The Bait Trap: Lynne Johnson Book Launch

A man disappears without a trace.

A troubled cop falls in love with his daughter.

A secret bush cabin holds all the answers.

When local father, family man and community icon John Judd goes missing in an Australian bush town, all roads lead to a sinkhole - can a man disappear into the earth?

It’s 2021, and the Australian Riverina bush town of Cooinda is in the grip of a fearsome plague, the locals are deeply divided by a planned coal seam gas mine and family secrets simmer below the surface, raising the town’s temperature to boiling point.

City cop Zac Byrne is sent to investigate the disappearance of Judd, reeling from a bruising separation and an internal investigation into a botched raid. The newly sober Sydney detective sets about uncovering the truth, partnered with an unlikely collaborator, local cop, Marko Bozic, as open as Byrne is closed. The locals seem determined to keep the truth from Byrne, but he discovers that Judd had a secret – a hidden bush cabin that might hold the answers– if they could find it.

Is a killer living amongst them? Will they strike again to prevent the truth from being revealed? What Byrne doesn’t expect is to develop feelings for Judd’s daughter, Thea. Will his feelings for Thea stop him from uncovering the truth?

The Bait Trap is about powerlessness, forgiveness, redemption and freedom.

Lynne Johnson is an Australian writer and the author of a crime fiction novel, The Bait Trap. She writes crime with feeling, that deals with gritty social issues, like addiction. The Bait Trap draws on her own struggles with alcoholism. Before turning to writing full-time, Lynne was a copyright lawyer for over three decades. She now works with alcoholics and addicts in correctional facilities in Sydney and regional NSW, facilitating 12-Step meetings and taking men and women through the 12 Steps. Lynne lives in the Southern Highlands on Gundungurra and Tharawal Land, with her husband and many animals who lack boundaries. Lynne has degrees in arts, law, corporate governance and risk management. Visit lynnejohnsonauthor.com or follow Lynne on Instagram at @lynne_johnson_author or Facebook at Lynne Johnson – Author.