An astonishingly accomplished and hugely original Australian debut crime novel In a country
town ravaged by drought a charismatic young priest opens fire on the congregation killing
five men before being shot dead himself. A year later journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in
Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from
the locals don't fit with the accepted version of events. Just as Martin believes he is making
headway a shocking discovery rocks the town. The bodies of two backpackers are found in the
scrublands. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is the one in the spotlight. Wrestling
with his own demons Martin finds himself risking everything to uncover a truth that becomes
more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him and he has
no idea how far they will go to make sure the town's secrets stay buried.
