Lay Your Body Down: Amy Suiter Clarke in-conversation with Dinuka McKenzie

Pastor Rick tells us women are created to serve, to be pure, to submit, to be a delight to their husbands. Who are we to deny the very nature our Creator has built within us?

When Del Walker fled her small hometown and its cult-like church six years ago, she vowed never to go back. Lars, the love of her life, was about to marry local golden girl Eve, author of a popular blog about the church’s ‘Noble Wife’ teachings. But now Lars is dead, and Del is convinced it couldn’t have been an accident.

When she returns for the funeral, she discovers the church—and the insidious, patriarchal teachings of Pastor Rick Franklin—has taken over the town. And Eve isn’t acting much like a grieving widow. Del is determined to cut through the church’s lies and corruption to find out what really happened to Lars—even if it means confronting memories she’s spent years trying to bury.

Amy Suiter Clarke is the author of psychological thrillers, including her debut Girl, 11. Originally from a small town in Minnesota, she completed an undergraduate degree in theatre in the Twin Cities and earned an MFA at Kingston University in London. She currently lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and twin sons.

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer and book addict. Her debut crime fiction novel, The Torrent, won the HarperCollins Australia 2020 Banjo Prize and was published in February 2022. She is represented by Alex Adsett Literary. When not writing, Dinuka works in the environmental sector and volunteers as part of the team behind the Writers Unleashed Festival. She lives in Southern Sydney with her husband, two kids and their pet chicken.