To The River

How long can you hide the truth?The Kelly family has always been trouble.When a fire in a remote caravan community kills nine people, including 17-year-old Sabine Kelly’s mother and sister, Sabine confesses to the murders. Shortly after, she escapes custody and disappears.Recently made redundant from marriage, motherhood and her career, journalist Rachel Weidermann has long suspected Sabine made her way back to the river — now, twelve years after the ‘Caravan Murders’, she has the time and the tenacity to corner a fugitive and land the story of the year.Rachel’s ambition lights the fuse leading to a brutal chain of events, and the web Sabine weaves will force Rachel to question everything she believes. Vikki Wakefield’s compelling psychological thriller is about class, corruption, love, loyalty, and the vindication of truth and justice. And a brave dog called Blue.

'An original thriller full of empathy.', ‘Heartrending and heart pounding. At times beautiful and graceful, at times propulsive and frantic—just like a river.’ - Michelle Prak, author of The Rush, 'Vikki Wakefield’s To the River gets under your skin. Two very different women are brought together in the search for the truth and something like justice. Covered in dog hair and splattered with river mud, this taut, muscular thriller absolutely delivers.’ - Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town, ‘A completely gripping story, with two brave, tough and damaged women at its heart. Vikki Wakefield is a brilliant writer.’ - Shelley Burr, author of Wake, ‘An atmospheric mystery with layer upon layer of secrets. Two flawed women discover how much they are willing to risk when justice is not equal and the system is not there to protect them.’ - Dinuka McKenzie, author of The Torrent

Vikki Wakefield writes fiction for adults and young adults. Her novels have been shortlisted for numerous awards. After You Were Gone, a psychological thriller, was her first novel for adults, and was published in 2022, to much acclaim. To The River is her second psychological thriller for adults. Vikki lives in Adelaide, South Australia.