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Jasper Cliff
From the winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction.When Toby Bowman vanishes, his brother Lachlan retraces a road trip to the last place Toby phoned from – a remote northern town called Jasper Cliff. There, Lachlan finds himself marooned at the dying town' s pub, and soon learns that his brother is just one of many to have gone missing in recent years. Like Toby, his brother becomes obsessed with finding the Rift, a deep hole in a ravine somewhere in the hills. But what will Lachlan learn, and what will he see, if he stares into the Rift, too?
240 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 10, 2024
EXCERPT: There's a car in the shoulder right down the other end of the mud road, a smudge of white under some shaggy mulga. He can see now the hazard lights are flashing, painfully bright on this grey day. Glen returns to the Triton, only giving himself a moment to glance back at the abandoned cattle yard and yearn for the return of the black headed python. He guns it down the road, painting the Triton's side with more sludge, and then slows again once he reaches the Falcon.
For a moment he sees Ricky Muswell, again, standing beside the flashing lights of the car, head caved in and grinning with what teeth still remained in his gob.
But the stranger is a bit older than Muswell had been. Flushed and breathless, both hands planted on his hips, as if he is entitled to rescue. 'Thank God,' he huffs.
'Ya right?' Glen asks with a friendly smile. Can feel his cheeks still glowing. The fang marks still throbbing.
The stranger frowns, gestures to the Falcon. 'What's it look like?'
'If I had to guess? Car trouble.'
Clicks his fingers. 'Got it in one.'
The thought scythes through Glen's mind, so quick it's almost imperceptible; he wonders if anyone knows the stranger is out here on his own.
He wonders if the stranger will be missed.
ABOUT 'JASPER CLIFF': When Toby Bowman vanishes, his brother Lachlan retraces a road trip to the last place Toby phoned from – a remote northern town called Jasper Cliff. There, Lachlan finds himself marooned at the dying town' s pub and soon learns that his brother is just one of many to have gone missing in recent years.
Like Toby, his brother becomes obsessed with finding the Rift, a deep hole in a ravine somewhere in the hills. But what will Lachlan learn, and what will he see, if he stares into the Rift, too?
MY THOUGHTS: I have lived in places like the tiny outback town of Jasper Cliff. People go there to disappear, live off the grid. But people have been disappearing from Jasper Cliff for years. People who don't need to go missing. There's a whole portrait gallery of 'Missing' posters in the main street. Now Toby's brother Lachlan has joined them, and Lachlan is determined to find his brother, bring him home for his mother.
Josh Kemp has captured the timeless essence, the raw brutality, the stunning beauty of the Pilbara, the remote north of Western Australia. He has also atmospherically captured the emptiness and isolation of the small town - the boarded-up shops, the deserted main street. Deserted except for Aunty Belle who sits under a tree waiting for her daughter, one of the missing, to come home, and the four or five who sit in the shadow of the pub verandah waiting for a car or truck to pass through; waiting for anything, really.
Into a story of loss, grief and hope, Josh Kemp has threaded tales of Australia's legacy of colonial horrors and the gulf between the indigenous (First Nation) people and the settlers (or invaders).
Towards the end, local boy Connor, who left to become a policeman so he could 'make a difference', but who seems to have forgotten his roots, is introduced. He's a character I hope will be making a reappearance in the future. Actually, I'd like to see more of all these characters. Pippa, the landlady of the pub that doesn't sell alcohol, June, Aunty Belle, Lachlan - and the most dominant characters of all, Jasper Cliff and the Pilbara.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
MEET THE AUTHOR: Josh Kemp is an author of Australian gothic fiction. His debut novel, Banjawarn, won the 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award, the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction and the Western Australian Premier’s Prize for Best Emerging Writer. He lives in the southwest of WA but finds himself drawn, over and over again, to the red dirt of the state’s north.
Josh says he is attracted to writing Gothic fiction as a mode of storytelling that explores the legacy and trauma of colonisation.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Fremantle Press for providing a copy of Jasper Cliff by Josh Kemp for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
For a moment he sees Ricky Muswell, again, standing beside the flashing lights of the car, head caved in and grinning with what teeth still remained in his gob.
