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Tank Water
James Brandt didn’t look back when he got away from his rural hometown as a teenager. Now he has returned to Kippen for the first time in twenty years because his cousin Tony has been found dead under the local bridge.
The news that Tony has left him the entire family farm triggers James’s journalistic curiosity – and his anxiety – both of which cropped up during his turbulent journey to adulthood. But it is the unexpected homophobic attack he survives that draws James into a hunt for the reasons one lonely Kippen farm boy in every generation kills himself.
Standing in the way is James’s father, the town’s recently retired top cop, who is not prepared to investigate crimes no-one reckons have taken place. James must use every newshound’s trick he ever learned in order to uncover the brutal truth.
A coming-of-age story and crime thriller with a large and gentle heart.
'The parochial under-belly of rural Australia is laid bare in this raw and powerful story that delves into the emotional toll and tragic consequences of gay-hate crime.' – Nicole Alexander, bestselling author of The Cedar Tree
'Clear-eyed and suspenseful, Tank Water exposes more than one taboo of Australian life away from the big cities. An unforgettable ride.' – Nigel Featherstone, author of Bodies of Men
‘Written in a matter-of-fact way, Mike's confrontational first novel made me think about life, death and sexuality in the country, because Burge has the rural lineage to make it real.’ – Margo Kingston, author and journalist
‘Beautifully written narrative – gripping to the last page.’– Mary Moody, author and broadcaster
‘It's time to move beyond a city perspective on rural gay Australians – so often imbued with pity, condescension and silly stereotypes – to hear our own voices on our own terms. Michael Burge is one of our most compelling, nuanced and enjoyable voices.’ – Rodney Croome AM, LGBTIQ equality advocate
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The news that Tony has left him the entire family farm triggers James’s journalistic curiosity – and his anxiety – both of which cropped up during his turbulent journey to adulthood. But it is the unexpected homophobic attack he survives that draws James into a hunt for the reasons one lonely Kippen farm boy in every generation kills himself.
Standing in the way is James’s father, the town’s recently retired top cop, who is not prepared to investigate crimes no-one reckons have taken place. James must use every newshound’s trick he ever learned in order to uncover the brutal truth.
A coming-of-age story and crime thriller with a large and gentle heart.
'The parochial under-belly of rural Australia is laid bare in this raw and powerful story that delves into the emotional toll and tragic consequences of gay-hate crime.' – Nicole Alexander, bestselling author of The Cedar Tree
'Clear-eyed and suspenseful, Tank Water exposes more than one taboo of Australian life away from the big cities. An unforgettable ride.' – Nigel Featherstone, author of Bodies of Men
‘Written in a matter-of-fact way, Mike's confrontational first novel made me think about life, death and sexuality in the country, because Burge has the rural lineage to make it real.’ – Margo Kingston, author and journalist
‘Beautifully written narrative – gripping to the last page.’– Mary Moody, author and broadcaster
‘It's time to move beyond a city perspective on rural gay Australians – so often imbued with pity, condescension and silly stereotypes – to hear our own voices on our own terms. Michael Burge is one of our most compelling, nuanced and enjoyable voices.’ – Rodney Croome AM, LGBTIQ equality advocate
Watch the trailer
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2021
11 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Michael Burge
10 books29 followersMichael is an author and journalist living at Deepwater in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. His debut rural noir novel Tank Water and its sequel Dirt Trap are released by MidnightSun Publishing.
He has written for The Guardian, Fairfax Media, and the Journal of Australian Studies, and he is a board member of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival.
He has written for The Guardian, Fairfax Media, and the Journal of Australian Studies, and he is a board member of BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 15, 2022
The second of two books published in 2021 by Australian author Michael Burge, Tank Water is marketed as a crime thriller. James Brandt is a journalist who returns to his rural home town having escaped its confines twenty years ago. Attending his cousin’s funeral raises many questions about his family, local community and tragic events never fully explained. Switching back and forth between 1985 events and 2005, their juxtaposition requires family relationships and history to finally be acknowledged. An engrossing tale, its ending is somewhat unlikely and perhaps optimistic. A heart felt literary tale of rural life and unspoken homophobia that comes with a four-and-a-half star must read rating.
December 15, 2021
Tank Water is a troubling exploration of small-town prejudice and its long-term effects. The narrative unfolds in a dual-timeline structure, following the journey of successful investigative journalist James Brandt back to the (fictional) northern NSW wheatbelt town of Kippen, where he spent the early part of his childhood living on the family property.
Interspersed between chapters set in the book's "present day" (2005) is a parallel narrative describing a tumultuous visit of several days' duration that James (then known as Jamie) made to Kippen as an impressionable 15-year-old in 1985. The majority of the story unfolds from James/Jamie's perspective, although the perspectives of several supporting characters also feature later in the book.
James's experiences in Kippen as an adolescent and later as a grown man coincide with major events in the life of his older cousin, Tony. In 1985, Jamie and his brother Alan arrive in Kippen during the lead-up to Tony's wedding to a local girl. In 2005, James is reluctantly drawn back to the town after a phone call from his father, advising of Tony's death, an apparent suicide. James hopes he can attend the funeral, pay his respects to Tony's parents (his aunt and uncle) and leave again as quickly as possible. However, that's not to be.
