Cirrus@Austlit

'When detectives try to close a missing persons case, a small town’s twisted secrets begin to unravel…

'A couple disappear in a region of the outback known for its gold mining. Some three years on, there is still no trace of them.

'Detective Veronika Pope is handed the cold case. It’s cold only in name. When she turns up to the godforsaken town where the couple were last seen, the heat is sweltering; suspicion simmering.

'The detectives stay in the same seedy hotel as the couple did. The townsfolk aren’t welcoming. Nobody wants the cops probing into their affairs.

'From what Pope can gather, the missing duo were the perfect couple. Loving. Happy together. The picture of marital bliss.

'Assuming a murder but missing a motive, the detectives do make progress. They might even find the bodies, as the trail is hot. Almost too hot to touch.

'Pope is in serious danger of getting burned…'  (Publication summary)