But the stranger is a bit older than Muswell had been. Flushed and breathless, both hands planted on his hips, as if he is entitled to rescue. 'Thank God,' he huffs.
'Ya right?' Glen asks with a friendly smile. Can feel his cheeks still glowing. The fang marks still throbbing.
The stranger frowns, gestures to the Falcon. 'What's it look like?'
'If I had to guess? Car trouble.'
Clicks his fingers. 'Got it in one.'
The thought scythes through Glen's mind, so quick it's almost imperceptible; he wonders if anyone knows the stranger is out here on his own.
He wonders if the stranger will be missed.
ABOUT 'JASPER CLIFF': When Toby Bowman vanishes, his brother Lachlan retraces a road trip to the last place Toby phoned from – a remote northern town called Jasper Cliff. There, Lachlan finds himself marooned at the dying town' s pub and soon learns that his brother is just one of many to have gone missing in recent years.
Like Toby, his brother becomes obsessed with finding the Rift, a deep hole in a ravine somewhere in the hills. But what will Lachlan learn, and what will he see, if he stares into the Rift, too?
MY THOUGHTS: I have lived in places like the tiny outback town of Jasper Cliff. People go there to disappear, live off the grid. But people have been disappearing from Jasper Cliff for years. People who don't need to go missing. There's a whole portrait gallery of 'Missing' posters in the main street. Now Toby's brother Lachlan has joined them, and Lachlan is determined to find his brother, bring him home for his mother.
Josh Kemp has captured the timeless essence, the raw brutality, the stunning beauty of the Pilbara, the remote north of Western Australia. He has also atmospherically captured the emptiness and isolation of the small town - the boarded-up shops, the deserted main street. Deserted except for Aunty Belle who sits under a tree waiting for her daughter, one of the missing, to come home, and the four or five who sit in the shadow of the pub verandah waiting for a car or truck to pass through; waiting for anything, really.
Into a story of loss, grief and hope, Josh Kemp has threaded tales of Australia's legacy of colonial horrors and the gulf between the indigenous (First Nation) people and the settlers (or invaders).
Towards the end, local boy Connor, who left to become a policeman so he could 'make a difference', but who seems to have forgotten his roots, is introduced. He's a character I hope will be making a reappearance in the future. Actually, I'd like to see more of all these characters. Pippa, the landlady of the pub that doesn't sell alcohol, June, Aunty Belle, Lachlan - and the most dominant characters of all, Jasper Cliff and the Pilbara.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
MEET THE AUTHOR: Josh Kemp is an author of Australian gothic fiction. His debut novel, Banjawarn, won the 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award, the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction and the Western Australian Premier’s Prize for Best Emerging Writer. He lives in the southwest of WA but finds himself drawn, over and over again, to the red dirt of the state’s north.
Josh says he is attracted to writing Gothic fiction as a mode of storytelling that explores the legacy and trauma of colonisation.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Fremantle Press for providing a copy of Jasper Cliff by Josh Kemp for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
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August 7, 2024Gosh. This novel was an educational ride-and-a-half for me - something I would not normally read, which is a good thing. It certainly made sure I stayed awake.
Tim Winton writes of his early troubles with the lack of acceptance of the Western Australian way of seeing the world, unfamiliar animals and plants, the unique slang and dialect...and this was just by the 'east-coasters' not even say, the US! Kemp resides in that same world and shares a similar kind of outlook which comes through in the freshness of his writing and voice. (For those unfamiliar with Josh Kemp, he won a Ned Kelly award for his debut Banjawarn, described as a 'road trip from hell').
While bleak and isolated is not my usual go-to for a crime read, Kemp's distinct voice and the gothic undertones of the mystery he builds is nothing short of hypnotic. Jasper Cliff is not your (or at least my!) ideal holiday destination, but it grows on the characters and sucks them in, and Kemp achieves something similar for the reader. The novel has a pervasive Cormac McCarthy sense of desolation, menace and violence brewing just under the surface ready to blow, although in this novel's instance, it is leavened with a respect and awe of the natural environment of the fictional Jasper Cliff, up near Marble Bar, a place we are told is the hottest town in the world.
