title: The Long Shot
author: Sheldon, Deborah
description: After a six-year estrangement from her troubled family, Simone Parker returns home to the small Australian town of Brownbeck to attend a funeral. She hopes to reconcile with her younger sister, Claire. Their father, now dead, was a violent and abusive drunk yet Claire always pretended otherwise, which is one of the reasons why Simone cut all ties.
   When Simone is the only witness to a brutal and near-fatal bashing, she discovers that Brownbeck harbours a criminal gang trafficking in illegal firearms. At the funeral, she recognises Claire's new partner as one of the assailants.
   How can she help police officer Mitchell Ross in his investigation if her own sister might somehow be involved? To complicate matters, Simone is falling for Mitchell.