Find Me is the latest novel from West Australian writer Holly Craig.
Set in the fictional Tasmanian locations of Mount Mercy and Pine Peak, the novel follows Hallie and Gertie, two estranged sisters brought together by their mother’s dying wish: to find their brother Pete, who disappeared on Mount Mercy three years earlier. Their search leads them to ‘the Peakers’, an isolated and mysterious commune whose members were the last people to see Pete alive.
Find Me is, in my view, an emotionally charged and vividly written novel. One of the its greatest strengths is its exploration of complex family dynamics. Hallie and Gertie frequently clash throughout their search, their tension shaped by past grievances as well as differing worldviews and life experiences.
Other strengths include strong character development, fast yet steady pacing, and a confident writing style. The novel’s settings and world-building are also particularly effective, contributing to its tense and atmospheric tone.
Craig drew inspiration for Find Me from the 2014 Panama case involving two missing hikers who vanished without a trace. The fictional commune in the novel was influenced by The Village by M. Night Shyamalan and The Beach by Alex Garland, while the television series High Country helped shape its ominous tone. Craig also researched real-world communes and off-grid communities, exploring why people choose to live outside modern technological society.
The novel’s only weakness, in my mind, is its somewhat overly neat resolution. Despite this, I was drawn in from the opening pages. For much of the novel, I interpreted it as a supernatural mystery, only to discover in the final quarter of it that it is instead grounded in a crime narrative, following a significant late revelation.
My rating: ★★★★☆
Book details
- Title: Find Me
- Author: Holly Craig
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster, LLC
- Publication Date: 26 May 2026
- Pages: 416
Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He lived in Western Sydney from 2022 to 2024 while working as a journalist for Professional Planner, a leading online publication for financial planners. He has written for Tasmanian Times since 2018 and has also been published in a range of other outlets, including Quadrant and the BAD Western Sydney anthologies.
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