxic sporting culture and its fallout.' Paddy O'Reilly, Australian Book Review, 2016 Books of the Year 'The Rules of Backyard Cricket got the thumbs up from everyone.' Favourite Fiction for 2016, Avenue Bookstore 'Blow me down if I didn't hang on every word.' Clare Wright, Best Books of 2016, Australian 'One of the great novels written about sport...Delicious. It's the top read of the summer.' Stuff.co.nz 'The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong, while classified as 'crime', is a compelling literary novel dissecting toxic sporting culture and its fallout.' Paddy O'Reilly, Best Books of 2016, Australian Book Review