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Where Truth Ends

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What if everything you believed in was a lie? Truth and betrayal collide in the new Mark Smith thriller, perfect for fans of Christian White and Lisa Jewell.


Meg Maher thought she was doing the right thing. Now she's on the run.

When a peaceful climate protest ends with a violent explosion in the city centre, every anonymous member of the group becomes a suspect. The incident is declared a terrorist attack.

But the authorities aren't the only ones hunting Meg.

Scared and alone, Meg seeks refuge with her father, Luke, knowing that every word she says puts him in danger too. But as the terrorism investigation closes in, Meg is forced to question her friends, her cause, even herself. Was the non-violent activist group infiltrated from the start? Or has someone twisted their mission beyond recognition?

What happens when the truth is the first thing to burn?

Where Truth Ends is a taut, character-driven thriller by award-winning author of Three Boys Gone Mark Smith, about when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival.

335 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

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About the author

Mark Smith

7 books130 followers
Mark Smith lives on the west coast of Victoria, Australia, He is the author of four novels: The Road To Winter, Wilder Country, Land of Fences and If Not Us (all Text Publishing). Wilder Country won the 2018 Australian Indie Book Award for YA. Mark is also an award winning writer of short fiction. He is the co-curator of Mind Went Walking, The Songs of Paul Kelly Reimagined and Into Your Arms, The Songs of Nick Cave Reimagined (both Fremantle Press). HIs first adult novel will be published by Pan Macmillan in January 2025

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Rebecca.
610 reviews904 followers
June 13, 2026
“The truth doesn’t disappear. It waits.”

Where Truth Ends had me doing that thing where you tell yourself, “Just one more chapter,” and suddenly it’s way past your bedtime.

Mark Smith has delivered another tense, atmospheric thriller that keeps the pressure on from the very first page. The story unfolds with plenty of twists, secrets, and moments that made me suspicious of absolutely everyone. Every time I thought I had things figured out, the book cheerfully proved me wrong.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the sense of unease running through the whole novel. There’s a constant feeling that something isn’t quite right, and Smith does a great job of building that tension without giving too much away. The pacing is sharp, the stakes keep rising, and the mystery pulls you along at full speed.

The characters feel believable and flawed, which made their decisions all the more frustrating and entertaining. I found myself alternating between wanting to shake them and desperately needing to know what happened next.

If you enjoy crime fiction packed with secrets, suspense, and enough twists to give your brain a workout, Where Truth Ends is well worth picking up. It’s the kind of book that keeps you guessing right up until the final pages and then leaves you thinking about it afterwards.

I highly Recommend.

Thank you Pan Macmillan and Mark Smith for my early readers copy.

Available Now!
Profile Image for Marianne.
4,657 reviews360 followers
May 31, 2026
Where Truth Ends is the second novel for adults by award-winning, bestselling Australian author, Mark Smith. Frustrated by industry’s influence over government climate policy, and the draconian rules about staging public protests, Meg Mehan aligns with a group calling themselves No Planet B. NPB stays under the radar by having no office, no organisational trail, and no footprint. Members remain anonymous to each other.

On a secret camp weekend in Otways, Meg learns that their plan is for short, sharp guerilla-style actions that cause maximum disruption in the community but without violence or harm: flashmobs with a message, one of them quips. But, three months on, what looks like a successful protest suddenly turns, when a bomb goes off, and the police label it a terrorist act.

This has serious ramifications for those who took part. Whereas unauthorised protests attract fines and the threat of jail terms, anyone involved in terrorist action faces prison, and anyone harbouring someone suspected of a terrorist act will face legal action.

Meg is fairly sure she stayed under the radar, masked and suited until these could be safely shed, but now she and fellow protestors are the target of a police search. Seeking refuge with her parents makes them vulnerable if she is identified.

Deciding to take what she knows to the police seems her only course of action, but she can’t help wanting to know who has tried to discredit the climate activist group by turning their peaceful protest violent. Several aspects about it ring alarm bells for her, and when she realises she’s being watched by someone not police, she understands she is in danger.

