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Dust
Dry land, buried secrets, a killer in the wind...
A blistering new crime novel from the bestselling author of Smoke.
Lake Herrod, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake. The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains.
When Aaron Love discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed – along with evidence his missing father is alive and linked to a web of organised crime – he is thrust into a world of deception, injustice and betrayal. With the town on the brink of collapse, Aaron and a haunted detective, Martyn Kravets, uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small community.
Dust is a dark, gripping thriller that explores the complexities of identity, a search for truth, and the unyielding forces of corruption in a world where lives are lived on the fringe and nothing is as it seems.
A blistering new crime novel from the bestselling author of Smoke.
Lake Herrod, a once-thriving community, now lies in the shadow of a nearly dry lake. The town, like the water, is evaporating and its residents are left clinging to what little remains.
When Aaron Love discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed – along with evidence his missing father is alive and linked to a web of organised crime – he is thrust into a world of deception, injustice and betrayal. With the town on the brink of collapse, Aaron and a haunted detective, Martyn Kravets, uncover a web of conspiracy that reaches far beyond the small community.
Dust is a dark, gripping thriller that explores the complexities of identity, a search for truth, and the unyielding forces of corruption in a world where lives are lived on the fringe and nothing is as it seems.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
123 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Michael Brissenden
7 books46 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 57 reviews
September 6, 2025
Dust is an atmospheric read that captures the grittiness of small town life in rural Australia.
Lake Heddon has seen better days. Aaron finds a dead body on the dried, cracked lakebed – a reporter who had been investigating his father, Tobias Love and trucking company, Feingold. Martyn Kravets, a detective haunted by the recent loss of his colleague, is tasked with tracking down the killer – forcing him to confront demons from the past.
“You stay in the force long enough, the scars build up. He has a few big ones.”
The landscape and heat were among the strongest characters – the latter was always present. I could practically feel the heat clinging to my skin, which made it a good reading choice during our Tasmanian winter.
“Ahead of them a grey sky stretches out, teasing the possibility of rain, but the cracked dry paddocks to either side of the road know different. The hills roll on in a relentless straw-coloured wave; they shimmer in the heat.”
Both character and place were easy to visualise thanks to Brissenden’s immersive writing. I enjoyed the twists and turns. It kept me engaged and was easy to imagine adapted for screen. I was intrigued how various moving parts would fit together – the author did well juggling these and ramping up suspense as the story progressed.
If you’re looking for escapism from issues plaguing modern society, you won’t find it here. Brissenden dives headfirst into current topics dominating the news cycle – making it one of the most timely reads this year. He certainly has a finger on the pulse of modern day Australia. While thought-provoking, it sometimes felt like I was caught in the middle of a yelling match between two opposing ideologies and ends of the political spectrum.
“Can’t help feeling like the world’s gone and shifted off its axis.”
While one main character got a raw deal, the ending was neatly wrapped into a mostly satisfying ending. Dust is a solid entry into the crime fiction genre, one that is highly relevant to current events. Recommended to fans of the genre who want a dark, atmospheric trip into rural Australia.
Many thanks to Affirm Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Lake Heddon has seen better days. Aaron finds a dead body on the dried, cracked lakebed – a reporter who had been investigating his father, Tobias Love and trucking company, Feingold. Martyn Kravets, a detective haunted by the recent loss of his colleague, is tasked with tracking down the killer – forcing him to confront demons from the past.
“You stay in the force long enough, the scars build up. He has a few big ones.”
The landscape and heat were among the strongest characters – the latter was always present. I could practically feel the heat clinging to my skin, which made it a good reading choice during our Tasmanian winter.
“Ahead of them a grey sky stretches out, teasing the possibility of rain, but the cracked dry paddocks to either side of the road know different. The hills roll on in a relentless straw-coloured wave; they shimmer in the heat.”
Both character and place were easy to visualise thanks to Brissenden’s immersive writing. I enjoyed the twists and turns. It kept me engaged and was easy to imagine adapted for screen. I was intrigued how various moving parts would fit together – the author did well juggling these and ramping up suspense as the story progressed.
If you’re looking for escapism from issues plaguing modern society, you won’t find it here. Brissenden dives headfirst into current topics dominating the news cycle – making it one of the most timely reads this year. He certainly has a finger on the pulse of modern day Australia. While thought-provoking, it sometimes felt like I was caught in the middle of a yelling match between two opposing ideologies and ends of the political spectrum.
“Can’t help feeling like the world’s gone and shifted off its axis.”
While one main character got a raw deal, the ending was neatly wrapped into a mostly satisfying ending. Dust is a solid entry into the crime fiction genre, one that is highly relevant to current events. Recommended to fans of the genre who want a dark, atmospheric trip into rural Australia.
Many thanks to Affirm Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2025
‘The body can't have been here long. No smell about him. Just the overwhelming stink of the lakebed, drying and cracking and steaming, like something Jurassic that hasn't seen the sun in thousands of years.’
Michael Brissenden’s Dust is gritty, atmospheric and exactly what I want from Aussie rural noir. Set in the dying town of Lake Heddon, the story kicks off when Aaron Love finds a body out on the dry lakebed. From there, he’s pulled into a mystery tied to his long missing father and a tangle of corruption that runs far deeper than anyone expects.
