On the scorching February day in 2009 that became known as Black Saturday, a man littwo fires in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, then sat on the roof of his house to watch theinferno. In the Valley, where the rates of crime were the highest in the state, more thanthirty people were known to police as firebugs. But the detectives soon found themselveson the trail of a man they didn't know.The Arsonist takes readers on the hunt for this man, and inside the strange puzzle of hismind. It is also the story of fire in Australia, and of a community that owed itsexistence to that very element. The command of fire has defined and sustained us as aspecies understanding its abuse will define our future.A powerful real-life thriller written with Hooper's trademark lyric detail and nuance, TheArsonist is a reminder that in an age of fire, all of us are gatekeepers.Praise forother titles by Chloe Hooper Life springs from every page of this enthralling book. - Helen Garner A gripping, heart-stopping piece of true-crime reportage . . . Deserves the widestpossible audience. - Sunday Times It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this book. - Peter Carey A sad, beautiful, frightening account of one mans pointless death . . . Every characteris explored for their contradictions, every situation observed for its nuances, everyeasy judgement suspended . . . Hooper finds the common humanity in the accused andthe accuser, the police officer and the street drinker, the living and the dead. - MarkDapin, Good Weekend, Sydney Morning Herald