I loved Arnott’s last book, Limberlost and really enjoyed Dusk.

Set sometime last century in a unnamed place (feels like Tasmanian wilderness) are twins, Floyd and Iris who hear of a bounty for the death of a puma cat which has killed several men and much livestock. Scouting the highlands for work, they unwittingly help another hunter who has other ideas for them and become embroiled in a cat and mouse chase through the harsh rugged terrain.

It’s a slow burn as we learn about the twins whose lives of hardship began when they were born to outcast ex-convict alcoholic parents. Floyd suffers from severe pain and Iris watches out for her brother but always looks for a future where they can one day settle down.

The description of the landscape is detailed: the cold chills you on a hot summer’s day, the rocks and skeletons take your breath away and the beauty of the mountains, trees and water makes you yearn to be there.

‘They skirted the lake’s shore – a beach of quartz sand, bright and course, – as the sun began cutting into the mountains that framed the water. ‘

The relationship between the twins was well done, the tension, love and despair for them palpable. I wondered about Iris and how she coped with a life of camping and getting around on horseback in a time when that would have been very much frowned upon. Yet there was little opposition from townsfolk and I wasn’t sure this was quite realistic for the time. Nevertheless, her character makes for an interesting take on a story which at times seemed like the wild west. Chasing the puma through the wilderness also reminded me a little of the novel Once there were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy.

The only thing that did throw me off towards the end was the backstory about the twins parents. In my opinion it interrupted the climactic flow and should have come a lot earlier in the novel.

Otherwise, a beautifully told tale. It’s short too, so check it out.