‘Four Dogs Missing’ — The debut novel putting Mudgee’s wine country on the map

Looking for a crime-thriller that matches perfectly with a glass of vintage red? Rhys Gard’s debut novel, Four Dogs Missing, hits all the right notes.

Set in the nearby Mudgee wine region, the story follows Oliver — an intense, creative and introspective winemaker.

When Oliver’s estranged twin-brother turns up at his door bearing a mysterious invitation the quiet and fulfilling life the winemaker had built for himself is thrown into turmoil.

Oliver finds himself the prime suspect in a murder investigation and is forced to try find the killer before someone he loves is killed.

Previously having worked as a wine writer, chef and restaurateur, Rhys always knew he wanted to write a novel, but the problem was finding the time to do so.

Then when his restaurant was forced to close during the lockdowns a few years ago, he suddenly had the opportunity to follow his dream.

“I was still working as a chef, and we were only doing takeaways, so it was the first time in a long time that I found myself with enough time,” Rhys said, who also made the most of his newly found downtime to read huge amounts of crime fiction.

“I always have, but I was just tearing through the books. I love the pace, the suspense, that up-late-at-night feeling. I love that as a reader, so I thought I’d try to emulate that as a writer,” he explained. 

“What inspired me to write, as well, was wanting to write something a little bit unique, something I’d want to pick up at a bookshop.”

In Four Dogs Missing, Rhys made use of his extensive knowledge of the wine industry for the setting and plot of the novel.

“There’s a lot of crime books out there, but I don’t know any about winemakers or that are set in wine country as a location,” he said.

“So that was something I was interested in exploring and that’s basically what inspired me to get started.”

Rhys is currently in the process of planning a Central West book tour, and is looking forward to visiting the Orange wine region — which actually features in his novel.

“The main character has a friend who is a winemaker in Orange. So, I’ll definitely be coming to Orange.”