James's first stop as he drives into the town of Kippen in his hire car is to visit the supposed site of Tony's death, where his remains were found some weeks later. Tony had apparently jumped from the bridge linking the two sides of a deep gorge, an area that has a local reputation as a suicide spot. But is it that simple? James, as a gay man, quickly recognises the carpark-picnic area near the base of the bridge as a beat - a place gay men congregate for anonymous sexual encounters. As a previously married man (his 1985 marriage ended in divorce), why would Tony have been there?
Meanwhile, the welcome that James, in the guise of the prodigal son, receives from his bereaved extended family is profoundly affected by the fact that Tony has inexplicably made James the beneficiary of the family's farming properties under his will.
Having experienced a frightening nocturnal episode when revisiting the site of Tony's death, James starts drawing on his own recollections and the snippets of information he's able to glean from Kippen locals. He comes to the realisation that Tony's death may not be as it seems and may in fact be related to a series of violent episodes that have occurred over the years in Kippen, particularly in the vicinity of the gorge carpark area. James encounters a somewhat cagey, verging on obstructive, reception from various locals he meets in the course of his covert questions regarding Tony's life and death. Complicating matters is the fact that James's estranged father is the recently retired top cop in Kippen, and has been involved as an investigator in several of the historical crimes. The more James digs, the more it appears that someone in Kippen has been allowed to get away with murder, and on more than one occasion.
The "flashback" chapters recalling James's teenage visit to Kippen gradually shed greater light on the circumstances leading up to Tony's death and James's own complex relationship with his cousin. Author Michael Burge develops an intriguing mystery, combined with a sensitive narrative around the challenges faced by those who don't fit the narrow heteronormative model in conservative regional communities. While terrible "gay hate" crimes committed in large cities during the 1970s and 80s have received a reasonable amount of media attention - especially as several of the perpetrators have finally been brought to justice over the past few years - regional experiences haven't been as widely reported. But they certainly existed and members of the LGBTQIA+ community still face suspicion and derision, if not outright hostility, in many regional areas.
Despite a rather overblown dramatic confrontation scene near the end, and a curious prevalence of references to urination throughout, Tank Water delivers a thoughtful and bittersweet conclusion, leaving us with the hope that James can find reconciliation with his paternal family and the happiness he deserves.
I'd recommend Tank Water to any reader who enjoys gritty rural crime fiction, multi-generational family drama and especially those with an interest in the experiences of minorities in rural and regional Australia.
Interspersed between chapters set in the book's "present day" (2005) is a parallel narrative describing a tumultuous visit of several days' duration that James (then known as Jamie) made to Kippen as an impressionable 15-year-old in 1985. The majority of the story unfolds from James/Jamie's perspective, although the perspectives of several supporting characters also feature later in the book.
James's experiences in Kippen as an adolescent and later as a grown man coincide with major events in the life of his older cousin, Tony. In 1985, Jamie and his brother Alan arrive in Kippen during the lead-up to Tony's wedding to a local girl. In 2005, James is reluctantly drawn back to the town after a phone call from his father, advising of Tony's death, an apparent suicide. James hopes he can attend the funeral, pay his respects to Tony's parents (his aunt and uncle) and leave again as quickly as possible. However, that's not to be.
James's first stop as he drives into the town of Kippen in his hire car is to visit the supposed site of Tony's death, where his remains were found some weeks later. Tony had apparently jumped from the bridge linking the two sides of a deep gorge, an area that has a local reputation as a suicide spot. But is it that simple? James, as a gay man, quickly recognises the carpark-picnic area near the base of the bridge as a beat - a place gay men congregate for anonymous sexual encounters. As a previously married man (his 1985 marriage ended in divorce), why would Tony have been there?
Meanwhile, the welcome that James, in the guise of the prodigal son, receives from his bereaved extended family is profoundly affected by the fact that Tony has inexplicably made James the beneficiary of the family's farming properties under his will.
Having experienced a frightening nocturnal episode when revisiting the site of Tony's death, James starts drawing on his own recollections and the snippets of information he's able to glean from Kippen locals. He comes to the realisation that Tony's death may not be as it seems and may in fact be related to a series of violent episodes that have occurred over the years in Kippen, particularly in the vicinity of the gorge carpark area. James encounters a somewhat cagey, verging on obstructive, reception from various locals he meets in the course of his covert questions regarding Tony's life and death. Complicating matters is the fact that James's estranged father is the recently retired top cop in Kippen, and has been involved as an investigator in several of the historical crimes. The more James digs, the more it appears that someone in Kippen has been allowed to get away with murder, and on more than one occasion.
The "flashback" chapters recalling James's teenage visit to Kippen gradually shed greater light on the circumstances leading up to Tony's death and James's own complex relationship with his cousin. Author Michael Burge develops an intriguing mystery, combined with a sensitive narrative around the challenges faced by those who don't fit the narrow heteronormative model in conservative regional communities. While terrible "gay hate" crimes committed in large cities during the 1970s and 80s have received a reasonable amount of media attention - especially as several of the perpetrators have finally been brought to justice over the past few years - regional experiences haven't been as widely reported. But they certainly existed and members of the LGBTQIA+ community still face suspicion and derision, if not outright hostility, in many regional areas.
