Brandi does a brilliant job of bringing to life the world in which Ben and Fab came of age. This world is tightly knit, with an overwhelming stench of racism and machismo. Ronnie’s grooming of Ben, and the impact of sexual abuse on the boys, is depicted in a manner that is both subtle and devastating. The novel crackles with suspense and dread.

Thematically, Wimmera has something in common with American novels such as Sleepers and Mysterious Flesh (both of which have been transformed into films). Fortunately, Brandi’s novel is not derivative. With the exception of a brief dream sequence, the text is devoid of clichés. The character development is mostly strong, though I felt that readers could have learned more about some of the minor characters (particularly Fab’s friend Afriki).

Wimmera won the CWA (British Crime Writers’ Association) Début Dagger Award for an unpublished manuscript. This reviewer looks forward to reading more of Brandi’s fiction.