In Conversation with Mark Smith

Mark Smith presents the ultimate moral dilemma in a breathtaking psychological thriller. Would you try to save them?

'First rule of rescue: don't create another casualty.'

Grace Disher is about to face every teacher's worst nightmare.
Three of her students are going to die.

On a high school camping trip, three boys slip away for an ocean swim. By the time Grace catches up, the perilous surf conditions are overwhelming the teenagers. If she goes in, she will die trying to save them.

Should she have given her life?

The question haunts Grace as investigations begin and her decision not to attempt a rescue comes under scrutiny. Hounded by conflicted staff, grieving parents and relentless media - all dissecting her actions, all looking for someone to blame - Grace's safety is compromised and she must be careful who she trusts.

And she's not the only one with a secret.

Lane Holland's crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, he faces the grim reality that an ex-con can never work as a private eye. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.

Never one to follow the rules, Lane finds a lead - a mysterious farm community led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. His farm attracts lost souls. People who want a more meaningful life. People who are hiding from their pasts. People with nowhere else to go.

But those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.

Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Is it something even more dangerous? Lane goes undercover at the farm to find its dark secret - but could he too find himself intoxicated by the prospect of a new life on the land?

Inspired by a real-life criminal case, Vanish is a nail-biting novel of suspense by the Number One-selling author of Wake and Ripper.

Praise for Shelley Burr's sensational novels: 'Compulsive, propulsive, addictive' New York Times 'Outstanding . . . A gripping mystery' The Guardian 'A yarn that feels so plausible and terrifying, it stays with you' The Australian Women's Weekly 'Shelley Burr is a bright new talent in Australian crime fiction' Chris Hammer

Attendee price: $10 bookings essential incl. light refreshment. Tickets can also be purchased at the Library. More information at https://ballaratmi.org.au/libr...

Presented in partnership with Collins Booksellers on Lydiard.

This event takes place on Wadawurrung Country. The Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.