Despite a rather overblown dramatic confrontation scene near the end, and a curious prevalence of references to urination throughout, Tank Water delivers a thoughtful and bittersweet conclusion, leaving us with the hope that James can find reconciliation with his paternal family and the happiness he deserves.
I'd recommend Tank Water to any reader who enjoys gritty rural crime fiction, multi-generational family drama and especially those with an interest in the experiences of minorities in rural and regional Australia.
December 21, 2024
Tank Water by Michael BurgeA gripping and chilling domestic noir and rural crime fiction story with an authentic voice informed by author Mike Burge's experience of growing up gay in the 1980s New England region. The portrayal of homophobic family members and the complicity of country coppers in gay-hate crimes is chilling, but is warmly balanced out by the journo hero's acceptance by some family members and a meaningful redemption.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
December 30, 2023
Disturbing material that badly needs a light shone on it. Burge has done this in the framework of a fictional story backed by research and facts. The characters and setting felt very authentic and the alternating timeline created momentum and tension. While the story's lose ends are tied up and there is some retribution and satisfaction, I was left with the disquieting awareness of how many cases that must be out there that have not seen justice let alone acknowledgment. Which is a large part of Burge's message.
October 14, 2021
Small towns, big secrets, inter-generational trauma, unquestioned deaths, fractured families, kids moving away and never returning, all the sorts of things that sound so very familiar to many of us who grew up in rural Australia from more recent history, back, unfortunately, for generations.
James Brandt comes from one of those small towns, on the NSW / Queensland border, where the families that live in and around have been there for many generations. In his own case, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins, his parents and his own sibling all live on the same farm, in houses built within running distance of each other, lives intertwined by generations growing up, working together, sticking together and keeping their secrets. Until somebody, in this case arguably James's own mother, who divorced their father and set a precedent, followed by others of his generation, leave town, build a life, all the while keeping secrets. In James's case a happy life with a same sex partner which nobody in the older family knows about, a job as a journalist, and his own secret memories of his cousin Tony.
It's Tony's funeral that calls James home, and initially it might seem a little unexpected, but Tony died so unexpectedly, supposedly yet another rural male suicide, jumping from the bridge in town, or so everyone seems content to believe. James comes back to find his own recently retired cop father more than eager to write off the death to the uncomfortably easiest conclusion, Tony's own parents resigned to the loss of their son, and the discovery that the farm has been left to James. As the truth about what goes on at that bridge starts to emerge, when the story of Tony's failed marriage and his and James connection as young men is revealed, James's job as a journalist gives him both the skills, and the tenacity to stick with his sense that something's not right about this verdict, and something's definitely not right with this society.
Flicking between the two timeframes - the mid 1980's and 2000's - the story of the past and the present merge together to reveal just how many secrets people can keep. The exploration of inter-generational trauma is particularly elegantly handled, there are plenty of question marks over just how long homophobia, violence, abuse and bigotry have been endured by too many people. There are also plenty of characters here that make you realise that even in small towns, there are people who aren't good, aren't decent, and shouldn't be tolerated. The question here is always, who knew, who ignored, who instigated and who simply didn't care.
Slowly, measuredly paced, until the final stages, when events really start to escalate and James is pushed into a position of having to understand in order to save himself, TANK WATER isn't an easy read, but then it's not meant to be. There's nothing easy about revealing what happened here nor is it easy to realise that it's still happening somewhere today. Books like TANK WATER explore the sorts of casual homophobia, racism and disrespect that lead to violence and suffering, and hopefully get those failings dragged kicking and screaming into the light.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
James Brandt comes from one of those small towns, on the NSW / Queensland border, where the families that live in and around have been there for many generations. In his own case, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins, his parents and his own sibling all live on the same farm, in houses built within running distance of each other, lives intertwined by generations growing up, working together, sticking together and keeping their secrets. Until somebody, in this case arguably James's own mother, who divorced their father and set a precedent, followed by others of his generation, leave town, build a life, all the while keeping secrets. In James's case a happy life with a same sex partner which nobody in the older family knows about, a job as a journalist, and his own secret memories of his cousin Tony.
It's Tony's funeral that calls James home, and initially it might seem a little unexpected, but Tony died so unexpectedly, supposedly yet another rural male suicide, jumping from the bridge in town, or so everyone seems content to believe. James comes back to find his own recently retired cop father more than eager to write off the death to the uncomfortably easiest conclusion, Tony's own parents resigned to the loss of their son, and the discovery that the farm has been left to James. As the truth about what goes on at that bridge starts to emerge, when the story of Tony's failed marriage and his and James connection as young men is revealed, James's job as a journalist gives him both the skills, and the tenacity to stick with his sense that something's not right about this verdict, and something's definitely not right with this society.
Flicking between the two timeframes - the mid 1980's and 2000's - the story of the past and the present merge together to reveal just how many secrets people can keep. The exploration of inter-generational trauma is particularly elegantly handled, there are plenty of question marks over just how long homophobia, violence, abuse and bigotry have been endured by too many people. There are also plenty of characters here that make you realise that even in small towns, there are people who aren't good, aren't decent, and shouldn't be tolerated. The question here is always, who knew, who ignored, who instigated and who simply didn't care.