Smith gives the reader a tightly plotted story where no suspension of disbelief is required: everything that happens is entirely believable. His settings are wonderfully described; his characters, their behaviour and dialogue, wholly credible; the community mindset and the attitudes of those in authority ring true. The bonus is his gutsy protagonist and the nail-biting climax. Thought-provoking and extremely topical, this is Mark Smith’s best yet.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Pan Macmillan Australia
Profile Image for Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf).
981 reviews197 followers
May 28, 2026
⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
Where Truth Ends immediately had me fixated! Mark Smith is an Aussie crime author to watch out for, this story is an absolutely intriguing and enjoyable read that is set in Melbourne, Australia!

A peaceful protest goes horribly wrong for a young protester in a way you couldn’t imagine.

The story is set in two timelines as we follow Meg Maher a young climate activist who suddenly and surprisingly becomes labelled as a terrorist when she is betrayed. Megs association with the activists maybe not what it seems as her life is thrown into chaos. Meanwhile Meg’s parents are facing a moral dilemma.

The story is gripping and fast paced with totally thriller vibes. Such a powerful read that had me thinking. A timely read for everyone! Highly recommended.

Publication Date 26 May 2026
Publisher Imprint Macmillan Australia

Thank you so much Macmillan Australia and Mark Smith for an early copy of the book.
Profile Image for Mandy White (mandylovestoread).
2,964 reviews921 followers
May 22, 2026
Three Boys Gone was one of my top reads for 2024 so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Where Truth Ends from Mark Smith and the lovely people at Pan Macmillan Australia. Once again he has knocked it out of the park and some with this tense and powerful story. When I wasn’t able to be reading it I was thinking about it, the sign of a great book. It will be a top read for 2026 easily

Set in Melbourne, we meet Meg who is passionate about the environment and climate. She becomes fed up with the government seemingly doing anything to make real change so she joins an environmental group to help get the word out that things need to change sooner rather than later. It is meant to be a peaceful protest without nobody getting hurt, just some traffic disruption. But when an explosion goes off in the centre of the city, Meg becomes a fugitive on the run, and a suspected terrorist. Scared, she runs to her parents and confesses all, making them complicit in harbouring her.

Oh my goodness! this book is intense! I wish I had been able to read it in one sitting, it was so hard to tear myself away. I really felt for Meg, even though she made some terrible decisions, she thought that she was doing the right thing. As parent I was torn, what would I have done in that situation. I hope that I never have to find out.

I loved the Melbourne setting, a city that I have visited quite regularly in my life and know it quite well.i could picture the story happening in my head and would love to see this on the screen one day.

Mark Smith just wow! amazing. Please come to Sydney for events, I would love to hear you talk about this book.
Profile Image for Anabela.
344 reviews16 followers
May 31, 2026
From the very first page I could not put this down. This is a tense, fast-paced thriller that feels frighteningly plausible in today’s political climate.

Meg and a group of climate activists plan what is meant to be a peaceful protest in Melbourne, a disruption designed to force people to pay attention to the climate crisis. But within minutes of leaving the scene, the truck carrying the group explodes in the middle of the city, and suddenly they are being hunted as terrorists.

As Meg goes on the run, scared, isolated, and unsure who she can trust, she begins trying to uncover who planted the bomb and why. When members of the activist group begin turning up dead in what appear to be tragic accidents, the danger becomes impossible to ignore and the tension ramps up with every chapter.

I loved the premise of this story and how relevant it feels right now, exploring the intersection of activism, politics, power, and the financial interests willing to destroy a good cause to protect themselves. The story raises thought-provoking questions without losing the momentum of a gripping thriller.

Told across dual timelines, we follow Meg in the present as she desperately searches for answers, while also seeing the events from three months earlier when she first became involved with the activist group and their mission. The structure worked brilliantly to build suspense and slowly reveal the truth.

The short, sharp chapters kept me flying through the pages, and the characters felt layered and believable, especially Meg as she wrestled with fear, loyalty, and impossible choices. A compelling, high-stakes thriller that is both entertaining and unsettling in equal measure.

Thank you so much to @macmillanaus and @marksmithauthor for this review copy.
Profile Image for Natalie M.
1,570 reviews94 followers
August 3, 2026
Unexpected!

The blurb sounded relatively generic, but I can’t skip an Australian author. What unfolded was so much more and I really enjoyed the very strong female protagonist Meg. The Melbourne setting worked perfectly and the underlying message was powerfully delivered.

