Don't Kiss the Gecko
A Rebecca Cashmore psychological thriller, book 2
Don't Kiss the Gecko is a psychological thriller by Australian-born, Auckland-based author Stephen Johnson, published by Clan Destine Press on 5 October 2026. It's the second Rebecca Cashmore novel. A barrister and TV broadcaster with a secret private life becomes the prime suspect when a woman tangled up with Auckland's wealthy businessmen is brutally attacked. The book deals with adult themes of consent and power.
What readers said about book 1, No Repeats:
"Stephen Johnson has brought to life a unique protagonist in the sharp, elegant, supremely confident Rebecca Cashmore (No Repeats) – lawyer, journalist and consensual practitioner of sexual kinks – in this lively, intriguing thriller that demonstrates how a choice to willingly surrender your power doesn't make you weak - or even necessarily powerless." -Narelle M. Harris, author of The Opposite of Life, Kitty and Cadaver and The She-Wolf of Baker Street.
From the author of Tugga's Mob, a finalist for the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best First Novel.
The Story
Two women. Two secret lives. Two brutal attacks connect them.
Rebecca Cashmore was a brilliant barrister and a fearless TV broadcaster until a scandal exposed her private life, and almost cost her freedom. Now, a chance encounter with a woman living just as dangerously pulls her into something far darker.
Eloise Grainger is a free spirit, entangled with Auckland's wealthy businessmen, when obsession turns lethal. Rebecca becomes the prime suspect when police discover Eloise clinging to life in a riverside sanctuary.
To save herself, Rebecca must unravel Eloise's past, which involves hidden relationships, a powerful family and a missing diary capable of destroying reputations.
Even worse, the man who could help Rebecca is DS Colum Blainey, the detective who charged her with murder.
Who It’s For
For readers who also enjoy the dark, adult-themed thrillers of Gillian Flynn, Robyn Harding, M.J. Arlidge and Ava Marsh.
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Don't Kiss the Gecko is available in paperback and ebook from its publisher, Clan Destine Press, and in paperback from Amazon. New Zealand bookshops order it through Clan Destine, so you can ask your local bookshop to order a copy. Auckland Libraries have ordered copies, and Napier Libraries already hold it. Kobo and Apple Books editions will follow.
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Don't Kiss the Gecko is set in Auckland, New Zealand. Rebecca Cashmore, a barrister and TV broadcaster rebuilding her life after a scandal, is drawn into the world of Eloise Grainger, a free spirit entangled with the city's wealthy businessmen. When police find Eloise clinging to life in a riverside sanctuary, Rebecca becomes the prime suspect.
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Stephen Johnson's Rebecca Cashmore thrillers, in order: No Repeats (2024) introduces Rebecca, a lawyer and TV star with a secret private life, and Don't Kiss the Gecko (2026) is book 2. A third novel, working title No Discounts, is planned. The series is set in Auckland and published by Clan Destine Press.
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No. Don't Kiss the Gecko works as a standalone novel. Enough of Rebecca Cashmore's backstory from No Repeats comes out along the way that new readers can start here. Readers who want the full story of the scandal that nearly cost her everything can go back to No Repeats, the first book in the series.
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Stephen Johnson is an Australian-born author who lives on the Tāmaki River in Auckland. After 40 years in journalism, much of it producing television news and sport, he turned to crime fiction. He also writes the Melbourne Spotlight mystery series.
Book Details
Series: Rebecca Cashmore, book 2 (follows No Repeats)
Genre: Psychological thriller
Setting: Auckland, New Zealand
Published: 5 October 2026, Clan Destine Press
Paperback ISBN: 9780987553928
Ebook ISBN: 9780648848707