Caleb Zelic, profoundly deaf since early childhood, has always lived on the outside – watching, picking up tell-tale signs people hide in a smile, a cough, a kiss. When a childhood friend is murdered, a sense of guilt and a determination to prove his own innocence sends Caleb on a hunt for the killer. But he can’t do it alone. Caleb and his troubled friend Frankie, an ex-cop, start with one clue: Scott, the last word the murder victim texted to Caleb. But Scott is always one step ahead.

This gripping, original and fast-paced crime thriller is set between a big city and a small coastal town, Resurrection Bay, where Caleb is forced to confront painful memories. Caleb is a memorable protagonist who refuses to let his deafness limit his opportunities, or his participation in the investigation. But does his persistence border on stubbornness? And at what cost? As he delves deeper into the investigation Caleb uncovers unwelcome truths about his murdered friend – and himself.

Emma Viskic’s critically acclaimed Caleb Zelic series has been published worldwide. Resurrection Bay won the 2016 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Fiction and an unprecedented three Davitt Awards. It was iBooks Australia’s Crime Novel of the Year and shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Gold Dagger and New Blood Dagger Awards, and the US Barry Award. And Fire Came Down won the 2018 Davitt Award for Best Novel and was longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Award. Darkness for Light was joint winner of the 2020 Davitt Award for Readers’ Choice.

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‘Viskic’s novel is a fine example of modern noir, a dark tale of crime, betrayals, secrets and bad decisions. Caleb is a compelling protagonist, equal parts tenacious, observant, proud and stubborn, but never unsympathetic … a compelling, highly recommended read. – Books+Publishing

‘The characterisation, dialogue and plotting are on par with some of the heavyweights of crime writing. The ending is truly unexpected — always a plus in murder mysteries.’ – Thuy On, The Age/SMH

‘…a book that has characters of real depth and diversity, like Resurrection Bay, is quite simply a pleasure to read. And having diversity in a book’s characters is, quite honestly, a relief: it shows awareness of the world around us, one that is not full of much-loved cookie-cutter crime staples but actual humans. There are breathless scenes of tension … I was guiltily desperate to skip ahead just to make sure the people I loved were going to make it through okay. And in the capable signing hands of Viskic – a Ned Kelly short story award winner – you never know what’s around the corner, in the very best kind of way.’ – Fiona Hardy, Readings

‘The desperate pre-murder call for his help came by text, which puzzles investigating police – if it was that urgent, why didn’t the victim call him? – but it’s completely understandable when we realise Caleb is deaf. It’s a relevant fact that provides an interesting shape to the way he investigates and the way he acts, without ever unduly dominating what is a smart, fast-paced, local crime story. This is a highly enjoyable debut novel from Melbourne-based Viskic, who has won a couple of major local crime story awards.’ – Corinna Hente, The Herald Sun

‘This is a highly enjoyable debut novel from Melbourne-based Viskic. Caleb looks set for – and deserves – a series.’ – The Daily Telegraph

‘This Melbourne author has won several short story awards on the way to her first novel. It’s a cracker, as well … It’s the characterisations that make this a great read, that and the snappy dialogue.’ – The Adelaide Advertiser