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The Wolf Tree: A gripping unputdownable debut crime thriller, perfect for fans of Dervla McTiernan, Ann Cleeves and Hayley Scrivenor
By (Author) Laura McCluskey
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd
28th January 2026
Australia
General
Fiction
Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction
Thriller / suspense fiction
Crime and mystery: women sleuths / detectives
Narrative theme: sense of place
Paperback
320
A gripping and atmospheric debut crime thriller set on an isolated Scottish island ... where outsiders are not welcome.
'There's always someone whispering about something.'
On a small island off the coast of Scotland, an isolated community is grieving. Eighteen-year-old Alan Ferguson was found at the foot of the lighthouse - an apparent suicide.
DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate. A raging storm keeps them trapped on the island for five days. And the locals don't take kindly to mainlanders.
As George and Richie question the island's inhabitants, they discover a village filled with superstition and shrouded in secrets.
But someone wants those secrets to stay buried. At any cost.
'Absorbing, unsettling and deeply accomplished' Dervla McTiernan
'Smart, deliciously creepy and simply pitch-perfect - I tore through this spectacular debut!' Hayley Scrivenor
'An impressive crime debut dripping with atmosphere and threat, Laura McCluskey's The Wolf Tree will take you to a chilling cliff edge of suspense, then hold you there until the very last page' Hannah Richell
'An exciting new voice in crime fiction' Pip Drysdale
'Cold Atlantic noir. An eerie debut' Matthew Spencer, author of Black River
'McCluskey is masterful at building suspense' Kirkus
Laura is a writer, editor and actor. As well as writing novels, she has penned several film and television projects for her production company Sibylline Films. Laura is also co-founder of Three Fates Theatre Company, and has performed across theatre, film, and television. The Wolf Tree is her debut novel. She lives in Naarm/Melbourne.