LIFE BEFORE

Carmel Reilly

When the police arrive at Lori’s door and explain that her brother, Scott, is in a coma, she’s forced to confront their shared past and the reasons for their decades-long estrangement. Rewinding to 1993, before the tragedy that marked their lives forever, we meet Lori and Scott’s mother, Pam, who is raising her teenage children in small-town Victoria, and witness her intense grief and guilt in the aftermath of one night’s awful outcome. As more questions are raised about what happened and details about the families involved are revealed, it becomes apparent another threat is lurking. Exploring the best and worst of small-town life and the responsibility of parents for their children’s actions, this is a standout debut. (Out now)