AustLit

(Publication summary)

'Grieving widow Andy Vaughn has struggled to get back to the real world after her husband's sudden death. But her son needs her, and when a terrifying encounter with a snake reveals unknown skills, the American expat feels alive for the first time in years. She's going to leave behind her career as a science teacher and instead start training as a national park ranger with a specialty in snake handling. There have been a high number of brown snake incidents in their small community over the last few months, and Port Matthews desperately needs an experienced snake handler on the Parks and Wildlife team.

'But with two deaths and several close calls in only a matter of weeks, is the increased snake activity just an unusual spike? Or is something more sinister going on? New cop in town Dev certainly thinks something isn't quite right, but nobody is going to believe the city cop with a checkered past. With growing suspicions that a serial killer might be out there using snakes as a weapon, Dev is going to need to find proof-and fast. Because the serial killer has a new victim in his sights, and she might just be the beautiful snake handler Dev is fast falling in love with.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'There's a murderer on campus. And Lindsay knows where to find the victims' bodies. But who is going to believe that she had nothing to do with the crimes?

'All Lindsay Cavenaugh wants is to graduate university and prove to her family that she is normal. It's been almost ten years since she's had a vision, and she's sure she's grown out of her 'gift'. These days all she has to worry about is passing her exams and keeping her distance from her sleazy lecturer.

'But when a girl disappears from campus, Lindsay's visions return with a vengeance. Not only does she see where the body of the missing student has been dumped, she also mysteriously acquires the bruises encircling the strangled girl's throat. The last thing Lindsay wants is to get involved with the police again, but how can she not report what she knows?

'Detective Garren Macklyn has little patience for the so-called 'supernatural'. Those con artists are the reason his mother is lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life. So, when Lindsay admits to knowing things only the killer could know, Mac has found his prime suspect. Even if she's not the murderer, Lindsay Cavenaugh is involved somehow, and Mac is going to get her to admit it.

'But the more time Mac spends with Lindsay, the less sure he is. Is he letting his personal feelings cloud his judgement? Or is there really something more going on here? As the body count rises, Mac will need to decide if he can trust Lindsay. Her life may just depend on it.' (Publication summary)

'What if the man you're falling for is too good to be true?

'Cassidy Blaire doesn't have time for romance. Between caring for her sick father and running The Kettle, a struggling soup kitchen in Adelaide, there's not much time for herself ... or for her to dwell on her sister, who disappeared two years ago. Which is why Cass is more surprised than anyone when she wins the attention of not one, but two handsome admirers.

'After saving the life of rich, sophisticated Lyle Fuller in the Adelaide Hills, Cass is overwhelmed by roses, financial donations and romantic dinners. And then there's rugged builder Darren Travers who has volunteered his skills to help save The Kettle. But why is Lyle so interested in a girl like her, and what are Darren's motives for offering free labour, especially with his strange attitude towards the homeless community?

'Someone isn't who they seem, and as threats and vandalism escalate to murder, Cass is going to need to work out who to trust ... and fast.

'A romantic thriller set against the Adelaide Hills about secret identities, hidden agendas and how fate always wins in the end.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'What does Lauren Donnelly owe the daughter of the man who died to save her? The cost of his funeral? A job at her ailing Cape Cod nursery? The lives of her loved ones? Or will only her own death settle the score?

'On a wintry New England morning an innocent short-cut turns to disaster when the snow-covered field Lauren Donnelly crosses turns out to be a not-so-solidly-frozen stream. A passing stranger comes to her aid. Only to fall through the ice himself and succumb to the frigid waters. Struggling to come to terms with the tragedy, Lauren reaches out to the man’s only daughter and long-time care-giver, a woman now suffering financial hardship. But Ada Phelps is not the devoted, grief-stricken offspring she pretends. And making people pay for their crimes is the one thing she has always done best.' (Publication summary)

'Raina Wilkins has little to live for. Until she's forced on the run with a wanted killer and a homeless teen with a deadly secret... Driving alone on a dark autumn night, Raina hits a man who darts from the Maine woods in front of her. The injured stranger climbs in her car, forces her to drive on at gunpoint, but gets out soon after and disappears back into the forest. Raina thinks never to see him again. But Alec DeMarco has left something behind in her car, something others will kill to possess. When he and others return to claim it, Raina is swept into a world of conspiracy, abduction and murder. A world where even the police want her dead.' (Synopsis)

'Run to Me is a non-stop, impossible-to-put-down suspense thriller with riveting twists and turns, as a 'mother and son' go on the run...It's been two years since Shyler O'Neil's beloved son Jesse was killed - but his final moments are as vivid to her now as they were that dreadful day. Suffering from post-traumatic stress, and convinced she did not do enough to protect him, she retreats to an isolated cabin in the woods of northern Maine. Meanwhile, Zack Ballinger - a ten-year-old boy who has never known a mother's love - finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He's seen too much and is now running for his life. Fleeing into the woods, Zack soon finds himself at Shyler's cabin. He'll take whatever help she can give - even though, for some reason, she keeps calling him Jesse ...With the pursuers hot on their heels, 'mother' and 'son' go on the run. Protecting Zack may well be Shyler's one chance at redemption. Either that, or she is the child's greatest threat ...'A tight, taut page-turner that romps along from the opening page'. (Synopsis)