Slowly, measuredly paced, until the final stages, when events really start to escalate and James is pushed into a position of having to understand in order to save himself, TANK WATER isn't an easy read, but then it's not meant to be. There's nothing easy about revealing what happened here nor is it easy to realise that it's still happening somewhere today. Books like TANK WATER explore the sorts of casual homophobia, racism and disrespect that lead to violence and suffering, and hopefully get those failings dragged kicking and screaming into the light.
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/revi...
October 31, 2021
Small towns often hold big secrets, especially of families who have lived there for generations. There is often a feeling that things move slower in small towns. Not just life in general, but change in general.
James Brandt has escaped from the small town of his childhood. His life in the city means he can live openly with his boyfriend and he can build his reputation as a journalist. Returning to the small town of his childhood for the funeral of his cousin, James not only has to revert to keeping secrets, he feels the need to uncover the secret of his cousin death.
Michael Burge's debut novel is an exceptional story of inter-generational trauma, the damage that can be caused by keeping secrets and the fear felt by many who grow up in a community where, if their secret is revealed, it will be life threatening.
Moving between the the mid 80's and the early 00's, Tank Water is a gripping crime novel which exposes the small mindedness of many Australian towns at that time. A small mindedness that still exists in areas. Homophobia has a shameful and often violent history in Australia. Michael Burge's exploration of it in Tank Water has lead to an exciting novel that will have you not only on the edge of your seat, but questioning how and why we let these things happen.
James Brandt has escaped from the small town of his childhood. His life in the city means he can live openly with his boyfriend and he can build his reputation as a journalist. Returning to the small town of his childhood for the funeral of his cousin, James not only has to revert to keeping secrets, he feels the need to uncover the secret of his cousin death.
Michael Burge's debut novel is an exceptional story of inter-generational trauma, the damage that can be caused by keeping secrets and the fear felt by many who grow up in a community where, if their secret is revealed, it will be life threatening.
Moving between the the mid 80's and the early 00's, Tank Water is a gripping crime novel which exposes the small mindedness of many Australian towns at that time. A small mindedness that still exists in areas. Homophobia has a shameful and often violent history in Australia. Michael Burge's exploration of it in Tank Water has lead to an exciting novel that will have you not only on the edge of your seat, but questioning how and why we let these things happen.
October 19, 2021
I have so much praise for this debut fiction book. The storyline that features gay hate crimes is really important and something different for crime fiction. Set in a small town in Australia, this is also a coming of age story and explores families and trauma. Author Michael Burge did a fantastic job with time jumps between 1985 and 2005.
📖James Brandt didn’t look back when he got away from his rural hometown as a teenager. Now he has returned to Kippen for the first time in twenty years because his cousin Tony has been found dead under the local bridge.
The news that Tony has left him the entire family farm triggers James’s journalistic curiosity – and his anxiety – both of which cropped up during his turbulent journey to adulthood. But it is the unexpected homophobic attack he survives that draws James into a hunt for the reasons one lonely Kippen farm boy in every generation kills himself.📖
📖James Brandt didn’t look back when he got away from his rural hometown as a teenager. Now he has returned to Kippen for the first time in twenty years because his cousin Tony has been found dead under the local bridge.
The news that Tony has left him the entire family farm triggers James’s journalistic curiosity – and his anxiety – both of which cropped up during his turbulent journey to adulthood. But it is the unexpected homophobic attack he survives that draws James into a hunt for the reasons one lonely Kippen farm boy in every generation kills himself.📖
September 4, 2023
Rep: gay mc & side characters
CWs: homophobic language & violence, incest
CWs: homophobic language & violence, incest
November 2, 2021
I really enjoyed Tank Water. This is Michael's first book but you would never know it.
The atmosphere is perfect - small town in rural Australia where homophobic behaviour seems to be the rite of passage for the young men and even boys who live there. The book is set in two time periods - what happened before and what happened after Tony died. James wants to know what happened and it takes asking the right questions at the right time to get the answers that he needs. Tank Water is also about James' relationship with his father, the town's recently retired cop.
Highly recommended.
The atmosphere is perfect - small town in rural Australia where homophobic behaviour seems to be the rite of passage for the young men and even boys who live there. The book is set in two time periods - what happened before and what happened after Tony died. James wants to know what happened and it takes asking the right questions at the right time to get the answers that he needs. Tank Water is also about James' relationship with his father, the town's recently retired cop.
Highly recommended.
January 11, 2022
I’m not a much of a fiction/crime writer, preferring history and non-fiction but this came highly recommended and I read it in a day it was such a page-turner. But I have two reasons for not giving it 5 stars which I’ll outline later below. I enjoyed the writing and the exploration of rural Australia and horrific gay hate crimes.
The structure of the novel alternates between “present day” 2005 and events in 1985 when the main character, Jamie, was 15 years old. In the present day, Jamie is 35, and a successful journalist who lives in the city and is returning home for the funeral of his cousin Tony who committed suicide by jumping off the town bridge which is a common suicide spot (or is there more to the story - of not only Tony’s death but other men in previous generations who also suicided there?). As the book progresses, Jamie reveals what happened in 1985, when he and his older brother go to the family property for Tony's wedding to his girlfriend and why these events are linked to the possible murder of Tony in the “present" day.