There is no time in the story when you are not intensely aware of the forty+ temperature, the sweat, the burn and the discomfort. I read this book in a cold house in the middle of winter, and I really FELT it. The discomfort is utterly relentless and you experience the stress it places on the characters physically, but also mentally, creating blurred lines between reality and hallucination.
Jasper Cliff weaves a story of missing people through a gothic atmosphere and surreal imaginings (or realities) that complement the ancient landscape and stories, stepping into a quasi-dreamtime territory where Kemp ups the ante of creeping tension and dread. By the end of the story we have a kind of justice, even if we don't have clear answers, although Kemp makes it clear this kind of country provides different answers to different people...just like a good story.
Tim Winton writes of his early troubles with the lack of acceptance of the Western Australian way of seeing the world, unfamiliar animals and plants, the unique slang and dialect...and this was just by the 'east-coasters' not even say, the US! Kemp resides in that same world and shares a similar kind of outlook which comes through in the freshness of his writing and voice. (For those unfamiliar with Josh Kemp, he won a Ned Kelly award for his debut Banjawarn, described as a 'road trip from hell').
While bleak and isolated is not my usual go-to for a crime read, Kemp's distinct voice and the gothic undertones of the mystery he builds is nothing short of hypnotic. Jasper Cliff is not your (or at least my!) ideal holiday destination, but it grows on the characters and sucks them in, and Kemp achieves something similar for the reader. The novel has a pervasive Cormac McCarthy sense of desolation, menace and violence brewing just under the surface ready to blow, although in this novel's instance, it is leavened with a respect and awe of the natural environment of the fictional Jasper Cliff, up near Marble Bar, a place we are told is the hottest town in the world.
There is no time in the story when you are not intensely aware of the forty+ temperature, the sweat, the burn and the discomfort. I read this book in a cold house in the middle of winter, and I really FELT it. The discomfort is utterly relentless and you experience the stress it places on the characters physically, but also mentally, creating blurred lines between reality and hallucination.
Jasper Cliff weaves a story of missing people through a gothic atmosphere and surreal imaginings (or realities) that complement the ancient landscape and stories, stepping into a quasi-dreamtime territory where Kemp ups the ante of creeping tension and dread. By the end of the story we have a kind of justice, even if we don't have clear answers, although Kemp makes it clear this kind of country provides different answers to different people...just like a good story.
October 9, 2024
A grimy and beautiful book that evokes the brutality, harshness and profundity of the landscape. The relentless, oppressive heat of an isolated northern town suffuses Jasper Cliff, just as the pain and trauma of the past suffuses its characters. This is a story about broken people clawing their way through their suffering and loss to find each other. It's a not-quite-crime-novel, not-quite-thriller, with some delightful dollops of Aussie Gothic and horror in there to give an already interesting story some extra flavour. A fantastic follow-up to Josh's brilliant debut, Banjawarn.
July 11, 2024
I loved Jasper Cliff - edgy, unsettling, this book is alive with malevolent forces, both human and mystic, right from the very first chapter. I lived for 5 years in the country to the west of where Jasper Cliff is set and I can confirm that Kemp nails it when he writes of the venom in that dry desert heat. His writing is gorgeous, revealing a total and rapturous devotion to country, especially in lines like, 'This land red and crowning from primordial sea.' Other descriptions come off as totally inspired, or totally sun-mad, like a glimpse into a galah's beak that reveals, 'the inside of a kiln cooking misshaped ceramic, the door locked behind her.' Kemp has the rare gift of balancing poetry with plot. A must read. 5 stars.
July 10, 2024
I was very eager to read this novel after loving the dark twistedness of Josh's debut book, Banjawarn.
