When an attack on a Palmerston North fraud detective made headlines in October 1996, the New Zealand public followed the media reports with fascination. They read like a plot of a Hollywood film or detective novel. Poison pen letters, satanic worship, a police hate crime, and a mysterious and violent pyromaniac. But little did the public know that as the truth emerged, the story was going to get far more bizarre, and the police would turn the focus of their investigation on one of their own.
Alice is in her 20s, a graduate with a shitty job. She's saving to head overseas, but family problems are holding her back. While she's waiting to leave, Alice acts as our guide as we travel into the lives of her flatmates, her boyfriend's band, her family, and a few complete strangers who have nothing to do with anything (probably). Julian sells his soul to the devil's cousin. Zoe is attempting to overthrow corporate capitalism through counter-propaganda, while Greg is building a bomb. Josie's just been sacked. Petulia, a 14-year old goth, has befriended Julian's disembodied shadow... kind of. Meanwhile the sky is cracking apart, whales walk the earth, and a colossal tidal wave threatens to destroy the planet. People are dating and drinking coffee. Some are looking for better jobs, others are skating and smoking pot. And a bumble bee's life hangs in the balance.
