The Jump: The truth lies somewhere between before and after

'They stayed in the awkward embrace, trapped between the second before the jump and the eternity after. When he felt her shift and stiffen, he knew the 'before' was over and they were now in the 'after'.'

Seventeen-year-old Jamie's life on an outback cattle station is pretty straight-forward; it revolves around his best friend Melissa, fishing, swimming at the gorge, and the annual cattle muster. It's all he's ever known or wanted. Until a newcomer shows up in Palara, then disappears. Suddenly his carefree life is changed forever. Now, Jamie's not only questioning himself, but being interrogated by police, lying to his father, and keeping secrets that threaten to tear him apart.

Months later, police are no closer to solving the missing person's case, Melissa goes off the rails, while Jamie becomes obsessed with the missing backpacker. With no one else to turn to, he is alone with his burden of guilt, consumed with the grief of knowing and not telling - and the longer it goes on, the harder it is to come clean. The annual cattle muster forces Jamie to confront his moral dilemma. Will he find peace with what he has done? Will the truth set him free or cage him in?

This coming-of-age novel explores morality in an uncomplicated outback setting. Underpinned by the daily running of a small cattle station and the capers at the local pub, The Jump is edgy and emotionally unnerving from the very first page.