Hollow Air - Verity Borthwick

In Hollow Air, Verity Borthwick sends FIFO geologist Sarah to a Far North Queensland tin lease where a century-old accident at the Dulcie Ada mine hums under the dirt. One heat-sick afternoon the generator coughs, a headlamp throws a white ring on a donga wall, and the red earth seems to shift. Central tension: can Sarah trust her senses or is someone tightening the screws around her camp.

Fresh drill core, ghost stories and company pressures pile up as new arrivals complicate the roster — Ian the green offsider, Norm the grizzled geologist, and Cole the cave diver sleeping a wall away. In 1910, another thread closes in on the same ground. Diesel, dust and the metallic tang of bore water hang in the air. Tropes: rural gothic, isolation thriller.

What you are getting

• Format: Trade paperback
• Pages: 320
• Publisher: Ultimo Press
• Imprint: Ultimo Press
• ISBN: 9781761154195
• Publication date: 26 Aug 2025
• Condition: New

Why this book matters

A debut Australian thriller that uses a real FIFO rhythm and mine-site detail to push a smart psychological mystery. The dual present-and-1910 timelines deepen the stakes without losing pace. If you like crime where place bears down as hard as the plot, this hits the mark.

For readers who enjoyed

• Jane Harper
• Chris Hammer
• Sarah Bailey
• Shelley Burr
• Hayley Scrivenor

Safe passage

Same-day dispatch before 1 pm ACST. Express Post with tracking. Packed to protect corners. Simple 30-day returns. Pickup available in Stansbury SA.

Quick answers

Is this in stock? Yes. Orders before 1 pm ACST ship today.
Is gift wrap available? Yes. Add a note at checkout.
Is it Australian-set? Yes. Far North Queensland tin country.