Acknowledgement of Country
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, and pay my deepest respects to their Elders past and present.
I recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. This land always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
As a writer and advocate, I am committed to listening, learning, and amplifying voices that have been silenced for too long. I honour the enduring connection of First People's to Country, culture, and community, and stand in solidarity in the fight for truth, justice, and treaty.
J. T. Carpenter
J.T. Carpenter writes crime fiction for a new generation. Sharp, cinematic, emotionally charged stories made for readers raised on prestige TV, true-crime podcasts, and the relentless pace of modern life. His work doesn’t wander. It cuts straight to the bone.
A distinctly contemporary voice in Australian noir, Carpenter blends propulsive, screen-ready pacing with deep emotional resonance. His characters don’t just investigate crimes, they walk through the fractured landscapes of trauma, truth, identity, and the systems that fail ordinary people. His writing sits at the intersection of purpose and pulse: tense, compassionate, and unafraid to expose the raw edges of modern Australia.
Before fiction, Carpenter spent nearly thirty years working with young people across education, mental health, and emergency disaster recovery. He has stood with communities in their darkest hours, witnessing firsthand the complexities of resilience, grief, and justice. These lived experiences infuse every page he writes, giving his work authenticity, empathy, and emotional authority.
A former guest radio presenter and ACRA recipient, Carpenter also founded a national foundation addressing male suicide and violence, and has been a sought-after commentator on masculinity, wellbeing, and cultural change. He has published non-fiction, facilitated men’s groups, and worked on the frontline of social repair, all of which now fuels the heartbeat of his fiction.
His debut novel, Resurrection, is a punchy, haunting mystery that exposes the corrosive legacy of extremism, power, masculinity, and buried secrets. It launches a trilogy that is bold, modern, and unafraid to challenge its readers with stories that sit with you long after the final page because they speak directly to the world we’re living in now.
Writing with the clarity, intensity, and emotional intelligence of a filmmaker, J.T. Carpenter offers something rare in Australian crime fiction: a voice built for now, and built for readers who want stories that move - fast, honest, and unflinchingly human.
Books
OUT NOW
RESURRECTION: Not All Secrets Stay Buried
The First Cassandra Murphy Thriller
One dead extremist.
One hate crime buried for decades.
One journalist who won’t let it go.
Cassandra Murphy has spent her career chasing the truth. A decorated investigative journalist and the daughter of a respected country cop, she’s always believed in justice, no matter how messy the story or how dangerous the path.
But when Hayden Foster, a prominent figure in a rising far-right extremist group, is found murdered, Cassie’s investigation takes a sharp and unexpected turn. Instead of hunting for his killer, she finds herself pulled into the dark underbelly of his past.
In Carrington, a rapidly changing suburb in Melbourne’s outer east, secrets long buried lie among a battleground of change, nostalgia, and shifting identity. The deeper she digs, the more her faith in the institutions she’s trusted begins to unravel.
As she races against time to expose the truth, someone else is out there, wielding their own form of justice. Before this story ends, Cassie will learn just how far some are willing to go to keep a secret buried forever.
COMING LATE 2026
BROKEN: Some Wounds Never Heal
The Second Cassandra Murphy Thriller
Across the border country of Victoria and New South Wales, terror spreads after two separate shootings leave four people dead hundreds of kilometres apart. Different weapons. Different methods. Same chilling precision.
As the body count rises in the bush and talk of two snipers working in tandem grips the nation, fear becomes its own contagion.
In Victoria’s High Country, investigative journalist Cassandra Murphy is meant to be taking time off with her partner, Terence Young. But when a desperate call from controversial influencer Annika Bloom pulls her back to Melbourne, Cassie is drawn into a tangle of paranoia, deception, and revenge that stretches far beyond the city.
As Cassie digs deeper, the violence creeps closer to home until past and present collide, shattering everything.
Because in a country haunted by trauma, not everything that breaks can be seen.
And not everyone who goes missing wants to be found.