Outback

This deeply atmospheric thriller is the gripping opening of a new crime series for fans of The Dry by Jane Harper, Cara Hunter and Chris Whitaker.

'Tense, gripping and atmospheric' - CHRIS WHITAKER'Gripped me from its shocking start' - SARAH YARWOOD-LOVETT'I highly recommend it' - LYNDA LA PLANTE CBETWO MISSING BACKPACKERS. ONE VAST OUTBACK.DS Lucas Walker is on leave in his hometown, Caloodie, taking care of his dying grandmother. When two young German backpackers, Berndt and Rita, vanish from the area, he finds himself unofficially on the case.But why all the interest from the Federal Police when they have probably just ditched the heat and dust of the outback for the coast? Working in the organised crime unit has opened Walker's eyes to the growing drug trade in Australia's remote interior - and he becomes convinced there is more at play.As the number of days since the couple's disappearance climbs, Walker is joined by Rita's older sister. A detective herself with Berlin CID, she has flown to Australia - desperate to find her sister.Their search becomes ever more urgent as temperatures soar. Even if Walker does find the young couple, will it be too late?This deeply atmospheric thriller is the gripping opening of a new crime series for fans of The Dry by Jane Harper, Cara Hunter and Chris Whitaker.Praise for Outback'Tense, atmospheric and gripping. I eagerly await the next DS Walker thriller' - CHRIS WHITAKER'A hot read. I highly recommend it.' - LYNDA LA PLANTE CBE'A tense, twisty read that gripped me from its shocking start, immersed me in its sun-scorched landscape, then raced to its satisfying conclusion' - SARAH YARWOOD-LOVETT'Nail-bitingly tense. A startlingly well-accomplished debut.' - JOHN MARRS'A setting so vivid it's almost a character within itself' - BECCA DAY

Auteur
Patricia Wolf has been a journalist for more than 15 years, a regular contributor to titles including The Guardian, the Financial Times, The Independent and The Telegraph, among others. She grew up in outback Australia, in a mining town called Mount Isa in far north-west Queensland - eagle eyed readers will have spotted a small reference to it in her first book, OUTBACK. Patricia loves the rugged beauty, indigo sky and wide horizons of the outback, but left Australia after university to travel the world and became a journalist. She lives in Berlin, Germany, but the outback always calls her home. In 2019, just before the covid pandemic locked us all in, Patricia spent two months in northwest Queensland, taking a four-week road trip. As she drove and spent nights and days surrounded by the beauty and rugged harshness of the outback, DI Lucas Walker and his stories came to be.