'This novel and its characters will stay with me forever. I ached, cried, and laughed and it felt like I bled right along with them. No one will ever forge a flawless novel, but with Tell Me Something True, Robotham has gotten as close to it as I've ever seen' DAVID BALDACCI
The astonishing, emotional epic from Michael Robotham: a mystery, a coming-of-age tale and a love story wrapped into one, set against the simmering tensions of a small Australian town.
I look along the road and notice how many people are standing outside their houses or watching from doorways and windows. Staring. Studying.
'Do you think this town will ever forgive me?' I ask.
'Not in a million years.'
Small towns are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but Arlo Hackett doesn't expect mercy when he emerges from a twelve-year prison sentence and makes his way back to Yulara, a waypoint on Australia's Great Southern Road. The last time Arlo was home, his brother Luke was charged with a terrible crime and Arlo was found guilty by association. His return to the former goldrush town is like cracking open a time capsule full of hatred and violence, along with memories of the people he loved - the ones he couldn't save.
Yulara wants Arlo gone, or worse, but every insult and humiliation pushes him to confront what really happened all those years ago.
The truth will shock you, surprise you, and break your heart.
'A profoundly rich and heartbreaking novel about the singular endurance of love in all its forms, even through unthinkable and compounding tragedies. Michael Robotham demonstrates uncommon insight into the suffering and survival of a family devastated by murder and its myriad aftermaths. Here is a master storyteller reminding us that hope is more powerful than grief' JEANINE CUMMINS author of American Dirt
'A compelling, devastating story about family and the long shadows of the past. Tell Me Something True is unforgettable' KARIN SLAUGHTER
'My book of the year. This compelling, intriguing and entertaining masterpiece examines the conscience of a whole town and should win every award going. Genius' LIZ NUGENT
'Emotional, startling and beautifully crafted; it brings small town Australia into your living room' VAL MCDERMID
'Most writers would be proud to produce, in their entire career, a book half as good as Tell Me Something True. No one can touch him when it comes to infusing crime with character and heart' LINWOOD BARCLAY
'One of the best books I've read all year - beautifully written, moving and propels you to a devastating ending' AJAY CHOWDHURY
'Michael Robotham's masterpiece. An epic elegy of love, family, morality and justice. It is tender, heartbreaking, beguiling, enraging, exhilarating and triumphant' CHRIS BROOKMYRE
'A triumph. A gripping page-turner with a vivid sense of place, impeccably drawn characters, a plot you can't second guess, and real emotional punch. I loved it' CHRIS CHIBNALL creator of Broadchurch
| ISBN: | 9780733652899 |
| Publication date: | 29th September 2026 |
| Author: | Michael Robotham |
| Publisher: | Hachette Australia an imprint of Little, Brown |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 400 pages |
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
| Other Genres: |
'This novel and its characters will stay with me forever. I ached, cried, and laughed and it felt like I bled right along with them. No one will ever forge a flawless novel, but with Tell Me Something True, Robotham has gotten as close to it as I've ever seen' DAVID BALDACCI
The astonishing, emotional epic from Michael Robotham: a mystery, a coming-of-age tale and a love story wrapped into one, set against the simmering tensions of a small Australian town.
I look along the road and notice how many people are standing outside their houses or watching from doorways and windows. Staring. Studying.
'Do you think this town will ever forgive me?' I ask.
'Not in a million years.'
Small towns are quick to anger and slow to forgive, but Arlo Hackett doesn't expect mercy when he emerges from a twelve-year prison sentence and makes his way back to Yulara, a waypoint on Australia's Great Southern Road. The last time Arlo was home, his brother Luke was charged with a terrible crime and Arlo was found guilty by association. His return to the former goldrush town is like cracking open a time capsule full of hatred and violence, along with memories of the people he loved - the ones he couldn't save.
Yulara wants Arlo gone, or worse, but every insult and humiliation pushes him to confront what really happened all those years ago.
The truth will shock you, surprise you, and break your heart.
'A profoundly rich and heartbreaking novel about the singular endurance of love in all its forms, even through unthinkable and compounding tragedies. Michael Robotham demonstrates uncommon insight into the suffering and survival of a family devastated by murder and its myriad aftermaths. Here is a master storyteller reminding us that hope is more powerful than grief' JEANINE CUMMINS author of American Dirt
'A compelling, devastating story about family and the long shadows of the past. Tell Me Something True is unforgettable' KARIN SLAUGHTER
'My book of the year. This compelling, intriguing and entertaining masterpiece examines the conscience of a whole town and should win every award going. Genius' LIZ NUGENT
'Emotional, startling and beautifully crafted; it brings small town Australia into your living room' VAL MCDERMID
'Most writers would be proud to produce, in their entire career, a book half as good as Tell Me Something True. No one can touch him when it comes to infusing crime with character and heart' LINWOOD BARCLAY
'One of the best books I've read all year - beautifully written, moving and propels you to a devastating ending' AJAY CHOWDHURY
'Michael Robotham's masterpiece. An epic elegy of love, family, morality and justice. It is tender, heartbreaking, beguiling, enraging, exhilarating and triumphant' CHRIS BROOKMYRE
'A triumph. A gripping page-turner with a vivid sense of place, impeccably drawn characters, a plot you can't second guess, and real emotional punch. I loved it' CHRIS CHIBNALL creator of Broadchurch
Tell Me Something True features in the following genres: Crime and Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
Tell Me Something True is available in Hardback, Paperback
Tell Me Something True was written by Michael Robotham and published by Hachette Australia an imprint of Little, Brown
Tell Me Something True has 400 pages
£11.69
