Twisted plots with a cracking pace: Breathing new life into Rural Noir

Rural Noir — crime fiction set everywhere from dry and dusty farming communities to sleepy seaside towns — has become a global publishing sensation. Breathing new life into this established, sometimes tired, genre are three Australian authors – Vikki Wakefield (To the River), Fiona Lowe (The Accident), and Christine Gregory (The Community). They’ll be thrashing through the issues with award-winning author, Margaret Hickey.

To the River, the latest thriller by Adelaide author, Vikki Wakefield, focuses on the apparent murder of nine people in a remote caravan community by 17-year-old Sabine Kelly. Sabine escapes custody and disappears. Twelve years after the ‘Caravan Murders’, journalist Rachel Weidermann is determined to track down Sabine whom she suspects made her way back to the river. In her spotlight are class, corruption, love, loyalty, and the vindication of truth and justice . . . and a brave dog called Blue.

Vikki writes fiction for adults and young adults. Her novels have been shortlisted for numerous awards. After You Were Gone, a psychological thriller, was her first novel for adults and was published in 2022 to much acclaim.