Everywhere We Look (Martine Kropkowski, Ultimo)

Everywhere We Look is the debut novel by Martine Kropkowski, a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, who has also written about the ethics of true crime and crime fiction for the Conversation. In the novel’s prologue, the lives of Melissa, Bridie, Cassandra and Sarah intersect during a back-to-school shopping trip. The story then shifts to a weekend getaway in a regional town, as Melissa, Bridie and Cassandra attempt to rediscover themselves and repair their friendship after a major incident the previous year. While the reader soon understands that Sarah and her children fell victim to an act of horrific family violence, Kropkowski doesn’t focus on the incident itself, but on its aftermath and the impact on those left behind. Through alternating perspectives, the novel delves into the grief and transformation experienced by the women as they mourn their friend, their former selves and their shattered sense of security. As tension mounts, the friends struggle to distinguish between a well-meaning stranger and a potential threat, which culminates in the search for a missing local teenage girl. True to Kropkowski’s critical work and focus on the emotional consequences of crime rather than voyeuristic details, the novel’s conclusion offers a path towards individual and communal healing after acts of violence against women and children. This thrilling and deeply ethical novel is highly recommended for fans of thoughtful and empathetic crime fiction by authors such as Emily Maguire and Jacqueline Bublitz.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Ilona Urquhart has a PhD in literary studies and currently works as a children’s and youth services librarian on the Bellarine Peninsula. She is a judge for the 2024–25 CBCA Book of the Year Award, younger readers category. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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