I loved how vividly Brissenden brings the setting to life, you can almost feel the dust in your lungs and the weight of the heat pressing down on you. Detective Martyn Kravets is a standout character, haunted, stubborn, and impossible not to root for.
What really worked for me was the balance, there’s the pace and suspense of a great crime novel, but also a sharp look at injustice and the way forgotten towns and people get left behind. It’s dark, raw, but not overdone.
If you’re into Chris Hammer, Jane Harper, or anything with that tense Aussie small town vibe, Dust is a must read.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Affirm Press for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
Michael Brissenden’s Dust is gritty, atmospheric and exactly what I want from Aussie rural noir. Set in the dying town of Lake Heddon, the story kicks off when Aaron Love finds a body out on the dry lakebed. From there, he’s pulled into a mystery tied to his long missing father and a tangle of corruption that runs far deeper than anyone expects.
I loved how vividly Brissenden brings the setting to life, you can almost feel the dust in your lungs and the weight of the heat pressing down on you. Detective Martyn Kravets is a standout character, haunted, stubborn, and impossible not to root for.
What really worked for me was the balance, there’s the pace and suspense of a great crime novel, but also a sharp look at injustice and the way forgotten towns and people get left behind. It’s dark, raw, but not overdone.
If you’re into Chris Hammer, Jane Harper, or anything with that tense Aussie small town vibe, Dust is a must read.
I Highly Recommend.
Thank you Affirm Press for my early readers copy.
Available Now!
August 30, 2025
I am a big fan of Michael Brissendens crime fiction, so when Affirm Press generously sent me a copy of Dust I was thrilled. Always a guaranteed dark read, with stories ripped from the headlines. I was completely engrossed in Dust. from start to finish
This is my kind of crime book. A small town in Australia that is falling apart around them. People are leaving, businesses are closing and homes are being destroyed to make way for the future. The lake has dried up, and now a body has been found, along with clues that reveal to Aaron Love that his missing father may in fact still be alive. The city police are called into help and get so much more than they bargained for.
This is rural crime at its best. There is corruption, climate crisis, protesters, long hidden secrets and lies. I couldn’t get enough. It kept me reading late into the night because I just needed to see how it was all going to come together and it was brilliant.
Published on August 26th, this is a must read Aussie author. I am looking forward to hearing Michael talk about this book at Bad Crime in September.
This is my kind of crime book. A small town in Australia that is falling apart around them. People are leaving, businesses are closing and homes are being destroyed to make way for the future. The lake has dried up, and now a body has been found, along with clues that reveal to Aaron Love that his missing father may in fact still be alive. The city police are called into help and get so much more than they bargained for.
This is rural crime at its best. There is corruption, climate crisis, protesters, long hidden secrets and lies. I couldn’t get enough. It kept me reading late into the night because I just needed to see how it was all going to come together and it was brilliant.
Published on August 26th, this is a must read Aussie author. I am looking forward to hearing Michael talk about this book at Bad Crime in September.
December 30, 2025
I've just come back from the UK where I lived in one of the most dangerous places on earth, a quaint English village. At any moment, I might have been murdered by the local vicar, the friendly publican, the sweet old lady next door or the postman. At least according to crime novels and popular TV shows.
Now that I'm back home in Australia, I'm quickly discovering that the title of most dangerous place to live has a new contender, small town Australia. Especially in drought. Again, according to crime novels.
Earlier in the year I read Peter Temple's The Broken Shore and Truth, long considered the high watermark of crime writing in Australia. Truth won The Miles Franklin Award. The two novels burned themselves into the brains of many aspiring writers and ever since we have seen countless iterations of Temple's themes - city vs country, nature vs man, man vs himself.
So much so that it's hard to publish a crime novel in Australia that doesn't walk that familiar well-trodden road into the bush.
A little weary of the whole genre,
I picked up Dust by Michael Brissenden.
The book is set half a day's drive west from Sydney, there's been no rain, the lake has dried up, the town is slowly dying, a city cop, saddled with a fresh recruit, arrives to solve a murder, the local cop is ‘old school’ and unhelpful, the locals wary.
Cleverly, Brissenden opens this familiar tale in the voice of twenty-one year old Aaron Love, who's reeling having discovered the body of a journalist, torn open by crows, in the middle of the dry lake. I immediately thought of Jaxie Clackton from Tim Winton's The Shepherd's Hut. But Aaron is softer and more approachable than Jaxie and I warmed to him immediately.
The chapters from Aaron's point of view are the most engaging of the book. Brissenden appears to really throw himself into them and enjoys the challenge and the freedom of creating the world through Aaron's eyes. They are brilliantly done.
The author, Michael Brissenden, was a highly respected journalist and the book is further lifted out of the ordinary by the frightening accuracy of his portrayal of the clash of cultures in today's Australia - most recently witnessed in Nazi rallies in Australian cities - and his willingness to draw parallels between nutjob conspiracy theories and right wing talking heads, and the actual everyday conspiracies of privilege and corruption.
Read in one way, the book gives complacent liberals like me a hard kick up the bum. Read in another way, we are made to ask for whom the bell tolls.
In short, Dust is a highly entertaining, informative, fast paced, well-written, genre reviving thriller that kept me reading well into the night. Peter Temple would be proud.
