THE DROWNING

With sales of over 16,000 copies of Sweet Jimmy, Bryan Brown's distinctive storytelling voice continues in this unflinching, gripping novel.

The body of a local teenage boy is found on the beach of a sleepy northern New South Wales town. David went for an evening swim and got into trouble . . . at least, that's what it looks like. Three weeks before, Leila, a young backpacker, didn't turn up for her shift at the local cafe. Benny, the owner, isn't worried. It happens - backpackers are always on the move. There'll be another one. One of the locals, Adrian, has been a help to Benny. He's found him a nice little sideline. Not exactly legal. Is that all Adrian is arranging on the coast? He once was a cop but has he gone bad? And in the back-blocks outside town, a bikie gang is gearing up for a large consignment from South America. Murder, drugs, liaisons, and lies are stirring up this small coastal town. With Bryan Brown's characteristic laconic storytelling - humorous, tough and suspenseful - the secrets of this seemingly idyllic town slowly come to the surface. BRYAN BROWN is known as an actor, having appeared in over eighty film and television shows. He has worked in some twenty countries including his home country of Australia and the United States. Sweet Jimmy, consisting of seven short stories on crime, was released in 2021. The Drowning is his second book.