Definitely one to read.
Profile Image for Nerelle Donnelly.
261 reviews7 followers
June 27, 2026
This one was a hard one for me and I’ll do my best to enlighten you a little as to why.

There were many things I really liked about this book, including the way Mark brings the story to life. Not with an adrenalin fuelled, fast paced actions, but with a storyline that weaves and twists, building in suspense and captivating you with intrigue and secrets.

The characters were heartfelt and you couldn’t help but feel for Meg, the main protagonist who is questioning everything she thought she knew, her parents Luke and Kirsty who are dragged into the chaos, and Tess, who has an innocence that seems to emanate from her.

I can’t say that I know Melbourne much, with only one visit under my belt, but the descriptions were fabulous. I willing tagged along with Meg and others while they travelled around the city, picking up on familiar landmarks and locations along the way. Melbourne really is a beautiful city.

So basically, I really loved the experience of reading Where Truth End, and I would highly recommend it.

Now for the part that I found a little conflicting for me…..the actions and beliefs of Meg’s character in particular, just didn’t sit well with me and I found it difficult to connect with her throughout the book, especially for a large part of the early story.

When I say that things didn’t sit well with me, I am talking on the protesting side of things, which is a major theme of the book. Now don’t get me wrong, I agree with freedom of speech and the right to protest, but I have very strong feelings about people believing that their rights outweigh the rights of others. Protest if you want, but I don’t believe you have a right to impede on or interrupt anyone else going about their lives, their business, their enjoyment of life.

I don’t believe for a second that everyone will agree with me, and I’m ok with that, but I wanted to keep my review honest, and this is part of the reason why I’m not shouting from the rooftops like I did for Mark’s previous book, Three Boys Gone.

For those with different views to mine, I am sure you will absolutely love this book….for those with views similar to mine, it’s a great book but you may need to push through those parts a little.

#wheretruthends
#marksmith
#protestgonewrong
#panmacmillianaustralia
Profile Image for E Brodie.
308 reviews22 followers
May 30, 2026
Mark Smith is the master of weaving high-stakes moral dilemmas into everyday domestic settings. He did it in his last novel, Three Boys Gone, and he's done it again in his latest release, Where Truth Ends.

Meg thought she was doing the right thing when she participated in a peaceful climate protest in Melbourne's CBD. The protestors' identities were kept secret – even from each other – and that was how it was meant to stay. But when a bomb explodes from the protest vehicle after they've abandoned it, a horrified Meg suspects she has been manipulated into something far more dangerous. The incident is declared an act of terrorism, the city goes on high alert, and police begin closing in. When a fellow protestor is killed not long after in a supposed hit and run, Meg realises she may not be safe. She's right.

I won't say what happens next, but if you enjoy intense reads, you're probably going to binge this.

Like a catchy song that becomes an earworm, this author's stories burrow deep into your brain, staying long after you've turned the last page. What would you do in Meg's situation? If you were her parent, would you encourage her to turn herself in to police or do everything you could to protect her from the severe penalties that come with terrorism laws?

Smith explores all angles from two POVs (Meg and her father Luke) with chapters alternating between present day and three months earlier. The characters feel real and almost recognisable, particularly if you're familiar with the political scene in Victoria in recent years. And this is what I love about Australian thrillers. While trope-heavy page-turners by prolific and popular American authors are entertaining and addictive, Aussie crime thrillers have an authenticity and realism about them that make them hit harder.

Do you agree?
Profile Image for Kimmy C.
695 reviews9 followers
June 19, 2026
Meg has joined an under-the-radar eco-action group - No Planet B - and eagerly awaits their first demonstration in the centre of Melbourne. After a training weekend at a remote property, full-on anonymity tactics for the participants, and a seemingly well organised procedure, she and the fellow demonstrators perform as planned - backup clothing stashed, full disguise, flares, slogans. They disperse into the city, and return to their former lives, satisfied in the knowledge that they’ve proved a point. Then: reports come in of an explosion in the city centre - from the same vehicle they used as the protest base.
From that point onwards, everything changes. Seeking shelter and advice from her parents, Meg puts them in danger, and then soon it’s not only the authorities seeking the activists - someone has started killing the members of NPB.
Well written, and proceeding at a cracking pace, this puts a different slant on the eco-action activists, and those who oppose them, and those who control them. Too hard to not hint at any spoilers,but do yourself a favour and read this.
Profile Image for Cass Moriarty.
Author 2 books194 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 15, 2026
Is it ever okay to do the wrong thing for the right reason? Or to do the right thing for the wrong reason? In author Mark Smith’s fifth book (his second crime novel for adults) WHERE TRUTH ENDS (Pan Macmillon 2026), he explores these questions amidst the contemporary setting of climate emergency and collapse, the unsustainability of fossil fuels, revolution, intimidation, violence, extreme protest action, extinction, floods, fires and oceans full of plastic.

