Tell Me Something True - September 2026 Crime Collective

About the book

'Tell Me Something True is unforgettable' KARIN SLAUGHTER
'My book of the year. A compelling, intriguing and entertaining masterpiece' LIZ NUGENT
'An epic elegy of love, family, morality and justice that deserves to be showered with awards' CHRIS BROOKMYRE

I look along the road and notice how many people are standing outside their houses or watching from doorways and windows. Staring. Studying.
'Do you think this town will ever forgive me?' I ask.
'Not in a million years.'

Small towns are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but Arlo Hackett doesn't expect mercy when he emerges from a twelve-year prison sentence and makes his way back to Yulara, a waypoint on Australia's Great Southern Road. The last time Arlo was home, his brother Luke was charged with a terrible crime and Arlo was found guilty by association.

His return to the former goldrush town is like cracking open a time capsule full of hatred and violence, along with memories of the people he loved - the ones he couldn't save.

Yulara wants Arlo gone, or worse, but every insult and humiliation pushes him to confront what really happened all those years ago.

The truth will shock you, surprise you, and break your heart.

'A riveting and chilling look into the dark niches of Australian small-town life' GERALDINE BROOKS
'This novel and its characters will stay with me forever' DAVID BALDACCI
'Emotional, startling, beautifully crafted' VAL MCDERMID
'A triumph, with a plot you can't second guess and real emotional punch' CHRIS CHIBNALL
'Unforgettable characters. My favourite book this year' ANDREA MARA
'Most writers would be proud to produce a book half as good as Tell Me Something True' LINWOOD BARCLAY
'One of the best books I've read all year' AJAY CHOWDHURY
'A profoundly rich and heartbreaking novel' JEANINE CUMMINS
'A masterpiece. One of my all-time favourite books' J. P. POMARE