Now that I'm back home in Australia, I'm quickly discovering that the title of most dangerous place to live has a new contender, small town Australia. Especially in drought. Again, according to crime novels.
Earlier in the year I read Peter Temple's The Broken Shore and Truth, long considered the high watermark of crime writing in Australia. Truth won The Miles Franklin Award. The two novels burned themselves into the brains of many aspiring writers and ever since we have seen countless iterations of Temple's themes - city vs country, nature vs man, man vs himself.
So much so that it's hard to publish a crime novel in Australia that doesn't walk that familiar well-trodden road into the bush.
A little weary of the whole genre,
I picked up Dust by Michael Brissenden.
The book is set half a day's drive west from Sydney, there's been no rain, the lake has dried up, the town is slowly dying, a city cop, saddled with a fresh recruit, arrives to solve a murder, the local cop is ‘old school’ and unhelpful, the locals wary.
Cleverly, Brissenden opens this familiar tale in the voice of twenty-one year old Aaron Love, who's reeling having discovered the body of a journalist, torn open by crows, in the middle of the dry lake. I immediately thought of Jaxie Clackton from Tim Winton's The Shepherd's Hut. But Aaron is softer and more approachable than Jaxie and I warmed to him immediately.
The chapters from Aaron's point of view are the most engaging of the book. Brissenden appears to really throw himself into them and enjoys the challenge and the freedom of creating the world through Aaron's eyes. They are brilliantly done.
The author, Michael Brissenden, was a highly respected journalist and the book is further lifted out of the ordinary by the frightening accuracy of his portrayal of the clash of cultures in today's Australia - most recently witnessed in Nazi rallies in Australian cities - and his willingness to draw parallels between nutjob conspiracy theories and right wing talking heads, and the actual everyday conspiracies of privilege and corruption.
Read in one way, the book gives complacent liberals like me a hard kick up the bum. Read in another way, we are made to ask for whom the bell tolls.
In short, Dust is a highly entertaining, informative, fast paced, well-written, genre reviving thriller that kept me reading well into the night. Peter Temple would be proud.
December 17, 2025
Ooft that was good! That's how I like my noir - fast paced, very topical and amazing characters.
This was a story with a few tangents to it.
A town that's dying along with its lake drying up. Then the body of a journalist is found in the dried up mud. Was he killed for the story he was working on?
Missing people. Tobias Love disappeared two years ago, leaving his son Aaron to fend for himself.
A detective on the edge. Martyn Kravets can't forget his partner dying in a botched raid. His daughter getting arrested at a climate rally is not helping his cause either.
People on the fringes of society - climate change deniers, cookers, Covid sceptics, Extinction Rebellion, bikies. This story had it all and more.
This is my second book by this author and maybe it's his background as a journalist, but I love how these stories are so realistic and topical. The writing is sharp and the short chapters keep the story rolling along at a great pace.
If you love Aussie noir then you need to give this guy a go.
This was a story with a few tangents to it.
A town that's dying along with its lake drying up. Then the body of a journalist is found in the dried up mud. Was he killed for the story he was working on?
Missing people. Tobias Love disappeared two years ago, leaving his son Aaron to fend for himself.
A detective on the edge. Martyn Kravets can't forget his partner dying in a botched raid. His daughter getting arrested at a climate rally is not helping his cause either.
People on the fringes of society - climate change deniers, cookers, Covid sceptics, Extinction Rebellion, bikies. This story had it all and more.
This is my second book by this author and maybe it's his background as a journalist, but I love how these stories are so realistic and topical. The writing is sharp and the short chapters keep the story rolling along at a great pace.
If you love Aussie noir then you need to give this guy a go.
September 20, 2025
I found it difficult to like the characters, the language, the setting which reminds me of a Chris Hammer or Jane Harper way of beginning a book. There is nothing unique or different just a bad copy cat. No suspense no thrill.
September 9, 2025
In Dust, Michael Brissenden takes us to a small Australian town where the lake has dried up, leaving behind more than just cracked earth. When Aaron Love discovers a body on the lakebed — along with clues that his father, missing for two years, may still be alive — he’s pulled into a dangerous world of organised crime, police corruption, conspiracy theorists, and a tangled web of lies. At its heart, it’s a story about truth, identity, and how far we’ll go to uncover both.
What I love about Brissenden’s writing is how grounded it feels in real events — it’s like reading beyond the headlines into the underbelly of what might be happening just out of sight. The pacing was a little slow to start, but once the story hit its stride and the twists started rolling in, I couldn’t put it down.
A smart, thought-provoking crime thriller that blends current issues, including a climate element, with page-turning suspense. Thanks to the wonderful team at @affirmpress for the gifted copy.
What I love about Brissenden’s writing is how grounded it feels in real events — it’s like reading beyond the headlines into the underbelly of what might be happening just out of sight. The pacing was a little slow to start, but once the story hit its stride and the twists started rolling in, I couldn’t put it down.
A smart, thought-provoking crime thriller that blends current issues, including a climate element, with page-turning suspense. Thanks to the wonderful team at @affirmpress for the gifted copy.