He has an incredibly unique style that grabs at you from the cracks and holds you within the pages. Jasper Cliff DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
Lachlan arrives in a dying country town in search of his brother Toby, meeting the town folk as did Toby before him, learning quickly of the worrisome pattern of missing people from Jasper Cliff and of a mysterious location known as the Rift that could hold the answers he seeks.
I found myself greatly attached once again to certain characters and in love/hate relationships with others. This seems to be a running theme in his writing! Josh does a stellar job of making even the most intolerable characters, capable of the most heinous acts, relatable on some level and even bordering on likeable in moments.
Again, I could not have guessed where this story would lead, ever avoiding following the expected, Josh Kemp really does love to sprinkle in a shock or twist to keep us on our toes.
The sweltering setting comes through so powerfully while setting the place, you can almost feel the +40° heat in your lungs as tensions rise throughout the novel.
I also really liked the supernatural element of this novel, a very interesting touch, perfectly tying the story together.
A definite page turner, with moments that pulled at my heart, made me laugh out loud at times and recoil at others. Overall super enjoyable read. Read it now!
He has an incredibly unique style that grabs at you from the cracks and holds you within the pages. Jasper Cliff DID NOT DISAPPOINT.
Lachlan arrives in a dying country town in search of his brother Toby, meeting the town folk as did Toby before him, learning quickly of the worrisome pattern of missing people from Jasper Cliff and of a mysterious location known as the Rift that could hold the answers he seeks.
I found myself greatly attached once again to certain characters and in love/hate relationships with others. This seems to be a running theme in his writing! Josh does a stellar job of making even the most intolerable characters, capable of the most heinous acts, relatable on some level and even bordering on likeable in moments.
Again, I could not have guessed where this story would lead, ever avoiding following the expected, Josh Kemp really does love to sprinkle in a shock or twist to keep us on our toes.
The sweltering setting comes through so powerfully while setting the place, you can almost feel the +40° heat in your lungs as tensions rise throughout the novel.
I also really liked the supernatural element of this novel, a very interesting touch, perfectly tying the story together.
A definite page turner, with moments that pulled at my heart, made me laugh out loud at times and recoil at others. Overall super enjoyable read. Read it now!
April 7, 2025
A bit outback noir (or as we say here) ‘outback nwaaa’, a bit sci fiction, a lot gothic but with an ending that I personally thought could have tied things up a bit more. Everyone has a history or secret in the small, dying town of Jasper Cliff, and when Lachlan arrives into town looking for his lost brother Toby (last seen: Jasper Cliff…along with a lot of other disappeared people), he finds himself gradually enmeshed in the town and the people in it. Seems a bit Hotel California. Then he learns of The Rift, the all seeing, all knowing phenomena which holds the answers to his questions. But: when you stare into The Rift, does the Rift stare into you, too?
September 26, 2024
Jasper Cliff by Australian author Josh kemp is a work of fiction in the crime, gothic, mystery, and interpersonal drama genres.
Set in Jasper Cliff, in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia, Lachlan Bowman is retracing the last place his older brother Toby phoned from before he went missing.
Upon his arrival Lachlan is not only faced with the stifling heat but also the sparseness of the remote northern town. With a great deal of shops shut down he finds himself at the local pub looking for answers. He soon discovers his brother is not the only one that has gone missing in recent years.
Many of the townsfolk have lost loved ones and speak of a mysterious location known as the Rift. Is this the last place Toby was and what secrets does the Rift hold?
Jasper Cliff is about the quest for answers, about what the characters know about the disappearances, and what they know about each other. I loved the way that the raw, visceral qualities of the place paired well with the emotional turmoil and tension of the plot.
I was taken on a roller coaster ride filled with suspense, danger, and murder. The rapid pace and action with twists and turns. intrigued me from the start, and I could not put the book down. I had to know what would happen next and could not turn the pages fast enough to find out. Kemp’s writing style is so engaging, and the storyline was much more than I expected.
The authors ability to develop complex characters is to be commemorated. I found Lachlan to be an enjoyable protagonist who does not stop in pursuing the truth. The narrative is detailed to convey every moment of his turmoil when there’s death everywhere and seemingly no answers.
