Shallow Breath

How far would you go to save someone you love?

Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family.

Now, she is coming home to make amends: to her daughter Maya, who’s nurturing her own dangerous plan; to her brother Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth.

But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years.

And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong …

Set across five continents, Shallow Breath is a compelling novel of dashed dreams and second chances. But most of all it is a story about love, and what it really means to be free.

‘The narrative burden shifts between characters, all of whom have winning strengths and credible frailties, and the action emanates from these qualities with effortless suspense and dramatic power…’

Sydney Morning Herald PICK OF THE WEEK

Shallow Breath: the idea for the story

In Shallow Breath I took a deep dive into our different relationships with animals, and how this leads to some people justifying the most abhorrent acts, while others will devote their lives to the creatures they love. I did an intense six-months of research including a trip to Japan, and I based other elements of the story on my trip to Galapagos in 2007. The story spans 30 years and 5 continents and I’m still extremely proud of the scope of it.

Shallow Breath: the publishing story

Shallow Breath was published in December 2012, and proved a difficult story to market. I consider it the most underrated and under-discovered of all my books.

For purchase links and more about the book, visit my website.