Asher Emanuel, "The Valley: Crime and Punishment in a New Zealand City" (Bridget Williams Books, 2026)

There were two days to Christmas

and Lewis felt like everything was spinning out of control. He wondered

what he would say to the judge this time. His client, Rikihana, was

already on multiple shoplifting charges. What’s a few more? Lewis thought. These supermarkets were still making a killing.

It’s

late 2020. Rikihana Wallace, a prolific shoplifter of no fixed abode,

is back in prison with little chance of bail. Nathan Morley, unemployed,

is facing burglary charges and hoping his other, as yet undetected,

offences don’t catch up with him. Lewis Skerrett, their overstretched

legal aid lawyer, is trying to do right by them both.

The culmination of over two years of field research and hundreds of hours of interviews, The Valley: Crime and Punishment in a New Zealand City (Bridget Williams Books, 2026) follows

these three Hutt Valley men through courtrooms, prison, hospital,