This one is a real page-turner! Aussie noir at its best. It’s gritty, fast paced, and packed with complex characters. The story dives deep into family, trauma, and the kind of conspiracies that theorists would devour – a new world order where justice is violent and metered out in the name of God.

At the heart of it are identical twins, Kit and Billie, whose lives couldn’t be more divergent. As kids, they were inseparable, but their family unravelled when their dad, Malcolm – a Gulf War vet – landed in prison after a string of violent incidents, including breaking his wife’s back, and murder. Their mum spiralled into addiction, leaving the girls to fend for themselves. Kit eventually left, but Billie stayed behind to care for their mum, and the resentment between them grew into a decade-long silence.

Fast forward to now – the twins are 29. Kit has joined the police, trying to bring some meaning into her life. Billie, meanwhile, has fallen under the sway of her father’s paranoid, extremist beliefs. She marries his old friend, Danny Lee, and ends up living in a separatist commune in Nebraska. When the couple return to Australia with their son, Ollie, their anger toward government and authority twists into something far more dangerous – a deadly plan in the name of white supremacy.

Set against the harsh, drought-stricken landscape of the NSW Riverina, the tension is relentless. The area has also attracted bikie gangs, drug runners and dirty cops. When Billie goes missing and leaves a desperate message, Kit’s search for her sister becomes a race against time – and a reckoning with their past.

Dark Desert Road is a gripping, thought-provoking and emotional read.

Reviewed by Sue Stanbridge

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Ayliffe’s thriller novels have been informed by his 25-year career as a journalist in Australia and around the world. He writes about espionage, extremism, politics and the global power games at play in the 21st Century. He has been the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News and also Executive Producer of News Breakfast. He is the author of the ‘John Bailey’ series including The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within, Killer Traitor Spy and his most recent novel, The Wrong Man. Tim’s thrillers are also in development for TV.

When he’s not writing or chasing news stories, Tim watches rugby and surfs. He lives in Sydney.

Visit Tim Ayliffe’s website