Geoff Parkes in conversation with Darcy Tindale

Set in the 1990s in New Zealand’s King Country, The First Law of the Bush is the scintillating new rural noir from the author of When The Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.

It’s a beautiful day to be alive, Bill Dickerson thought, seconds before he tumbled from the viaduct onto the jagged rocks below . . .

His awful death made national news. But still, one year on, Bill’s widow Carol has received no explanation about what happened. Was it suicide? An accident? Maybe murder?

So Carol hires lawyer Ryan Bradley in her fight for justice. Ryan has just returned to the remote town of Nashville after ten years away, so he’s in no position to turn down work.

Except the case seems hopeless from the start. Bill’s employer is denying responsibility, Carol’s friends are shunning her, and the only witnesses – co-workers Gav Coates and Wati Reynolds – can shed no light on the tragic fall. Even Senior Sergeant ‘Stinger’ Nettle is too busy turning a blind eye to Wati’s illegal schemes to dig deeper into the death.But in small towns, nothing is quite what it seems. And for one Nashville resident the wrong question will come at a deadly price . . .

Our event space is wheelchair accessible via a stair lift. For any other accessibility questions, please email events@betterread.com.au.

Born and raised in rural New Zealand, Geoff Parkes now lives in Melbourne. For the last twelve years he’s written a weekly opinion column for The Roar, Australia’s leading on-line sports website. He is the author of two crime novels, When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole and The First Law of the Bush.

Darcy Tindale is an actor, author, theatresports player and director, and has appeared in television commercials, film and on stage. She has written comedy for radio, stage, media personalities, comedians, and theatre restaurants. Her short stories, plays and poems have been published in anthologies, journals, and magazines. She is the author of The Fall Between and Burning Mountain.