Great story, fast paced and the story keeps you wondering where it’s going right up until the end. Loved the depth of the characters and the flaws that they each possess. Makes you question a lot of what is right and wrong

One of my favourite books is Mark's debut novel, Wimmera! With Eden having ties to Wimmera, I was so super keen to get my hands on a copy. I love the real rawness of the tough lives and situations Mark writes for his characters.

Eden tells the story of Tom Blackburn, recently released after almost a decade inside for accessory to murder and the challenges of navigating his way back into society with the intention to leave that old life behind.

With no where to go, no money after being robbed soon after being released and no job, Tom resorts to sleeping in a Cemetery where a chance encounter leads to a honest physical job and a more stable place to stay.

But, as he becomes intertwined in the cemetery's hidden secrets, he finds himself facing moral conflicts. Tom must confront his past and make choices that could determine his future being back on the inside or not.

I could not put this down! Whilst being emotional and distressing, it's gritty, raw and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I will read anything Mark Brandi writes! He's an absolute favourite for me! 😍

I must confess I had no idea that Eden by Mark Brandi was a follow-on from his 2017 award-winning novel Wimmera. I recognised the name when it was mentioned in the novel but hadn't remembered the plot of the book so 'Tom' (and the crime for which he was imprisoned) wasn't familiar at all when I launched into this. It didn't matter but I did wonder if I might have engaged a little more with him had I remembered our previous outing. I certainly liked him - though he was frustrating and the direction he was heading was akin to the proverbial train wreck looming in slow motion.

Brandi's character development is great, so much so that I almost felt like I was there watching this play out. You cannot help but feel for Tom, trying to navigate life outside of prison, keen to do the right thing when he's robbed and screwed over big-time soon after release. There's a sense he falls on his feet however when he's found sleeping rough at the cemetery by gravediggers Cyril and offsider Seamus who take him under their wing.

Tom has little choice and for a while we're grateful. At the same time I wanted to slap him around the head for his constant calls to his ex-girlfriend who's with someone else and living interstate. I was really invested in Tom's story but there's a sense of menace simmering away. We know that Cyril and Seamus are up to no good or got some not-entirely-legal side gigs, but Brandi takes this in a direction that I certainly didn't see coming.

Wimmera leapt about in time a little, as did his 2021 novel The Others (which I ADORED!) though we only dip briefly into the past here, being reminded of the childhood friendship that saw Tom imprisoned.

Once I realised this was ostensibly the second book in the series I went back to my review on Wimmera and noted that I'd made some comments about the book's conclusion and I probably felt a little the same here. I was quite deeply buried in this story but we rushed to a climax and—though it wasn't as nebulous (from my point-of-view) as Wimmera—it certainly didn't necessarily offer readers complete closure. Although maybe that means there'll be more from Tom / Fab.

Eden is the first book I have read from Mark Brandi and after reading this, I will be looking for other books from this Australian author.

Tom Blackburn is about to enter a world he knows nothing about but one which will change his life. He has just left prison after nine years after helping a mate which then backfired on him leading to his stint behind bars. He has hardly anything to his name and finds a hostel but the only cash he has is soon stolen with everything he owns gone. He needs to get away and find somewhere else to settle. Before he leaves the hostel, he is told about a cemetery at Carlton that may be a safer prospect for him to sleep in, one hopefully with less trouble than on the streets.

After a couple of nights at the cemetery he meets Cyril, chief grave digger offers Tom labouring work digging graves with another man Seamus. He decides this may not be a bad way to earn some money and keep himself safe at least until he figures out what he is going to do. There is a girl he still loves very much, and he is hoping to rekindle this relationship but feels he needs to have some money to do before he approaches her.

After a short time, Cyril offers him a shed to sleep and clothes and a permanent job, Tom having proven himself with hard work. He keeps to himself and doesn’t say much about his life to Cyril and Seamus as well as Krystal who works in the office. He is also being challenged by an author who wants a story from Tom regarding what lead up to his incarceration. Soon he has some permanent money coming in and his dreams of meeting up with his ex-girlfriend he thinks may be able to become a reality. But as many know in life things an come at a cost. He starts to see that there may be some shady activities going on at the cemetery and soon he finds himself in the thick of it.

