The day is still. The heat, having eased during the night, is building again; the sky is cloudless and unforgiving, the sun punishing. Across the road, down by what’s left of the river, the cicadas ...

Martin Scarsden hopes for a peaceful holiday with his partner Mandy Bond in his home town of Port Silver. On the drive there, he is perplexed by a strange call from his childhood friend Jasper.

After a mass poisoning at Hummingbird Beach leaves Mandy in critical condition, Martin and Uncle Vern reconcile their differences. Their renewed bond helps Martin trust his own instincts, leading him ...