The story is told in two timelines: the present day, when university student Meg is on the run from a peaceful protest gone horribly wrong, and three months earlier, when she first encounters the group No Planet B (NPB) and makes a conscious decision to help them in their attempts to protest in such a way that the government and large corporations are forced to take notice. But the plan doesn’t go as suspected, and Meg is confused about whether this was accidental, or whether she has been caught up in something much bigger and more sinister than she imagined.

Smith’s novels always centre on environmental issues, and his strong advocacy for climate change, climate attention and climate action are woven seamlessly through strong plot lines of crime, survivability or tragedy. In WHERE TRUTH ENDS, the reader is allowed deep into the interiority of Meg’s mind as she goes about her normal life, with her loving parents and her long-term partner, while sizzling inside her is the determination to ‘do something’ about the environment she witnesses failing around the planet. She thinks she is connecting with good, like-minded people who support her vision, but as time goes on, it becomes obvious that she knows little about the people she has chosen to trust, and that she faces very real and dire consequences as a result of her involvement.

The two timelines are a very effective and clever way of incorporating how – over a period of only three months – someone might be indoctrinated into a world view that is perhaps misleading, exaggerated, misidentified or even criminal. The novel then evolves into the limited choices Meg has to redeem herself and make things right.

The other characters, especially Meg’s parents and some of the others in the protest group, are well-drawn and complex. Smith makes it comprehensible to see just how easy it would be to become drawn into a complicated activist group without being able to see the whole picture. Meg (and her parents) have some extremely difficult ethical questions to answer, and the wrong choices may have life-long effects.

I love Meg’s enthusiasm, her vivacity, her ideals and her motivations. I love how dedicated she is to her beliefs and to how she thinks she can best effect change. She is smart, enthusiastic, vulnerable, morally and emotionally intelligent, and thinks deeply about issues of the world and issues closer to home, regarding those she cares about. She is a flawed heroine who must negotiate unexpected challenges while staying true to her beliefs, and finding out not only where the truth begins, but also where it ends.
Profile Image for Lisa Matheson.
97 reviews
June 8, 2026
Where truth ends
✍️ @marksmithauthor
📚 @panmacmillan @macmillanaus
📅 26 May. 2026

5 🌟

Talk about a pulsating thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat holding your breath until the last page is read. WILD!

Once i started this, I could not stop. Totally bingeworthy!

It's:
A powerful story
Thought provoking
A Morally complex, cat & mouse thriller
Set in Australia (Melbourne)
Suspected terrorist
Intense
Family
Locality
Twists & turns
Lies
Parenting ?what would you do in that situation
A brave, flawed FMC
Secrets
Gripping
Violence
Dual timelines
Environmental issues
Climate change
Complex characters
Character driven
Fear
Got an epic ending!

Meg Maher thought she was doing the right thing. Now she's on the run.

When a peaceful climate protest ends with a violent explosion in the city centre, every member of the protest group becomes a suspect. The incident is declared a terrorist attack.

But the authorities aren't the only ones hunting Meg.

Scared and alone, Meg seeks refuge with her father, Luke, knowing that every word she says puts him in danger too. But as the terrorism investigation closes in, Meg is forced to question everything: her friends, her cause, even herself. Was her group of activists infiltrated from the start? Or has someone twisted their mission beyond recognition?

What happens when the truth is the first thing to burn?

I just loved it! Its such a political thriller must read!

❓️ What is one book you think everyone in the world needs to read? Mid week check in - how are you and what's your current read?