This story had me from the first page, completely engaging. You are immediately taken into Tom’s world, and the author has the innate ability of being able to bring forth a very attention-grabbing narrative set in an all-encompassing atmospheric environment that will take the reader on a journey that will both entertain and have you rooting for this character we become so utterly involved with.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

The main character, Tom is just out of prison in this intense novel. He finds work in a cemetery and tries to get on with his life but his memories, an intimidating coworker and a journalist make that hard. Well written and hard to put down.

Mark Brandi came to the notice of Australian crime readers with his debut Wimmera. That book won not only the Victorian Premier;’s Unpublished Manuscript Award but also a debut dagger from the British Crime Writers’ Association and shortlisted for a Ned Kelly Award in the same year. Wimmera was a dark tale of childhood friendship, loyalty and the consequences of sexual abuse. His fifth novel, Eden, returns to the world of Wimmers, although circuitously and while no knowledge of that original book is needed, it will deepen the experience and is well worth catching up with if it remains unread.
Tom Blackburn is fresh out of prison. Unwise to the ways of the modern world he quickly finds himself robbed and potentially on the cold streets of Melbourne. A fellow resident at the hostel he managed to spend a night in suggests that if he needs a place to sleep he can doss down in the a cemetery in the middle of Melbourne. Tom is quickly discovered but finds a little bit of compassion and lands an unofficial job helping dig graves and do some weeding. Tom has secrets of his own that he is trying to keep from a nosey investigative journalist who had also covered his initial trial. But he quickly finds that his new workmates are also keeping secrets that might be dangerous for him to uncover.
Eden is another spare but riveting book from Brandi. The writing is descriptive but spare, clipped back to its basics. And reflected in the dialogue of people with secrets to keep. But it is also compassionate. Much like his second novel, The Rip, it understands the plight of the poor and the homeless, of those seeking to make it from one day to the next and how that makes them resilient but also vulnerable to exploitation. After his last two novels (The Others and Southern Aurora) come from a child’s perspective it is also refreshing to find Brandi back in a very adult register.
Eden is a great companion piece to Wimmera. Brandi takes some aspects of that original book as background but uses that scaffold to tell a very different, but riveting dark tale that almost begs be consumed in a single sitting.

Eden follows protagonist Tom Blackburn as he reenters society after serving 9 years inside for a crime he committed as a teenager. With no cash, no housing, and no job, Tom is sleeping rough in a cemetery when he's offered work by gravedigger Cyril.
What follows is a juicyyy literary thriller about crime, regret, dreams, and the weight of the past. Tom is completely haunted by what's behind him, but he's forced to make choices about who he wants to be next.
I'm a big lover of Brandi's work and I tore through this. I don't know if it's a spoily, but the reveal/twist here was sooo good. Quiet tension, solid pacing, a haunting sense of place. It's a bit of a slowburn, but a short book that did exactly what I expected from Brandi.

Mark Brandi has always been a writer of great male characters, from Ben and Fab in his standout debut WIMMERA, to Jimmy in SOUTHERN AURORA, Anton and Steve in THE RIP and Jacob in THE OTHERS, they are very real people. He's also not afraid to portray these boys and men as sometimes victims, sometimes perpetrators, struggling, living difficult lives from difficult circumstances, often as a result of societal expectations and failures. As it is now for Tom in EDEN.

Recently released from jail after a long stint for a crime that is eventually revealed, he's lost and drifting, without family, and the only thing he really wants, to repair the fractured relationship with his girlfriend, complicated by the theft of the cash he'd saved while in jail, and her moving on in Queensland. Stuck in Melbourne, after one night only with a roof over his head, he's on the streets and looking at the distinct possibility of going straight back to jail, when a chance encounter suggests a good place to doss down is the cemetery off to the edge of the city. He's safe there, hidden away in a rotunda far inside the locked cemetery grounds, or so he thinks, until the next morning when he's awoken by head gravedigger Cyril, with friendship and a surprising offer. Tom soon finds himself a paid employee, living in the gravedigger's shed, seemingly on his way to that trip to Queensland and reconciliation, only there's always something, and it turns out that a spidery sense, the words and an avenue that might have helped him stay out of jail in the first place, don't quite work out the same way this time around.

