Reckonings: An Australian Outback Thriller

by Louise Jordan

A deadly bushfire. A web of lies. A desperate mother with everything to lose.

Amid a fatal Australian bushfire, a young mother and baby vanish, presumed dead.
The only person who knows the truth has spent fifteen years in prison for their murder.
But now Jake Evans is out, and he will stop at nothing for revenge.

Two thousand kilometres away, in the tiny outback town of Saltbush, Bella is raising her teenage daughter, Tilly. Here, no one knows of her past or the horrors of that fateful fire.
Until now.

Jake’s arrival in Saltbush brings with it violence and an inferno of memories Bella isn’t ready to confront. Will she pay a deadly price to keep the truth hidden?

The past can’t stay buried forever.
It’s time for a reckoning.

Genres: Thriller, Suspense

309 pages, ebook

Published July 30, 2026

About the author

Louise studied English literature at Monash University and travelled abroad after graduating.
On her return to Melbourne, Louise created and operated her own business until 2023, when she decided to hit the road. She now lives with her husband in a small caravan, exploring and writing from some of Australia’s most beautiful places.
The Ride is her debut novel and the first in the Detective Jonathon Carver series. Watch out for Detective Carver’s next instalment, coming soon!

You can follow Louise’s writing and travelling adventures via her newsletter here:
https://substack.com/@louisejordanwriter

And get updates here:
https://louisejordan.com.au
https://www.facebook.com/LJordanWriter
https://www.instagram.com/louisejorda...

Reviews

[lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Nicole West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young woman and her baby have turned up in the town of Saltbush after escaping a horrific bushfire, and no one knows they have vanished.

A final release from prison after fifteen years has Jake out for revenge after being accused of lighting these Australian bushfires.

Outback Saltbush has been a stable place for Bella and her daughter Tilly, but now the past will catch up with them. The past happenings and lies have caught up with them to reveal truths.

You will be woven into this story by the horrors of a bushfire, how consequences and actions of some people can cause an innocent person to get accused, and just when you think you've worked out the plot it twists and keeps you reading to find out truth.

Thank you for sending me a copy, Louise Jordan 🥰 loved it ❤️

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reckonings is Louise Jordan’s second novel and it was absolutely unputdownable. Dark and gritty and full of menace, this Aussie rural noir really got under my skin, to the point that I was thinking about it even while not reading.

Jake Evans is finally being released from prison after fifteen years inside for murder and he is hellbent on getting his revenge on those who put him there. His arrest followed devastating bushfires in which a young mother and her baby disappeared, presumed dead. Meanwhile in the small town of Saltbush, Bella and her teenage daughter Tilly have been living a quiet life where no one knows about their past. That is until Jake arrives and the past can no longer be kept buried. Will he destroy everything, or will Bella stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden?

This novel cleverly weaves the past and present timelines, alternating between the two and building the tension and mystery to amazing levels. The past timeline, during the bushfires, was absolutely terrifying and so realistic that I was unable to stop turning the pages. I loved the way Louise slowly fed us the details throughout the book and kept me guessing about exactly what had happened and who, if anyone, had survived this disaster. It was also difficult to tell who was lying and who was telling the truth and my thoughts on this changed as I read.

I also really enjoyed the present timeline in Saltbush, especially teenage Tilly, who was an absolute force to be reckoned with. I loved her fierceness and determination to stand up for what was right, no matter the cost to herself.

I won’t say anymore as this is a book you need to experience for yourself, especially if you are a lover of Aussie rural crime.

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reckonings by Louise Jordan begins with catastrophe: a small town losing its fight against a bushfire, and a young mother and infant swallowed up, presumed lost. One person knows what truly happened, and has spent 15 years paying for it in prison. When Jake Evans is quietly released, he briefly reunites with his mother and brother before travelling two thousand kilometres to finish unfinished business in a town called Saltbush , where Bella has spent a decade and a half reconstructing a life with her daughter Tilly, who knows nothing about the past.
There's an effectiveness in anchoring this story to a small Australian town. Saltbush thrives on closeness. Everyone knows everyone, which means everyone also knows precisely where not to look. That intimacy is exactly what allows secrets to stay hidden. The author turns the setting into its own vice grip: there’s nowhere to disappear once Jake arrives, and no distance far enough to outrun him.
The split timeline releases the heat and anger of the fire and its fallout into the present, gradually building unease rather than releasing it all at once. Jake is a genuinely compelling creation. His hunger for retribution, or reckoning, isn't softened, but he's human enough that his brutality traces back to his brother's horrid actions and prison life. Bella and Tilly form the emotional centre: a mother-daughter bond grounded in honesty, with Tilly's fierce, precocious sense of justice making her both admirable and, crucially, still young enough to be shattered by the slowly emerging truth.
I would have loved a deeper link to the secondary storylines, including the wealthy, consequence-dodging parents of the school bully, Felicity (Bella's counsellor), and the abhorrent school principal. Even without these roots branching further, the story is deeply atmospheric. The blinding heat of the bushfires lingers even when they're not burning. A thriller for anyone craving Australian fiction with real bite.
Thanks to #booksirens and #freedomlandspublishing for the opportunity read this new book!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Reckonings is a tense and atmospheric thriller set against the harsh Australian outback. The descriptions of the unwavering heat, unforgiving landscape and bushfires really brought the setting to life and added another layer of tension to the story.