For me. This is that book! I am just back at work after holidays so hating the alarm clock already 🙈 otherwise, I am well. .My CR Dark Sanctuary- 2 chapters to go!!!
Profile Image for Becs' reads Australia .
262 reviews7 followers
June 6, 2026
🎧 Where Truth Ends by Mark Smith 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @marksmithauthor🇦🇺

I absolutely loved Three boys Gone.🙌 One of my favourite books of 2025. 🏆 So I was super eager to get my hands (and ears) on Mark Smith's new psychological thriller.

From the very start of the book you are land in the choas.💣 Its based in Melbourne with the occasional reference to Gippsland, Victoria!!! 🏞 You feel like you are constantly on the run with Meg trying to work out what is really going on and who you can trust.

This was a fast paced gripping, suspenseful thriller with twists and lots of red herrings. My favourite kind of read.

"Meg Maher thought she was doing the right thing. Now she's on the run.

When a peaceful climate protest ends with a violent explosion in the city centre, every member of the protest group becomes a suspect. The incident is declared a terrorist attack.

But the authorities aren't the only ones hunting Meg.

Scared and alone, Meg seeks refuge with her father, Luke, knowing that every word she says puts him in danger too. But as the terrorism investigation closes in, Meg is forced to question everything: her friends, her cause, even herself. Was her group of activists infiltrated from the start? Or has someone twisted their mission beyond recognition?

What happens when the truth is the first thing to burn?"

Where Truth Ends is an amazing character-driven thriller, "what happens when the fight for change becomes a fight for survival". Highly recommend

#aussieauthorappreciation #aussiebookreviewer #aussiebookreviews #aussiebookstagram #aussiecrimefictionlover
Profile Image for TheSeasonedReader.
106 reviews1 follower
June 23, 2026
If you want a novel where the tension steadily builds with each chapter, making it increasingly difficult to put down, then this novel is it!

As this story progresses, the stakes become higher, the danger feels more real, and I found myself continually turning the pages to see what would happen next.

One of the strengths of this novel is how authentic the characters feel, they are people you could easily imagine encountering in everyday life. Their decisions, emotions, and motivations felt genuine, making the story all the more compelling.

The main character, Meg, is a young woman juggling work, university, a relationship that’s deteriorating , and has supportive, loving parents

After Meg becomes involved in what she thought was to be a peaceful protest for something she is passionate about, she soon discovers that there is much more happening beneath the surface. As she attempts to keep a low profile in the aftermath, she begins piecing things together that suggest the event was far more sinister than she first realised, and in doing so, places both herself and those around her in danger.

The novel also explores how passion for a cause can sometimes lead people into situations they never anticipated, resulting in consequences that have the potential to be life-changing.

This was not only a story I could vividly visualise while reading, but one that followed me into my dreams as well—a sure sign that I was completely immersed in the world the author created.

A suspenseful and thought-provoking read that kept me engaged from beginning to end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kate.
287 reviews9 followers
July 3, 2026
#wheretruthends is another standout thriller from Mark Smith - dynamic and morally challenging.
And, like #threeboysgone, there’s a tenacious FMC who’s landed herself in a truly horrifying situation.
Meg joins an undercover climate protest group ‘No Planet B.’ Following a quick training camp she attends her first protest- using a truck to block a busy city intersection.
But then the truck explodes from a planted IED and Meg is no longer a peaceful protester but a suspected terrorist.
What is the truth behind No Planet B and will Meg be able to prove her innocence!?!

This is a very fast paced read; once you start you’ll struggle to put it down.
The response after the explosion - from
Police, media and Politicians all felt so incredibly accurate. As did the thinly veiled Dan Andrews references.
And I loved the local Melbourne setting, it bought this book to life.
I could track Meg’s frenzied journey through federation square and ACMI.
Meg was a quintessential Melburnian- her world was collapsing and yet the quality of her coffee remained imperative.
There’s always time to be a coffee snob 💪
268 reviews20 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 18, 2026
Somehow Mark Smith always seems to have his finger on the pulse of society with his thrillers, which is a pretty impressive feat given how long it takes to have a book go through the writing and publication process.

Where Truth Ends is his new upcoming thriller that shines a light on environmental issues, activism, and how an extreme minority can cause violence and disrest.

Meg is someone who feels deeply about climate action and is prepared to take action to increase awareness and cause disruption to evoke change.

But when disruption becomes violence, she must face the consequences of her passion being used against her, and what the implications are for both her and her family.

This is a page-turning read that raises big questions and highlights one of the most pressing issues of our times.

