DROWNING

'A work of rattling and serpentine suspense ... gripping and sinuous and so, so good.' Trent Dalton

The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that's what it looks like.



Three weeks before, Leila, a young backpacker, didn't turn up for her shift at the local cafe. Benny, the owner, isn't worried. It happens - backpackers are always on the move. There'll be another one.



One of the locals, Adrian, has been a help to Benny. He's found him a nice little sideline. Not exactly legal. Is that all Adrian is arranging on the coast? He once was a cop but has he gone bad?


And in the backblocks outside town, a bikie gang is gearing up for a large consignment from South America.


Murder, drugs, liaisons and lies are stirring up this small coastal town.


With Bryan Brown's characteristic laconic storytelling - humorous, tough and suspenseful - the secrets of this seemingly idyllic town slowly come to the surface.