Host Ky Garvey interviews debut author Inessa Jackson about her award-winning crime novel Devil Mountain, a small-town police procedural with a creepy, witchy twist. They discuss the grisly murder that kicks off the story, the themes of misogyny and power, and how folklore and Wiccan practice inform the mystery.

Inessa shares her ten-year writing journey, the surprising moment she won the Verena mentorship, working with her publisher, research into police procedure and witchcraft, and practical advice for aspiring writers. The episode blends book chat, publishing insights, and the pleasures and challenges of life as an author.

About the book:

A wickedly dark police procedural with a hint of the supernatural, this crime novel is Dinuka McKenzie meets The Bluffs.

When Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown is sent to investigate a grizzly murder in a small New South Wales town, she welcomes the chance to run from heartbreak and humiliation. But she quickly discovers that this is no ordinary murder. The body of a popular doctor has been found on the mountain, chained and burned, with arcane ­symbols carved into the soles of his feet – and the boy who found him swears he saw a ghost lingering in the trees.

Is this a clever killer with a flair for the macabre? Or the work of an elusive Wiccan coven that worships on the mountain? Or, even stranger, are the local murmurs of the mountain being haunted more than just folklore? 

As the investigation grows ever murkier, Ana realises that everyone in town has a secret … and some are deadly.

You can buy the book the book here: Books | Online Bookshop | QBD

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About the author: Inessa Jackson is a Sydney crime writer living on the land of the Garigal people, within the Eora Nation. Her debut novel, Devil Mountain, won the Affirm/Varuna Mentorship Award. Her first murder mystery was runner-up for the 2023 Banjo Prize and short-listed for the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Award. Before she fell in love with crime writing, Inessa backpacked around the world, worked in corporate PR and then settled into life as a stay-at-home mum. When she’s not writing, Inessa is reading, swimming at Manly beach and walking her loyal assistant, Billy the Cavoodle. She has a passion for travelling to far-flung places … and is terrified of sheep.

Home | Inessa Jackson Author

Devil Mountain | Book by Inessa Jackson | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster AU

Host: Ky Garvey

Theme Song: Claire Houghton

Logo: Tondo Creative - https://www.tondo.com.au/

Production: Aud Pitch - https://www.virtualcreatrix.com/

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