I’m not giving this book five stars for two reasons. The climactic scene on Tony’s yacht towards the end of the book felt out of place – like a Hollywood scene and didn’t feel authentic to the rest of the book. The second reason is because I was profoundly uncomfortable by the revelations that Jamie was only a 15 year old boy and his first sexual encounter is with Tony who is not only a 23 year man (so a minor with an adult and yes I know theses events are set in 1985) but is also his COUSIN! Neither of these things are addressed in the book, other than perhaps Tony felt guilt for seducing his cousin (who was a minor) and that’s why he left him the property in his will.
The structure of the novel alternates between “present day” 2005 and events in 1985 when the main character, Jamie, was 15 years old. In the present day, Jamie is 35, and a successful journalist who lives in the city and is returning home for the funeral of his cousin Tony who committed suicide by jumping off the town bridge which is a common suicide spot (or is there more to the story - of not only Tony’s death but other men in previous generations who also suicided there?). As the book progresses, Jamie reveals what happened in 1985, when he and his older brother go to the family property for Tony's wedding to his girlfriend and why these events are linked to the possible murder of Tony in the “present" day.
I’m not giving this book five stars for two reasons. The climactic scene on Tony’s yacht towards the end of the book felt out of place – like a Hollywood scene and didn’t feel authentic to the rest of the book. The second reason is because I was profoundly uncomfortable by the revelations that Jamie was only a 15 year old boy and his first sexual encounter is with Tony who is not only a 23 year man (so a minor with an adult and yes I know theses events are set in 1985) but is also his COUSIN! Neither of these things are addressed in the book, other than perhaps Tony felt guilt for seducing his cousin (who was a minor) and that’s why he left him the property in his will.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2021
It took me a little while to get used to the initial slow pace of the book but once I connected with the story I didn’t want to put the book down. It is a great story based in a small Australian country town which takes you on a journey of very difficult topics such as homophobic attacks, inter-generational conflicts, big family and community secrets, covered up crimes, small town mentality and set ways. I really enjoyed reading this book. Michael Burge has a fantastic way of writing in a direct and honest Aussie kind of way. I highly recommend this book.
Bravo to the author for a great debut novel.
Bravo to the author for a great debut novel.
March 21, 2022
A story of homophobia and its brutality in a small town in rural Australia. James Brandt left as soon as he could and only goes back for his cousin Tony’s funeral. It was an uncomfortable read.
June 7, 2022
3.5 stars.
October 2, 2024
I really wanted to like this more than I did. The premise and plotting were interesting and I was drawn in but it badly needed an editor with a willing blue pencil.
October 31, 2021
Quiet a page turner, shocked at a country communities homophobic behaviour.
February 6, 2022
3.5 rounded up. A solid story that goes a little bit off the rails by the final 75 pages. Prior, you get some very vivid descriptions of emotions that nearly overwhelm with the accuracy. There may be a few too many characters with too little to do to distinguish them, but they are created more for colour. Love that a few things happen that are either vague or implied so the reader isn’t hit over the head with facts. A solid debut.
January 3, 2025
More a 4.5.
Thank you to the author Michael Burge and the publisher Midnight Sun for sending me an advance reading copy of Tank Water.
.
.
.
Every small town has its secrets.
Many families keep their secrets well and truly locked away.
Some people live with their secrets hidden in the dark recesses of their mind, and very rarely if ever, revisit them.
But what if those secrets involve generational hate crimes?
What happens when those secrets are exposed to daylight?
Do you act, or do you, with everyone else in town ignore it, pretend it doesn't happen, didn't happen?
James Brandt left behind his divided and emotionally wounded family a long time ago.
In the city, many miles away from the family farm on the outskirts of a small town near the New South Wales/Queensland border, he has created a life for himself. One that, while not completely perfect, includes a small terrace house he shares with his partner and their two dogs. His job as a journalist is slightly less than satisfying, but he is a good journalist, and is never really 'off the job'.
James has his secrets. His immediate and extended family have no idea he is in a long term same sex relationship. And they have no idea what happened to him 20 years ago on the eve of his cousin's wedding when he was 15.
He has hazy memories, and indistinct suspicions of other things that may or may not have happened at that time.
Now that same cousin has committed suicide by jumping off the bridge that leads out of his childhood home town.
On his way into town on the day before the funeral, James stops at the bridge, and parks his car near the toilet block which is also the local beat. Has he stopped for a piss? A pick up? Or to gain some insight into his cousin's death? Even James isn't sure.
Arriving at the farm, James is told by his cousin's mother that Tony has bypassed his immediate family, and left the farm and the three houses on it to James.
After receiving a cool welcome, his family expect that he will leave town before the funeral. But James stays, booking into a motel.
With family unwilling to talk with him about Tony, or about the family history, James starts to stew on the events of 1985 and how these might relate to his cousin's death.
That night, he approaches the toilet block near the bridge once again.
Not long after he arrives, a ute pulls up and several men with baseball bats set upon the men in the block, as well as James standing nearby.
James escapes unharmed, but is now determined to find the links between that attack and what might have happened to his cousin.
The book tells the events of a few days leading up to Tony's wedding in 1985, and those of a few days leading up to and after Tony's funeral in 2005.
