Dust Off the Bones

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“Arresting, powerful, and very much worth reading.”—Scott Simon (NPR) This tale of violence and redemption in the Australian Outback is fast-paced and rich in detail, raising unsettling questions about the historic cruelty faced by native inhabitants. The acclaimed author returns to turn-of-the-century Australia in this sequel, following brothers Tommy and Billy McBride, the widow Katherine Sullivan, and the sadistic Native Police officer Edmund Noone. In 1890, estranged brothers Tommy and Billy McBride, now 21, cope with their family's trauma in different ways. Billy grapples with guilt and past crimes while trying to revive his father’s cattle run and navigate his feelings for Katherine, who is striving for independence as she manages her late husband's corrupt cattle empire. The past resurfaces when a judicial inquest into the McBride family murders and the slaughter of the Kurrong people is ordered, forcing Billy to confront memories he has long avoided. He seeks Tommy, who has been living in the wilderness, but Noone is also on the hunt, aiming to silence both brothers. This enthralling adventure, steeped in history, explores themes of injustice, morality, systemic racism, and the abuse of power, as the author examines the legacy of violence in a world strikingly similar to our own.