September 16, 2025
New author for me and early on i was struggling with the language/bad english but i got used to it. There was a lot going on with country police, drugs, corruption, drought, family drama and it does take a bit to get your head around it. It was slow to start and lots of things going on and over lapping. I didnt love it but it was ok
August 14, 2025
3.5/5
I always hate the beginning of these 'outback' police procedurals. I feel like they all start the same, and it's easy to want to give up before the story gets interesting. But I'm glad I persisted with Dust, as it was a good read.
It had elements of small struggle town, the underworld, political activism and family dynamics. The real action - as in all true thrillers - takes place over the last 30 pages, but the build up is constant.
I always hate the beginning of these 'outback' police procedurals. I feel like they all start the same, and it's easy to want to give up before the story gets interesting. But I'm glad I persisted with Dust, as it was a good read.
It had elements of small struggle town, the underworld, political activism and family dynamics. The real action - as in all true thrillers - takes place over the last 30 pages, but the build up is constant.
September 10, 2025
A slow-burn small town rural crime…….
Lake Heddon is dried up and dying, with long hidden secrets and ingrained corruption, the whole area seems like it’s on edge and ready to crumble. Michael’s descriptive writing really sets the location and atmosphere, which I believe enhances the story, bringing home the isolation and giving the reader the full experience.
The characters are well created and diverse, from the Sydney police, one young and idealistic, one more worn and cynical, to Aaron who has very little but seems to be content in life, that is until he discovers a corpse and his life gets turned upside down. Of course the town is full of colourful characters all with their own story, and just to make things interesting, add to the mix a questionable trucking empire, conspiracy theorists, a bikie or two, and a missing father….well in DNA only, as maternal as a brick really.
For me, Detective Martyn Kravets is the standout character of the story, with his past demons, current stressed relationship with his daughter, and his determination to find the balance between the job and being there for his family.
I found Dust to be an entertaining and enjoyable read that had me constantly wondering what was going to happen next and who was actually going to walk away. With an ending full of action and twists and turns, Dust is a great read and worth taking the time to visit Lake Heddon.
#dust
#michaelbrissenden
#lakesidesecrets
#affirmpress
Lake Heddon is dried up and dying, with long hidden secrets and ingrained corruption, the whole area seems like it’s on edge and ready to crumble. Michael’s descriptive writing really sets the location and atmosphere, which I believe enhances the story, bringing home the isolation and giving the reader the full experience.
The characters are well created and diverse, from the Sydney police, one young and idealistic, one more worn and cynical, to Aaron who has very little but seems to be content in life, that is until he discovers a corpse and his life gets turned upside down. Of course the town is full of colourful characters all with their own story, and just to make things interesting, add to the mix a questionable trucking empire, conspiracy theorists, a bikie or two, and a missing father….well in DNA only, as maternal as a brick really.
For me, Detective Martyn Kravets is the standout character of the story, with his past demons, current stressed relationship with his daughter, and his determination to find the balance between the job and being there for his family.
I found Dust to be an entertaining and enjoyable read that had me constantly wondering what was going to happen next and who was actually going to walk away. With an ending full of action and twists and turns, Dust is a great read and worth taking the time to visit Lake Heddon.
#dust
#michaelbrissenden
#lakesidesecrets
#affirmpress
October 17, 2025
A well paced Aussie police procedural, set in familiar NSW locations, with a variety of criminals, bikies and corrupt police and politicians, and a fractured father-daughter relationship for the central character. Brissenden’s political knowledge and journalistic skills shine.
October 23, 2025
i loveeee aussie drama thrillers this was a goody
September 1, 2025
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vibes: Grit Lit, Corruptive Crime
- - -
This was my first Michael Brissenden read and definitely won’t be my last. He’s nailed my rural Australian crime book style packed with grit, small town secrets and a whole lot of (dusty) atmosphere.
The setup is classic crime gold starting with a dry lake, a dead body and some sharp police procedural writing. If that doesn’t scream ‘buckle up for this book’ I don’t know what does.
But it doesn’t stop there. Add in corruption, shady characters and organised crime and it’s the perfect recipe for a fast, punchy crime drama.
Interestingly, this is the second book in a month I’ve read that touches on the topic of wind farms. Renewable energy and its impacts are something my own family feels the effects of so it was fascinating to see it woven into a crime story.
This was a brilliant, fast paced read that gripped me from the start. Huge thanks to Affirm Press for putting both this book and Michael Brissenden firmly on my radar.
Vibes: Grit Lit, Corruptive Crime
- - -
This was my first Michael Brissenden read and definitely won’t be my last. He’s nailed my rural Australian crime book style packed with grit, small town secrets and a whole lot of (dusty) atmosphere.
The setup is classic crime gold starting with a dry lake, a dead body and some sharp police procedural writing. If that doesn’t scream ‘buckle up for this book’ I don’t know what does.
But it doesn’t stop there. Add in corruption, shady characters and organised crime and it’s the perfect recipe for a fast, punchy crime drama.
Interestingly, this is the second book in a month I’ve read that touches on the topic of wind farms. Renewable energy and its impacts are something my own family feels the effects of so it was fascinating to see it woven into a crime story.
This was a brilliant, fast paced read that gripped me from the start. Huge thanks to Affirm Press for putting both this book and Michael Brissenden firmly on my radar.
