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The Arsonist

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The Arsonist

By: Chloe Hooper
Narrated by: Sibylla Budd
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About this listen

 The Arsonist takes readers inside the hunt for a fire-lighter. After Black Saturday, a February 2009 day marked by 47 degree heat and firestorms, arson squad detectives arrived at a plantation on the edge of a 26,000-hectare burn site. Eleven people had just been killed and hundreds made homeless. Here, in the Latrobe Valley, where Victoria's electricity is generated, and the rates of unemployment, crime and domestic abuse are the highest in the state, more than thirty people were known to police as firebugs. But the detectives soon found themselves on the trail of a man they didn't know.

The Arsonist tells a remarkable detective story, as the police close in on someone they believe to be a cunning offender; and a puzzling psychological story, as defence lawyers seek to understand the motives of a man who, they claimed, was a na�f that had accidentally dropped a cigarette.

It is the story not only of this fire - how it happened, the people who died, the aftermath for the community - but of fire in this country. What it has done, what it has meant, what it might yet do. Bushfire is one of Australia's deepest anxieties, never more so than when deliberately lit. Arson, wrote Henry Lawson, expresses a malice 'terrifying to those who have seen what it is capable of. You never know when you are safe.'

As she did in The Tall Man, Chloe Hooper takes us to a part of the country seldom explored, and reveals something buried but essential in our national psyche. The bush, summertime, a smouldering cigarette - none of these will feel the same again.©2018 Chloe Hooper (P)2018 Penguin Random House Australia True Crime Exciting Detective
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As an audiobook this book was more like a documentary than a thriller. It was thoroughly researched, investigative & written in a way that gave you insight & an understanding into the man, the arsonist, behind the fires that raged that day in the Churchill area of Victoria. It's was a great read and perhaps more meaningful having lived through that horrendous day and the weeks that followed as the horrific stories & number of deaths emerged.

A documentary on the Black Saturday bushfires

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Chloe’s ability to tell an ugly, jarring story so beautifully was stunning. Those involved were described with depth and consideration and the lines between good and evil were aptly blurred.

The story was told in all its complexity against the backdrop of a brutal but beautiful landscape. The interweaving of science, psychology, human relationships, law,
economy and nature was seamlessly skillful.

Extraordinary book, beautifully narrated by Sybilla.

A wonder of a book

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Another incredible book from Chloe Hooper. The Tall Man is one of my favourite books and this follow up does not disappoint.
Hooper tells true stories with pace, detail, nuance and incredible storytelling ability, that keep you enthralled the whole way through.
Hooper somehow manages to simeltaneously tell all sides of this story, leaving you devistated for the families of the victims, the people who worked on this case, while also feeling helpless for Brendan and his family. The family who were shunned and excluded from their communuity and didn't have the resources or support they needed to help their son find a happy and fulfilling life.

A complex & devistating Australian story

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Loved the descriptions of the fires. Of the people. Having working in a tangential way on the black Saturday fire it was truly wonderful to hear this.

Loved it

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Enjoyed this story about a heartbreaking and complex situation. Narration was generally good though there were points in the first few chapters where a pause between unrelated paragraphs would have helped, and a jarring mispronunciation of 'causal' as 'casual' later in the book. This could be due to a typo in the text. Great writing by Ms Hooper.

Heartbreaking story

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An incredibly well written book, a lushly detailed account of human complexity. A very beautiful book.

incredibly well written

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this was a gripping and unimaginable story told by a 'narrator of worth 'who gave an authentic read for the listener . As a volunteer firefighter it sent chills up my spine

a must read

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interesting story about the small town of Churchill and the people that lived there, and how autism is treated.

interesting

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After 12months+ subscription, this is still the only book I have listened to from start to finish on Audible. Definitely worth a listen!

Fantastic

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The Arsonist tells the overall story of the fires, the investigation and the legal proceedings but other than some basic analysis, doesn’t provide any deeper insights. There were also quite a few errors in pronunciation and reading by the narrator which I found distracting. Overall though, quite a good listen if you’re looking to learn more about the Black Saturday fires and their aftermath.

Tells the story but no deeper insights

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