I hear a dragging sound followed by my father's limping appearance at the door.

I look at him in horror.

He's starting at me, glasses askew, waving the birds' nest.

'You imbecile. You left me hanging there.

What were you trying to do? Kill me?'

If only he knew. I'm not trying to kill him.

I'm trying not to kill him!

'The tender yet unsparing depth of characterisation in the novel is matched by the limped beauty of the writing, the sensual evocation of the snowfields setting and the compelling nature of the story.'

Weekend Australian

'A dark, gripping tale.'

The Age

'The ending is a dramatic as they come.'

Sydney Morning Herald