CRIME AND CONSPIRACY: DESPERATION IN A DYING LANDSCAPE

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.

Join Michael Brissenden in conversation with local author Paul Stafford as he discusses his latest novel, Dust.

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.

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.

Paul Stafford

Paul Stafford is a Bathurst-based author of Young Adult fiction. He designs and delivers literacy programs for rural and remote schools, linking them to public museums and galleries and significant cultural sites via live-streaming. These programs include History Here (winner of 2018 National Trust Heritage Award), and Bigger than Ben Hall (winner 2019 Australian Museums and Galleries Award).