Dead Man Switch

'A terrific read' Lynda La Plante

Bestselling author Tara Moss returns to crime fiction with a stunning new series, and a stunning new heroine. Meet PI Billie Walker - smart and sexy, with a dash of Mae West humour, she's a hard-boiled detective with a twist.

'A cracking thriller, with a marvellous, strong, flamboyant heroine. Loved it.' Joanne Harris, award-winning author of Chocolat

She's a woman in a man's world ...

Sydney, 1946. Billie Walker is living life on her own terms. World War II has left her bereaved, her photojournalist husband missing and presumed dead. Determined not to rely on any man for her future, she re-opens her late father's detective agency.

Billie's bread and butter is tailing cheating spouses - it's easy, pays the bills and she has a knack for it. But her latest case, the disappearance of a young man, is not proving straightforward ...

Soon Billie is up to her stylish collar in bad men, and not just the unfaithful kind - these are the murdering kind. Smugglers. Players. Gangsters. Billie and her loyal assistant must pit their wits against Sydney's ruthless underworld and find the young man before it's too late.

'Rich period detail and a fierce, feminist heroine distinguish this stylish twist on the classic 1940s detective novel. Fans of Phryne Fisher will eagerly anticipate Billie's next adventure.' Publishers Weekly

'Billie [Walker's] addition to the world of literary private detectives is welcome and deserved. She carries a bit of the hard-boiled tradition on her shoulders--the vulnerability, the brashness--while providing a completely feminine perspective on both the crimes and the approach to crime-solving. Neatly incorporates history, social commentary, and a satisfying mystery in one appealing package. More, please!' Kirkus

'Immersive, well-paced, entertaining, thoughtful - so enjoyable!' Angela Meyer, award-winning author of A Superior Spectre

Praise for Tara Moss:

'Enough page-turning suspense to keep you up reading far later than you intended!' Peter James

'Truly thrilling' Woman's Day

'Moss's ultra-cool prose and whip-smart plotting pull you along at cracking pace until suddenly you look up and realise with a gulp how deep you've gone and how very dark it is down there.' Emily Maguire, author of An Isolated Incident