11 Jul 2026
issue 11 July 2026
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In photography, balance, whether radial, conceptual or symmetrical, is critical to the success of a composition. An unbalanced photograph can confuse, obfuscate or otherwise diminish an image. It is the same for a literary writer (Nicholas Shakespeare has twice been Booker-longlisted) taking on the thriller genre. Finding an equilibrium between prose styling and fine plotting requires considerable skill and a gentle touch. In his second outing for the former journalist John Dyer, Shakespeare treads this tightrope nimbly.
Following the events of The Sandpit (2020), Dyer is in Tasmania, engaged in research for a book on the Tupian peoples of the Amazon. He is soon interrupted by a voice from the past, that of Miguel Girondo de Belew, an Argentinian photo-journalist. An old mutual friend has recently been found dead in an apparent hit-and-run, but Miguel suspects a deeper conspiracy. Fearing for his own safety, he begs Dyer to meet him in Argentina to discuss his findings face to face, as he believes Dyer is the only one who can break the story.
