> Skip to content
Read an extract
Play sample
  • Published: 2 August 2022
  • ISBN: 9781761048197
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 464
  • RRP: $22.99

The Deep




From the bestselling breakout author of The Bluffs comes a heart-stopping new thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania about family bonds and betrayals, and the hidden dangers that lurk in the deep…

'A fast-paced thriller that twists and twists again. Kyle Perry can sure spin a mighty tale.' – Chris Hammer

On the Tasman Peninsula, nestled amidst the largest sea-cliffs in the southern hemisphere, is Shacktown. Here the Dempsey family have run a drug ring for generations, using the fishing industry and the deadly Black Wind as cover. But when thirteen-year-old Forest Dempsey walks out of the ocean, bruised and branded, everything is at risk – because Forest has been presumed dead for the last seven years.

Mackerel Dempsey, out of jail on strict bail conditions, is trying to change his fate, doing his best to keep out of trouble before his next court date. His cousin Ahab has renounced the family altogether, in favour of working to keep the town and its fragile tourism economy safe. But in their search for answers about Forest, both Mackerel and Ahab can’t help but be drawn back into the underworld. What happened to the boy all those years ago? And does it have anything to do with the infamous drug kingpin Blackbeard, who is rumoured to be moving in on Shacktown?

When secrets long thought buried at sea wash up on shore, generations of the Dempsey family must stand up for what they believe in, even if it means sacrificing everything. But in the gritty fight between right and wrong, blood isn’t always thicker than water, and everyone is at risk of being pulled under...

From the bestselling breakout author of The Bluffs comes a heart-stopping new thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania about family bonds and betrayals, and the hidden dangers that lurk in the deep…

Praise for Kyle Perry:

The Bluffs establishes Perry as a fierce new talent.' Apple Books

‘The narrative races along, pulling the reader from page to page with a freight-train momentum that starts with the first word and ends with the final full stop.’ The Examiner

‘A spine-tingling and absorbing crime thriller about small-town secrets and mythic bush tales. This atmospheric read will keep you turning the pages until the very end.’ Who Weekly

‘A riveting story that will give even a seasoned thriller reader goosebumps.’ Better Reading

  • Published: 2 August 2022
  • ISBN: 9781761048197
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 464
  • RRP: $22.99

About the author

Kyle Perry

Kyle Perry is a drug and alcohol counsellor based in Hobart, Tasmania. He has grown up around the Tasmanian bush and seas, with the landscape a key feature of his writing and his spare time. He loves the sea, and his entire leg is covered in ocean tattoos.
His debut novel, The Bluffs, has been translated into five languages. It was shortlisted for the Dymocks Book of the Year and the Indie’s Debut Fiction Book of the Year, and was longlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards’ General Fiction Book of the Year.

Also by Kyle Perry

See all

Discover more

Article
2022 Ned Kelly Shortlist Announced

The Ned Kelly Awards recognise and celebrate the very best crime writing has to offer. See which Penguin Random House books have been shortlisted this year...

Article
Top 5 unmissable Aussie books of 2021

A list of page turners we recommend you read this year.

Video
The Deep by Kyle Perry Trailer

From the bestselling breakout author of The Bluffs comes a heart-stopping new thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania about modern-day pirates, family bonds and betrayals, and the hidden dangers that lurk in the deep…

Article
The Deep book club notes

This heart-stopping thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania is an excellent choice for book club.

Video
The Deep by Kyle Perry: Pre Order Now

From the bestselling breakout author of The Bluffs comes a heart-stopping new thriller set on the rugged coast of Tasmania about modern-day pirates, family bonds and betrayals, and the hidden dangers that lurk in the deep…