The absolute hook of this book throughout is the use of location, and how the author depicts this bleak and uncomfortable landscape to such profound effect. You can feel the heat burn from the pages and sweat dripping from your body. It is a gem of a place to set a deeply unsettling dark mystery with paranormal elements.
I love how simple yet atmospheric this book cover is, it is mesmerising, like staring into the bleakness of the night and having something draw you in. Beautiful colours and such a striking and thoughtful illustration.
Kemp has constructed a plot which advances in an enticing fashion, supplying clues obliquely. Everything leads up to an inevitable climax where justice is served.
Jasper Cliff is a compelling and thought-provoking read, I highly recommend to fans of intricate gothic crime mysteries.
Thank you, Beauty & Lace and Fremantle Press, for the opportunity to read and review.
Set in Jasper Cliff, in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia, Lachlan Bowman is retracing the last place his older brother Toby phoned from before he went missing.
Upon his arrival Lachlan is not only faced with the stifling heat but also the sparseness of the remote northern town. With a great deal of shops shut down he finds himself at the local pub looking for answers. He soon discovers his brother is not the only one that has gone missing in recent years.
Many of the townsfolk have lost loved ones and speak of a mysterious location known as the Rift. Is this the last place Toby was and what secrets does the Rift hold?
Jasper Cliff is about the quest for answers, about what the characters know about the disappearances, and what they know about each other. I loved the way that the raw, visceral qualities of the place paired well with the emotional turmoil and tension of the plot.
I was taken on a roller coaster ride filled with suspense, danger, and murder. The rapid pace and action with twists and turns. intrigued me from the start, and I could not put the book down. I had to know what would happen next and could not turn the pages fast enough to find out. Kemp’s writing style is so engaging, and the storyline was much more than I expected.
The authors ability to develop complex characters is to be commemorated. I found Lachlan to be an enjoyable protagonist who does not stop in pursuing the truth. The narrative is detailed to convey every moment of his turmoil when there’s death everywhere and seemingly no answers.
The absolute hook of this book throughout is the use of location, and how the author depicts this bleak and uncomfortable landscape to such profound effect. You can feel the heat burn from the pages and sweat dripping from your body. It is a gem of a place to set a deeply unsettling dark mystery with paranormal elements.
I love how simple yet atmospheric this book cover is, it is mesmerising, like staring into the bleakness of the night and having something draw you in. Beautiful colours and such a striking and thoughtful illustration.
Kemp has constructed a plot which advances in an enticing fashion, supplying clues obliquely. Everything leads up to an inevitable climax where justice is served.
Jasper Cliff is a compelling and thought-provoking read, I highly recommend to fans of intricate gothic crime mysteries.
Thank you, Beauty & Lace and Fremantle Press, for the opportunity to read and review.
August 11, 2024
From the 1st page, you know that the weather and the land will be a dominating theme. They both play an important role in how the characters interact with each other and how they view and cope with what happens.
Jasper Cliff is a dying town, services/shops have gone, the high hot temperatures make it very difficult to do anything and the only people living there are those who have no where else to go. Lachlan comes to the town looking for his brother Toby, who is missing. He wants to get results quickly but this isn’t going to happen. At first, he fights the listless and lethargy caused by the weather looking for answers, but slowly he accepts that he must learn to live in this environment.
By visiting the Rift, where the intruder lives, Lachlan is given an answer to his brother’s disappearance, but Pippa’s (his brother’s girlfriend) has been given another. Which one is the right one?
This book hooks you in and when you finish it you want more, as you are left with so many questions.
Jasper Cliff is a dying town, services/shops have gone, the high hot temperatures make it very difficult to do anything and the only people living there are those who have no where else to go. Lachlan comes to the town looking for his brother Toby, who is missing. He wants to get results quickly but this isn’t going to happen. At first, he fights the listless and lethargy caused by the weather looking for answers, but slowly he accepts that he must learn to live in this environment.
