It is 2004 and it’s make or break for Spud Milton and his acting career. Having survived his ten-year school reunion and avoided becoming a shareholder in a dubious wellness start-up company, he believes he is free and clear of the Crazy Eight. Spud and his creative sidekick Fox have their sights set on the National Arts Festival to showcase their satirical sketch show, Viper. Despite needing to dodge a few potholes – including the up-ending of the Milton family dynamics, the unanticipated revival of a romance, and an encounter with an officious car guard – Spud is all set to take his chances on the road less travelled.

He has not factored in Rambo’s manipulative powers. The casual idea floated at the reunion weekend about a year-end backpacking trip somewhere in South East Asia has been elevated to an odyssey. What’s more, Spud has been designated regional manager. If Rambo has a secret agenda, he’s not about to share it with the Crazy Eight. In what Spud has dubbed the Year of the Icarus, the possibility of someone getting their wings scorched is not to be dismissed, but the lure of an all-expenses-paid exotic holiday is hard to resist …

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John van de Ruit is a celebrated South African novelist, actor, playwright and producer, known for his talents both on the stage and as an author. His bestselling novels in the SPUD series have become a significant part of South African literature and culture.

'Spud: Two for the Road' is published by Pan Macmillan South Africa