Craig Cove

On Ambrym, the volcano is waking — and so is a killer.

Sergeant George Long and Constable Jayline Oli arrive in Craig Cove during an island-wide evacuation, tasked with finding Isabelle Morris, the widow of a Ni-Vanuatu worker killed in Australia. But as Benbow volcano rumbles and villages empty, their mission is derailed by the discovery of a body.

Dutch volcanologist Helmut Klein has been found strangled near a remote monitoring site. He was part of an international scientific team using new technology to predict the eruption — a team riddled with rivalry, jealousy and secrets. Yet on Ambrym, science is not the only way to understand a volcano. Kastom, nakaemas and old grievances run deep, and George soon finds that every explanation comes with its own danger.

Trapped on a near-deserted island with six suspects, no forensic support, and the last evacuation flight fast approaching, George and Jayline must solve a murder before Benbow erupts — and the truth disappears beneath ash and fire.

Ifira Point, the first book in the award-winning Murder in the Pacific series, won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction.

‘An island is being evacuated. A killer is staying behind.’

Praise for the series:

‘… a tour de force both in its vivid descriptions of warts-and-all Vanuatu and its ability to suck the reader into the frustrating investigation of its likeable detective. A thoroughly enjoyable read.’ – Colin Cotterill, best-selling crime fiction author

'I was hooked from the beginning ... It’s easy to imagine this adapted for TV.' – Rowan MacDonald

‘I was really intrigued because the place setting is an integral “character” of the book’. – Emily Webb, best-selling author