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Smoke
What secrets lie in the ashes?
After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death – until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.
Years after leaving Jasper, Detective Alex Markov has been sent back under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. She is convinced that the man, a family friend, was murdered opportunistically under the cover of the fire. As the smoke clears, Alex reveals a town corrupt to its core – but exposing that corruption could destroy her and the people she loves. Will she ignore the crookedness and deceit, or face the consequences of pursuing an inconvenient truth?
After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death – until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.
Years after leaving Jasper, Detective Alex Markov has been sent back under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. She is convinced that the man, a family friend, was murdered opportunistically under the cover of the fire. As the smoke clears, Alex reveals a town corrupt to its core – but exposing that corruption could destroy her and the people she loves. Will she ignore the crookedness and deceit, or face the consequences of pursuing an inconvenient truth?
10 pages, Audiobook
Published July 1, 2024
110 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Michael Brissenden
7 books48 followersMichael Brissenden is an author and journalist. His first book of fiction – ‘The List’ was published in 2017 and ‘Dead Letters’ 2021 also features the Federal investigator Sidney Allen.
'Smoke' was published in June 2024 and his new book 'Dust' is published in September 2025.
Michael was a journalist with the ABC for 35 years. He was posted to Moscow, Brussels and Washington and worked in Canberra for many years in various roles – including as the Political Editor for the daily television current affairs program – the 7.30 Report, as the ABC’s defence and security correspondent and as the presenter of the ‘AM’ Current Affairs program on ABC radio. From 2017 to 2021 he was a reporter with the ABC’s investigative television documentary program – 4Corners.
Michael has also written non fiction. In 2012 ‘American Stories – tales of hope and anger’ was published by UQP. The book was a personal account of a country on edge that chronicled the undercurrents of division and anger that surfaced during the first term of the Obama presidency. Divisions that would later be exploited to such devastating effect by Donald Trump.
He has contributed to a number of essay collections over the years and written for ‘The Bulletin’, ‘The Canberra Times’ and ‘New Matilda.’
'Smoke' was published in June 2024 and his new book 'Dust' is published in September 2025.
Michael was a journalist with the ABC for 35 years. He was posted to Moscow, Brussels and Washington and worked in Canberra for many years in various roles – including as the Political Editor for the daily television current affairs program – the 7.30 Report, as the ABC’s defence and security correspondent and as the presenter of the ‘AM’ Current Affairs program on ABC radio. From 2017 to 2021 he was a reporter with the ABC’s investigative television documentary program – 4Corners.
Michael has also written non fiction. In 2012 ‘American Stories – tales of hope and anger’ was published by UQP. The book was a personal account of a country on edge that chronicled the undercurrents of division and anger that surfaced during the first term of the Obama presidency. Divisions that would later be exploited to such devastating effect by Donald Trump.
He has contributed to a number of essay collections over the years and written for ‘The Bulletin’, ‘The Canberra Times’ and ‘New Matilda.’
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
July 21, 2024
The opening of Smoke by Michael Brissenden is dramatic and tense as a wildfire reaches a property. The devastation of the rampaging forest fire is used to attempt to disguise a murder in what then becomes a somewhat complicated police procedural mystery. Smoke itself, though, is a slow burn rather than a fast moving juggernaut with a hinted at backstory hanging over the main character serving to muddy the waters of the action taking place in real time.
Alex Markov is a cop who has moved back to her hometown after working with the LAPD. She made the mistake of reporting one of her fellow officers to Internal Affairs, crossing the blue line and making herself a pariah within the force. Her move back to her hometown is an attempt to escape the wrath of her former colleagues as much as it is to move on with her life.
California wildfires are devastating the tinder dry countryside around the little town of Big Jasper and lives are under threat. So when one man is found burned to death in a shed on his own property there’s little consideration that foul play may have been involved.
But the dead man is only the start of the problems that Alex is going to encounter as police from her past enter the scene to make life extremely difficult for her. And when there’s a growing realisation that a questionable development proposal is in play, one that will have significant ramifications for the local community, it seems that she’s going to come up against enemies that are intent on protecting their financial interests.
The characters are introduced into the story in rapid fire with only a minimum of detail as to how they’re related to others. In fact, it took me quite some time to work out Alex’s relatives as opposed to merely other townsfolk. Sadly, as the story progresses and still more people appear on the scene, there is little effort to provide any information of substance about any of them and the result for me was that I felt no connection to any of them. The result is a book full of paper cutouts of people, good and bad alike, making it impossible to get a true measure of the motives behind any of the actions that take place.
I’m unsure why Brissenden chose to set the story in the US (regardless of his explanation in the acknowledgements). There were quite a few times I recognised colloquial Australian words and phrases in some character’s dialogue as well as some of the cultural references that came across as decidedly Australian. I’m confident that Americans don’t refer to distances in kilometres.
There is more to Smoke than the dangers of the natural world. While smoke comes about as a result of bushfires, it can also be used to hide nefarious dealings allowing corruption at many levels to take place undetected. While Brissenden managed to get there in the end to uncover what was hidden in the murk, I found it to be a an overly slow moving affair with predictable plot twists and a slightly disappointing ending.