While the chapters flick between 1985 and 2005, this is done fairly seamlessly, and does not detract from the readability of the book.
Most of the characters are well formed. Some of them you will loathe, while possibly pitying others. Some are more shadowy, which leaves you wondering, what did they guess? What did they know?
Michael Burge weaves a story of secrecy, loss, bigotry, fear, shame, and intolerance.
The book starts slowly, and for a while you are left wondering just exactly where Mr Burge is leading you.
You can make some guesses, and you may even be right, but each time the truth comes, it hits you; like a kick to the knee, or a bang on the elbow. A sharp and sudden pain with an ongoing dull ache that remains with you as you turn the pages.
After a slow start, the book gains and increases in pace, until you are grabbing the words off the page in an attempt to keep up with the action through to the dramatic penultimate scene.
This is not just a novel. It is a reflection on homophobia, hate crimes, gay bashings, and the mentality and silence that supports those actions. All of which still exist today in 2021.
PS. If you live in the Brisbane area, and you read this before 15 November 2021, the official book launch will be held that day at the Avid Reader book store from 5.30pm.
You can register here: https://avidreader.com.au/events/mich...
Thank you to the author Michael Burge and the publisher Midnight Sun for sending me an advance reading copy of Tank Water.
.
.
.
Every small town has its secrets.
Many families keep their secrets well and truly locked away.
Some people live with their secrets hidden in the dark recesses of their mind, and very rarely if ever, revisit them.
But what if those secrets involve generational hate crimes?
What happens when those secrets are exposed to daylight?
Do you act, or do you, with everyone else in town ignore it, pretend it doesn't happen, didn't happen?
James Brandt left behind his divided and emotionally wounded family a long time ago.
In the city, many miles away from the family farm on the outskirts of a small town near the New South Wales/Queensland border, he has created a life for himself. One that, while not completely perfect, includes a small terrace house he shares with his partner and their two dogs. His job as a journalist is slightly less than satisfying, but he is a good journalist, and is never really 'off the job'.
James has his secrets. His immediate and extended family have no idea he is in a long term same sex relationship. And they have no idea what happened to him 20 years ago on the eve of his cousin's wedding when he was 15.
He has hazy memories, and indistinct suspicions of other things that may or may not have happened at that time.
Now that same cousin has committed suicide by jumping off the bridge that leads out of his childhood home town.
On his way into town on the day before the funeral, James stops at the bridge, and parks his car near the toilet block which is also the local beat. Has he stopped for a piss? A pick up? Or to gain some insight into his cousin's death? Even James isn't sure.
Arriving at the farm, James is told by his cousin's mother that Tony has bypassed his immediate family, and left the farm and the three houses on it to James.
After receiving a cool welcome, his family expect that he will leave town before the funeral. But James stays, booking into a motel.
With family unwilling to talk with him about Tony, or about the family history, James starts to stew on the events of 1985 and how these might relate to his cousin's death.
That night, he approaches the toilet block near the bridge once again.
Not long after he arrives, a ute pulls up and several men with baseball bats set upon the men in the block, as well as James standing nearby.
James escapes unharmed, but is now determined to find the links between that attack and what might have happened to his cousin.
The book tells the events of a few days leading up to Tony's wedding in 1985, and those of a few days leading up to and after Tony's funeral in 2005.
While the chapters flick between 1985 and 2005, this is done fairly seamlessly, and does not detract from the readability of the book.
Most of the characters are well formed. Some of them you will loathe, while possibly pitying others. Some are more shadowy, which leaves you wondering, what did they guess? What did they know?
Michael Burge weaves a story of secrecy, loss, bigotry, fear, shame, and intolerance.
The book starts slowly, and for a while you are left wondering just exactly where Mr Burge is leading you.
You can make some guesses, and you may even be right, but each time the truth comes, it hits you; like a kick to the knee, or a bang on the elbow. A sharp and sudden pain with an ongoing dull ache that remains with you as you turn the pages.
After a slow start, the book gains and increases in pace, until you are grabbing the words off the page in an attempt to keep up with the action through to the dramatic penultimate scene.
This is not just a novel. It is a reflection on homophobia, hate crimes, gay bashings, and the mentality and silence that supports those actions. All of which still exist today in 2021.
PS. If you live in the Brisbane area, and you read this before 15 November 2021, the official book launch will be held that day at the Avid Reader book store from 5.30pm.
You can register here: https://avidreader.com.au/events/mich...
November 27, 2021
This tale is so quintessentially country Australian, the coming of age tale of a boy who is trying to find his way in a homophobic town. We are transported back with James to 1985 to a small country town which he visits as a man in 2005 for a funeral. Twists and turns keep us guessing in this fast paced thriller which delivers raw and honest narrative.
I was recommended this novel by my mother who read it for her book club and enjoyed it immensely also.
I was recommended this novel by my mother who read it for her book club and enjoyed it immensely also.
February 19, 2022
The problem with this book is most of the characters arent that likeable and their lives arent really that interesting. Endless pages are spent following them at a wedding and funeral nothing terribly momentous happens. I ended up skipping pages only just to see that I already had been told who the killer of Tony was.
April 26, 2022
June book club read.
