A body on the beach. An inheritance. A family pulled apart. Bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe returns with her most engrossing mystery to date, perfect for readers of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth.

CC Cilento's best memories are of spending every summer holiday running wild in and out of the Friend family beach house with her cousins, James, Ollie, Felix and Lily. It's the next best thing to having brothers and sisters. They've continued the summer tradition into adulthood, getting together at the shack with its absolute beach frontage.

But now a bombshell has dropped: the four Friend siblings have officially inherited the property - along with an unexpected fifth share to CC. What starts out as the perfect gift, and a way of keeping the family connected forever, quickly devolves into an emotional power struggle. Half of them want to keep the legacy intact, while the others want to sell - and each side will do anything to make it happen. Soon, CC can't tell friend from foe.

When a body is found on the shack's beach, has this family dispute turned deadly?

PRAISE FOR THE DROWNING:

'Fiona is a dab hand at documenting small-town quirks and everything from the rehearsals for the ANZAC Day procession and the cover band at the local pub to the slightly dodgy share house where CC lives has a ring of deep authenticity.' -- Australian Country

'Fiona Lowe's stories about secrets, families and moral dramas in small-town Australia always make for popular reading, and The Drowning is another enjoyable tale.' -- Canberra Weekly magazine

'A tale of beautiful-but-deadly beaches, small-town tensions, family secrets and scheming siblings ... No one does dysfunctional families quite like Fiona Lowe. A terrific read.' - Cassie Hamer, author of The Stranger at the Table

PRAISE FOR FIONA LOWE:

'Lowe excels at writing about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. And she does it here with finesse. The Accident is a gripping read, and an excellent choice for book clubs.' - Weekend Australian, Notable Books

'Fiona Lowe's name is practically synonymous with rural mystery novels. The Accident is another gripping ride through drama and tragedy in an imaginary small town ... masterfully complex characters and a heavily emotional story that will make this book difficult to put down.' - GLAM Adelaide

'The WA wheatbelt is the backdrop for Lowe's engrossing new novel, loaded up with small-town scandal, secrets and lies ... there are twists aplenty, but the truth sure can hurt. Don't be surprised to read it in one sitting.' - The Herald Sun