{"product_id":"9781471182235-the-arsonist","title":"The Arsonist","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOn the day that became known as Black Saturday, one man deliberately lit two fires near the small town of Churchill, Gippsland, then sat on the roof of his house and watched the flames. \u003ci\u003eThe Arsonist\u003c\/i\u003e, by the acclaimed author of \u003ci\u003eThe Tall Man\u003c\/i\u003e, is the story of that man, the fire he lit, and the people who were killed.\u003cbr\u003eOn the scorching February day in 2009 that became known as \u003cb\u003eBlack Saturday\u003c\/b\u003e, a man lit two fires in \u003cb\u003eVictoria’s Latrobe Valley\u003c\/b\u003e, then sat on the roof of his house to watch the inferno. In the Valley, where the rates of crime were 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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Arsonist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e takes readers on the hunt for this man, and inside the strange puzzle of his mind. It is also \u003cb\u003ethe story of fire\u003c\/b\u003e in Australia, and of a community that owed its existence to that very element. The command of fire has defined and sustained us as a species – understanding its abuse will define our future. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA powerful real-life thriller written with Hooper’s trademark lyric detail and nuance, \u003ci\u003eThe Arsonist\u003c\/i\u003e is a reminder that in an age of fire, all of us are gatekeepers.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for other titles by Chloe Hooper\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'Life springs from every page of this enthralling book.' - Helen Garner\u003cbr\u003e 'A gripping, heart-stopping piece of true-crime reportage . Deserves the widest possible audience.' - \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 'It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this book.' - Peter Carey \u003cbr\u003e 'A sad, beautiful, frightening account of one man's pointless death . Every character is explored for their contradictions, every situation observed for its nuances, every easy judgement suspended . Hooper finds the common humanity in the accused and the accuser, the police officer and the street drinker, the living and the dead.' - Mark Dapin, \u003ci\u003eGood Weekend, Sydney Morning Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40943983427681,"sku":"9781471182235","price":7.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_31827554.jpg?v=1760450180","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781471182235-the-arsonist","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}