{"product_id":"dirt-trap-by-michael-burge","title":"Dirt Trap by Michael Burge","description":"\u003cp\u003eJournalist James Brandt lives in a brittle truce with his partner Dylan and his family, never talking about the homophobic attacks he exposed in his rural hometown, including the brutal death of a beloved cousin twenty years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut this illusion of peace is ripped apart by the start of the state’s historical gay-hate crime inquiry, and the reappearance of the Joneses, who waltz back into Kippen professing to be queer allies. Yet when one of that notorious dynasty is found dead at a local water tower, it is James who stands accused.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith an under-resourced sergeant and a tech-savvy podcaster on his heels, James refuses to trust in a police force that has proven its inadequacy with gay-hate crime. In order to clear his name and flush out which member of this remote community took justice into their own hands, he will need to expose every secret, including his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Crime fiction at its most vital. A fearless reckoning with queer history and institutional failure.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDirt Trap\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elays bare the human cost of silence within the closed ranks of a rural Australian town – and what it takes to break it. Can justice be found in a community that does not want it?’ – R. W. R. McDonald author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Nancys\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e‘Michael Burge’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDirt Trap\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis everything you love about classic rural noir but with diverse characters who better represent the complexity of Australian country towns. His compelling plot will have you racing to the finish and leave you wanting more. What a breath of fresh air!’ – Gabrielle Chan author of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRusted Off\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Burge\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eis an author and journalist who lives at Deepwater in the New England region of NSW, Michael’s debut novel\u003ci\u003e Tank Water \u003c\/i\u003ewas released by MidnightSun Publishing. His article about the research behind this coming-of-age crime thriller appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe Journal of Australian Studies\u003c\/i\u003e. A second novel \u003ci\u003eThe Watchnight\u003c\/i\u003e, a gothic crime thriller set on Australia’s colonial frontier, will be released globally in September 2025 by Histria Books. An earlier memoir\u003ci\u003e Questionable Deeds: Making a stand for equal love \u003c\/i\u003elifted the lid on homophobia during Australia’s marriage equality campaign. Michael’s reports for\u003ci\u003e Guardian Australia\u003c\/i\u003e, Fairfax Media and \u003ci\u003eNoFibs \u003c\/i\u003eled to a citation at the 2023 Honour Awards for his contribution to writing about rural LGBTIQA+. He sits on the board of the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Seasons of New England","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50962537644287,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0844\/1023\/7183\/files\/DirtTrapCover.jpg?v=1794178063","url":"https:\/\/maxvanta.shop\/products\/dirt-trap-by-michael-burge","provider":"Clearbrook Goods","version":"1.0","type":"link"}