Pheasants Nest by Louise Milligan

A gripping, fast-paced thriller, Pheasants Nest is a brilliantly original debut from award-winning journalist Louise Milligan.

Kate Delaney has made the biggest mistake of her life. One impulsive encounter on a girls’ night out leaves her kidnapped, bound and in the back of a stranger’s car.

As a crime reporter, Kate knows the grim statistics-most abducted women are never found alive. Her terrified boyfriend Liam, and the detectives who rally to find her, lose hope with every hour that passes.

Kate must summon all her courage to stay alive.

‘A compelling story, written with tautness and wit.’ Annabel Crabb

‘A gripping, sinister–yet also wryly funny and realistic–crime thriller.’ Jane Caro

‘A crime novel that could only be written by a fine journalist-so original, funny and true.’ David Marr

‘Wry observations of popular culture and Australian foibles … I simply didn’t want the book to end given the sheer delight of the storytelling.’ The Age

A gripping, propulsive and brilliantly original debut by award-winning investigative journalist and writer Louise Milligan.

About the Author: Louise Milligan is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist for ABC TV’s Four Corners, the Australian national broadcaster’s flagship current affairs documentary program. She is the author of two bestselling non-fiction books: Cardinal, The Rise and Fall of George Pell and Witness, An Investigation into the Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice. Her books have been awarded multiple prizes, including the Walkley Book Award, the Davitt Awards Best Non-Fiction Crime Book, the Melbourne Prize for Literature People’s Choice Award, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award’s People’s Choice prize, the Sir Owen Dixon Chambers Law Reporter of the Year Award, a Press Freedom Medal and a shortlisting for the Stella Prize. Louise’s journalism, particularly her coverage of historical institutional child abuse and the experience of women in the criminal justice system and parliament, has broken national and international news, sparked government inquiries and led to profound cultural change and law reform. She started her career in newspapers and is a former High Court correspondent and political reporter. Born in Ireland to an Irish mother and Scottish father, Louise moved to Australia as a child. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children. Pheasants Nest is Louise’s first novel. Her second novel, Shellybanks, is published in 2026.

03 Feb 2026
 

Pheasants Nest by Louise Milligan ISBN 9781761473753