Iris and Floyd are the children of parents transported from the old country for poaching. The Renshaw name is still a byword for thievery and violence despite the twins’ best efforts. With no work on the horizon, Iris suggests they head to the highlands after hearing about a puma killing sheep and now humans. Travelling through a starkly beautiful landscape, they find a tavern, oddly enclosed with the bones of what might be a whale from when the plateau and mountains were submerged, where there’s much talk of the Patagonian who left over a month ago, now presumed dead. Iris finds herself smitten with one of the hunters with whom she and Floyd reluctantly decide to combine forces. Their quest will end in a way neither could ever have imagined.
As with his previous novels, Robbie Arnott’s writing is anchored in the natural world but he knows how to spin a compelling story, too. The magnificent landscape through which Iris and Floyd travel is gorgeously described in vivid word pictures. As they follow Dusk’s trail, the twins’ backstories are sketched in for us – the childhood stealing for their parents addled by drink, rare kindnesses remembered, the reputation that no amount of honest hard work can expunge. A strikingly beautiful novel from a writer who's become a favourite of mine.

The best book I've read so far this year. Atmospheric, thrilling and vivid. It has great characters, an excellent story and I was hooked from the start. Couldn't put it down and can't wait to see it published.

I absolutely loved this! A really brilliantly told and written story, with well-rounded characters that I was really rooting for. I thought the ending was done brilliantly and I was completely gripped for the entire second half of the book (from when the twins start actively looking for Dusk). I found it cinematic in places and the description of the landscape is stunning. I’ve read similar things before (The Mountain Lion by Jean Stafford) but I enjoyed this much more. Look forward to selling it.

I have reviewed Dusk for book sales and recommendation site LoveReading. I’ve chosen this title as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month. Please see the link for the full review..

Just simply stunning!

I adored this book so much.

Twins Iris and Floyd, out of work and out of options, join the hunt to capture and put an end to Dusk, a highly dangerous puma is who is preying on shepards and sheep in the Highlands of Tasmania. Dusk needs to be stopped - and there is a large bounty to be had for the person who stops them. But at what cost?

The writing is gorgeous and evocative, the plot is enthralling, it's eerily atmospheric. The descriptions of the landscape are like looking at a painting or photo - you can see it in your minds eye.

The characters feel real and I loved the flashbacks to the twins upbringing and childhood on the run with their outlaw parents, explaining why they have found themselves on this hunt, in extreme peril and the nature of their relationship.

It's pacy and powerful and very difficult to put down, especially in the latter half of the book when the hunt for Dusk intensifies.

It's a book about nature, both human and animal, and it examines exactly what makes us. It's about love, and relationships and putting right wrongs.

The ending was utter perfection. I really can't recommend Dusk enough.

Thank you to Penguin for the eARC of this book (which I didn’t manage to finish until after release).

Dusk is an atmospheric journey across the Australian land on the hunt for a man-eating puma. Arnott’s ability to paint a scene is remarkable. The varying biomes across a young Australia are vivid as you read.

It is also a fantastic book in its exploration of human nature and emotions. A devoted love between siblings against a world prejudiced against them is the main focus of this story, as well as a love for the land you grew up in, despite the harshness and difficulty of both.

I can’t really put into words how this book made me feel, I was immersed and gratified by the end.

Highly recommend if you enjoy a historical and literary novel!

This is the first Robbie Arnott novel I have read and it will certainly not be my last.
What a stunning piece of work; I was absorbed into the setting immediately.. The writing style, characterisation and intriguing story was brilliant. Without a doubt, Dusk was one of my favourite books this year.
I don't easily give five stars, but this one hit the mark effortlessly.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

In Dusk, Robbie Arnott crafts a lyrical and atmospheric tale set in a remote, myth-tinged highland landscape.

When a puma named Dusk begins killing shepherds, a bounty is placed on its head. Twins Iris and Floyd are out of work, money, and direction, so set out to join the hunt.

What follows is more than a pursuit of a predator. As they journey deeper into the wild, they encounter a land haunted by both myth and memory. The highlands are written with such vivid, poetic detail they feel like a living force, mysterious, untamed, and steeped in history.

The relationship between Iris and Floyd is tender, conflicted, and deeply affecting. Their bond carries the emotional weight of the story, reflecting themes of devotion, shared grief, and the quiet ache of unrealised dreams.

The book’s pacing is measured, allowing the beauty of the prose and the subtle shifts in character to shine. The quest becomes something far more symbolic, touching on ancient conflicts, buried emotions, and the ways we attempt to survive both the external world and our internal one.

With its dreamlike tone, sparse yet powerful storytelling, and a perfect ending, Dusk is a book that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

If you've never read a book by Robbie Arnott before, why not?? There's something so magical about the way he writes and this is another engrossing piece of dramatic fiction that he has created that had me spellbound from the first page!! His attention to detail jumps out from every page, and the big landscapes and exquisite character creations are just a delight to savour!

Iris and Floyd are at the heart of the story, sibling twins and they are the kind of people to keep to themselves having suffered at the hands of others in the past, more of which you learn about as we hear their story. They hear of people and wildlife being killed in a large area, and the name of Dusk has been given to this big cat, many of who have failed to stop it but a bounty has been offered to anyone who can put an end to the killing, so Iris and Floyd join in the hunt.

They've both had such a tough life, but that's made them very self sufficient and don't suffer fools gladly. They watch out for one another, as they have done all their lives, and it's clear to all how strong their bond is.

So through their story, we meet other characters that they meet along the way on their journey, and find out what happened to their parents and in their past and it's a real lesson in facing up to the worst in people - all set against this unforgiving landscape that they find themselves in and putting themselves in danger, be that from the wild cat or the humans they encounter along the way.

Another wonderful piece of work from the author, and easily in my list of favourite reads of 2025!