October 8, 2025
1/10 - Regional Australia, in a drought ravaged town of Lake Heron, Aaron discovers a freshly revealed corpse in the recently dried up lake. The local detective Marty helps to uncover the evidence linked to Aaron’s missing father, organised crime, conspiracy theories and corruption in a small community.
This was so breathtakingly boring. Audiobook VA was far too monotonous for this. I’m unsure if my boredom is the VA or the story.
It was supposed to give Chris Hammer, Scrublands vibes but missed the opportunity. We’re missing a likeable community, and all the atmospheric details of a drought. It was also disgustingly misogynistic, with far-right commentary, and foul/gritty/crude language (this pushed my boundaries for tolerance on the swearing, and I’m no wallflower). The misogyny and language were part of the storyline, but with similar content and opinions as part of the current real world news cycle, I struggled with it.
This was so breathtakingly boring. Audiobook VA was far too monotonous for this. I’m unsure if my boredom is the VA or the story.
It was supposed to give Chris Hammer, Scrublands vibes but missed the opportunity. We’re missing a likeable community, and all the atmospheric details of a drought. It was also disgustingly misogynistic, with far-right commentary, and foul/gritty/crude language (this pushed my boundaries for tolerance on the swearing, and I’m no wallflower). The misogyny and language were part of the storyline, but with similar content and opinions as part of the current real world news cycle, I struggled with it.
October 14, 2025
Another propulsive and atmospheric crime fiction read from Michael Brissenden.
September 9, 2025
After trying his hand at setting his crime fiction in America (Smoke), former Australian journalist Michael Brissenden comes back home and a range of home grown issues in his new novel Dust. Set in a drying, dying community in the west of New South Wales, Brissenden takes on issues of environment, renewable energy, climate protest, crime and corruption.
Dust opens with the discovery of a body on the bed of the drying Lake Heddon. That body is journalist Charles Goodman and its discovery brings two cops out from Sydney. Marten Kravets is the veteran, under a cloud following the shooting of his partner, and his younger partner Weldon immediately butt heads with Blasko, the local copper. Meanwhile, the boy who found the body, Aaron Love, is looking for his father Tobias, who went missing two years before and was presumed dead. Aaron is joined in his search by Shona, a girl who had come into his life and had also disappeared. The pair are, in turn, being hunted by Tobias, who is deep in the criminal underworld.
There are a lot of moving parts in Dust. The above does not even get to the role of Kravets’ nineteen year old daughter, or the constant background of anti-climate reporting that is stirring up the locals against renewable energy projects, even when they can look out their door and see the impact of climate change on the dried lake that used to bring tourists into town. Then there are the motorcycle gangs and politicians. Brissenden manages to keep all of these balls in the air and bring the whole together to a tense finale.
The characters and their situations are used to explore some particularly sensitive hot button issues in Australian society at the moment. But it often feels that that is what they are there for – whether it is the nineteen year old who has joined Extinction Rebellion or the former truckie using fear of government, supercharged by Covid lockdowns, to support his criminal enterprise. Brissenden has plenty to say in Dust but he can’t seem to quite leave his journalistic style and instincts behind, so while he informs the narrative sometimes feels a little forced and does not always engage.
Dust opens with the discovery of a body on the bed of the drying Lake Heddon. That body is journalist Charles Goodman and its discovery brings two cops out from Sydney. Marten Kravets is the veteran, under a cloud following the shooting of his partner, and his younger partner Weldon immediately butt heads with Blasko, the local copper. Meanwhile, the boy who found the body, Aaron Love, is looking for his father Tobias, who went missing two years before and was presumed dead. Aaron is joined in his search by Shona, a girl who had come into his life and had also disappeared. The pair are, in turn, being hunted by Tobias, who is deep in the criminal underworld.
There are a lot of moving parts in Dust. The above does not even get to the role of Kravets’ nineteen year old daughter, or the constant background of anti-climate reporting that is stirring up the locals against renewable energy projects, even when they can look out their door and see the impact of climate change on the dried lake that used to bring tourists into town. Then there are the motorcycle gangs and politicians. Brissenden manages to keep all of these balls in the air and bring the whole together to a tense finale.
The characters and their situations are used to explore some particularly sensitive hot button issues in Australian society at the moment. But it often feels that that is what they are there for – whether it is the nineteen year old who has joined Extinction Rebellion or the former truckie using fear of government, supercharged by Covid lockdowns, to support his criminal enterprise. Brissenden has plenty to say in Dust but he can’t seem to quite leave his journalistic style and instincts behind, so while he informs the narrative sometimes feels a little forced and does not always engage.
September 15, 2025
Our Review...
Most readers will know Michael Brissenden from his thirty-five-year journalism career at the ABC where, among other roles, he was a foreign correspondent, political editor for the 7.30 Report and an investigative reporter with Four Corners. But Brissenden is quickly establishing himself on the Australian crime writing scene as a writer of fast paced, nuanced thrillers that are character driven and that shine a light on forgotten communities at the edges of Australian society.
In Dust Brissenden takes us to the fictional town of Lake Herrod, a once thriving fishing and holidaying village that has fallen on hard times, with the eponymous lake drying up and developers moving in for a quick kill on cheap land. When the body of an investigative journalist is found in the lakebed, the discovery brings unwanted attention to the fringe dwellers in the all-but-abandoned caravan parks and motels that line the interstate transport routes through the town. They are the forgotten people, left behind by state and federal governments and their large-scale plans for the national energy transition to renewables.
