The Salty River #[nn]

Jan Bauer's The Salty River sets its mood right on the cover: a bearded hiker in a wide-brimmed hat, backpack strapped tight, studies the rugged outback terrain stretching before him, while a lone distant figure stands silhouetted on a rocky ridge under a warm, hazy sky. The stark Australian landscape — red rock, sparse scrub, and vast open space — promises something contemplative and quietly tense. Published in 2016 by Twelve Panels Press, this is solo storytelling with real atmosphere.