Acoastaltownisevacuatedafterrecordfloods.Threeyoungpoliceofficersareleftbehind.Withakiller.’HeadlandveersintothegothicrealmthatisvisitedbythebestAustralianfictionthatdarestogosomewheredarkandunfathomable...It’sacracker.’-SydneyMorningHeraldThesmallbeachsidetownofGlosterisontheedgeofdisaster.Afterconstantrain,floodwatersarerisingfast.DetectiveConstableCraigWatson,exiledtoGlosterfromSydney,isayoungmanwithadamagedpastandanuncertainfuture.ConstablesEllieCameronandLarissaBrookesareyoungwomenstrugglingtoshowtheirworthaspoliceofficersunderamisogynisticsergeant.Thedrowningtownholdsasecretthatsomeoneispreparedtomurderfor,andasthefloodwaterscutGlosterofffromtheworldthethreeyoungpoliceofficersbegintounderstandthatit’snotjustthemleftstranded.Somewhereoutthereinthefloodwatersisakiller.Andheneedsthemdead.Taut,compellingandvisceral,JohnByrnes’HeadlandannouncesamajornewvoiceinAustraliancrimefiction.’FollowinginthefootstepsofJaneHarperandChrisHammer...Byrnesdoesafantasticjobofturningtherelentlessdownpourintoaconstantthreat.Thisthrillerisapacyandcompellingdebut.’-Books+Publishing’Thishasalltheingredientsofaclassicruralnoir,butdialledupto11...alltheelementscometogetherforafinal,thrilling,climax,asresolutionandredemptionaredelivered...apage-turner’-NewcastleHerald’[Headland]takesreadersonadarkandcaptivatingjourney...blendsrealisticactionscenesandbleakcharactermomentswithaclevermystery.Withthisimpressivedebut,ByrneshassethimselfupasanexcitinganddistinctivenewAustraliancrimefictiontalentwhohasaverybrightfuture.Headlandisanoutstandingreadandishighlyrecommended.’-CanberraWeekly’Apropulsive,leanandgrittycrimethrillerfromadistinctnewvoiceinAustraliancrimewriting...CrispandeconomicalprosemeansHeadlandwon’tgathermuchdustonyournightstand.It’srelentlesslypaced,andno-holds-barred.’SimonMcDonald,DiaryofaBookseller