Brissenden weaves a complex web of corrupt trucking companies, bikies running drugs and prostitution, and the disenfranchised who have fallen down the rabbit holes of the sovereign citizens, the cookers and conspiracy theorists. And underlying it all, is a beautifully crafted police procedural headed by Martyn Kravets and his green off-sider, Weldon. Their relationship lies at the heart of the book as they develop a grudging respect for the way each goes about their police work.
This is a gritty crime thriller that examines poverty, disadvantage and extremism, without ever allowing them to dominate the narrative. Ultimately, Dust is a sharply observed crime novel with great characters and brilliant evocation of place. It is unflinching in its observations of the fringe-dwellers of Australian society and the injustices they feel they have had visited upon them – and the desperate lengths they are willing to go to preserve what little they have.
Readers who enjoyed Brissenden’s 2024 novel, Smoke, will love Dust.
Review by Mark Smith - author and friend @ Great Escape Books
Most readers will know Michael Brissenden from his thirty-five-year journalism career at the ABC where, among other roles, he was a foreign correspondent, political editor for the 7.30 Report and an investigative reporter with Four Corners. But Brissenden is quickly establishing himself on the Australian crime writing scene as a writer of fast paced, nuanced thrillers that are character driven and that shine a light on forgotten communities at the edges of Australian society.
In Dust Brissenden takes us to the fictional town of Lake Herrod, a once thriving fishing and holidaying village that has fallen on hard times, with the eponymous lake drying up and developers moving in for a quick kill on cheap land. When the body of an investigative journalist is found in the lakebed, the discovery brings unwanted attention to the fringe dwellers in the all-but-abandoned caravan parks and motels that line the interstate transport routes through the town. They are the forgotten people, left behind by state and federal governments and their large-scale plans for the national energy transition to renewables.
Brissenden weaves a complex web of corrupt trucking companies, bikies running drugs and prostitution, and the disenfranchised who have fallen down the rabbit holes of the sovereign citizens, the cookers and conspiracy theorists. And underlying it all, is a beautifully crafted police procedural headed by Martyn Kravets and his green off-sider, Weldon. Their relationship lies at the heart of the book as they develop a grudging respect for the way each goes about their police work.
This is a gritty crime thriller that examines poverty, disadvantage and extremism, without ever allowing them to dominate the narrative. Ultimately, Dust is a sharply observed crime novel with great characters and brilliant evocation of place. It is unflinching in its observations of the fringe-dwellers of Australian society and the injustices they feel they have had visited upon them – and the desperate lengths they are willing to go to preserve what little they have.
Readers who enjoyed Brissenden’s 2024 novel, Smoke, will love Dust.
Review by Mark Smith - author and friend @ Great Escape Books
September 10, 2025
I was really excited to get to listen to Dust by Michael Brissenden. I haven’t read any of his books before, but am a fan of Chris Hammer and was recommended Brissenden’s books by fellow Hammer book fans.
Firstly, this book was brilliantly narrated by David Field. I thought he really brought the book to life.
It begins in the outback community of Lake Herrod, which is dying along with its lake. Almost everyone has left, and those that remain struggle to eke out a living. Aaron Love, a young man with no family, barely gets by pulling out vehicles that get stuck in the lake. One day he discovers a corpse in the lakebed and a hard disk drive which contains explosive secrets, which set him on his own journey of discovery.
Detective Martyn Kravets, a Sydney city-cop under investigation, finds himself being sent to Lake Herrod to investigate the murder which leads him to the underbelly of desperate people struggling to survive in the outback and conspiracy theories.
The book is pacy and moves at pace between the Aaron Love thread and Kravets thread. I thought it was a very atmospheric outback-noir with the pressing backdrop of the drought, the push for renewable energy, political corruption, police corruption and biker gangs.
It feels like this is could be the first in a series of Kravets books. I really hope that it is!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, W.F. Howes Ltd, for making this e-audio-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Firstly, this book was brilliantly narrated by David Field. I thought he really brought the book to life.
It begins in the outback community of Lake Herrod, which is dying along with its lake. Almost everyone has left, and those that remain struggle to eke out a living. Aaron Love, a young man with no family, barely gets by pulling out vehicles that get stuck in the lake. One day he discovers a corpse in the lakebed and a hard disk drive which contains explosive secrets, which set him on his own journey of discovery.
Detective Martyn Kravets, a Sydney city-cop under investigation, finds himself being sent to Lake Herrod to investigate the murder which leads him to the underbelly of desperate people struggling to survive in the outback and conspiracy theories.
The book is pacy and moves at pace between the Aaron Love thread and Kravets thread. I thought it was a very atmospheric outback-noir with the pressing backdrop of the drought, the push for renewable energy, political corruption, police corruption and biker gangs.
It feels like this is could be the first in a series of Kravets books. I really hope that it is!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, W.F. Howes Ltd, for making this e-audio-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 26, 2025
I finished this today while I was siting doing an infusion, don't worry its not a C infusion.
I found this very interesting to be honest with you all. I usually only read British type crime novel, and this was an Australian crime story. I found it enjoyable to read, because I actually knew what they meant with the "movements".