The writing itself was good. Didn’t understand some of the links between things though all came together at the end. Realised that author was trying to make links between past and current events, as sense of foreshadowing.
The writing itself was good. Didn’t understand some of the links between things though all came together at the end. Realised that author was trying to make links between past and current events, as sense of foreshadowing.
December 29, 2021
I adored this emotionally haunting and elegantly suspenseful novel. I recommend it to readers who like literary crime novels that examine the dark, disfigured heart of certain parts of humanity.
It's about James, a highly likeable gay man, who returns to the small Australian country town where he grew up to attend the funeral of his cousin Tony. There's a dual timeline, with James’ earlier coming-of-age story detailing the leadup to Tony's wedding, twenty years ago in 1985. The nostalgia is fabulous, with vivid details peppered throughout: the decor, the pubs, the food, the clothing, the cars, even the colourful tall cocktail a bride drinks during a poolside dinner on her honeymoon to a Gold Coast motel. In the country town, there's been a series of mysterious, inadequately explained deaths of young men. James must use his skills as a journalist to uncover the truth; a truth most people he knows are determined to keep buried.
From a writer's point of view, this novel is an excellent example of how there is no scarier villain than the ordinary person who is inclined to commit appalling crimes. In the eighties, it was incredibly difficult to be a gay man living in a small country town where everyone knows almost everything about each other, and where prejudice is as ingrained in the community as the seasons that determine the pattern of their lives. It reminded me of a recent read, Passing by Nella Larsen, written in 1929 about a Black woman passing as a white woman in New York; the constant invisible terror seeps from people she is close to, including her husband. Similarly, in Tank Water, every scene and conversation have a pervasive slow, constant, and gut-wrenching sense of menace. Terrible things have happened in this small town; will they happen again? Will the perpetrators be held to account? It’s a story that provokes a lot of thought.
In 1994, I was in year twelve when the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled against Tasmania's draconian laws that criminalised sex between consenting men. It took Tasmania another three years to change the laws and the subject unsettled people in a similarly divisive way as the recent gay-marriage debate did. There are many scenes in Tank Water that remind me of polarising conversations from that era. I wrote a (currently unpublished) novel set in a ski lodge in Tasmania with similar themes to Tank Water. I think that writing about this topic is to try to reconcile the past, and in doing so, try to understand who we, as a society, are now.
Tank Water highlights the courage, patience, and integrity of certain people, and tries to understand the meanness of others, including family members, and police, who deliberately turned a blind eye to the dangerous homophobia entrenched in the town. I imagine this would have been a very difficult novel to write and the result is a powerful, intelligent, and moving debut. I'm looking forward to what Michael Burge writes next!
It's about James, a highly likeable gay man, who returns to the small Australian country town where he grew up to attend the funeral of his cousin Tony. There's a dual timeline, with James’ earlier coming-of-age story detailing the leadup to Tony's wedding, twenty years ago in 1985. The nostalgia is fabulous, with vivid details peppered throughout: the decor, the pubs, the food, the clothing, the cars, even the colourful tall cocktail a bride drinks during a poolside dinner on her honeymoon to a Gold Coast motel. In the country town, there's been a series of mysterious, inadequately explained deaths of young men. James must use his skills as a journalist to uncover the truth; a truth most people he knows are determined to keep buried.
From a writer's point of view, this novel is an excellent example of how there is no scarier villain than the ordinary person who is inclined to commit appalling crimes. In the eighties, it was incredibly difficult to be a gay man living in a small country town where everyone knows almost everything about each other, and where prejudice is as ingrained in the community as the seasons that determine the pattern of their lives. It reminded me of a recent read, Passing by Nella Larsen, written in 1929 about a Black woman passing as a white woman in New York; the constant invisible terror seeps from people she is close to, including her husband. Similarly, in Tank Water, every scene and conversation have a pervasive slow, constant, and gut-wrenching sense of menace. Terrible things have happened in this small town; will they happen again? Will the perpetrators be held to account? It’s a story that provokes a lot of thought.
In 1994, I was in year twelve when the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled against Tasmania's draconian laws that criminalised sex between consenting men. It took Tasmania another three years to change the laws and the subject unsettled people in a similarly divisive way as the recent gay-marriage debate did. There are many scenes in Tank Water that remind me of polarising conversations from that era. I wrote a (currently unpublished) novel set in a ski lodge in Tasmania with similar themes to Tank Water. I think that writing about this topic is to try to reconcile the past, and in doing so, try to understand who we, as a society, are now.
Tank Water highlights the courage, patience, and integrity of certain people, and tries to understand the meanness of others, including family members, and police, who deliberately turned a blind eye to the dangerous homophobia entrenched in the town. I imagine this would have been a very difficult novel to write and the result is a powerful, intelligent, and moving debut. I'm looking forward to what Michael Burge writes next!
March 2, 2022
This is essentially the story of James Brandt and the difficult relationship he has with his father. It is also about the lengths young men will go to in order to hide their homosexuality whilst growing up in a small countryside town in Australia in the 1980s. When James' cousin Tony dies in mysterious circumstances and leaves him the family farm, the lid begins to lift on police cover-ups of homophobic murders in the town. What makes it even more difficult for James is that his father was the town cop throughout the period in question. James, who by this time is a renowned Sydney journalist, is determined to get to the truth of what happened to at least three individuals, but will this put him in even more conflict with his father? The story ends in 2005 and I would've loved it to end in the present day but no matter. It's still a good read.
