Welcome to Riversend, an isolated Australian community afflicted by an endless drought. A young priest kills five parishioners before being taken down himself. The story is that the priest was a pedophile whose imminent exposure was the catalyst for the shooting. A year later, accompanied by his own demons from war-time reporting, journalist Martin Scarsden arrives to describe how the townspeople are coping with the anniversary. When the bodies of two German backpackers-- missing since the time of the church shootings-- are discovered in a dam in the scrublands, Martin finds himself thrown into a whole new mystery. Uncovering the town's dark secrets will put his job, his mental state, and his life at risk. -- adapted from publisher info