Alex Markov is a cop who has moved back to her hometown after working with the LAPD. She made the mistake of reporting one of her fellow officers to Internal Affairs, crossing the blue line and making herself a pariah within the force. Her move back to her hometown is an attempt to escape the wrath of her former colleagues as much as it is to move on with her life.
California wildfires are devastating the tinder dry countryside around the little town of Big Jasper and lives are under threat. So when one man is found burned to death in a shed on his own property there’s little consideration that foul play may have been involved.
But the dead man is only the start of the problems that Alex is going to encounter as police from her past enter the scene to make life extremely difficult for her. And when there’s a growing realisation that a questionable development proposal is in play, one that will have significant ramifications for the local community, it seems that she’s going to come up against enemies that are intent on protecting their financial interests.
The characters are introduced into the story in rapid fire with only a minimum of detail as to how they’re related to others. In fact, it took me quite some time to work out Alex’s relatives as opposed to merely other townsfolk. Sadly, as the story progresses and still more people appear on the scene, there is little effort to provide any information of substance about any of them and the result for me was that I felt no connection to any of them. The result is a book full of paper cutouts of people, good and bad alike, making it impossible to get a true measure of the motives behind any of the actions that take place.
I’m unsure why Brissenden chose to set the story in the US (regardless of his explanation in the acknowledgements). There were quite a few times I recognised colloquial Australian words and phrases in some character’s dialogue as well as some of the cultural references that came across as decidedly Australian. I’m confident that Americans don’t refer to distances in kilometres.
There is more to Smoke than the dangers of the natural world. While smoke comes about as a result of bushfires, it can also be used to hide nefarious dealings allowing corruption at many levels to take place undetected. While Brissenden managed to get there in the end to uncover what was hidden in the murk, I found it to be a an overly slow moving affair with predictable plot twists and a slightly disappointing ending.
May 30, 2024
Another compelling read from Michael Brissenden. After a slower start, I became hooked. Set in the fictional town of Jasper, California, during a hot and dry summer of wildfires. There is so much happening in this story, it is easy to get lost in the pages.
Alex Markov has returned home while an Internal Affairs investigation is underway in LA. She arrives back just as the fires are taking over. There is smoke everywhere, making it impossible to see and get around. In the aftermath, the body of a family friend is found in a burnt out shed. At first it appears to be a casualty of the fires, but they soon discover than he was locked in, from the outside, and a criminal investigation begins.
This is a story of family, of survival, grief and doing what is right. Alex is determined and outspoken, which makes her a target for those who are in power. Corrupt politicians and police are rife and Alex needs to stay true to herself to keep her family and herself safe. It is a dangerous situation, and will keep you turning those pages to find out what happens next.
Thanks to Affirm Press for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published in late June.
Alex Markov has returned home while an Internal Affairs investigation is underway in LA. She arrives back just as the fires are taking over. There is smoke everywhere, making it impossible to see and get around. In the aftermath, the body of a family friend is found in a burnt out shed. At first it appears to be a casualty of the fires, but they soon discover than he was locked in, from the outside, and a criminal investigation begins.
This is a story of family, of survival, grief and doing what is right. Alex is determined and outspoken, which makes her a target for those who are in power. Corrupt politicians and police are rife and Alex needs to stay true to herself to keep her family and herself safe. It is a dangerous situation, and will keep you turning those pages to find out what happens next.
Thanks to Affirm Press for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published in late June.
May 27, 2024
The best police procedural Ive read in a very long time….exquisite writing, my first read of this author’s work, certainly not my last!
July 18, 2024
I was drawn to this book by the fabulous endorsements from favourite authors like Chris Hammer, Mark Brandi and Dervla McTiernan.
This is the former journalist’s fourth novel, but the first that I have read. It was a slow burn crime read focused on police corruption, systemic misogyny and racism and the secrets of a small Californian town.
Opening in the midst of a wildfire tearing through the town of Jasper, a man’s body is discovered in his shed. Once police realise that he was actually locked in from the outside, an investigation begins. Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. As she looks into the death, she uncovers corruption at the very core of this town, but bringing it into the light could endanger herself and those she loves. Will she be able to ignore it, or risk the consequences of finding out the truth?
It did take me a little bit to get into this book, as it was quite slow paced. After the dramatic prologue, the novel settled into its measured stride which perfectly matched the dark and oppressive setting. The wilderness and remoteness of the sierras was just as brutal as the actions of some of its inhabitants, not to mention the crooked cops that Alex was trying to get away from and who continued to appear in her life.
The writing was sparse and sharp just like the atmosphere in this rural community where they had battled drought and now fire. Michael’s experiences as a foreign correspondent shine through in the nuanced details of this US setting and its police organisation.
I also really appreciated the character of Alex. I thought her actions and motivations were very understandable, wanting to do the right thing and expose corruption, but scared to risk her friends and family to do it. I would really love to see her appear in further books.
This is the former journalist’s fourth novel, but the first that I have read. It was a slow burn crime read focused on police corruption, systemic misogyny and racism and the secrets of a small Californian town.
Opening in the midst of a wildfire tearing through the town of Jasper, a man’s body is discovered in his shed. Once police realise that he was actually locked in from the outside, an investigation begins. Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. As she looks into the death, she uncovers corruption at the very core of this town, but bringing it into the light could endanger herself and those she loves. Will she be able to ignore it, or risk the consequences of finding out the truth?
