Vernon and Penelope Moore never want to see their son Caleb again. Not after he hit his wife and ended up in gaol. But when Vernon hears that Caleb is being regularly visited and savagely bashed by a local criminal as the police stand by, he realises he has to act. What has his life been as a father if he turns his back on his son in his hour of desperate need? The father of Caleb’s attacker is head of a violent crime family. The town lives in fear of him but Vernon is determined to fix things in a civilised way, father to father. If he shows respect, he reasons, it will be reciprocated. But how wrong he is…

Reading like a morality tale Western but in a starkly beautiful Australian setting, this is a powerful literary thriller.

“Remarkable. Ben Hobson's characters are deeply flawed, deeply human and beautifully realised. Part Western, part Greek tragedy, part morality tale - yet wholly original.” CHRIS HAMMER, bestselling author of Scrublands

“Snake Island takes you to the limits of human emotion. A vivid, consuming dive into family loyalty, violence, and the hearts broken when the two collide.” CANDICE FOX, bestselling author of Hades

“A rollicking tale of crime, corruption, and vengeance.” Mark Brandi, bestselling author of Wimmera