I loved every page and even better, I am still thinking about it and the issues it raises well after closing the final page.

Thanks to the Publisher for the review copy of this book.
Profile Image for Lauren.
443 reviews6 followers
June 23, 2026
Meg Maher took part in a climate change protest, what was meant to be peaceful turned into a violent explosion that’s locked down the city of Melbourne. Now Meg is on the run, with the police looking labelling the protesters as terrorists. The police aren’t the only ones looking for Meg. As the investigation and the sense of being watched intensifies Meg must question her beliefs, her friends and what she stands for. What if everything she believed in was a lie?

This was a fast paced, crime novel. Very easy to read, and the intensity was high from the very beginning making me want to find out what was going to happen. Told over two timelines, we get a glimpse into the activist group Meg connected with and the beliefs they shared, and then we follow Meg in the immediate aftermath of the protest and explosion. You could really feel the panic and anxiety coming off Meg, and it made you question if you were in her position what would you do? This was my first read by Mark Smith, but it won’t be my last.
Profile Image for Great Escape Books.
321 reviews9 followers
July 19, 2026
Our Review...

Where Truth Ends is a compelling and emotionally charged thriller from acclaimed author Mark Smith, weaving together climate activism, friendship and betrayal in a novel that feels both relevant and deeply human.

As a group of young idealists fight to make a difference in a world shaped by environmental collapse, a protest on the steps of Flinders Street Station – intended to spark change – spirals catastrophically out of control. Suddenly, the fight for a better future becomes a desperate struggle for survival.

Taut, thought-provoking and impossible to put down,

Where Truth Ends explores what happens when ordinary people are pushed to the brink by hope, fear and the escalating tensions of an increasingly politicised and rapidly changing world. Author of Three Boys Gone and The Road to Winter trilogy, this is another high stakes novel pulsing with tension and heart – a winning read!

Review by Nicole @ Great Escape Books
Profile Image for Marie.
332 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 18, 2026
I went in completely blind with this one and what a ride it was! Such a full on thriller, so much tension and so real.

Imagine thinking you’re part of an environmental protest but something sinister is really happening? Poor Meg, this is exactly what happened to her and it was shocking. So many twists, turns, and lies.

It made me question, as a parent, what would you do? Megs parents had to act under pressure and it wasn’t an easy choice at all.

This was a brilliant character driven novel, there were some big decisions to be made but wow Meg was so brave. I couldn’t believe.

I loved it!

Thank you so much for the early copy @macmillanaus :)
Profile Image for Emily (the_bookdragons_den).
364 reviews20 followers
May 31, 2026
Where Truth Ends was my first book Mark Smith and what a book to start with! This was a fantastic moral dilemma thriller that was tense, gripping and thought provoking.

🚚 Smith’s writing style is fantastic. It’s a topical narrative that I found to be a tense and nail biting cat and mouse thriller. Set in an area of Victoria I’m familiar with also made for a read that was hard to put down.

I was really drawn to Meg’s character. She was brave, tenacious and unapologetically herself. I also enjoyed the dual points of view of both Meg and Luke. As a parent it got me thinking what I do in Luke’s position.

The central topic of this book is relevant and contentious and if you love a compelling, character driven thriller, then I’d definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book.

Thank you to @macmillanaus for a copy to review.
Profile Image for Craig and Phil.
2,454 reviews155 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
April 14, 2026
Big thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending us a copy to read and review.
Protests against policy, social or environmental issues have been an integral part of history and fractures in society will ensure they will be part of the social climate.
Like every organised group ripples of integrity and transparency are lacking at the core of this hierarchy.
Meg has a passion and her determination to be part of a movement to create change and awareness is blindsided and about to discover her actions have reactions.
An explosion in Melbourne thrusts the city into a lockdown.
Meg’s life turns upside down as she realises her association with the activists was not as it seems and scrambles to clear her name.
Danger, deception and desperation set the tone and define the mood.
The strength of family, loyalty and resilience counteract the darker elements and enhance the narrative.
I was enthralled from the start and excited to find a new author that ticks all the boxes in the Australian crime genre.
The exposure of an underside to protest rallies was a great angle but didn’t diminish the importance of people voicing their opinions.
Profile Image for Jay Dwight.
1,151 reviews43 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
May 4, 2026
Top read from Mark Smith here.

