Feature image credit: Allen & Unwin
Undercover Police Officer Kit McCarthy has just ended a multi-year stint infiltrating an international child exploitation ring, when a report comes in of the murder of a judge and her family by explosive device. At the same time, Kit’s estranged mother contacts her to let her know her twin sister, Billie – who she hasn’t seen or heard from in over a decade – and a nephew she never knew existed are desperately in need of help. As Kit digs into her sister’s whereabouts, she soon uncovers Billie’s potential link to the recent explosive event.
Inside a survivalist compound, deep in the NSW Riverina, Billie begins a fight for her life, and that of her child, as her long held belief in her husband and his sovereignty movement momentum is turned upside down through his association with a bikie gang. After a violent encounter with one of the gang members, Billie is forced to run for her life, without her child. Her only hope lies with her police officer sister and the hesitant support of strangers in a remote country town.
As the threats against Billie increase, innocent victims are caught in the crossfire – and as Kit makes her way to her sister, dark secrets (both past and present) emerge and the odds of survival for both sisters become ever shorter. Who do you trust when no one trusts you or believes you?
Tim Ayliffe has taken a break from his John Bailey series, following the most recent Killer Traitor Spy, to write a standalone novel that explores the ever-rising movement of religiously motivated extremism. Set in the remote Riverina area of NSW, this is a fast-paced tale that blends current affairs and the high-level action sequences for which he is known.
Within the story, Ayliffe delivers two genuinely engaging and captivating characters in the twin sisters Kit and Billie, both passionate and strong women with a no-BS attitude to match. Interspersed throughout the novel, Ayliffe provides intermittent flashbacks that flesh out the conjoined and separate journeys of the twin girls, encapsulating the influence and power of nature versus nurture.
Dark Desert Road is influenced by recent events in Australia and the US, and is made even more confronting by the events at Bondi Beach. This gives it an immediacy and relevance that enhances its impact and excitement.The action, while heightened, could be drawn straight from current news and headlines and Ayliffe has done his research, adding to the frightening potential for reality within this fictional tale.
Reviewed by Glen Christie
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: January 2026
RRP: $34.99
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