Sixty Seconds

The Brennans - parents, Finn and Bridget, and their sons, Jarrah and Toby - have made a sea change, from chilly Hobart to subtropical Murwillumbah. Feeling like foreigners in this land of sun and surf, they're still adjusting to work, school, and life in a sprawling purple weatherboard, when one morning, tragedy strikes.

In the devastating aftermath, the questions fly. What really happened? And who's to blame?

Determined to protect his family, Finn finds himself under the police and media spotlight. Guilty and enraged, Bridget spends nights hunting answers in the last place imaginable. Jarrah - his innocence lost - faces a sudden and frightening adulthood where nothing is certain.

Sixty Seconds is a haunting, redemptive story about forgiveness and hope, inspired by the author's own family experience.

'It is, quite simply, a masterpiece' Kate Forsyth

'A captivating, visceral, beautifully written story of a family navigating a nightmare. The characters were so real and relatable that I was riveted, thoroughly invested in each of their journeys. Jesse Blackadder is a powerful storyteller writing from her heart and experience' Robyn Harding, international bestselling author of The Party

'A beautiful work. One of the most moving and artistically satisfying endings I've read in a long while' Susan Johnson, Courier Mail

'An unflinching but tender exploration of what happens when the worst happens, this achingly beautiful novel broke my heart. And then put it back together' Wendy James, author of The Mistake and The Golden Child

'Powerful and captivating - a novel you will not forget' Eliza Henry-Jones, author of In the Quiet and Ache

'Sixty Seconds is at once heartbreaking but heartening, tragic but life affirming, its characters complex but familiar, its ending miraculous but well earned. It is a book of contrasts then, so it's little wonder that even as you can't stop rushing through, you feel it will stay with you for a very long time' Laurie Frankel, author of This Is How It Always Is

'A heart-wrenching, beautifully told story about tragedy and the slow journey toward hope. As Finn, Bridget, and Jarrah wade through their grief, readers will find themselves surprised by moments of grace. This story will linger long after the last page is turned' Nicole Baart, author of Little Broken Things and You Were Always Mine

PRAISE FOR JESSE BLACKADDER'S RAVEN'S HEART AND CHASING THE LIGHT

'... utterly intriguing and completely unputdownable ... The writing is evocative and powerful' Good Reading
'Her writing immerses the reader in the beauty and danger of the Southern Ocean and the sights, sounds and smells of Antarctica. Verdict: DAZZLING' Herald Sun