Eden (Mark Brandi, Hachette)

Mark Brandi has established himself as a master of gritty yet lyrical thrillers that appeal to connoisseurs of Australian crime fiction since his explosive 2017 debut, Wimmera, which won him the Crime Writers’ Association’s Debut Dagger award. His fifth novel, Eden, is a captivating exploration of crime and redemption that welcomes new readers while rewarding longtime fans. Recently released from prison, Tom Blackburn knows he is at risk of slipping back into old patterns. A country boy adrift and friendless in the big city, he struggles to get his life back on track under the weight of paranoia and a growing sense of dread. His luck seems to change with an invitation to work and live in Melbourne’s General Cemetery – a quiet, landscaped area in the heart of the city. His employer, Cyril, prone to contemplating the illusion of free will after a day of grave digging, describes it as Eden. However, as Tom finally begins to relax into his new life, his past comes back to haunt him, and he discovers that the people around him have buried secrets of their own. Brandi is a master of restraint, with limited locations and characters that provide the necessary space to immerse the reader in Tom’s moral dilemma. Destined to be a classic, Eden is a timeless story that recalls the best of the late Peter Temple.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart has a PhD in Literary Studies and currently works as a Children’s and Youth Services Librarian on the Bellarine Peninsula. She is a Judge for the 2024–2025 CBCA Book of the Year Award, Younger Readers Category. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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