AustLit

'Dr Mark Altree suffers an emotional breakdown and wanders aimlessly from his home at Wynnum, Brisbane. His brain in a fog, and without money and a phone, he accepts a ride from a truck driver. At Caboolture, Altree helps Frances Rideout, a horse trainer, replace a flat tyre. This leads him on a course of self discovery. Frances encourages him to address the cause of his problem. Revitalised, and having found a new challenge, he returns home and explains to his wife and close friends why he experienced mental distress and acted strangely. He then sets out to solve the mysterious disappearance of Frances’s daughter, Eloise.' (Publication summary)

'Horner's Bridge in Coromandel Valley is well signposted and used by travellers on the route between Aberfoyle Park and Adelaide, but little is known of its history and the men who built it. In 1865-66, the bridge over the River Sturt was constructed on the Bulls Creek Road between the city and Encounter Bay, but the line of that road was controversial and the bridge may not have been built without the will, persistence and courage of members of the Central Road Board. This novel is based on historical records and not only describes the politics and perseverance of road construction and bridge building, but also of the love between the stonemason and the contractor's daughter.' (Publication summary)

'With the triple murders in Brisbane unsolved, Dr Mark Altree leaves home after arguing with his wife, Sonja. She insisted he attempt to find the killer by tracking down a key suspect, Alphonso Giardino. Altree resisted her demands by saying there was no evidence against Giardino. Angry and upset, Altree escapes the continuous arguments and then learns Sonja is pregnant. The news leads him back into his past, a period of depression and anxiety. Overcoming his personal issues, Altree succeeds in finding Giardino, but unbeknown to him he was followed. The attempted murder of Giardino leads Altree into trouble. With Sonja's help he figures out the identity of the murderer.' (Publication summary)  

'After buying pastries Daniel Hawkes returns to his girl friend's apartment and finds DCI Helena Costa lying in a pool of blood. He is accused of assaulting her and then indicted for murdering the Police officer after she dies. His friends, Dr Mark Altree, Sonja and a retired Police officer assist in the investigation, believing Hawkes is innocent. The absence of clues indicating another culprit and the circumstantial evidence all point to Hawkes as the killer. Can Altree and his friends find the crucial nuggets of truth to explain what actually happened in Costa's apartment?' (Publication summary)

'Oxana Yablonska, a Brisbane accountant, reports the disappearance of her old-school friend Anna Bauwens. She also asks Dr Mark Altree to help in the search because Anna had often spoken of Altree, a close friend of Anna’s parents. Not having seen Anna for more than thirty years, Altree has no leads and is a reluctant investigator. He gradually develops an illuminating portrait of Anna and her complex life. After Altree learns of her alcohol addiction, episodes of sexual abuse and likely mental anguish he becomes engaged in a desperate race to find the woman he barely knew as a teenager.' (Publication summary)

'Dr. Mark Altree learns from Fiona Baxter about the disappearance in Adelaide of her brother, Russell, a former university colleague of his. There, Altree finds evidence of a break-in and suspects the burglar was looking for something specific. Altree’s life is shattered by news of a family disaster. Unable to handle the emotional turmoil of the personal tragedy and without a clue as to the whereabouts of Baxter, Altree accepts another exploration project in North America. A series of events leads Altree to Mexico where he becomes enmeshed in drug smuggling and kidnapping. Altree survives the failed exchange of the ransom but is abducted by bandits. While surviving life-threatening circumstances personal demons continue to haunt him.' (Publication summary)

'In June 1840 the brigantine Maria was wrecked on rocks near Cape Jaffa, South Australia. The passengers and crew reached land and then began the trek along the Coorong towards Adelaide. When natives reported to the authorities at Encounter Bay that the bodies of white people had been found south of Lake Albert an expedition was mounted to attempt to rescue any remaining survivors of the wreck. The searches found blood-stained clothes, wedding rings, part of the ship's log and pieces of newspaper, confirming the identity of the brutally slain remains of all the passengers. Their bodies had been stuffed into wombat holes and under a large rock. An expedition was ordered by Governor Gawler to find and punish the murderers. This is a fictional account, based on documentary evidence, of what has become known as the Maria massacre.' (Publication summary)

'In the early years of the colony of South Australia the Debney, Woodward, Bell, and Southernwood families struggled and adapted in their own ways to survive the environmental and economic hardships. The families were connected by circumstance, the migration to Adelaide in 1838 on the Lloyds. Thereafter they maintained intermittent relationships depending on fortune and misfortune. This fictionalised novel follows the families through their crimes and trials, the prosperous share investments, and business dealings. It describes their endurance, fortitude, and adaptability, and documents their marriages, dramas, and tragedies. Whether rich or poor a common repetitive thread ties their lives into an intricate web of once, twice, and thrice.' (Publication summary)

'Curly, Terry, Jim, Bill, and Lea are ten-year-old children who lived near the Sturt River in Coromandel Valley. The watercourse and the surrounding hills were their adventure playground. This book describes some of their adventures and documents their lives after leaving their idyllic childhood experiences behind.' (Publication summary)

'After a recent promotion to Inspector in the Queensland Police Service, Helena Costa investigates two Brisbane murders, but the crime scenes lack vital clues. Under pressure from her superior officers to apprehend a suspect, she requests help from Dr Mark Altree. He is a geologist and amateur sleuth who solved Costa's mysterious missing person case. Altree visits the murder scenes and reviews the files, but the lack of evidence frustrates his attempt to solve the crimes. Without making an arrest another brutal slaying leads to Costa's demotion and transfer from Homicide to the Road Policing Unit. Determined to find the serial killer Costa persuades Altree to continue with her clandestine murder investigation. In addition to their usual mineral exploration activities, Altree, his wife Sonja and their colleague Daniel Hawkes conduct research into the crimes.