It did take me a little bit to get into this book, as it was quite slow paced. After the dramatic prologue, the novel settled into its measured stride which perfectly matched the dark and oppressive setting. The wilderness and remoteness of the sierras was just as brutal as the actions of some of its inhabitants, not to mention the crooked cops that Alex was trying to get away from and who continued to appear in her life.
The writing was sparse and sharp just like the atmosphere in this rural community where they had battled drought and now fire. Michael’s experiences as a foreign correspondent shine through in the nuanced details of this US setting and its police organisation.
I also really appreciated the character of Alex. I thought her actions and motivations were very understandable, wanting to do the right thing and expose corruption, but scared to risk her friends and family to do it. I would really love to see her appear in further books.
May 1, 2024
Corruption. Crocked cops. Sleazy politicians. Are like smoke. Smoke conceals things, hides damage. It destroys beautiful things and fouls the atmosphere. It is insidious, it gets everywhere unseen and unnoticed. Just like corruption.
Disgraced LA detective Alex Markov has recently returned to her hometown. Now a massive wildfire has just ripped through the community. There has been fire related deaths, which she must investigate. Tragically one is someone she knows, almost family. Her past and her present are about to collide with devastating results.
Smoke is Michael Brissenden’s new novel. I enjoyed it. Bit slow to start, with somewhat obscure characters relationships. Took me a while to work out who was who. But once the story got rolling, I was hooked. Read it in one day. Although, fair warning – the ending will destroy you.
Disgraced LA detective Alex Markov has recently returned to her hometown. Now a massive wildfire has just ripped through the community. There has been fire related deaths, which she must investigate. Tragically one is someone she knows, almost family. Her past and her present are about to collide with devastating results.
Smoke is Michael Brissenden’s new novel. I enjoyed it. Bit slow to start, with somewhat obscure characters relationships. Took me a while to work out who was who. But once the story got rolling, I was hooked. Read it in one day. Although, fair warning – the ending will destroy you.
June 9, 2025
2 ⭐️
this book just wasn’t for me. I expected an intense crime, action fuelled story whilst battling the harsh realities of policing during a 1 in 100 year wild fire tearing through the town. I did not get that.
I was left a little disappointed, there were so many characters and too many plots to keep up with. I spent 90% of this book lost and trying to connect the pieces of who was who and what plot was happening where and when. The wildfire didn’t seem like a major plot point which i found strange since the book is heavily marketed around the fire (it’s literally called smoke 😭) I don’t think this book was inherently bad, just one that wasn’t my style.
this book just wasn’t for me. I expected an intense crime, action fuelled story whilst battling the harsh realities of policing during a 1 in 100 year wild fire tearing through the town. I did not get that.
I was left a little disappointed, there were so many characters and too many plots to keep up with. I spent 90% of this book lost and trying to connect the pieces of who was who and what plot was happening where and when. The wildfire didn’t seem like a major plot point which i found strange since the book is heavily marketed around the fire (it’s literally called smoke 😭) I don’t think this book was inherently bad, just one that wasn’t my style.
May 15, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this novel from Good Reading in exchange for an honest review.
‘Smoke’ by Michael Brissenden is a cop thriller set in a small town in the USA, following a major wildfire event.
The writing is sharp and dialogue between characters short and snappy, however it didn’t draw me in. I just couldn’t get ‘into’ their world.
I did find a few things were a little off given this novel is set in America. A few times I picked up on the author’s use of Australian words I’m not sure they’d use in North American vernacular.
For example- ‘Panadol’ (Would Americans not use Advil?) ‘Veranda’? ‘Eucalyptus’?
I didn’t find it as ‘atmospheric’ as the review from Mark Brandi (whom I respect highly as an author). I found it fast paced but not overly engaging. It wasn’t that it’s not a good or interesting story, it just wasn’t for me.
‘Smoke’ by Michael Brissenden is a cop thriller set in a small town in the USA, following a major wildfire event.
The writing is sharp and dialogue between characters short and snappy, however it didn’t draw me in. I just couldn’t get ‘into’ their world.
I did find a few things were a little off given this novel is set in America. A few times I picked up on the author’s use of Australian words I’m not sure they’d use in North American vernacular.
For example- ‘Panadol’ (Would Americans not use Advil?) ‘Veranda’? ‘Eucalyptus’?
I didn’t find it as ‘atmospheric’ as the review from Mark Brandi (whom I respect highly as an author). I found it fast paced but not overly engaging. It wasn’t that it’s not a good or interesting story, it just wasn’t for me.
September 19, 2024
This was a rare DNF for me. The premise was good, and the incredibly descriptive bushfire scenes and aftermath was a promising start, however it then veered in every other direction, a police officer ‘crossing the blue line’, sexism in the workplace, entrenched racism, poverty stricken small towns, corruption - I got whiplash as the concepts changed. Got to a quarter through though, so if it’s your thing, go for it.
April 29, 2024
An excellent crime novel of loyalty and deceit. Intelligent, intense and haunting.
October 14, 2024
Big thanks to Affirm Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
As they say where there is smoke there is fire and that smoke can create a haze that hides the truth.
