DEATH IN THE RED DIRT
A Psychological Murder Mystery
To be available in 2024
Can you treat psychiatric illness with psychedelics? What are the risks? Could you respond to madness, isolated and alone? Maya Donaldson (28) discovers the answers when she goes to a remote homestead in the Pilbara as part of her training in psychiatry.
Psychiatrist Dr Ted Abara (59) runs retreats using psychedelic medications in this harsh, isolated environment. A man died during treatment and Dr Ted is in jail, as he sourced the psychedelics on the dark web. Is it accidental death, suicide or murder?
Maya is sent to provide support for the remaining participants. All the individuals on the retreat have significant psychiatric illness. Maya must get to know them, provide ongoing care and help them come to terms with the shock of the man’s death. Part of the goal of the novel is to demystify mental illness and reduce stigma.
This is a fast-paced story with unusual characters, exploring the psychological aspects of murder, as well as the challenges of mental illness. Think of Jane Harper’s vivid Australia crossed with the positive framing of difference in Richard Osman’s work. It draws attention to some of the major issues in psychiatry today, including the emerging use of psychedelics to treat mental illness.
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