Synopsis:

In the distant highlands, a puma named Dusk is killing shepherds. Down in the lowlands, twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money and friends. When they hear that a bounty has been placed on Dusk, they reluctantly decide to join the hunt. As they journey up into this wild, haunted country, they discover there’s far more to the land and people of the highlands than they imagined. And as they close in on their prey, they’re forced to reckon with conflicts both ancient and deeply personal.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Astra House
Pub Date: 08 October 2024

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Review:

Twins Iris and Floyd were once thieves, but now hunters. Born to criminal parents with a surname they can’t escape, they are loyal to only each other. Money is tight and work is scarce, so when they hear of a bounty in the hills they start their journey. Dusk is a puma, a hunter of hunters, and she waits for them to find her…

I have never read any of Robbie Arnott’s writing before, but I am definitely interested in trying more. I love stories with atmosphere, and Dusk had some of the most atmospheric prose I have read yet. The writing is far from lyrical, if anything, it has a spare quality to it, but the imagery he conjures is vivid, and the landscapes he describes feel very much alive and maybe even more of a character than any of the people.

The plot itself is straightforward. There is a bounty on a puma in the hills, and the twins, along with other hunters, are after it. The depth comes in the character’s history and how they fit into the world. Flashbacks are woven through the pages, appearing at the right times to enhance what would otherwise be a fairly empty journey across valleys and open plains.

The twins’ family name haunts them like a ghost, strangers recognising them before they’re barely introduced. Interestingly, given the importance of the twins’ name, barely anything else in the book actually receives one. There are no place names, just a wild-west feeling land littered with bones, small towns and hunters.

I enjoyed the linking thread of fate through this story that connected the twins to Dusk in a much deeper way than the simple fact that they were hunting her. Neither the twins or Dusk asked to be where they are. They are simply trying to survive in a life they have been unwittingly placed into.

Since reading the book, I learned it was most likely set in the Tasmanian Highlands, and I highly recommend searching for images of the location because it is incredibly beautiful. I read this book as it is shortlisted for the 2026 Climate Fiction Prize – congratulations to Robbie Arnott!