Wild fires in California set the scene where murder, betrayal and corruption dominate in this well paced mystery.
Alex Markov returns to her hometown of Jasper after a horrendous fire has gone through.
As a law enforcement officer she is drawn to a suspicious death of a known person who died in a locked shed.
A close connection to the victims and suspects will test her skills as she battles with misogyny, corruption and a police department that has it in for her.
After hearing Michael talk I understand why he set this in America and I think his experience and time over there is reflected in an authentic atmospheric setting.
It was a slow paced story with lots of characters.
Crisp writing and layers within the plot did keep me glued to the page.
Another author to add to my crime list.
As they say where there is smoke there is fire and that smoke can create a haze that hides the truth.
Wild fires in California set the scene where murder, betrayal and corruption dominate in this well paced mystery.
Alex Markov returns to her hometown of Jasper after a horrendous fire has gone through.
As a law enforcement officer she is drawn to a suspicious death of a known person who died in a locked shed.
A close connection to the victims and suspects will test her skills as she battles with misogyny, corruption and a police department that has it in for her.
After hearing Michael talk I understand why he set this in America and I think his experience and time over there is reflected in an authentic atmospheric setting.
It was a slow paced story with lots of characters.
Crisp writing and layers within the plot did keep me glued to the page.
Another author to add to my crime list.
February 28, 2025
The saying 'where there's smoke there's fire' could not be more apt where this book is concerned. That was one hell of a story.
Set in California during raging bushfires this story felt so real and almost prophetic, due the recent deadly bushfire emergency experienced in California.
Detective Alex Markov has transferred back to her home town with her tail between her legs and Internal Affairs on her back. Things are not looking good for Alex and it looks like the boys club might survive her allegations.
When bodies start to pile up after fires rip through the town, the pressure is on. Surely they are victims of the fire and not a murderer?
This tautly written crime novel is filled with tension as Alex has no idea who she can trust and as the noose tightens she wonders if she will make it out alive. With a tense and fast paced build up to a cracking conclusion this was a sensational book.
Set in California during raging bushfires this story felt so real and almost prophetic, due the recent deadly bushfire emergency experienced in California.
Detective Alex Markov has transferred back to her home town with her tail between her legs and Internal Affairs on her back. Things are not looking good for Alex and it looks like the boys club might survive her allegations.
When bodies start to pile up after fires rip through the town, the pressure is on. Surely they are victims of the fire and not a murderer?
This tautly written crime novel is filled with tension as Alex has no idea who she can trust and as the noose tightens she wonders if she will make it out alive. With a tense and fast paced build up to a cracking conclusion this was a sensational book.
September 1, 2024
A good holiday read… but for me there was a disconnect I felt when reading this book. It’s written well and the pace is good, but - maybe because I’m primarily a non-fiction reader - something about an Australian male writing about an American woman’s experience of being a cop in California? I dunno. He also wrote in a way that expects you to keep up with all the very numerous characters and how they relate to each other. And if you are reading while on holiday - like I was - I really didn’t always know who was who and especially their relationships to each other! The set up is intriguing but written way too vaguely.
June 3, 2024
Smoke did take me a while to get into to, lots of characters and for me the summer 19/20 fires feel like yesterday, I know it’s ridiculous to criticise a book for being too atmospheric, but that was a terrible summer. Corporate greed, police corruption made this such an engaging ‘who’s doing it’ of a thriller. This was my first Michael Brissenden and it certainly won’t be my last!
January 19, 2026
Too many characters, confusing plot, lots of unclear back stories. Not a ‘normal’ crime book, in the sense of I still couldn’t work out who the killer was. I did not get a real sense of the fires - they were almost outside the story. Not a satisfying read for me. Much preferred “The Arsonist” by Chloe Hooper, where I got a real sense of the bush fires and a story that was so much easier to follow.
February 25, 2025
Set in the US, this novel is an exciting cop thriller, kicking off with believable wildfires and with an evil smoky pallor throughout. Lead character Detective Alex Markov’s asthma is a clever device that raises the tension nicely, and the corrupt town of Jasper has a ring of authenticity.
August 22, 2025
1.0 ⭐
This felt too similar to "Don't Let Him In" because I read them one after the other but this was by far the worst of the two. They're not THAT similar but there's a lot of the same vibes and story aspects. I didn't like the writing or the way the story unfolded. Not for me.
This felt too similar to "Don't Let Him In" because I read them one after the other but this was by far the worst of the two. They're not THAT similar but there's a lot of the same vibes and story aspects. I didn't like the writing or the way the story unfolded. Not for me.
August 20, 2024
To be honest it took me a few months to get through the audiobook with life getting into the way and it didn't grip me but it was alright.
January 7, 2025
A complicated and intense story where the author develops strong and likeable characters who make it an enjoyable read. Will read some more from this author
January 28, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a “slow burn” (please excuse that description) but led to a tension filled ending with a promise of more to come. The many themes including climate change are quite important in the story.
May 8, 2025
Low key did not enjoy this.. Mum not a great book from you.
June 28, 2024
Where to start?
I picked this up from my library based on the (hardly original) synopsis and the cover blurb. I’d also just returned from visiting my brother in California. He was evacuated during wild fires recently, so that resonated. The author being an ABC journalist in a past life should have been enough warning to put it back & walk away.