I enjoyed the contrast between outback and city. If you're an Aussie you can recognise a lot of real life in the novel. As an example (without hopefully spoiling too much) How long it took his daughter to get up to visit him. Australia is really that big.
The story itself was...I don't want to say "fun", but for a crime novel, I felt it was fun. It was kind of all over the place, but all wrapped up nicely into a little bow. Is this person REALLY dead, who is that person. It was a lot of fun to try and figure out who was doing what and WHY they did that.
I found the conclusion a little sad, I felt like one of the protagonists deserved a better ending. However, it left with a lot of good questions. For example, is that really what happened, or are people protecting each other. Usually an ending like that would leave me unhappy, I like an ending to happen. Somehow, it fits into this novel. It does make you think at the end there, what really did happen.
Is there a twin?! I still think there is a twin out there!
I found this very interesting to be honest with you all. I usually only read British type crime novel, and this was an Australian crime story. I found it enjoyable to read, because I actually knew what they meant with the "movements".
I enjoyed the contrast between outback and city. If you're an Aussie you can recognise a lot of real life in the novel. As an example (without hopefully spoiling too much) How long it took his daughter to get up to visit him. Australia is really that big.
The story itself was...I don't want to say "fun", but for a crime novel, I felt it was fun. It was kind of all over the place, but all wrapped up nicely into a little bow. Is this person REALLY dead, who is that person. It was a lot of fun to try and figure out who was doing what and WHY they did that.
I found the conclusion a little sad, I felt like one of the protagonists deserved a better ending. However, it left with a lot of good questions. For example, is that really what happened, or are people protecting each other. Usually an ending like that would leave me unhappy, I like an ending to happen. Somehow, it fits into this novel. It does make you think at the end there, what really did happen.
Is there a twin?! I still think there is a twin out there!
September 7, 2025
"Dust" by Michael Brissenden is a dark and atmospheric Australian crime thriller set in the once-thriving rural community of Lake Heddon, which is now on the brink of collapse due to a severe drought that has left the nearby lake nearly dry.
I struggled to connect with this book, and I'm not sure why. I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Field, and I knew I was challenging myself since I often have difficulty with male narrators. While it sometimes works for me, most of the time it doesn't, so it could just be me! The beginning is a bit slow, with obscure character relationships that take time to unravel. If a reader prefers a book that jumps straight into the action, this could be a drawback.
The story follows Aaron Love, who discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed. This discovery is just the beginning of a larger mystery. Along with the corpse, Aaron finds evidence suggesting that his father, who went missing years ago, is still alive and connected to a significant organised crime syndicate...
I struggled to connect with this book, and I'm not sure why. I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Field, and I knew I was challenging myself since I often have difficulty with male narrators. While it sometimes works for me, most of the time it doesn't, so it could just be me! The beginning is a bit slow, with obscure character relationships that take time to unravel. If a reader prefers a book that jumps straight into the action, this could be a drawback.
The story follows Aaron Love, who discovers a fresh corpse near the cracked lakebed. This discovery is just the beginning of a larger mystery. Along with the corpse, Aaron finds evidence suggesting that his father, who went missing years ago, is still alive and connected to a significant organised crime syndicate...
November 29, 2025
I'm so happy that Aussie journalist Michael Brissenden has turned to write fiction, and crime fiction at that. Dust is set in the fictional town of Lake Heddon, where the lake has all but dried up. Local resident Aaron Love has just found the body of missing journalist Charles Goodman. Aaron's father, Tobias aka Dog, disappeared two years ago and was presumed to have drowned in the lake. Sydney crime squad detectives Martyn Kravets and Fiona Weldon are sent to Lake Heddon to investigate. They don't get much help from local Sergeant, Clem Basko. Aaron found a hard drive with Goodman's body, which contains recent photos of Tobias Love, with bikies and trucks from the Feingold transport company. Kravets and Weldon interview Aaron Love to find out what he knows, including about his father's activities before he died. They go down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and end up finding evidence of corruption which leads to the police commissioner and government ministers. When Kravets' daughter is involved in a climate change protest, things start to escalate.
December 21, 2025
I inhemska magasin (ja, jag inkluderar nya zeeländska, några hundra mil spelar väl ingen roll…?) har Brissendens kriminalromaner hyllats för hur välskrivna och intressanta de är. Och visst, den är något mer ”litterär” än din standarddeckare… men mest via mer text och fler utläggningar. Dessutom driver den ”woke”-medvetenheten minst lika långt som sina samtida, vilket jag (som vanligt) finner tröttsamt; Författaren får inte både miljökris, anti-vaxxers, traficking, droghandel och allmän högerextremism. Tillsammans med politisk korruption, polisbrutalitet och mord, obvs. Och ja, grupperna som ägnar sig åt sånt har ofta stor gemensam tårtbit i ett Venn-diagram, men det blir lite… mycket grädde.
Jaja, det funkar okej. Och det är alltid mer värt att läsa deckare där kängurur hoppar längs vägarna.
Jaja, det funkar okej. Och det är alltid mer värt att läsa deckare där kängurur hoppar längs vägarna.
November 11, 2025
2.6ish 🌟
A book about extremism. On both sides.
The right wing conspiracy theory racist 🍆heads and bloody Extinction Rebellion.
