We’ve all lied at some point. It might have been a little white lie, or a misunderstanding that took on a life of its own. You didn’t get a chance to set the record straight and suddenly everyone you know seems to believe this … falsehood. Hopefully, people soon forgot, or you were able to clear the air and move on, but what if you were on the cusp of what could be the greatest achievement of your life and you had to choose between deception and your career, dishonesty and your relationship with your partner?

For one young man, an accidental evasion of the truth allows him to discover the answer to one of Australia’s greatest literary mysteries: whatever happened to the controversial 1970s author Brenda Shales? When he spots her at the local pool and tracks her to an aged care facility nearby, he can’t believe his luck. As an unsuccessful writer who sells himself to medical science for cash and lives vicariously through the achievements of his girlfriend, the aspiring author knows this could be his one chance at notoriety. If he can convince Brenda to tell him her story and he can write her biography, he will be the next big thing in Australian publishing.

As Brenda begins to let this stranger into her life, he also finds himself sharing stories with her. His presence appears to mean much to the elderly woman; the information she gives him seems to be everything he could have hoped for. But, as we know, appearances can be deceiving, and when everything comes to a head over roast lamb one rainy night, this author may find himself at the devil’s crossroads. Will he sell his soul, or won’t he?

Original, yet familiar, relentless, but enduring, this debut work of fiction will leave you feeling disturbed, amused and wondering if maybe, just maybe, Dominic Amerena himself might be the next big thing …