AustLit

'Hiding out in Thailand, ‘Large’ Phil Waters learns of the death of his first girlfriend. As teenage runaways, Large and Lizzie had survived on love and loyalty. But when the stakes became too high Lizzie sought safety, leaving Large to wade further into a life of violence and crime.

'Now, Lizzie’s daughter, Carmen, is struggling to come to terms with her grief. Inheriting her mother’s home in the opal-mining town of Lightning Ridge, Carmen discovers how little she knew about her mother’s past.

'Putting aside their mistrust of each other, Large and Carmen try to unravel the mystery of Lizzie’s life and death. But it’s complicated: Carmen wants an end to all the lies, but for Large, truth is a dangerous luxury.

'This gripping mystery thriller takes readers into the dark heart of the outback.' (Publication summary) 

'They say lightning never strikes twice, but Rae Holland knows better.

'Already dealing with the aftermath of death and betrayal, Rae’s life is thrown into crisis when her neighbour is murdered. She wants to know who killed ‘Smokey’ Joe Whitmore and why.

'For John Lawrence, Smokey’s death is an affront to the natural order. Smokey was a brother. A warrior who shared John’s pain and scars. He deserved to die fighting, not trapped in his wheelchair.

'But Smokey was a man with secrets. Despite losing his legs in Uruzgan, he established a successful business. If you wanted something dangerous, and had the money, Smokey knew where to get it.

'Now his business partners want to know what happened to their money and weapons. They don’t care who gets in their way.

'Can Rae and John avoid getting each other killed while they pursue their own leads? At least long enough to find out who killed Smokey?'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

'No one was supposed to get hurt...

'Sixteen-year-old Billy Sheehan and his girlfriend, Rashmi, just wanted to make a political statement. It was only meant to be a stunt, but now they're making headlines across Australia for all the wrong reasons.

'Easy money...

'Al Munro said that about every job, right up to the moment a bank guard shot him dead. His death brings a pair of vengeful killers down on Al's friends and family--and on Billy and Rashmi. Now the kids are on the run, not knowing who to trust.

'Billy felt the cold breath of the tunnel before they got to it...

'Will John Lawrence find Billy and Rashmi in time? Will all three of them make it back into the light of day?

'A white-knuckle thriller from author Andrew Christie, this second novel in the John Lawrence series takes readers on a wild ride through a dark landscape of guns, gold, and greed.'

(Source: publisher's blurb)

When John Lawrence finally finds out about his father’s dangerous legacy, it forces him to confront a family past marked by secrets and loss.

After leaving the army, John is back in Sydney and trying to build himself a new life while he looks after his elderly mother. Betty Lawrence was a photojournalist. She survived Vietnam, Lebanon and Sarajevo, but now she is bitter and resentful that old age and a broken leg have forced her to leave Paris and return to the home town she abandoned long ago.

Betty is followed by deadly baggage that puts them both in danger. A suitcase loaded with weapons and money, intended for a terrorist attack that never happened triggers a power struggle between local crime gangs. John and Betty are drawn into the violence and John has to fight to keep them both alive while he tries to understand just who his parents really were.

This fast-paced crime drama set in Sydney, introduces complex, and compelling characters struggling to survive against a backdrop of ruthless gang violence.

Source: Author's Blurb