There are hints, and clues along the way for the astute reader, as the details of Tom's past are revealed, along with the story of what's really going on in the cemetery. But it's the arrival of a journalist on the scene, a man who reported on Tom's original trial that blows everything up and puts Tom in a really tricky position. The dilemma for Tom is to talk about the past to a man hell-bent on publishing his story and outing the truth, or talk about the present, and put himself in real danger. All whilst absolutely, utterly and totally on his own.

The strength's of Brandi's previous characterisations - that depiction of perpetrator and victim, men and boys in extreme circumstances, coalesce once again in EDEN. There are a lot of flawed people around Tom and there's obviously something about a lone individual, recently released from a very long stint in jail, that puts them in a particularly vulnerable position. And then there are the sorts of men who sense vulnerability and exploit it. In the past and now again in the present. The reader can't help but be left fervently hoping that something changes in the future.

Eden is the fifth novel by award-winning, bestselling Australian author, Mark Brandi. Tom Blackburn is fresh out of prison after serving nine years for helping out his best mate. When most of his cash is stolen at the city hostel, he follows another resident’s tip to rough it at the cemetery in Carlton. The next morning, he is woken by Cyril and his blue staffy, Lina. Expecting to be turfed out, he’s surprised to be offered casual work.

Digging graves, gardening, odd jobs, and Cyril allows him to stay in the onsite shed, providing basic food needs, op shop clothing and personal hygiene items: this will do to earn enough cash to get him to Queensland. He’ll stick around a while, as long as Ali the Turk isn’t the man asking after him at the hostel: that’s one confrontation he definitely wants to avoid.

The other grave-digger, Seamus, and the woman in the office, Krystal are both inquisitive, but Tom remains closed-mouthed about his past, although he has admitted some of it to Cyril. Quite concerning is the Argus journalist hanging around wanting a story. He offers to present Tom’s side of the case that polarised not just the small Victorian country town but the whole state, but says he can’t promise it won’t turn into tabloid schlock if Tom declines to talk.

But even more disturbing is that something covert is going on in the cemetery after hours, something possibly illegal, and Tom worries that if he gets caught up in it, he’ll end up back inside…

Brandi gives the reader a gripping tale with a nail-biting climax and plenty of scope for more of this protagonist. He evokes his setting with consummate ease, and his protagonist shows depth and integrity, making it easy for the reader to empathise with his predicament.

Readers of Brandi’s first novel will catch on fairly early, from vague mentions in the story, that this is a sequel to Wimmera, and perhaps those mentions are spoilers, but this one can easily be read as a stand-alone. Superb Australian crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand.

WOW! That is the best way I can think of to start this review. This is a book I could not put down and loved every minute of my time reading it. Here we find Tom Blackburn, recently released from prison and trying to work our what to do with his life. So a new job and a new life is on the cards at a place in Melbourne called Eden! But not all is at is seems and this new life is not what Tom wanted.

This is such a raw, emotional, gritty, edge of your seat, exciting, thrilling and even heart-breaking read. Once I got started I delved right into Tom's world and I just couldn't put this book down. Such a well written book that really draws you in and keeps you turning the pages. You just keep wanting Tom to do good and have the life he wants. A fantastic read.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’ll begin by saying that I’ve read all of Mark’s books,. He is definitely one of my favourite Australian authors and whatever he releases is an automatic read for me.
So I was so excited to be given the opportunity to read Eden before it’s release date, thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia.
The story begins with Tom Blackburn, who has just been released after a nine year stint in prison. He wants to change his life around and leave the past in the past. After roughing it and doing it tough, he is given the opportunity to work at a cemetery in the heart of Melbourne. Tom is thrilled to be able to make some money, he aims to head to the north where his former love interest now resides.
But it isn’t too long before things turn bad, real bad. Tom might be facing another jail sentence before he knows it…
I won’t elaborate further so as not to spoil the story for others, but I will say that I thought this was an excellent book. It had me hooked from the get go and I finished it within a day. It isn’t fast paced, but that was fine with me, I enjoyed the slow unveiling of the story. I only wish it was a longer read! Hopefully it won’t be too long a wait until Mark’s next book.
I think Mark did an exceptional job of researching the cemetery, and incorporating it into the story. It made for an eerie and unusual setting. I also liked how this book tied back to Wimmera, one of Mark’s other novels. Having said that, this could definitely be read as a stand alone (but do yourself a favour and read his back catalogue!)
Highly recommend Eden!!!

