After the death of her husband, Adam, in an horrific plane crash, Gemma Sinclair defies community expectations - and Adam's dying words - by deciding to hang on to Billbinya, the 10,000-hectare station he bequeathed to her.
As if Gemma's grief and the job of looking after Billbinya aren't enough, a wave of innuendo soon sweeps the community that Adam's plane crash was no accident. Police officers confirm the rumour when they visit Gemma and tell her Adam's death was almost certainly related to his involvement in a cattle and sheep duffing ring. And not only that, but Gemma is indirectly implicated because Billbinya was used as the holding station for the stolen stock.
Intent on clearing her name, Gemma sets out to get to the bottom of what Adam was doing. In the process, she's stunned at the depths of her husband's wrongdoing and shocked at the identities of his criminal associates.
Struggling to put the past behind her, Gemma wonders if she'll ever be able to love again. In the tradition of Rachael Treasure and Di Morrissey, this heart-wrenching outback saga is the inspirational story of a woman doing her best to defy the odds and triumph over adversity.
‘In Red Dust, McDonald breathes life into archetypal Australian characters - the loyal stockman, the shifty newcomer, the knowledgeable stock & station agent, the trusty working dog. Throw in a dead husband with a suspicious past, a contagiously lively - and impressively savvy - best friend, and couple of swoon-worthy blokes in R. M. Williams boots and you've got more than enough to keep you glued to the page through a winter's weekend.' - TESSA WOOLDRIDGE
‘Red Dust is a beautifully written novel which pulls together Australia's harsh bush lifestyle, the wonderful people who make this country and their never ending determination to succeed. ... Red Dust is a novel which will entice readers to want more from a talented engaging writer.' - DAVID CAIRNS