Meet Queensland's own Joanna Jenkins and get the inside story on her latest novel, The Bluff, at Redcliffe Library.
An unputdownable crime novel of deception, The Bluff reveals an enmeshed web of family and community loyalties, set in the lush rural hinterland where isolation breeds secrets and danger lurks beneath the surface. The setting is loosely based on the author's own hometown.
Ruth Dawson has taken a break from big city law to fill in for a few months at a mate’s small-town legal practice in Myddle. It’s not what she’s used to ... So when she hears the front door of her office open she's expecting a weird demand, or a question she doesn't know the answer to. But it's Bea Baulderstone's mum, worried that she hasn't seen her 17-year-old daughter for five days, and the local police are refusing to report the girl missing.
Ruth tries to find Bea, but Myddle is a wall of indifference. Then a local farmer is found at his farm gate, dead from a gunshot wound, and suddenly the town is very interested in Bea’s whereabouts.
With its vivid portrayal of landscapes and tightly-knit communities, The Bluff pulls readers into a world where trust is scarce, and every neighbour could be hiding something sinister.
Free. Bookings required. For adults. Arrive 1:45 PM for a 2:00 PM start. Book sales and signing at the event courtesy of QBD The Bookshop.
About the author
Joanna Jenkins grew up on a small farm in country Queensland. After graduating from the University of Queensland with degrees in English Literature and Law, she practised as a solicitor, including for many years as a partner of an international law firm.
It was early days for working mothers. In one law firm she worked at, she was the first person to work part time after having a baby and in another was, for a couple of years, the only female partner in the Brisbane office. She now writes full-time.
Married with three sons, Joanna lives in Brisbane. Her debut novel, How to Kill a Client, was published in 2023. The Bluff is her second novel.