WAY OUT OF LINE: Ten Stranger Tales
By (Author) Brett Sody
BookBaby
BookBaby
2nd January 2026
United States
Paperback
224
Width 139mm, Height 215mm
WAY OUT OF LINE: Ten Stranger Tales. One hot alien, one sporty cop - a Sci-Fi/Lesbian true romance. Two sides to the record: Soundman and part-time P.I. Barry Ryan comes up against paedophiles, kidnappers, alters, mutilators and dodgy bands. In Three, a ferociously racist Federal Agent snaps and goes way too far. His A.I. partner gets way too involved. Barry Ryan returns in Four investigating a child crime king pin while keeping a finger on the RECORD button. Five concerns retired Detective Bryan Black and his PTSD'd houseguest Wilson's investigation into a series of fatal baking contests at the local County Fair. Six runs down the TOP TEN Crimes and Criminals-of-the-year in the Animal Kingdom. Rated. Seven features local low-rent P.R. firm who are loaned a Time Machine by an uber rich client. The brief Redress. Bryan Black, now Sewerage Inspector, and Wilson, come back in Eight and get caught up in seafood, extortion, abduction, grievous bodily harm, amputees and knees on their last legs. Nine; it's time for the ultimate Hit Men Cover band. A showreel of three of their best gigs - a trio of musical murders. Ten has Barry Ryan resurfacing in order to drown complete with flashbacks and added commentary by cinematic legend Federico Visconti.
Detective-Sergeant Eddie Martin, nursing a cappuccino, is getting the lowdown on this Brett Sody character from the squad's number one; Detective Pete Young, who's nursing an organic chai latte with almond milk, extra turmeric and extra ginger. As usual, the lad's been thorough. He takes a big sip of the chai and gets his notebook out.
DS: 'So, Pete. This Brett Sody character, what's the story with him What'd you find out'
DP: 'Righto; B.S. was born in St. Kilda, Melbourne, 1958. Family moved to Adelaide when he was 14'
DS: 'Got a record'
DP: 'Put out a few as a member of 'The Love Mussels'
DS: 'Police record, Pete'
DP: 'Zip'
DS: 'Right, so he's one of those muso types'
DP: 'Plays in a lot of bands'
DS: 'What's he do for a crust, this Sody character'
DP: 'Got his own recording studio'
DS: 'That a fact What's it called'
DP: 'Sody Sounds Norwood'
DS: 'Anything else'
DP: 'Won Most Outstanding Studio Engineer at the 2000 S.A. Music Industry awards'
DS: 'Yeah, okay, big deal. What else'
DP: 'Inducted, 2016, into the S.A. Music Hall of Fame'
DS: 'What for, Pete'
DP: '25 years of unquestionable musical excellence'
DS: 'Okay, not bad, that it What about writing'
DP: 'Wrote and produced A Journey Through the Past'
DS: 'Bullshit, that's Neil Young, everybody knows that'
DP: 'Not the Neil Young album, this was a stage play. Based on Neil & Me, by Scott Young'
DS: 'Never heard of him'
DP: 'Neil's dad'
DS: 'Oh yeah, how'd it go
DP: 'Not bad, put on four sell-out shows; 2012 and 2013 Adelaide Fringe'
DS: 'That it now'
DP: 'Wrote the screenplay for 'Home', an 18 minute short film'
DS: 'I'm beside myself'
DP: 'Won an Award of Excellence at the 2014 Canada International Film festival in Vancouver'
DS: 'Big deal. So, what's he done since'
DP: 'Written a trilogy of detective novels and two collections of short stories'
DS: 'Oh Jesus, not another writer'
DP: 'Afraid so, yeah, yet another one'
DS: 'Tragic. All right then, go on, what's the trilogy called'
DP: 'The Complete Dirty Works'
DS: 'The Dirty Works You in it'
DP: 'Among others'
DS: 'Titles'
DP: 'Dirty Work, More Dirty Work, and Dirty Work Revisited'
DS: 'I know I'll regret asking, but what are they about, Pete'
DP: 'Shall I read you his spiel'
DS: 'Go on, humour me'
DP: 'An on-going satire about the struggle to get by, whatever you might be'
DS: 'Spare me. Spoofs, are they'
DP: 'Sort of'
DS: 'And the short story collections What's he calling those'
DP: 'Revista. Subtitled "Ten Strange Tales"'
DS: 'And the other'
DP: 'Way Out of Line. Subtitled "Ten Stranger Tales"'
DS: 'Naturally. So, Pete, what's your take on this Brett Sody bloke'
DP: 'I say we leave him alone for a bit, see how it pans out'
DS: 'Good plan, Pete. He got a website'
DP: www.brettsody.com