The Prospect by Fleur McDonald - Book

When you dig, will you strike gold...

Or unearth dangerous secrets?

No matter how much or how little you find, you will never, ever own the gold. It will always own you.

After a scandal, investigative reporter Zara Ellison and her partner, policeman Jack Higgins, have moved to Kalgoorlie but they are each struggling with this fresh start. The wild mining town has its own rules and its inhabitants - drawn by the lure of gold and riches - guard their secrets carefully.

Zara feels adrift in the swirling red dust of the lawless bush city, without sources or any leads for the hard-hitting stories she's known for. Jack is out of the detective squad and trying to find his feet back in uniform.

On an isolated stretch of highway, a pair of grey nomads is involved in a devastating accident which leaves more questions than answers. Zara starts digging for her own kind of gold, while Jack's investigation sends him on a parallel path towards a dangerous smuggling ring.

In the wide open spaces of the outback, some secrets are buried deep.