Spending his childhood in and around the port city, Warner returned to the place he loves to launch his new book Before it Breaks last week.
Set in Broome, Before it Breaks follows detective Daniel Clement, newly divorced and just returned to Broome when a body is found at a local fishing spot.
Soon more bodies are found, and Clement has to use his team of small town cops to solve the decades-old mystery before a cyclone hits.
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READ NOWWarner said the premise for the book came to him 10 years ago, but it took him longer than he thought to put it into action.
"About two years ago I decided I should write it," he said.
"For a long time I've wanted to write a crime novel where the geography was as big a character as the main protagonist.
"I love the novels of Henning Mankell and others where the reader can almost taste the location."
He said there was a reason the quality of WA authors was being lauded in recent times.
"It's good writing and the power of the small and local," he said.
"I don't think this is a phenomenon restricted to crime writing; just look at Tim Winton and other areas of the arts like music or painting.
"WA is a unique place and that spirit permeates the artist's work."
Before it Breaks is available from Fremantle Press.