An Isolated Incident

Book excerpt: SHORTLISTED: Miles Franklin Literary Award SHORTLISTED: Stella Prize SHORTLISTED: Ned Kelly Prize for Best Crime Novel When 25-year-old Bella Michaels is brutally murdered in the small town of Strathdee, the community is stunned and a media storm ensues. Unwillingly thrust into the eye of that storm are Bella's beloved older sister, Chris, a barmaid at the local pub, and May Norman, a young reporter sent to cover the story. Chris's ex-husband, friends and neighbours do their best to support her. But as the days tick by with no arrest, her suspicion of those around her grows. And as May attempts to file daily reports, she finds herself reassessing her own principles. An Isolated Incident is a humane and beautifully observed tale of everyday violence, the media's obsession with the murder of pretty young women and the absence left in the world when someone dies.