Gravity Let Me Go (Trent Dalton, HarperCollins)

Gravity Let Me Go is Trent Dalton’s fourth work of fiction, and it doesn’t disappoint, once again drawing readers deep into a raw and chaotic world that is both unsettling and compelling. The novel opens with Noah Cork – a 44-year-old crime journalist – launching his first ‘white-hot true-crime book’. Written as a way to process the trauma of finding the remains of missing woman Tamsin Fellows, the book soon proves to be both Noah’s outlet and his undoing. He has lived for the past 16 years in Brisbane’s northern suburbs with his wife, Rita, and teenage daughters, Erin and Clem, in a street where everyone knows each other’s business. Convinced the truth should be told no matter the cost, he fails to consider the impact his words might have on those closest to him, on the victim’s family, or even on the killer still at large. Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe, All Our Shimmering Skies) steadily ratchets up the tension, unspooling a fast-paced plot as Noah’s world begins to implode after the publication of his book. In doing so, Dalton doesn’t shy away from graphic descriptions or explicit language, with these elements serving the story rather than overshadowing it. His signature mix of grit, heart and unexpected turns keeps the narrative gripping, with twists readers won’t see coming. Ultimately, fans of Dalton’s previous novels will find Gravity Let Me Go impossible to put down. 

Books+Publishing reviewer: Vanessa Pengelly is the operations director at Books+Publishing. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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