I appreciated that the corrupt muderous cop admitted that he doesn’t even believe in the conspiracy theories anymore but just sees it as a money making opportunity. Because that’s so much of the right wing grift imo.
In conclusion, WHY DID THEY HAVE TO KILL THE KID?! Just to keep things bleak?
Also there were a few times where you were meant to make inferences - “know what I’m saying Kravets?” When I in fact did not know. In that particular instance I think maybe the police commander was telling the police person to kill somebody?!
“He’s trying to think of people he knows in Marrickville, people she might know. No one comes to mind. Uni lecturers, students, writers, the odd bohemian barrister, a few bankers in denial.” 🤣
On realising the grift - “They turn a blind eye when it suits them. We thought we were working against them, turns out they were using us all along, like they always have.”
A book about extremism. On both sides.
The right wing conspiracy theory racist 🍆heads and bloody Extinction Rebellion.
I appreciated that the corrupt muderous cop admitted that he doesn’t even believe in the conspiracy theories anymore but just sees it as a money making opportunity. Because that’s so much of the right wing grift imo.
In conclusion, WHY DID THEY HAVE TO KILL THE KID?! Just to keep things bleak?
Also there were a few times where you were meant to make inferences - “know what I’m saying Kravets?” When I in fact did not know. In that particular instance I think maybe the police commander was telling the police person to kill somebody?!
“He’s trying to think of people he knows in Marrickville, people she might know. No one comes to mind. Uni lecturers, students, writers, the odd bohemian barrister, a few bankers in denial.” 🤣
On realising the grift - “They turn a blind eye when it suits them. We thought we were working against them, turns out they were using us all along, like they always have.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
Yeah, okay but with flaws. Another outback Australian crime thriller that had its moments. To me, it seemed too overwrought at times, okay, most of the time. It was as though the author had been aware of the very many outback crime novels previously written and decided ‘All right, one killing - not enough, let’s have four or five. Just one criminal? Nah, let’s have conspiracies with bikie gangs and far-right loonies.’ And, of course, there must be disfunctional families in the mix. “This time, it’s personal!” My first Brissenden book, having seen his television presence some years ago. Don’t know if I have another of his stories to read. So many books, so little time…
September 14, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Dust by Michael Brissenden
This was a gripping and atmospheric read set in a once vibrant and bustling town now dying out around a dried up lake bed. When Aaron Love discovers a body, it sets off an investigation that also stirs up long buried questions about his missing father. Detective Martyn Kravets joins him as the story delves into corruption, betrayal and a community on the brink.
The sense of place was powerful, the characters well drawn, and the story built into a compelling thriller that balances tension with depth.
This was a gripping and atmospheric read set in a once vibrant and bustling town now dying out around a dried up lake bed. When Aaron Love discovers a body, it sets off an investigation that also stirs up long buried questions about his missing father. Detective Martyn Kravets joins him as the story delves into corruption, betrayal and a community on the brink.
The sense of place was powerful, the characters well drawn, and the story built into a compelling thriller that balances tension with depth.
September 19, 2025
I really enjoyed Michael's previous book "Smoke" and "Dust" is even better. He's now firmly planted on my must-read author list. This is a genuine page turner that I didn't want to put down.
The setting is a dying country town in western NSW, and we start with a murdered journalist's body being found at a nearly dry lake. The story builds to slowly reveal a convoluted web of crime. Excellent characters and a brilliant plot for this thriller that does not disappoint.
The setting is a dying country town in western NSW, and we start with a murdered journalist's body being found at a nearly dry lake. The story builds to slowly reveal a convoluted web of crime. Excellent characters and a brilliant plot for this thriller that does not disappoint.
November 9, 2025
A compelling crime thriller with engaging storytelling and well developed characters.
The audiobook narration was great, perfectly capturing the dark and gritty tone of the story. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable, Highly recommended for fans of Australian crime fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and WF Howes limited for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The audiobook narration was great, perfectly capturing the dark and gritty tone of the story. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable, Highly recommended for fans of Australian crime fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and WF Howes limited for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 2, 2026
Dust is a well written book that captures what it can be like when drought takes over small communities and the people living there are left looking for someone to blame. The Author also explores the dark side of police and political corruption and while the ending is probably realistic, it was a bit too dark and open ended leaving an unsatisfying feeling when you close the book.
January 3, 2026
Hated this.
A mish mash of old cop, cynical, sad he accidentally shot his partner, new bouncy Make-A-Difference cop, bad old school cop in small town, conspiracy nutters, climate deniers, climate eco-terrorists, drug dealers, bikies, etc etc.
It's just depressing and not interesting unless you like reading about nutters.
A mish mash of old cop, cynical, sad he accidentally shot his partner, new bouncy Make-A-Difference cop, bad old school cop in small town, conspiracy nutters, climate deniers, climate eco-terrorists, drug dealers, bikies, etc etc.
It's just depressing and not interesting unless you like reading about nutters.
January 5, 2026
A body is discovered by a dry lake in a small country town. He was a journalist and had begun asking questions about a man who disappeared a couple of years ago. So begins quite a tangled story about drugs, sovereign citizens and missing people. Detectives arise from Sydney to find the killer. It seemed too small a town to have so much going on.
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