By visiting the Rift, where the intruder lives, Lachlan is given an answer to his brother’s disappearance, but Pippa’s (his brother’s girlfriend) has been given another. Which one is the right one?
This book hooks you in and when you finish it you want more, as you are left with so many questions.
August 8, 2024
Jasper Cliff by Josh Kemp is an engaging read, that keeps the reader thinking and wondering right until the very last page. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from Jasper Cliff or Josh Kemp, with this being Josh’s second novel and not having read his debut novel, as this wouldn't normally be a book I would pick up and read if I saw it at the bookstore, but I am glad I did
Jasper Cliff is a gripping read, that kept me hooked all throughout. Right from the start, up until the very end, you want to think that Glan is a good guy, that he is going to change, but in the end he was only human. All throughout, your cheering on Lachlan, hoping that he’ll be able to find his little brother Toby, but his search really only brings him more questions and heartbreak.
I really enjoyed Jasper Cliff by Josh Kemp, it kept me wanting more and for the book to not end. I look forward to reading more from Josh Kemp.
Jasper Cliff is a gripping read, that kept me hooked all throughout. Right from the start, up until the very end, you want to think that Glan is a good guy, that he is going to change, but in the end he was only human. All throughout, your cheering on Lachlan, hoping that he’ll be able to find his little brother Toby, but his search really only brings him more questions and heartbreak.
I really enjoyed Jasper Cliff by Josh Kemp, it kept me wanting more and for the book to not end. I look forward to reading more from Josh Kemp.
August 29, 2024
Deep in the outback, there is the Rift, a place where you may see, if it allows and chooses you, into the past where violent events happened. This is what Toby Bowman was searching for when he mysteriously vanished without a word to anyone.
As Lachlan Bowman searches for his lost brother, it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem in the last place Toby was seen, in Jasper Cliff.
Jasper Cliff is a story of finding lost things, the insufferable heat of the outback, and waiting. Waiting for decision, a thought, the next thing, or just some relief from the suffocating heat.
This was an enjoyable read with characters that are so well written that I felt I knew them, and setting so well narrated that you can feel the heat of the desert around you.
As Lachlan Bowman searches for his lost brother, it becomes apparent that things are not what they seem in the last place Toby was seen, in Jasper Cliff.
Jasper Cliff is a story of finding lost things, the insufferable heat of the outback, and waiting. Waiting for decision, a thought, the next thing, or just some relief from the suffocating heat.
This was an enjoyable read with characters that are so well written that I felt I knew them, and setting so well narrated that you can feel the heat of the desert around you.
August 22, 2024
Thanks to Good Reading for allowing me to read this ARC. Jasper Cliff is a page turner. It is a love affair of the beauty of nature, in the remoteness of a small town in Western Australia. It shows friendship and kindness that people can rely on in small, isolated and forgotten places. The love of the land shines through & how it hypnotizes many of the characters in different ways. Finally it is a haunting story of the dangers of the Australian past, of others and how the land hides some stories and exposes others. James Harper meets Mark Brandi, Josh Kemp’s book Jasper Cliff keeps you wanting to know more.
September 11, 2024
This is an Australian, outback gothic thriller mixed with a little bit of fantasy. It's a bit different from the normal psychological thrillers which I have been reading lately.
It is set in a small town where people disappear. However, how those people disappear (and this is where the fantasy element comes in) is dependent upon what they "see" when they visit an ancient, mystical area near the town. The characters within the story are not straight forward and there are some twisted plots which keep you intrigued.
Overall, a good read.
It is set in a small town where people disappear. However, how those people disappear (and this is where the fantasy element comes in) is dependent upon what they "see" when they visit an ancient, mystical area near the town. The characters within the story are not straight forward and there are some twisted plots which keep you intrigued.
Overall, a good read.
