The Long Shadow

Write down something about yourself, as a mother, that worries you.

Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital-the hub of the community-with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother-baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mothers-

The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.

Then a series of small harassments begins.

Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.

As Isabel discovers more about the mothers in her group, she begins to believe the twenty-five-year-old mystery of a baby's death may be the key to preventing another tragedy.

'This mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat.'--Buzzfeed, Best Australian Books Of 2015 (on Medea's Curse)

'[A] well-informed, fast-paced look at the dangers in the child welfare system.' Kirkus (on This I Would Kill For)

'In The Long Shadow, Buist continues to impress with her smart brand of psychological thriller. A brooding story about small town secrets and the lies we tell to protect ourselves.'--Emma Viskic, author of Resurrection Bay

'Buist's own extensive background in psychiatry shines through.'--Herald Sun

'Suspenseful Aussie noir at its best.'--New Idea