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Wimmera

The bestselling Australian debut from the Crime Writers' Association Dagger winner
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( 5,499 ratings, 574 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Wimmera by Mark Brandi is a gripping crime thriller that delves into the dark undercurrents of small-town life in Australia. The story revolves around two young boys, Ben and Fab, whose lives unravel after an unsettling event in their rural community. As they grapple with their past, the book explores themes of friendship, loss, and the haunting grip of secrets over time.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This gripping crime and thriller tale may appeal to you if you're intrigued by stories set in small, rural communities hiding deep secrets. The evocative storytelling and strong sense of place, combined with a suspenseful plot, could captivate readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries that reveal dark pasts and complex relationships.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
SMALL TOWN. BIG SECRET. An unforgettable literary crime debut that brings the darkness in an Australian country town vividly to life, as it slowly reveals its devastating secrets.

In the long, hot summer of 1989, Ben and Fab are best friends.

Growing up in a small country town, they spend their days playing cricket, yabbying in local dams, wanting a pair of Nike Air Maxes, and not talking about how Fab's dad hits him, or how the sudden death of Ben's next-door neighbour unsettled him. Almost teenagers, they already know some things are better left unsaid.

Then a newcomer arrived in the Wimmera. Fab reckoned he was a secret agent and he and Ben staked him out. Up close, the man's shoulders were wide and the veins in his arms stuck out, blue and green. His hands were enormous, red and knotty. He looked strong. Maybe even stronger than Fab's dad. Neither realised the shadow this man would cast over both their lives.

Twenty years later, Fab is still stuck in town, going nowhere but hoping for somewhere better. Then a body is found in the river, and Fab can't ignore the past any more.

β€˜Very little fiction is as emotionally true as this. Wimmera is a dark and disturbing story from a substantial new talent.’ SATURDAY PAPER β€˜This is literary crime fiction at its best.’ BOOKS+PUBLISHING WINNER OF THE 2016 CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION DEBUT DAGGER (UK) WINNER OF THE 2018 INDIE DEBUT FICTION AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR, ABIA AWARDS 2018 SHORTLISTED FOR THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR, ABIA AWARDS 2018

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Wimmera by Mark Brandi has been highly praised for its masterful storytelling, earning comparisons to works like Jane Harper’s The Dry. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of rural Australia, it combines a dark, disturbing narrative with elements of a coming-of-age story. Critics highlight Brandi's skill in building tension and exploring themes of pervasive evil and enduring friendship. The novel's ability to evoke a strong sense of time and place in 1980s Australia adds to its haunting and gripping appeal.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733640391

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 June 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Mark Brandi's bestselling novel, Wimmera, won the coveted British Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger, and was named Best Debut at the 2018 Australian Indie Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards Literary Fiction Book of the Year, the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year, and the Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime.

Mark's second novel, The Rip, was published to critical acclaim in 2019, and his third novel, The Others, was shortlisted for the Best Fiction prize in the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards. His fourth novel, Southern Aurora, was Highly Commended in the 2024 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.

Mark's shorter work has appeared in The Guardian, The Age, The Big Issue, and is sometimes broadcast on ABC Radio National. Mark graduated with a criminal justice degree and worked in the justice system before changing direction and deciding to write. Originally from Italy, he grew up in rural Victoria. He now lives in Melbourne and is working on his next novel.

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    From the bestselling author of Wimmera comes an unputdownable literary thriller that shows we all have secrets, but some are deadlier than others. Big City. Deadly Secrets. Cities are tough when you've grown up as a country kid. They're even tougher after nine years inside. Tom Blackburn is fresh out of jail and not sure where his future lies. He...
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  • The Others
    I heard voices talking last night. I've never heard my father talk to someone else. Not that I can remember. I was in bed, and I heard my father's voice first. He was talking to someone, and then I heard another man with a deep voice. The man got angry, I could tell, even though I couldn't hear exactly what...
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  • Southern Aurora
    We always listen out for the train when we're down in the cutting because sometimes they come quicker than you expect. There aren't as many trains as there used to be. Mostly just the freight ones, like the one that nearly killed us on the bus . . . The best train is the Southern Aurora. It goes all the...
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  • The Rip
    It's funny how quick it happens and without you really noticing. Anton said once that it's like walking out into the sea, and you think everything's fine and the water's warm, but when you turn back you're suddenly miles from shore. I've never been much of a swimmer, but I get what he means. Like, being caught in a current...
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