As to the plot, I haven’t a clue. The writing from the opening pages was so bad that it became my fastest DNF, e.g.
The fire had finally come…hell would not be stopped.
For years the forest had been quivering in expectation (!)
The tress knew, and they were trying to give themselves the best chance
(The fire)…like climbing fingers of malfeasance(!)
And it gets even worse when people are introduced
I picked this up from my library based on the (hardly original) synopsis and the cover blurb. I’d also just returned from visiting my brother in California. He was evacuated during wild fires recently, so that resonated. The author being an ABC journalist in a past life should have been enough warning to put it back & walk away.
As to the plot, I haven’t a clue. The writing from the opening pages was so bad that it became my fastest DNF, e.g.
The fire had finally come…hell would not be stopped.
For years the forest had been quivering in expectation (!)
The tress knew, and they were trying to give themselves the best chance
(The fire)…like climbing fingers of malfeasance(!)
And it gets even worse when people are introduced
July 14, 2024
I was intrigued by this story. It is primarily a crime mystery of multiple murders in the fictional small towns of Banton and Jasper in the California Sierra Mountains during the aftermath of a devastating wildfire but confrontingly weaved into the story was the topical theme of climate change and the more frequent global reality of living with fire threat. The challenges facing this fictional community and its residents, some of them extremely poor, living rough in the mountains and becoming homeless, from the impact of these fires is depicted depressingly within this story's pages. Police corruption, greed, misogyny and indigenous racism add to the bleak atmosphere of this crime novel. LAPD detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town of Jasper after ratting out corrupt police officers in LA to Internal Affairs. She is a tough lead character who keeps her emotions under control.
"In the force, women had to resist the temptation to push back. Never take a backwards step but don't appear too aggressive. Don't fold your arms or lift your voice or sound too 'hysterical'. Never ask for concessions. Never say 'I can't' - it's always 'I can', 'I will'. Stay in control."
The author's hard-hitting depiction of her mother's dementia is insightful but heavy and disquieting.
Despite some satisfaction that the crime mystery is solved at the story's end, there is also more tragedy that will leave you heartbroken. The journalistic background of the author is reflected in his writing style which at times felt just slightly too clinical for my liking and removed from the hearts and lived experiences of the story's characters. I found it a little hard going in places but the story kept my interest and I was glued to the pages as the story reached its climax. A thought provoking, atmospheric read worthy of four stars.
"In the force, women had to resist the temptation to push back. Never take a backwards step but don't appear too aggressive. Don't fold your arms or lift your voice or sound too 'hysterical'. Never ask for concessions. Never say 'I can't' - it's always 'I can', 'I will'. Stay in control."
The author's hard-hitting depiction of her mother's dementia is insightful but heavy and disquieting.
Despite some satisfaction that the crime mystery is solved at the story's end, there is also more tragedy that will leave you heartbroken. The journalistic background of the author is reflected in his writing style which at times felt just slightly too clinical for my liking and removed from the hearts and lived experiences of the story's characters. I found it a little hard going in places but the story kept my interest and I was glued to the pages as the story reached its climax. A thought provoking, atmospheric read worthy of four stars.
January 24, 2025
This started off well and with a “best crime book I’ve read this year” from Chris Hammer on the cover, I looked forwarded to reading the rest of the book. I managed to get through about 50% before I closed the book, thinking it must have been the first, and only, crime book Hammer had read that year when he wrote that blurb. For me, the plot was all over the place, the story drawn out and became less interesting as I turned each page. It’s only my opinion and it seems many others enjoyed it, but I gave up and DNF
August 14, 2024
DNF about 1/3 in. As an Australian I found the Californian setting strange for an Australian author. There were so many little bits that were Australian. The whole small town police departments and such fragmented disaster response was strange too (not that our response was perfect at all in the 19/20 fires, but there stretched from Queensland all the way to Victoria, a megafire that burned 243,000 square kilometres) The characters and familial and friend links were a little confusing too.
July 28, 2024
First and last Michael Brissenden novel.
This was a disjointed narrative that too frequently flicked back and forth between several time periods. Often leaving you trying to determine where the flashback sat in the timeline.
This was not so much a slow boiler as constantly tepid. Flat characters, poor storytelling, and unimaginative plot devices.
Not my cup of tea.
This was a disjointed narrative that too frequently flicked back and forth between several time periods. Often leaving you trying to determine where the flashback sat in the timeline.
This was not so much a slow boiler as constantly tepid. Flat characters, poor storytelling, and unimaginative plot devices.
Not my cup of tea.
July 12, 2024
Former Australian journalist Michael Brissenden’s third novel Smoke (after The List and Dead Letters) was inspired by the devastating bushfires that ravaged the Australian east coast in late 2019 and early 2020. But rather than setting his story in that time and place, Brissenden takes the action to another fire flashpoint - the forests of California.
Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town of Big Jasper, in the Californian mountains. She tried to get away from the small town by moving to Los Angeles but found herself drawn into a cabal of corrupt policemen and, when she tried to blow the whistle, was targeted and has retreated to her former home. But the fires have come to Jasper and in the aftermath of the blaze, the abusive husband of her best friend Eve is found dead in a burnt out shed that has been locked from the outside. The murder investigation is only the tip of the iceberg as Markov starts to encounter dodgy developers and a link back to the police who drove her out of LA. She continues to dig for the truth but when one of her former colleagues (and lover) turns up in town, Markov finds her life once again starting unravel.