'Hawkes skilfully vacuums the floors of the crime scenes and examines the filters containing strands of hair and dead skin cells. Altree draws on a favour from a university colleague to analyse the chemical compositions of the dead skin cells. The analyses and nature of the dead skin cells indicate a person with psoriasis was at all crime scenes. Sonja carries out family history research, approaches several possible suspects and collects vital evidence from a wrecked car. Her genealogical and digitised newspaper research also reveals a family dispute between James Killoran and his first cousin James Nikolai, alias Nicholas James, two prime suspects.

'Costa and Hawkes develop a relationship whereas Altree's autocratic leadership sparks tension with Sonja. Costa's team of amateur detectives narrow the suspects to James Killoran, the fiancé of a murder victim; Thomas Stirling, the son-in-law of another victim; and James Nikolai, the financial adviser to all victims.

'Altree's astute observations and creative thinking leads to the discovery of the murder weapon and of the plot by Killoran to frame his cousin. Costa uses forensic information, the discovery of the stolen property, evidence of fraudulent activity, and his psoriasis to name Killoran as the serial killer. Based on the results of her surreptitious activities, Costa's boss issues a warrant to arrest James Killoran. Before the warrant is enforced James Nikolai shoots Killoran to settle the family feud.' (Publication summary)

'On the same day at various locations in Brisbane a geologist, a taxi driver and a journalist are shot and killed. The geologist, Paul Faulkner was murdered in his office at Rankin Coal after arguing with Dr Mark Altree about an upcoming drilling contract. The taxi driver, Gurdeep Singh was killed after conveying a passenger to a deserted lane. The journalist, Britney Sommerville was shot in the back of the head while walking to her apartment late at night. Altree is considered a suspect, but nevertheless engages in clandestine activities, hoping to identify the murderer. During the Police investigations, Detective Inspector Helena Costa follows the romantic link between Faulkner and Sommerville. She also hears allegations regarding corruption involving a mining executive and a government Minister. Is there a connection between the murders and the rumour of alleged misconduct by a senior politician? Can Altree prove his innocence?'   (Publication summary)

'Blackfoot-camp is a rock shelter located south of Denver, Colorado. In prehistoric times, it was frequented by hunters and gatherers mainly because of the reliable supply of water that issued from a spring at the back of the shelter. During the historical period, it was used as a refuge by trappers, miners, and pioneers traveling the Cherokee Trail. Through the work of dedicated volunteers, the site is preserved as part of the heritage of Douglas County. This novel is a fictionalized account of the people who visited the site and lived nearby, and discarded cultural materials, including stone tools, grindstones, beads, wire, glass, crockery and toys.' (Publication summary)

'Geologist, Dr Mark Altree and his colleague Richard Sparrow find the naked body of a blonde girl by the side of the highway near Gilgunnia in New South Wales. Who is she? How did she reach such a remote location? Who killed her? Altree and Sparrow have additional concerns and conflicts with the staff and management of the mining company that employs them to explore on tenements south of Cobar. While Altree and his Swedish partner Sonja Nielsen search for the identity of the girl, Sparrow develops a romantic attraction for Senior Constable Garner who investigates the Gilgunnia girl's death. The Police think that the dead girl is a backpacker, but there is no match on the missing person's register. Potential murder suspects exist in the array of backpackers employed by the company and in local workers, but everybody seems to have alibis. It takes collaborative efforts by Altree, Nielsen, and Sparrow to piece the slim clues together to solve the mystery of the Gilgunnia girl.' (Publication summary) 

'The discovery of human skeletal remains in a previously concealed rock shelter at the infamous site of Hanging Rock raised speculation about the mysterious disappearance of the schoolgirls from Appleyard College on Valentine’s Day 1900.

'In January, 2008 a team of archaeologists excavating on the flanks of that rugged volcanic peak unearthed a narrow slit in the back wall of the rock shelter which gave access to a cavern, revealing more than ancient Aboriginal art, setting their team on a quest with unexpected results;

'“It’s a big cavern with bones scattered about. Lots of bones,” Jo’s voice carried a reverend note of awe as she announced to her amazed colleagues what she had seen.

“Animal or human? Any art?” Wade queried, relieved to see her friend again.

“Don’t know, possibly. Yes.”

“What? Human bones! How many?” Wade questioned, astonished by the news.

“Three, maybe four bodies, but I didn’t count.”' (Publisher's blurb)

'Two days before Christmas 1847, as the potato famine deepens, teenager, Jane Bell with her destitute mother and two starving siblings enter the Lowtherstown workhouse in Northern Ireland. Early the next year Jane accepts a place as one of hundreds of female orphans sent to the colony of South Australia a decade after its foundation; never to see her family again. She forges friendships with other girls her age and together they face hardships on the voyage to Adelaide. On disembarking, Jane works as a domestic servant for George Kingston, a prominent South Australian businessman and politician. Her friends reject domestic life for the more lucrative earnings in prostitution.

'Jane develops a relationship with Samuel Macartney, a handsome labourer, but also reluctantly finds herself Kingston’s concubine after the death of his wife. Inevitably she becomes pregnant, but does not know who fathered the child.

Jane’s story is one of alternating failures and successes, portraying her adaptability, courage and energy. Stubbornly resourceful and resilient, this young Irish woman’s story is of endurance despite unimagined hardship and deprivation in two vastly contrasting countries. Her life is a tribute to her inner strength and survival instincts, one among many young women who built new lives in Adelaide, Mitcham and Coromandel Valley, and helped establish a thriving community.' (Publisher's blurb)