The Arsonist- Chloe Hooper

Non-Fiction Winner of the 2019 Indie Awards

THE BARE BONES... (a brief overview)

‘The Arsonist- a mind on fire’ is a chilling recount of the Black Saturday fires in VIC from various points of view. Don't be put off by the non-fiction categorisation. It reads like a fiction book- there are clear characters and a strong plot driving the story. The reader follows the Detectives, the Lawyers and then the Courtroom involved in this true case. Somehow Hooper avoids judgement, so the reader is left (uncomfortably) like a silent jury. We have the facts and the statements and have to somehow reconcile ourselves that our conclusions won't change the outcome. There are stunning descriptions of the Australian outback and raw insights into the people who belong to this hostile but beautiful country. My home is surrounded by a National Park and I read this book on a Total Fire Ban day, when the hot wind was blustering through my windows and the gums swayed threateningly. I was rather relieved both when I finished the book and when the threat of fire had passed my home by!

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FLAVOURS OF... (other books like this one)

I struggle to think of comparable books... It had flavours of a true crime novel, but really is unique.

5 out of 5 snag rating

SNAGS ON THE BARBIE (rating out of 5) This book is compelling and disturbing! It's a bit like a huge rack of beef rib, slowly smoked and finished with charring. You'll ask yourself how you've never known the details about this dark event in Australia's history... and question whether you'd prefer to have been left in the dark.

“They've prepared for fire to come their way while believing it won't. But in many minds, staying to defend your house is the Australian test of grit: it's proof that you deserve to be living in the bush in the first place. Holding their nerve, they decide to make dinner”