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Journalist James Brandt lives in a brittle truce with his partner Dylan and his family, never talking about the homophobic attacks he exposed in his rural hometown, including the brutal death of a beloved cousin twenty years ago.
But this illusion of peace is ripped apart by the start of the state’s historical gay-hate crime inquiry, and the reappearance of the Joneses, who waltz back into Kippen professing to be queer allies. Yet when one of that notorious dynasty is found dead at a local water tower, it is James who stands accused.
With an under-resourced sergeant and a tech-savvy podcaster on his heels, James refuses to trust in a police force that has proven its inadequacy with gay-hate crime. In order to clear his name and flush out which member of this remote community took justice into their own hands, he will need to expose every secret, including his own.
Author: James Brandt
Paperback Published November 2025
‘Crime fiction at its most vital. A fearless reckoning with queer history and institutional failure. Dirt Traplays bare the human cost of silence within the closed ranks of a rural Australian town – and what it takes to break it. Can justice be found in a community that does not want it?’ – R. W. R. McDonald author ofThe Nancys
‘Michael Burge’s Dirt Trapis everything you love about classic rural noir but with diverse characters who better represent the complexity of Australian country towns. His compelling plot will have you racing to the finish and leave you wanting more. What a breath of fresh air!’ – Gabrielle Chan author ofRusted Off