January 24, 2025
Lachlan Bowman has travelled to the remote outback town of Jasper Cliff in the Western Australian Pilbara region searching for his missing brother Toby. Toby was last seen by his lover, Pippa, the landlady of the pub and service station. She last saw him storming off after an argument, determined to search for ‘the Rift’, a large split in a huge rock, believed to be inhabited by an ancient and malevolent being, that would show you scenes from the past, often violent and harsh. Finding the Rift had become an obsession of Toby’s and now that Lachlan has found no trace of him, is something he also feels drawn towards.
The rugged landscape of the hot, sun baked Pilbara is the main character of this well written, darkly gothic novel. The extreme heat is energy sapping and Lachlan finds himself languishing with the locals in the shade of the pub’s verandah while he waits for news of Toby from the police. The desolate town of Jasper Cliff is tiny but troubled, with a history of people disappearing to never be heard of again. It’s the sort of outback town where people go to disappear or to hide from their crimes. Trucks and cars rarely pass through, the shops are all closed, the pub sells snack food, water and soft drinks as well as petrol, but no alcohol and the police only make the 2h trip from the police station at Marble Bar when there is a drunken party or a fight brewing. Very atmospheric, tense and often violent and written in the local Australian vernacular, this is one for those who enjoy Aussie gothic tales. 3.5★
The rugged landscape of the hot, sun baked Pilbara is the main character of this well written, darkly gothic novel. The extreme heat is energy sapping and Lachlan finds himself languishing with the locals in the shade of the pub’s verandah while he waits for news of Toby from the police. The desolate town of Jasper Cliff is tiny but troubled, with a history of people disappearing to never be heard of again. It’s the sort of outback town where people go to disappear or to hide from their crimes. Trucks and cars rarely pass through, the shops are all closed, the pub sells snack food, water and soft drinks as well as petrol, but no alcohol and the police only make the 2h trip from the police station at Marble Bar when there is a drunken party or a fight brewing. Very atmospheric, tense and often violent and written in the local Australian vernacular, this is one for those who enjoy Aussie gothic tales. 3.5★
January 8, 2025
A gothic Outback crime mystery, Jasper Cliff (2024) by Josh Kemp is a dark Aussie noir. Lachlan Bowman retraces his missing brother Toby’s road trip finding himself stranded in Jasper Cliff, a remote northern Western Australian town. Lachlan learns of other young men’s disappearances and like them, becomes fixated on finding the ravine where there is supposed to be a deep hole known as the Rift. It's a creepy atmospheric thriller with a bleakness set in the harsh terrain, used so often in art forms as an archetypical outback, urban legend myth. A small gothic tale with a realistic setting, if somewhat disappointing ending that has an average three star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
August 9, 2024
Jasper Cliff didn’t quite work for me as a book. There are many great elements; it’s easy to feel the heat of the little outback town, the stress of missing loved ones and the mystery of the fate of Toby.
The book is very atmospheric. One can imagine the little town, with its soaring temperatures and lack of facilities. For me though, sometimes there just wasn’t a great deal happening. The ending also left me unsatisfied, and feeling like I didn’t get all the answers.
I received a copy of this book from Good Reading.
The book is very atmospheric. One can imagine the little town, with its soaring temperatures and lack of facilities. For me though, sometimes there just wasn’t a great deal happening. The ending also left me unsatisfied, and feeling like I didn’t get all the answers.
I received a copy of this book from Good Reading.
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October 4, 2024great little transitional story to go into spooky season. realistically not much happens in this but the atmosphere is impressively suffocating and I loved the supernatural bent (wished there was more because it was so good). felt the scorching heat and queasy small town aussie vibes hard. the slang and speech patterns were tough at times but mainly because they were accurate. glen was the messed up mvp.
February 9, 2025
2.5* generously rounded up to 3.0*. Wonderfully written - you can feel the desolation and the heat in every page. And the aimless tedious life of the locals is captured - but unfortunately makes for some tedious reading through the middle section. Heads over into some version of speculative fiction that I found unconvincing. A bit boring, then a bit silly. Not my kind of book despite the obvious writing talent of the author. His 1st was great and I hope is 3rd will be great.