In his Acknowledgements Brissenden claims that he set Smoke in California to bring home that fact that bushfires are a “common global challenge”. However, setting action in the place where the vast majority of English fiction is set feels like it does exactly the opposite. It is hard to see how you convince American readers that something is a global phenomenon by setting it in their backyard. And despite its change of scene the Australian aspects still sneek in, so that for all of its Americanisms, Smoke often feels decidedly transplanted (down to the fact that the setting of Big Jasper is apparently named after the tiny Australian country town of Wee Jasper for reasons that are never explained).
The fires themselves, while clearly providing inspiration as to setting and some purple prose in the Prologue (“that small spark… had now become the roaring angry tempest… like climbing fingers of malfeasance crushing everything in their grasp”), ends up being no more than background. The atmosphere is consistently described as hot and smoky, the fire creates confusion around the cause of the original murder and these is a fair amount of displacement in the town. But the narrative does not really seem interested in the fire itself, the global changes that are causing these fires to accelerate, the impact of more regular fires on fragile rural communities or those called out to respond.
What Brissenden is interested in are the long standing webs of police corruption that reach into the corporate and political spheres and the pressures on local communities to accept dodgy developments in the name of employment even as it drives out locals. And as a crime thriller of this type, Smoke does deliver to an extent. Although it does not bring very much new to the table and is not helped by some predictable twists and some very long-bow plot contrivances.
Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town of Big Jasper, in the Californian mountains. She tried to get away from the small town by moving to Los Angeles but found herself drawn into a cabal of corrupt policemen and, when she tried to blow the whistle, was targeted and has retreated to her former home. But the fires have come to Jasper and in the aftermath of the blaze, the abusive husband of her best friend Eve is found dead in a burnt out shed that has been locked from the outside. The murder investigation is only the tip of the iceberg as Markov starts to encounter dodgy developers and a link back to the police who drove her out of LA. She continues to dig for the truth but when one of her former colleagues (and lover) turns up in town, Markov finds her life once again starting unravel.
In his Acknowledgements Brissenden claims that he set Smoke in California to bring home that fact that bushfires are a “common global challenge”. However, setting action in the place where the vast majority of English fiction is set feels like it does exactly the opposite. It is hard to see how you convince American readers that something is a global phenomenon by setting it in their backyard. And despite its change of scene the Australian aspects still sneek in, so that for all of its Americanisms, Smoke often feels decidedly transplanted (down to the fact that the setting of Big Jasper is apparently named after the tiny Australian country town of Wee Jasper for reasons that are never explained).
The fires themselves, while clearly providing inspiration as to setting and some purple prose in the Prologue (“that small spark… had now become the roaring angry tempest… like climbing fingers of malfeasance crushing everything in their grasp”), ends up being no more than background. The atmosphere is consistently described as hot and smoky, the fire creates confusion around the cause of the original murder and these is a fair amount of displacement in the town. But the narrative does not really seem interested in the fire itself, the global changes that are causing these fires to accelerate, the impact of more regular fires on fragile rural communities or those called out to respond.
What Brissenden is interested in are the long standing webs of police corruption that reach into the corporate and political spheres and the pressures on local communities to accept dodgy developments in the name of employment even as it drives out locals. And as a crime thriller of this type, Smoke does deliver to an extent. Although it does not bring very much new to the table and is not helped by some predictable twists and some very long-bow plot contrivances.
August 7, 2024
A wildfire. A charred body. A door locked from the outside.
Andy Doyle’s death was no accident but who would want to kill him?
Michael Brissenden’s first two novels (Dead Letters and The List) were set in Sydney. This time he moves the action to California’s Sierra Nevada and the fictional towns of Big Jasper and Banton. There’s a dual storyline in Smoke – Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town after a stint in the big smoke with the LAPD. An Internal Affairs investigation is ongoing and Markov’s career is under a cloud. While navigating the fallout from that part of her life, Markov must deal with the rising ‘kill count’ in and around Big Jasper while also holding together the disintegrating fragments of her wider family. She’s also contending with a seriously misogynistic work place.
Brissenden is particularly interested in exploring the concept of ‘moral injury’. What happens to a person when their moral compass goes off kilter; when they participate in, or witness, actions they can’t justify or reconcile, ‘a wound to the soul’ as Brissenden frames it. It’s a wound that weighs heavily on Markov.
The five book-cover testimonials for Smoke come from highly regarded authors, including some whose crime writing I have enjoyed (e.g. Chris Hammer and Dervla McTiernan) but Smoke did not live up to my expectations. I found Markov’s continual interior dialogue irritating and her career choice at the novel’s end unconvincing. I also thought there were some sub-plots that tighter editing could have eliminated.
For me, the best aspect of the novel was one of Brissenden’s secondary characters – Raine Mackenzie. A Native American, Mackenzie brought a longer gaze to the events that unfolded over the course of the novel.
2.5★
Andy Doyle’s death was no accident but who would want to kill him?
