ABOUT THE EVENT:

‘A great book and an engrossing read that I just could not put down. Michael Brissenden has delivered an intense, diabolically smart and unforgettable novel.‘ – Dervla McTiernan

After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death – until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.

On Thursday 6th June at The Royal Oak, Balmain, join Michael Brissenden in conversation with Paul Daley.

Copies of Smoke will be available for purchase at the venue through Roaring Stories, with Brissenden signing copies after the discussion.

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ABOUT THE VENUE

Attendees are asked to arrive at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Seating is unallocated – another reason to arrive early to secure an optimal spot. Why not make a full evening of it, too, by ordering a meal at the Royal Oak before or after the event? One of Balmain's oldest and most loved pubs, it serves a delicious range of food and beverages.

If you miss out on a ticket, you can still watch the event as it is livestreamed from the Roaring Stories Facebook page (accessible on the Home page and from the Live tab). A recording will also be available to view later as an upload on the Roaring Stories YouTube channel.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death – until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.

Years after leaving Jasper, Detective Alex Markov has been sent back under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. She is convinced that the man, a family friend, was murdered opportunistically under the cover of the fire. As the smoke clears, Alex reveals a town corrupt to its core – but exposing that corruption could destroy her and the people she loves. Will she ignore the crookedness and deceit, or face the consequences of pursuing an inconvenient truth?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Brissenden is an author and journalist. His first book of fiction – The List was published in 2017. A second thriller - Dead Letters also features the Federal investigator Sidney Allen and was published by Hachette Australia Books in March 2021. His next novel, Smoke, is available for pre-order now.

Michael was a journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for 35 years. He was posted to Moscow, Brussels and Washington and worked in Canberra for many years in various roles – including as the Political Editor for the daily television current affairs program – The 7.30 Report, as the ABC’s defence and security correspondent and as the presenter of the ‘AM’ Current Affairs program on ABC radio. From 2017 to 2021 he was a reporter with the ABC’s investigative television documentary program – Four Corners.

Michael has also written non fiction. In 2012 American Stories: Tales of Hope and Anger was published by UQP. The book was a personal account of a country on edge that chronicled the undercurrents of division and anger that surfaced during the first term of the Obama presidency. Divisions that would later be exploited to such devastating effect by Donald Trump.

He has contributed to a number of essay collections over the years and written for The Bulletin, The Canberra Times and New Matilda.

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ABOUT THE HOST

Paul Daley is a multi-award winning journalist and an author of fiction and non-fiction books. He has been a finalist in major Australian literary awards including the Prime Minister’s History Prize and the NIB Award. He is a feature writer and columnist for `The Guardian’ where he largely writes about national identity, history and Indigenous issues. His most recent book is `Jesustown’ (Allen & Unwin, 2022), a novel about Australian frontier violence, anthropology and cultural theft. Allen & Unwin is due to publish his next novel, `The Leap’, in 2025.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Refunds

Please note that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled or postponed due to extenuating circumstances. Refunds are not issued within 48 hours notice of event date. Humanitix fee is nonrefundable.

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This event is presented by Roaring Stories Bookshop Balmain and Affirm Press.

With thanks to our venue partner The Royal Oak.

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