Meg Maher is disillusioned with modern governments and big business, concerned about the destruction of our environment. Keen to make a difference, she joins a secretive environmental group. The group aims to undertake protests that make more than the normal noise and increase the level of interruption and to draw wider attention to the cause.

Meg thinks she's doing the right thing, but things spin out of control. Meg's on the run and trying to find her way out of the mess she finds herself in, in what turns into a pulsating thriller.
Profile Image for Lindsay Mouat.
130 reviews3 followers
August 1, 2026
Lots of potential here, but I didn't feel this delivered. A peaceful protest goes wrong. The fight for change becomes one of survival. What agendas are at play? And on the run who can be trusted?

Its an original take on thrillers but, for me, became something of a fast page turner rather than the meaty character (and issue) driven novel it could have been. Lots of opportunity to ramp up the tension that the author didn't take.

But if you want a fast-paced thriller with plenty of uncertainty of who the bad guys are, go for it.

BTW- Loved the Melbourne setting
Profile Image for Ava.
52 reviews
June 9, 2026
i had my qualms about the duel perspective at the start (and i am annoyed that it ended in luke’s perspective) it did end up paying off! however it did sometimes take away the momentum. other than that i loved this book i loved that i could recognise the locations being from melbourne and i liked the thriller elements of the second half
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
310 reviews4 followers
June 6, 2026
4.5 stars

From the opening scene I was hooked!
Fast paced
Surprising twists
Believable and relatable characters
Loved the Aussie setting
When I wasn't reading this story I felt like I was under surveillance, I was so entrenched in this mystery and the paranoia!
A really great read 😊
Profile Image for Katie (kdiddlyreads).
134 reviews3 followers
July 24, 2026
Where Truth Ends was my first Mark Smith novel, and I'm already looking forward to reading more of his work.

This is a fast-paced, suspenseful read that kept me engaged from beginning to end. While it's not a twist-filled thriller or a horror story, it creates a constant sense of unease as Meg Maher finds herself caught up in the aftermath of a climate protest that turns violent and is declared a terrorist attack.

Meg is a passionate young activist who believes she's fighting for an important cause, but when events spiral out of control, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew about the people around her and the movement she supports.

I loved the environmental focus of the story. The issues surrounding climate change and the state of our planet are topics I think about often, and I appreciated how the book explored them in an informative and realistic way without feeling preachy. It encouraged me to reflect on these issues while remaining an entertaining and accessible read.

The pacing is excellent, with enough action and suspense to keep the pages turning. Enough suspense, when I found myself reading it while sitting in my car on a wild and stormy night waiting for my teenager to finish a disco it certainly added to the atmosphere!

If you're looking for an easy-to-read eco-thriller with timely themes, compelling tension and an engaging storyline, Where Truth Ends is well worth picking up.
Profile Image for Emilie (emiliesbookshelf).
310 reviews34 followers
May 26, 2026
This political thriller had me hooked and on the edge of my seat right until the epic finale

University student Meg Maher is eager to make her mark on the world and help spread word of important environmental issues the government are hiding. Meg join an activist group who are planning a peaceful protest. While there is much secrecy around the planning, she believes this is for everyone’s safety and thinks nothing of it

When protest goes horribly wrong and an explosion is set off in a very busy city street. During the aftermath it is declared by officials this was a targeted attack, which sends Meg on the run trying to keep her whereabouts unknowing from the law, and unsure who to trust when it becomes obvious she is being followed

Was someone on the inside planning something more sinister? Could this have been the objective all along?

I don’t think I took a breath for most of the second half of this gripping book. I was all in, completely invested in Meg and keeping her safe. I wasn’t sure who she could trust and became skeptical of everyone!

Fast paced, total page turner “Where Truth Ends’ Is a must read political thriller.

My first Mark Smith novel and now I must read all of his backlist!

Thank you Pan Macmillan for my grifted review copy
Profile Image for Sue.
251 reviews
May 28, 2026
This was a good, fast and interesting read. No twists though. Solid 4 stars
Profile Image for Aidan Prewett.
Author 3 books17 followers
June 3, 2026
So entertaining but equally so important. An action thriller set in the world of climate activism? Yes please! It’s absolutely brilliant.
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