A compelling drama - a verdict just in time.A newcomer to Broome, Colin Everett is drawn into a fierce dispute about native title known as 'the Bradshaw case'. The disappearance of a key witness points to threats of blackmail, or even worse.To win the case for the Aboriginal claimants, Colin and his fellow lawyers have to find the witness, get the better of their opponents, and probe the origin of ancient rock art in the Kimberley region.The case ends in a swirl of controversy and a crucial verdict. It offers a poignant glimpse of how the future can be shaped by half-truths and human failings, by contested versions of the past.Hasluck "brings sharp intelligence and sensitivity to morally ambiguous matters."Peter Pierce, The Weekend Australian"What Hasluck adds so adroitly is a sense of a world in which ideals, political beliefs and self-interest are in constant tension."Lorien Kaye, The AgeNicholas Hasluck practised law in Perth for many years while turning his hand to literary works in various genres. His novel The Bellarmine Jug won The Age Book of the Year Award and he has been twice short-listed for the Miles Franklin Prize. He has served as Chair of the Literature Board of the Australia Council and of the Commonwealth Writers Prize.