AUSSIE OUTBACK NOIR: HAZE by SAM ELLIOTT

Sam Elliott’s debut crime novel, Haze (Macmillan, 24 February 2026), ticks all the familiar thematic boxes for outback noir.

There are bushfires, a damaged police detective who has returned to her hometown under a cloud, edgy local residents, old secrets and a horrific new crime. There is also sinister off-the-grid local cult, which, along with sovereign citizens, is fast becoming a popular trope in Australian crime fiction.

The central story, however, is full of interest, and Elliott gets the proceedings off to good start with one of the most vivid bushfire scenes I have encountered in awhile. At the climax of the opening scene, Constable Dahlia Turner finds the bodies of her murdered best friends among the burning ruins of their home, and realises that their young son has been abducted. From there the story moves at solid pace through some decent twists, as Dahlia desperately tries to find the missing child and resolve her past connections to the cult that the locals blame for the fire.

It is a busy plot and for the most part Elliott keeps it under control, although some suspension of disbelief is needed. Dahlia is an interesting character, with enough quirks to separate her from other outback detectives, although she is frustrating at times. The locations around the fictional coastal town of Broughlet are nicely described and the prejudices of the local community are convincingly captured.

In all, Haze is a solid rural crime tale that will appeal to those eagerly awaiting the next slice of outback noir by Chris Hammer, Margaret Hickey, Jane Harper, et. al.

Haze is released in Australia on 24 February 2026.