Deadly Earth

Book excerpt: “For the second time in my life, I was faced with a pivotal choice: either be pulled down by the quicksand of self-doubt, anguish and despair; or find strength to help others because of my own trauma.” Katie McGrath’s first three years of life were idyllic, surrounded by love and family in the affluent Sydney harbourside suburb of Hunters Hill. Her parents worked hard to create a beautiful home for their young children, unaware that deadly radioactive waste was buried beneath the garden and foundations — a seeping malice which would destroy many lives. Katie’s parents both died mysteriously from cancer in quick succession, leaving behind four young orphans. The grieving children were forced into a hostile foster home where they had to learn to survive. Katie’s only escape became an imaginary white brick house with no doors or windows where she cocooned herself to escape the horrors of her young life. Years later, after she has forged a successful life for herself with two daughters and a high-flying corporate career, Katie’s world is once again turned upside down. She discovers suspicious details surrounding her parents’ deaths – and the deaths of others who lived on the very same idyllic street – and she vows to uncover the truth at all costs.