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Favourite Romantic Suspense (2009-)
Subcategory of Australian Romance Readers Awards
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Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2020

winner y separately published work icon Charlotte Pass Lee Christine , Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2020 18470344 2020 single work novel crime romance

'A shocking discovery deep in the Snowy Mountains. A killer who will do anything to keep secrets buried.

'When ski patroller Vanessa Bell discovers human bones high on Mount Stillwell at Charlotte Pass ski resort, Detective Sergeant Pierce Ryder of the Sydney Homicide Squad is called in to lead the investigative team.

'Arriving in the isolated, snowed-in village with Winterfest celebrations underway, Ryder soon determines that the bones are those of Celia Delaney, a young woman who disappeared from the ski resort in 1964 during the biggest winter storm in Australian alpine history.

'When a second murder takes place, Ryder suspects that the deaths are related, and that the person responsible is still in the village. Amid the escalating tension, Ryder is desperate to make an arrest before the stakes rise even higher.

'Set within the stunning Snowy Mountains, this intriguing mystery uncovers deadly, long-buried secrets in the valleys and mountains of this iconic area.'  (Publication summary)

Year: 2019

winner y separately published work icon Shadows Over Wongan Creek Juanita Kees , Chatswood : Escape Publishing , 2019 14775136 2019 single work novel romance

'They both arrived in Wongan Creek as foster children, and found a community where they could thrive. But he left a newlywed and returned a widow and her past has dangerous secrets that will affect everyone she loves. Shadows are gathering on their horizon, blocking any chance they have at a new chance for love.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Year: 2016

winner y separately published work icon Sunset Shadows Bronwyn Parry , Sydney : Hachette Australia , 2016 9501923 2016 single work novel crime romance

''Dammit, Tess, he doesn't seem worth protecting.'

''I'm not protecting him, sarge,' she said. She dropped her gaze, biting her lip, and for the first time in his experience she spoke in a small voice. 'I'm protecting me.'

For police officers Steve Fraser and Tess Ballard, a split-second decision saves the lives of fifty members of a cult ­- but also puts their careers on the line. Tess's work is everything to her; she's forged a new life through sheer determination, so when her past returns to haunt her, Steve must race through wild country if he is to save the people he most cares about.' (Publication summary)

Year: 2015

winner y separately published work icon Northern Heat Helene Young , Melbourne : Penguin , 2015 8567095 2015 single work novel thriller romance

'In steamy northern Queensland, Conor is living under an assumed name and rebuilding his shattered life. Working at Cooktown's youth centre has given him the chance to make a difference again, and a chance to flirt with Dr Kristy Dark.

'After tragedy tore her family apart, Kristy fled to Cooktown with her feisty teenage daughter, Abby. She hoped being part of the small community would help them both heal, but Abby's sports coach is turning out to be a compelling distraction.

'When a severe cyclone menaces the coast, threatening to destroy everything in its path, tensions come to a head – and the weather is not the only danger in Cooktown. Cut off from the world and with her life on the line, Kristy will have to summon her courage and place her trust in Conor, or they'll both lose someone they love.' (Publication summary)

Year: 2014

winner y separately published work icon Safe Harbour Helene Young , Melbourne : Penguin Books , 2014 7087029 2014 single work novel romance

'When Darcy Fletcher drags a handsome sailor from a stricken yacht, she finds herself drawn into his mysterious world. Having saved his life can she now rescue him from his dark past? Or will that endanger all she holds most dear?

'Noah, keeper of the peace and guardian of the Banskia Cove secrets, knows he can’t he tell Darcy the real reason this man has washed up on their shores. If she knew the links between the stranger and her own dysfunctional family, she’d flee the Cove and he’d lose her love forever.

'As they take refuge in an old whaling station, only one thing is certain – by morning, no one will be the same again. Lies will surface. Hearts will break, and not all will find safe harbour.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

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