Bella is living quietly with her teenage daughter Tilly, trying to leave her past behind, but when Jake Evans is released from prison after fifteen years, the secrets surrounding the devastating bushfire that changed both their lives begin to surface. I liked the way the story gradually revealed what had happened, with the past and present coming together as the tension built.

The characters are well developed, particularly Bella, and I found myself really invested in her determination to protect Tilly while dealing with the consequences of decisions made years earlier. There are plenty of twists along the way and I enjoyed watching everything unfold.

A gripping read with a brilliantly atmospheric setting and a good balance of suspense, secrets and character development.

[Book My Imagination · Rating 4 out of 5]

💬 Another fabulous Aussie Author delivers a thrilling read.
In a book that delivers on the whole "The past can't stay buried forever" theme, I found this to be quite hard to put down.

As a reader you live to figure out the twists and turns, to try and beat the surprise, and I was definitely trying to do this, and I did figure it out.
And regardless of this, I still needed to know the how, the why, the when, and the who, of it all.

I felt for Bella and her story, having to live with the horror of those fires.
To escape and start again.

And I also felt for Jake, as I knew there had to more for his back story.

The then & now chapters work so well in this book, weaving the story, having characters play their part, and ultimately lead the story in a certain direction.

It delivered a read that had me fully immersed in both Bella and Jake.
A thrilling read of small town perspectives, the need to protect at all costs, the Australian outback and the ferocity of the fires that take so much.

A massive thank you to Louise for reaching out and sending me a copy.
🫶🫶

[Kellie Whittam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book grabbed me from the beginning. Living in a country town in Australia that has experienced a number of major bushfires, I could really relate to the setting and some of the themes throughout the story.
I loved Tilly. She was such a brave and strong character, and I found her relationship with Bella completely believable. I could understand the secrets kept in a small community and the suspicion of outsiders, but also how locals can wrap their arms around newcomers once they are finally accepted.
I really enjoyed the pace of the story and the way it moved between then and now. The relationships were particularly well written, and it was great to learn more about Jake as the story progressed.
There was an interesting and quite sad twist towards the end that I didn't see coming. Overall, a really engaging read with a strong sense of place and characters that kept me interested until the last page.
I received an advance review copy for free from BoookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Estelle Bouldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories keep you turning pages. Reckonings keeps your heart racing.

Louise Jordan delivers a compelling blend of psychological suspense and rural Australian drama, with characters that feel completely real. The tension builds from the moment a recently released prisoner vows to settle old scores while a woman who has spent fifteen years protecting her daughter realizes her past may have finally found her.

The relationship between Bella and Tilly is the emotional center of the novel—warm, authentic, and beautifully written. Tilly, in particular, is impossible not to love: smart, brave, and unwilling to stay silent in the face of injustice.

Rich with atmosphere, layered with secrets, and filled with difficult questions about family, trauma, and accountability, Reckonings is both gripping and deeply moving. If you enjoy Australian fiction with heart, suspense, and unforgettable characters, don't miss this one.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, fair warning. This is one of those books that I'm never sure if I read or devoured. It was all-consuming, to the point I didn't want to put it down, and even when I thought I had it all figured out, I couldn't stop. Only to find out I didn't have a clue what I was talking about. Nothing was the way I thought, and the ending left me with my mouth hanging open. It's that good and that surprising. This is the first novel by Ms. Jordan that I have read, but I hope it's not the last. She is terrific. The characters are realistic and will draw you in whether you want to be or not. One of my favorite aspects of Ms. Jordan's writing is how multi-layered her characters are. Nobody is all good or all bad. Well, except for one character. But I'll let you discover who that is for yourself. Make sure you don't miss Reckonings. It would be a shame. I received a review copy from the author via BookSirens, and this review reflects my honest and voluntary opinion.

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book delving into life in the outback of Australia. I liked it from the standpoint of it reminded me of growing up in small-town America in the 60’s and 70’s. The people were leery of outsiders but mostly gave them the benefit of doubt. It’s a story of people trying to escape their less-than-ideal past by moving to a place no one knows them. It’s about devastating wildfires and are they set by man or an act of God, and what do they cover up when they happen.
It’s about how small towns rally around the people there and how they accept them warts and all. I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it if you like learning about other countries and how they really aren’t so different than what you might think

[Martha Brindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good Australian, psychological and suspense filled drama which had me intrigued right from the start. Set in two different timescales, which worked really well, it was filled with atmosphere and emotions. I liked the relationship between Bella and Tilly, very realistic, believable characters. An exciting drama which I would recommend to lovers of thrillers. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

RECKONINGS - What an intense story. Immersing story lines and interesting characters with an interesting twist. I like the writing style of this author. Source: BookSirens and Freedom Lands Publishing. 5*