The Witchdoctor's Curse

This novel was originally published under the title "Valley of the Damned" in 2005 and was the second of my books originally published. Those who read the original book, have all, without exception, given it most favorable reviews. In this New Edition, the title and the cover image have been changed since the original did not exemplify the story to any great degree, thus I felt, did not do the book justice and this reflected in the novel's sales to some degree.
A great deal has also been added to the story as well as illustrations applicable to the yarn. Although the story has a supernatural theme it gives the reader some indication of life in rural Queensland in the nineteenth century as well as a small insight into the beliefs and powers of the traditional Kaidaicha or witch-doctor which the Australian Aborigine is said to believe and understand. It is to this end that I have endeavored to portray some of these traditional beliefs of the early Australian Aborigine in this book.
In the white man's culture there are many who fervently believe in the supernatural as well, and in this I have attempted to incorporate both beliefs into this story. Set approximately in the north-western part of Queensland in the 1880s, the principal town around which the story revolves, Collinstown, is purely fictitious although its character and style is typical of many rural towns in outback Australia.
Many of the characters are based on people whom I have met over the years, thus providing them with more realism. The story portrays a settler, Bill Conway, his wife and young son who unwittingly build their home on a piece of land on their vast cattle station, but it is on a parcel of land which happens to be sacred to the local Aborigines, thus incurring the wrath of the tribal witchdoctor, or Kaidaicha.
Ignoring the warnings and threats of the Kaidaicha as ignorant superstition, Bill continues farming with disastrous consequences.