AustLit

'Doctor James Sanders, a molecular scientist, has developed a revolutionary medication which relieves the crippling pain and disability caused by Rheumatoid Arthritis.

'Foreseeing enormous profits to be made, the head of a large pharmaceutical company pressures James to hasten the release of the ‘wonder drug’, before the secret manipulation process is leaked and competitors can duplicate his research.

'But ‘Arthrixine’ could have serious side effects. Threats are made against the woman James loves. Test results are falsified; against advice human trials are implemented, and people die. A catastrophe is imminent.

'Dr Sanders must decide!

'Should he follow the dictates of his conscience?

'Or listen to the urgings of his heart?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'SOMALIA
Arid. Unforgiving. Its history as turbulent as its people. A land ravaged by nature and depleted by war; a nation exploited by corrupt officials, ruthless warlords, fanatical terrorists and barbaric pirates.

'THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS
Pristine. Harsh. A place of fierce loyalties, long memories and bitter rivalries. A country of majestic beauty, towering peaks and mysterious, brooding lochs.

'Sent by his firm to establish a new venture in Kenya, Duncan MacGregor has persuaded his wife to join him. She fails to arrive. Her frantic husband embarks on a wideranging mission in an attempt to solve her disappearance.

'Exhausted and despondent at his lack of success, he returns to his native Scotland on compassionate leave, only to be confronted by a new dilemma.

'Duncan will be forced to make a choice. But how can he decide?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The war in the Pacific is drawing to a close. In New Guinea a soldier receives a letter which destroys his hope for the future. In a drought-ravaged Australian country town the sender receives no reply and assumes h is dead. Years pass. Life goes on. Two young people fall in love and plan to marry. But fate intervenes, the marriage cannot take place. Devastated, the lovers go their separate ways, each in search of meaning. Tragedy and misfortune demand resilience, patience and endurance as both tread eventful paths along life's journey. Where will those paths lead?' (Publication summary)

'Traumatised by horrific experiences in Vietnam, Michael Johnston is repatriated to Australia and placed in a psychiatric ward. Eventually discharged into an uncaring world, the disenchanted soldier descends into acute depression.To escape city pressures, Michael finds work on a cattle property. There he is coerced into partnering local girl Sarah to the Annual Ball, but an alcoholic binge causes him to be re-committed. Released and attempting to put his life in order, he elects to spend time with a Wiradjuri group where an aboriginal [sic] elder becomes his mentor. A remorseful Michael is resolved to make amends and re-kindles his relationship with Sarah. The couple marry and move to Sydney. However, terrifying memories continue to haunt him. In war combatants can suffer physically crippling injuries. Less obvious is the mental and emotional damage inflicted, not only on the warriors but also on those who love them.

'Mending Michael tells the tale of two such people.'

(Publication Summary)

'Catastrophic events are convulsing a small country town.

'Greedy mining companies, foreign takeovers, corruption in high places, and the contagion of drug dependence devastate its inhabitants.

'Vultures are circling, seeking opportunities for exploitation. Jobs are lost, loyalties tested. This dangerous mix results in a young man’s murder.

'When Jack, reliable mate to his fellow workers, is co-opted as their spokesperson, he too proves fallible and falls from grace, with grave consequences.

'Faceless men manipulate the situation. Tempers fray, protests turn violent, deaths occur and society is changed forever as good people strive for a solution.' (Publication summary)

'Devastated by his wife's death, John Sinclair is working obsessively in an attempt to mask his grief when he suffers a health crisis. His doctor advises country 'Rest and Relaxation.' 'The Retreat', an up-market guest house in the picturesque Southern Highlands of New South Wales, seems ideal. After a less than auspicious introduction to the other guests, four widows who see him as a desirable 'catch', an elderly violinist, and two troubled ladies escaping domestic problems, one of whom fancies him, John resolves to leave the next day. Then Susan arrives, an attractive woman seeking to come to terms with a failing marriage. They meet in the garden. Intrigued, John decides to give 'The Retreat' a second chance. He quickly becomes involved, weaving about Susan a fantasy in which she re-creates the happiness he once enjoyed. Susan, however, hopes to 'find herself', to rethink her future. Two needy souls use each other. On her he can lavish the love he has been unable to express; he is the willing listener upon whom she can unburden her resentment and doubts. As the week progresses more confidences are shared and their friendship blossoms until, suddenly, the holiday is drawing to a close and John is spurred to act. Sinclair's Retrea' has humour and joy, sorrow, jealousy and passion. It is a compelling insight into the myriad complexities of human relationships.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Sardinia, two and a half centuries before Christ.

It is a night for wolves and witches.

'Across a wind-swept plateau two young lovers are pursued by a group of villagers intent on vengeance. Terrified, hungry and thirsty, the fugitives seek refuge in an ancient burial ground, the so-called ‘Domain of the Witches’.

'Desperate for water, the lad leaves a talisman, a golden image of the Bear-God Orso, with his beloved while he goes in search of a spring.

'Sardinia, the immediate aftermath of World War Two.

The village of Belpaese is in a frenzy. An archeological expedition has arrived and the avaricious inhabitants sense easy pickings.

'Piero, a peasant, finds the image of Orso, patron deity of the mysterious Brotherhood. This causes havoc. A web of lies is spun, greed spreads like a contagion, and life in Belpaese is irretrievably disrupted, to the priest’s dismay and the police sergeant’s despair.

'But the Brotherhood has eyes and ears everywhere. They want the amulet! Their Capo is ruthless and his henchmen embark on an orgy of desecration, abduction, rape and murder.

'The superstitious peasants attribute their village’s misfortunes to the witches. They seek scapegoats. Piero and his family! His daughter is taken for ransom. The talisman for her life!

'The young reporter Carlo and the policeman endeavour to meet with the Brotherhood. In the shadow of the brooding rock commanding Cape Orso, the chase culminates in a gripping, tension-packed climax which will leave the reader gasping.' (Publication summary)

'Personal conflicts and fierce emotions set amidst the intrigues and bloodshed of the infamous Cannibal Islands and the hardships of the fledgling convict colony of New South Wales.Early nineteenth century Fee-jee, an era of proud men and barbaric cruelty, of unspeakable inhumanity, duplicity, bitter hatreds and vicious revenge. A time of well-intentioned missionary ineptitude, shady island traders and warring, suspicious chieftains; of horrendous tortures and cannibal practices; an island paradise blessed by nature and blighted by its inhabitants. An emerging Sydney Town in the late 1820's, its soldiers and sailors, its convict labour and social aspirations; a small farm at Wilberforce where a husband and wife are waging an ongoing struggle to support their two children; the unfortunate circumstances which cause two young men to flee, forgoing their careers and heading into the unknown.A tale of hope and sorrow, dedication and compassion; of courage and terror, of loyalty and betrayal. The story of a native girl's devotion and self-sacrifice and the tragic and beautiful love of Lucy for the complex, doubt-ridden Lieutenant James Christian. Not for the squeamish! Fee-jee is a saga of passion and high adventure, people, times and places.' (Publisher's blurb)