Michael Brissenden’s first two novels (Dead Letters and The List) were set in Sydney. This time he moves the action to California’s Sierra Nevada and the fictional towns of Big Jasper and Banton. There’s a dual storyline in Smoke – Detective Alex Markov has returned to her home town after a stint in the big smoke with the LAPD. An Internal Affairs investigation is ongoing and Markov’s career is under a cloud. While navigating the fallout from that part of her life, Markov must deal with the rising ‘kill count’ in and around Big Jasper while also holding together the disintegrating fragments of her wider family. She’s also contending with a seriously misogynistic work place.
Brissenden is particularly interested in exploring the concept of ‘moral injury’. What happens to a person when their moral compass goes off kilter; when they participate in, or witness, actions they can’t justify or reconcile, ‘a wound to the soul’ as Brissenden frames it. It’s a wound that weighs heavily on Markov.
The five book-cover testimonials for Smoke come from highly regarded authors, including some whose crime writing I have enjoyed (e.g. Chris Hammer and Dervla McTiernan) but Smoke did not live up to my expectations. I found Markov’s continual interior dialogue irritating and her career choice at the novel’s end unconvincing. I also thought there were some sub-plots that tighter editing could have eliminated.
For me, the best aspect of the novel was one of Brissenden’s secondary characters – Raine Mackenzie. A Native American, Mackenzie brought a longer gaze to the events that unfolded over the course of the novel.
2.5★
October 6, 2025
This one just didn't hit for me. So much about it just bugged me lots of elements that the author spent time on writing into the story that really didn't end up featuring prominently in the end. I am trying to not be too critical but I will talk about the things that annoyed me.
The book's title is "Smoke" it is centred around the premise of a town recovering from a deadly fire. We have numerous scenes where the characters are going to fire evacuation centres, where there are news articles and media reports about the fire - how the government were dealing with it etc. But really the fire added absolutely nothing to the story - apart from being the reason for a death (not a spoiler) it really didn't do much. It kind of felt like the author was more writing it as a way of talking about how poorly the Government responds to disasters and how there are often large numbers of families and communities "abandoned" after events such as this. Which is absolutely an important topic but added nothing to the story.
Other plot points like the constant reference to the lead character and her Asthma inhaler, I know it had a feature but it also felt like that feature was to be able to "jump skip" at the ending to allow things to be wrapped up in a nice neat bow in a couple of paragraphs. Honestly I started getting annoyed - if I had to hear again how she "must get to the pharmacy to get a new one" I was going to scream.
And again the reference to the two characters from Native American heritage - again felt like an insertion that allowed the author to reference the (mis)treatment of native Americans. The whole thing about the "Caves" - just made no sense at all.
Honestly the whole thing just felt convoluted - the "random" connection back to her LAPD colleagues and the Ex-Boyfriend.
Look overall - just didn't nail it for me - the ending was interesting - completely predictable, the "Crime Mystery" part was predictable but wasn't bad. It just felt like we could have achieved this story as a novella and not missed much.
I have left this as a two-star as "it was ok" was in my mind a good descriptor. It wasn't a hard read - and wasn't a terrible story - just look past some of the annoying bits.
The book's title is "Smoke" it is centred around the premise of a town recovering from a deadly fire. We have numerous scenes where the characters are going to fire evacuation centres, where there are news articles and media reports about the fire - how the government were dealing with it etc. But really the fire added absolutely nothing to the story - apart from being the reason for a death (not a spoiler) it really didn't do much. It kind of felt like the author was more writing it as a way of talking about how poorly the Government responds to disasters and how there are often large numbers of families and communities "abandoned" after events such as this. Which is absolutely an important topic but added nothing to the story.
Other plot points like the constant reference to the lead character and her Asthma inhaler, I know it had a feature but it also felt like that feature was to be able to "jump skip" at the ending to allow things to be wrapped up in a nice neat bow in a couple of paragraphs. Honestly I started getting annoyed - if I had to hear again how she "must get to the pharmacy to get a new one" I was going to scream.
And again the reference to the two characters from Native American heritage - again felt like an insertion that allowed the author to reference the (mis)treatment of native Americans. The whole thing about the "Caves" - just made no sense at all.
Honestly the whole thing just felt convoluted - the "random" connection back to her LAPD colleagues and the Ex-Boyfriend.
Look overall - just didn't nail it for me - the ending was interesting - completely predictable, the "Crime Mystery" part was predictable but wasn't bad. It just felt like we could have achieved this story as a novella and not missed much.
I have left this as a two-star as "it was ok" was in my mind a good descriptor. It wasn't a hard read - and wasn't a terrible story - just look past some of the annoying bits.
February 25, 2025
Our Review...
If you are looking for a razor sharp, intelligently written crime thriller that doesn’t follow the usual colour-by-numbers tropes of the genre, then Michael Brissenden’s new novel, Smoke, might be for you. Most readers will know Brissenden’s familiar face from ABC television, where he has filled a variety of roles – Foreign Correspondent, Canberra political reporter, Four Corners presenter – over a thirty-year career in journalism. Now turning his journalist’s eye to fiction, Smoke is his fourth book, following American Stories (2012), The List (2017) and Dead Letters (2021).
