Author(s): Fleur McDonald

Crime Fiction

Detective Dave Burrows returns in another breathtaking tale of rural suspense from the bestselling author of Rising Dust. After an acrimonious divorce, Dave knows he has no choice but to let his ex-wife and her father Mark call the shots: supervised, one-hour visits are all he's allowed if he wants to see his two young daughters. And he also knows he'll jump through any hoops to see Bec and Alice. On Leo Perry's farm, sixty kilometers out of town, the only positive in Leo's day is the unswerving loyalty of his dog, Coffee. Thanks to yet another power outage, Leo is out in the morning heat, refuelling the water pump. But seconds later he watches in horror as the tank explodes. Flames engulf wooden beams and sparks ignite grass just as Leo realises he's at the end of a one-way petrol trail, the fire roaring straight for him. When Dave and his partner Detective Bob Holden are called to Leo's devastated farm, they're unclear if they're dealing with arson, suicide or something else. There's been no sign of Leo anywhere, and his wife Jill is distraught. Leo and his dog appear to have vanished. But, when Dave and Bob begin their investigation, what they find makes no sense at all. Praise for Rising Dust: 'Fleur McDonald is a master of the rural suspense novel, her characters and storyline crackle with authenticity.' Family Circle 'Nobody does rural fiction quite like Fleur McDonald.' Weekly Times 'Another winning rural Aussie crime suspense tale.' Mrs B's Book Reviews 'I continue to appreciate that I always come away with some newfound knowledge. McDonald's effortless references to details about stock numbers or sheep shearing practices aside, it feels as if I (myself) have ventured a little into rural Australia. (But lived to tell the tale.)' Debbish.com