Cold River

by Margaret Hickey

Deep in the mountains, secrets grow deadly . . .

Detective Constable Sally White knows how easily hikers can go missing in Victoria's high country. But there's something about the disappearance of Louis Taylor, a young man lost up Mount Viking, that's not sitting right with her.

Louis was an aspiring journalist, researching the illegal tobacco trade - also known as chop chop - that was once so prevalent in the area. And the last person he interviewed before his hike has just met a gruesome end . . .

But with no other leads, and with the search winding down, Sally is forced to accept the young man died in a tragic accident.

Until she learns of another missing person case that bears striking similarities. Astrid Marlowe, a young lawyer, vanished in the same mountains two years before.

Were Louis and Astrid simply unlucky hikers lost in the treacherous terrain? Or did they both stumble into something - or someone - they shouldn't?

Audible Audio

Expected publication July 28, 2026

About the author

Margaret Hickey is an award-winning author and playwright from North East Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and is deeply interested in rural lives and communities. She is the author of Cutters End and Stone Town.