August 19, 2025
I was expecting a standard outback murder mystery but this is much more than that. Not my usual choice of reading - a bit gothic, supernatural but a gripping read. I loved the descriptions of the landscape, especially as I have camped many times in the region where the story is set. Kemp captures the feeling of the place perfectly. The rhythms of his language remind me a little of Tim Winton’s writing, as does the landscape as a character itself.
September 24, 2024
Found the ending a bit dissatisfying.
September 25, 2024
This was a weird story that I just couldn’t quite get into. Very confused about what I thought I was reading about. Perhaps the heat got to me? I think it will be quickly forgotten.
November 4, 2024
Don't start reading this unless you have time to finish it. Read in 4hours 34 minutes. Thriller, Western Australia-Pilbara setting.
November 16, 2024
I liked the setting in the East Pilbara but the story was a bit too strange for me.
December 25, 2024
Enjoyed this one. Mysterious and fragile. The darkest hearts exist in people.
May 9, 2025
I read about a third of this book but struggled to engage with the story
June 2, 2025
DNF unfortunately couldn't get it to it, dipped out at 20% read. Might come back to it 🩷
dnf
September 9, 2025dnf, lost it on the bus
October 30, 2024
I hadn't even heard of Australian Gothic as a genre before I picked this up so I have no experience from that point of view. However, the atmosphere of this story and the writing that gets you there is brilliant. I thought it was really easy to imagine all the places that Lachlan goes when searching for his brother and the people he meets.
Though billed as a thriller, this book is quite the cross of genres with "Outback Noir", "Australian Gothic" and "horror" all being accurate in part but not entirely.
I'm not overall a huge fan of mixed genre works and so this wasn't for me from that perspective but the writing was brilliant, the characters and setting interesting and it was easy to read and hard to put down in some places.
Though billed as a thriller, this book is quite the cross of genres with "Outback Noir", "Australian Gothic" and "horror" all being accurate in part but not entirely.
I'm not overall a huge fan of mixed genre works and so this wasn't for me from that perspective but the writing was brilliant, the characters and setting interesting and it was easy to read and hard to put down in some places.
January 1, 2026
Josh Kemp offers some genre-blending brilliance in this part-crime fiction, part-thriller, part-gothic horror novel, that is told through multiple perspectives, with such beautifully rich language.
Set in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Josh Kemp vividly describes the landscape and oppressive heat, as well as the isolation and desolation of the tiny outback town of Jasper Cliff.
Lachlan Bowman travels to Jasper Cliff, when his brother Toby seems to have disappeared from the area. He soon discovers that his brother is not the only individual to have mysteriously disappeared from the area over recent years. He connects with several locals, who also have missing loved ones. Soon there is mention of a mysterious location, called ‘the Rift’, which may share truths from the past, if it wishes. Will ‘the Rift’ disclose the fate of Toby?
This was such an interesting read, although would definitely not recommend trying to read this before sleep!
Set in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Josh Kemp vividly describes the landscape and oppressive heat, as well as the isolation and desolation of the tiny outback town of Jasper Cliff.
Lachlan Bowman travels to Jasper Cliff, when his brother Toby seems to have disappeared from the area. He soon discovers that his brother is not the only individual to have mysteriously disappeared from the area over recent years. He connects with several locals, who also have missing loved ones. Soon there is mention of a mysterious location, called ‘the Rift’, which may share truths from the past, if it wishes. Will ‘the Rift’ disclose the fate of Toby?
This was such an interesting read, although would definitely not recommend trying to read this before sleep!
Read
November 18, 2025DNFing at about 50% read.
It’s very much a slow burn, with a lot of talk about the heat. Not much seems to happen in Jasper Cliff, and not much has happened in the story so far. I’m just not excited to pick this one up and keep reading, so I’m going to set it aside.
Rating reflects DNF status, not book as a whole.
It’s very much a slow burn, with a lot of talk about the heat. Not much seems to happen in Jasper Cliff, and not much has happened in the story so far. I’m just not excited to pick this one up and keep reading, so I’m going to set it aside.
Rating reflects DNF status, not book as a whole.
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