Overview

Dry land, buried secrets, a killer in the wind... A blistering new crime novel from the bestselling author of Smoke. Lake Heddon, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake. The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains. When Aaron Love discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed – along with evidence his missing father is alive and linked to a web of organised crime – he is thrust into a world of deception, injustice and betrayal. With the town on the brink of collapse, Aaron and a haunted detective, Martyn Kravets, uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small community. Dust is a dark, gripping thriller that explores the complexities of identity, a search for truth, and the unyielding forces of corruption in a world where lives are lived on the fringe and nothing is as it seems.

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9781923293748

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Reviews

‘Searing and raw, beautiful and tender for its profound humanity, Dust ventures where few dare – to the true, blistered Australian climate-changed outback, and to the desperate lives and brutal deaths that unfold on its margins. A superb novel, confronting and oh-so real.’ -- <b >Paul Daley</b> 'Michael Brissenden always delivers. Great characters, layered plots - every story a thrilling ride into the darkest corners of our world. It’s why he’s one of Australia’s most bankable crimes writers.’ -- <b >Tim Ayliffe</b> ‘In the well-serviced market of Australian rural noir, it takes something exceptional to stand out: Michael Brissenden’s Dust has that X-factor in spades. As timely as a social media news feed, Dust’s hyper-contemporary plot taps the vein of present-day Australia’s deepest anxieties and presents them here in a vivid, page-turning thriller. Brissenden’s sparse, hard-edged prose crackles with authority, his skills as a celebrated journalist obvious in the ultra-sharp descriptions and genuinely fresh subject matter. Dust heralds an exciting new phase in the career of one of Australia’s finest reporters and cements Brissenden as a crime heavyweight.’ -- <B>James McKenzie-Watson</B> ‘Dust is a story about what we leave behind, how far we’ll go, and what it takes to rise up. Brissenden always reaches for just the right detail. This is smart, thoughtful, raw: rural crime done right. Brissenden is a must-read!’ -- <b >Hayley Scrivenor</b> ‘Beneath the surface of a gripping thriller, Brissenden shows how the powerful, if left unchecked, can be too willing to exploit the powerless. Dust is a disturbing, yet utterly compelling portrayal of the growing fractures in our modern society. You won’t want to put it down.’ -- <b >Mark Brandi</b> ‘Atmospheric, dark. Brissenden takes us to dangerous worlds we never want to escape.’ -- <b >Candice Fox</b> ‘Masterful. A new classic of Australian crime fiction.’ -- <B>Chris Hammer</B>

Author Information

Michael Brissenden was a journalist and foreign correspondent with the ABC for 35 years. He was posted to Moscow, Brussels and Washington, and worked in Canberra for many years in various roles, including as the political editor for ABC-TV's 7.30 and as a reporter with the ABC's investigative television documentary program Four Corners. Michael has published four books, including his highly successful 2024 release Smoke and the number one bestseller Dust, published in 2025. 

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