A chilling, slow-burn literary crime thriller.

There is a sense of foreboding and desperation throughout this atmospheric tale. Following Tom as he navigates his release from prison after a nine-year sentence, attempts to move on from past mistakes and wrestles with what it means to do the right thing.

This is a standalone novel, although has connections to Mark Brandi’s fabulous debut novel, Wimmera.

With thanks to Hachette Australia & New Zealand and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy, in exchange for an honest review.

The ending has cemented Australian author Mark Brandi as an auto-read author for me.

ARC REVIEW - 4.5/5 stars

It is after you have finished reading this book that the events truly start to hit full on, reverberating around your soul with chilling clarity.

This story is a slow unravelling, with gruesome overtones that start to permeate into your thoughts. As someone who has been in the Melbourne General cemetery several times and wondered at some of the contents Mark mentions, it adds an extra dimension of fodder for post-read nightmares. This was the first book i’ve read by Mark Brandi and what at first seemed a quiet telling of events, became so much more and the after effect took me by surprise. This is a hauntingly powerful and gripping work of fiction.

With thanks to Hachette and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy. It is hard to stop thinking about what I just read!

Due for publication by Hachette - June 25th 2025

Eden by Mark Brandi

I tore through this book. Admittedly, I was reading it on a lounger by the pool in Bali, which is the most inviting situation for reading, but considering Eden's dark, gritty subject matter, this was an effortless, quick read. I loved it.

Tom is freshly out of jail and isn't sure what his future looks like. He's left his old name and life behind, so he's looking for a home while he plans what to do next. By chance, he ends up in the dead centre of Melbourne, with a temporary job as a grave-digger, that's when his old life starts to haunt him.

There are a lot of wisecracks in this book about how Tom isn't much of a talker, but it doesn't take him long to throw someone else under a bus when someone asks about his past and threatens to out him. This links to one of Mark's earlier books, but it's not stated in the blurb, so it's presumably not an official follow-up. I'll do some digging and report back.

Body count = There's a whole graveyard full of them.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the ARC of Eden by Mark Brandi to read and review. I loved it. Big thumbs up.

Eden is out on June 25th. If you've read and loved Wimmera or Mark's other books, you'll want to pre-order this one.

Eden is an atmospheric, slow-burn thriller - quiet on the surface, but simmering with tension.

Tom Blackburn is fresh out of jail, out of options, and trying not to fall through the cracks. What begins as honest work for a philosophical grave digger slowly spirals into something far darker.

As someone who loves reading books set in Melbourne, I found Eden especially compelling. The city is rendered with grit and nuance, and the inner suburbia cemetery gives it a haunting undertone.

This is the kind of book that pulls you in with mood and holds you there with emotional tension. It explores the weight of a past that won’t let go, and the secrets we bury to survive.

‘So what brought you to this here Eden?’

Tom Blackburn has just been released from gaol after serving nine years. He grew up in the country, but finds himself in Melbourne, adrift and unsure of the future. Initially, he is staying in a cheap motel room but when his money is stolen, he needs to find somewhere else. He’s given a tip: the Melbourne Cemetery might be safe if he is careful.

A chance encounter in the cemetery leads to a job, and somewhere to stay. Tom’s work involves some gardening and some gravedigging. His boss Cyril is helpful, and Tom begins to hope that he can save some money, stay out of trouble and (hopefully) reconnect with a young woman from the past.