May 19, 2022
I LOVED this book. Burge captures an essence of small-town Australia with a deftness few others can manage. Much Australian country town crime fiction resorts to crass ockerisms and tired tropes, but Tank Water is filled with a beauty and nuance that can only come from a truly lived experience.
The LGBTQIA+ experience of those in regional and rural Australia also rings devastatingly true in this work, with 'the city' the only escape for many. The hidden shame, hushed voices, and ambiguous answers of those who return to their hometown will strike close to the hearts of readers who have, undoubtedly, found themselves bearing the weight of these experiences.
Finally, the twin narratives in the book are beautifully woven, particularly as the story reaches the crescendo - Jamie travelling, two decades apart, to a Tony he cannot call his own.
The LGBTQIA+ experience of those in regional and rural Australia also rings devastatingly true in this work, with 'the city' the only escape for many. The hidden shame, hushed voices, and ambiguous answers of those who return to their hometown will strike close to the hearts of readers who have, undoubtedly, found themselves bearing the weight of these experiences.
Finally, the twin narratives in the book are beautifully woven, particularly as the story reaches the crescendo - Jamie travelling, two decades apart, to a Tony he cannot call his own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2022
One of a crop of new Australian crime books, this great Australian thriller focuses on how hidden crimes of the past can cast long and dangerous shadows into the present.
The story concerns James Brandt who left his rural hometown as a teenager and didn't look back..Returning to Kippen after 20 years, after his cousin Tony has been found dead under the local bridge. The death triggers memories and anxieties from his turbulent teenage years. After surviving a homophobic attack James begins to suspect that his cousins death was not the suicide it has been labeled ...
Tank Water brings to light homophobic hate crimes and the homophobic culture of country Australia in the 1980s that have not received the attention similar crimes occurring in the city have had recently. Definitely give it a go if you love Aussie thrillers.
The story concerns James Brandt who left his rural hometown as a teenager and didn't look back..Returning to Kippen after 20 years, after his cousin Tony has been found dead under the local bridge. The death triggers memories and anxieties from his turbulent teenage years. After surviving a homophobic attack James begins to suspect that his cousins death was not the suicide it has been labeled ...
Tank Water brings to light homophobic hate crimes and the homophobic culture of country Australia in the 1980s that have not received the attention similar crimes occurring in the city have had recently. Definitely give it a go if you love Aussie thrillers.
March 23, 2024
Tank Water is a compelling read about gay hate crime in rural Australia. When journalist James Brandt returns to his fictional hometown for his cousin’s funeral, he suspects the death was not the clear-cut case of suicide that the community has accepted. James’s quest for truth and justice opens wounds from the past and forces him to confront his relationships with his family, his partner and the community as a whole. Tank Water is both a suspenseful crime drama and a thoughtful, moving portrayal of the struggles of being an outsider in the destructively ‘blokey’ culture of rural Australia. Michael Burge has expertly used dual timelines – one in 1985 and one in 2005 – to allow the mystery of the past to unfold bit by bit as James gradually reveals the truth.
May 25, 2023
I found myself really procrastinating picking this book up as I was trying to read it. I think that it was quite flat and repetitive. It had a really good and meaningful premise but was let down by how dragged out it seemed. Yet tell me why, by the end, I was tearing up? I'm conflicted but the story of country town hate crimes needs to be told and I commend the author on writing on such a traumatic topic.
January 1, 2026
Read read read!
Tank water is book two for Michael Burge’s series and I highly recommend. It focused on a rural reporter back home investigating gay hate crimes that have occurred previously in his town and the wider country.
I have met Michael twice and know he worked on the Gay Hate Crime Commission and followed it closely. I feel like this story encompasses the realities of everything centred around this topic without being too pushy on the subject.
Tank water is book two for Michael Burge’s series and I highly recommend. It focused on a rural reporter back home investigating gay hate crimes that have occurred previously in his town and the wider country.
I have met Michael twice and know he worked on the Gay Hate Crime Commission and followed it closely. I feel like this story encompasses the realities of everything centred around this topic without being too pushy on the subject.
November 29, 2021
Yet another rural noir mystery....my my it seems Australian country towns hold as many secrets as Midsummer Murders !
This book is an okay read about another closeted gay man who returns home as successful journalist and confronts the town's ugly past.
MB's writing is competent allowing the reader to become engrossed.
This book is an okay read about another closeted gay man who returns home as successful journalist and confronts the town's ugly past.
MB's writing is competent allowing the reader to become engrossed.
December 15, 2021
I struggled to get into this at first. Given that, it took a little while to set up the plot and the bouncing between the two time periods was a little frustrating. However, it covers some very important themes and I think the characters and the reactions really make this book shine. It was exceptionally hard to stomach in a fair amount of places but it really made you think.
December 3, 2024
Although a quick read found the writing style took a bit to warm to. Liked the characters of James and Dylan, most of the other characters weren’t particularly likeable. Too many references to and over description of urinating. My major concern of this book is that the sexual assault of James as a minor is completely swept under the carpet as if it is of no consequence.
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