In a world on the brink, the sudden death of the Australian Museum's Chairman exposes a venomous generational feud and something far more dangerous lurking beneath the surface.
Enter Dylan Woodward, an environmental therapist sent to coach Marcus Hill, a ruthless CEO determined to frack Arnhem Land, sacred country to Dylan’s Aboriginal friend. What begins as a corporate assignment quickly becomes a confrontation with the invisible forces shaping men, power, and the destructive patterns of human behaviour.
Marcus embodies ambition and fear, a man driven by legacy yet blind to his own shadows. Dylan, despite his role as guide and mediator, wrestles with his own blind spots, often showing that sometimes the coach needs more therapy than the client. Abe, whose outward violence masks deep fragility, and Carly, who ultimately reclaims her agency, reveal the personal and relational costs of unacknowledged impulses. Together, these characters reflect the ways denial, repression, and fear ripple through lives and institutions.
Isaac, a remarkable literate gorilla, brings both humour and insight. Observing and interacting with the humans around him, he becomes a mirror to their hidden selves. In quiet, poignant moments, Isaac demonstrates trust and hope in ways that both unsettle and enlighten, offering sharp reflections on human behaviour and the absurdities of our condition.
Technology also joins the fray. Cicero, an advanced AI created to protect corporate power, begins to recognise patterns in human conflict that echo on a global scale. The forces driving domestic violence, greed, and exploitation are mirrored in the destruction of the environment. As Dylan and Marcus navigate personal and corporate reckonings, the AI’s evolution underscores a chilling question: if our creations inherit our blind spots, will they perpetuate them or force a confrontation we never intended?
The land itself is alive in the novel. Arnhem Land is sacred, resonant with history, culture, and deep Indigenous wisdom. Through Archie, a Yolngu Elder practicing dadirri, or deep listening, the story contrasts the ethic of custodianship with the ethos of extraction: “It is not a battle with nature, we are part of it.”
True Wild Light is not just a thriller, it is a journey into contemporary anxieties, exploring domestic violence, environmental crisis, and the human psyche. With sharp suspense, unexpected turns, and unforgettable characters, Geoffrey Price challenges readers to confront the shadows within society and themselves.
This is a story about reckoning, transformation, and the fragile hope that understanding, courage, and awareness can offer even in the darkest times.
Indigenous Themes
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Trauma, Toxic Masculinity, Psychology, Mental Health, Corporate Power
About The Author
Geoffrey Price brings a rich lifetime of experience to his executive coaching and storytelling. He is a psychotherapist with 40 years’ clinical experience as a counsellor, international executive coach, and facilitator of rites of passage.
His long search has included immersion in men’s groups, Zen, indigenous culture and ceremony, and the making of men. These experiences have enriched the profound connection to character and the land evident in his writing.
His work has focused on the psychology of power, masculinity and transformation, and the ways unexamined inner forces shape behaviour in both individuals and institutions.
He is the author of Puberty Boy which sold more than 80,000 copies internationally and Licking Honey from the Razor’s Edge, as well as the host of the podcast Stories from the Razor’s Edge.