But Tom soon becomes caught between his own past and a very murky future. A journalist has tracked Tom down (despite Tom’s change of name) and wants to write about him. And certain activities in the cemetery place Tom in danger again. What does his future hold? Can Tom ever break free from his past?

While this novel can stand alone, it has a connection with ‘Wimmera’. And in many ways, it is a brilliantly written but heartbreaking story. But read it for yourself and decide.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This successor to Brandi’s debut Wimmera—in ways I won’t specify—possesses an aura of inevitability from the start.

Tom Blackburn has just been released from jail, having fulfilled his sentence without ever truly considering applying for bail. Even before his cash is stolen from the cheap motel room he’d planned to make his base, readers will likely identify the contours of this story.

We know men like Tom—however pure their intentions—rarely break free from the shackles of their past. The penal system chews you up, spits you out, then leaves its mouth open for your return. Left to fend for themselves after years of imprisonment, it’s no wonder so many return to the relative comfort of criminality; it’s all they know, and they’ve been offered no feasible alternative.

With only a few bucks left in his possession, Tom is destined to rough it on the streets. He knows that means the clock is ticking until he’s back in a cell. Not a matter of if, but when; desperation invariably corrupts the soul. But his luck seems to turn when a chance encounter leads to a job and somewhere to stay. It’s hard, physical work in a Melbourne cemetery, and he’s sure something underhanded is going on—but he’s willing to turn a blind eye. To go straight, a man with his kind of baggage sometimes has to divert into the black. But there are always consequences.

Eden is a masterclass of pared-down storytelling; an edge-of-your-seat literary crime thriller, and a compassionate portrait of a man struggling to overcome his past, who seeks a better future. It’s Mark Brandi writing at the height of his powers.

Beautifully crafted, EDEN evokes a gritty Melbourne setting, which provides the perfect backdrop to this compact literary novel. EDEN follows Tom, who has just left prison after a lengthy sentence and falls into a casual job digging graves at the Melbourne Cemetery. As Tom negotiates life on the outside and comes to terms with his past, he must decide who he wants to be going forward.
I loved the setting - a cemetery is such an evocative place - and the supporting characters offset Tom’s quiet, distrusting demeanor beautifully.

Not exactly. The way I see it, we have no real control over our lives, no matter what we think. We’re just biological machines, like any other animal. We didn’t choose the brains we got, the childhood we had. Even so, we like to think we’re in charge, that we have a choice.’


This has left me stunned, honestly still has me thinking after finishing. The twists and the psychological knowledge in this, it gets you thinking about the life you live with a mix of crime that is thrown into it!

Mark Brandi is for sure one of the authors that i autobuy and enjoy his writing each time.

Thank you so much Hachette Australia and Netgalley for gifting me an earc version of the book for an honest review.

Tom Blackburn is freshly out of jail and not sure what's ahead for him, he knows what he wants but his pretty sure that she doesn't want him.

Tom has left his old life and old name behind though his options are slim. His luck turns around when an opportunity from a chance encounter that lands him a job and somewhere to stay in the dead centre of Melbourne. Its called Eden though that's what his new boss calls it.

This story was heartbreaking. It was so raw and I felt like I was always bracing for more pain.

Tom has been released from prison after serving his sentence for being an accessory to murder. He is determined to start a new life. He has a new name and is not the person he was before.

You can feel Tom's desperation to stay out of trouble and start afresh. He is so used to life shitting on him, he barely reacts when he is robbed of thousands of dollars. He just moves on to start again.

Luck looks to be on his side at last when he is offered a short term job and somewhere safe to sleep, even if it is in a cemetery. Feeling like he has a bit of breathing space, Tom starts to plan for the future.

Then a journo starts digging around and wants him to relive the past, but it's just too painful and then he gets dragged into a situation that is destined to end badly. Tom knows he needs to get away.

With a heart pounding ending that will give you chills, this is one book that will stay with me for a long long time.

This unflinchingly raw and gritty read has cemented Mark Brandi as not only one of my absolute favourite authors, but must put him up there as one of Australia's best writers.