An Isolated Incident

SHORTLISTED: Miles Franklin Literary Award SHORTLISTED: Stella Prize SHORTLISTED: Ned Kelly Prize for Best Crime Novel When 25-year-old Bella Michaels is brutally murdered in the small town of Strathdee, the community is stunned and a media storm ensues. Unwillingly thrust into the eye of that storm are Bella's beloved older sister, Chris, a barmaid at the local pub, and May Norman, a young reporter sent to cover the story. Chris's ex-husband, friends and neighbours do their best to support her. But as the days tick by with no arrest, her suspicion of those around her grows. And as May attempts to file daily reports, she finds herself reassessing her own principles. An Isolated Incident is a humane and beautifully observed tale of everyday violence, the media's obsession with the murder of pretty young women and the absence left in the world when someone dies.

Emily Maguire is the author of the novels Taming the Beast (2004), an international bestseller and finalist for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Kathleen Mitchell Award, The Gospel According to Luke (2006), Smoke in the Room (2009) and Fishing for Tigers (2012). She enjoys a high profile in Australia as a social commentator, with her articles and essays on sex, religion and culture appearing in a wide variety of publications. She lives in Sydney with her husband.