Like his fellow journalist-turned-novelist, Chris Hammer, Brissenden has a knack for getting to the heart of a story – in this case, the discovery of a body in a shed after a catastrophic bushfire. Was it murder? Or had the victim met a tragic end trying to defend his property? The book is set in the small town of Jasper in the Californian Sierras, but the themes are universal: localised corruption, a detective with a shadowy past, a climate ravaged setting and the devastating effects of fire on small communities – with a smattering of racism and misogyny thrown in for good measure.
As in all good writing though, the themes never overwhelm the story, which focuses on the return of Detective Alex Markov to her hometown after whistleblowing on her LAPD colleagues. In the aftermath of the fire, she revisits old friendships, creates new enemies and digs a little too deeply into local government graft for the comfort of many. Don’t rock the boat is the mantra for most of Jasper’s residents, but when Alex does just that, her life and those of her family are placed in jeopardy.
This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. Brissenden is a confident and intuitive writer who never takes his reader’s intelligence for granted, teasing us with just enough to detail to allow us to formulate our own theories on what secrets Jasper holds. Smoke is a nuanced, clever, rollercoaster ride of a book. I highly recommend it.
Review by Mark Smith - Author and friend @ Great Escape Books
If you are looking for a razor sharp, intelligently written crime thriller that doesn’t follow the usual colour-by-numbers tropes of the genre, then Michael Brissenden’s new novel, Smoke, might be for you. Most readers will know Brissenden’s familiar face from ABC television, where he has filled a variety of roles – Foreign Correspondent, Canberra political reporter, Four Corners presenter – over a thirty-year career in journalism. Now turning his journalist’s eye to fiction, Smoke is his fourth book, following American Stories (2012), The List (2017) and Dead Letters (2021).
Like his fellow journalist-turned-novelist, Chris Hammer, Brissenden has a knack for getting to the heart of a story – in this case, the discovery of a body in a shed after a catastrophic bushfire. Was it murder? Or had the victim met a tragic end trying to defend his property? The book is set in the small town of Jasper in the Californian Sierras, but the themes are universal: localised corruption, a detective with a shadowy past, a climate ravaged setting and the devastating effects of fire on small communities – with a smattering of racism and misogyny thrown in for good measure.
As in all good writing though, the themes never overwhelm the story, which focuses on the return of Detective Alex Markov to her hometown after whistleblowing on her LAPD colleagues. In the aftermath of the fire, she revisits old friendships, creates new enemies and digs a little too deeply into local government graft for the comfort of many. Don’t rock the boat is the mantra for most of Jasper’s residents, but when Alex does just that, her life and those of her family are placed in jeopardy.
This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. Brissenden is a confident and intuitive writer who never takes his reader’s intelligence for granted, teasing us with just enough to detail to allow us to formulate our own theories on what secrets Jasper holds. Smoke is a nuanced, clever, rollercoaster ride of a book. I highly recommend it.
Review by Mark Smith - Author and friend @ Great Escape Books
May 28, 2024
A well written book filled with a very realistic tale of a detective who due to speaking up on corruption in LA that she had seen and even been partially part of had to move away from takes herself back to her home town of Jasper, California.
When fires break out and death of a family friend is initially put out as accidental that Andy was stuck in the shed and simply couldn't get out Alex just knows this doesnt feel right and therefore she dives deeper seeing more than what is being shown. So much smoke and mirrors in this novel of corrupt politicians, police officers, all who began groups of covering for each other in various forms, looking the other way from things rhst should not be happening simply to make sure they cover their own previous misdemeanours all from young ages.
This book shows how 1 woman's courage of standing for what she believed in eventually gets her to where she needs to be sadly not without alot of tragedy, grief and of course being set up chased by misogynistic men believing they could take her down and silence her as she is only 1 woman.
She blew the whistle on them, much to their dismay they are the standard typical what we know of these types of groups all too real. I commend the author for delivery of alot of detail in one story, various revelations which we live and see daily and the fact that Alex continues to push on with courage determination and intuition is a beautiful message in today's world.
This was well narrated, and I personally enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
With many thanks and gratitude to Netgalley & Wavesound from W.F. Howes for the opportunity to have an advance copy in return for an open & honest review.
When fires break out and death of a family friend is initially put out as accidental that Andy was stuck in the shed and simply couldn't get out Alex just knows this doesnt feel right and therefore she dives deeper seeing more than what is being shown. So much smoke and mirrors in this novel of corrupt politicians, police officers, all who began groups of covering for each other in various forms, looking the other way from things rhst should not be happening simply to make sure they cover their own previous misdemeanours all from young ages.
This book shows how 1 woman's courage of standing for what she believed in eventually gets her to where she needs to be sadly not without alot of tragedy, grief and of course being set up chased by misogynistic men believing they could take her down and silence her as she is only 1 woman.
She blew the whistle on them, much to their dismay they are the standard typical what we know of these types of groups all too real. I commend the author for delivery of alot of detail in one story, various revelations which we live and see daily and the fact that Alex continues to push on with courage determination and intuition is a beautiful message in today's world.
This was well narrated, and I personally enjoyed listening to this audiobook.
With many thanks and gratitude to Netgalley & Wavesound from W.F. Howes for the opportunity to have an advance copy in return for an open & honest review.
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