AustLit

'Someone in Sunrise Bay is definitely on Santa's naughty list.

'Romance is in the air, and Charlie’s first date with Sunrise Bay’s hottest policeman is to the Yule Ball. Organised by Charlie’s unstoppable Aunt Evie, the charity ball is the town’s biggest fundraising night of the year. A dazzling sapphire necklace is the centrepiece of the auction and the bidding is fierce. But as the auctioneer’s hammer comes down, the lights in the ballroom go out.

'When they come back on, the necklace is gone. Aunt Evie is devastated and Charlie is determined to use her newfound detective skills to find it.

'The pressure is on to bring the necklace ho-ho-home for Christmas. But Charlie isn’t the only one searching for it, and the other hunters will stop at nothing to get their hands on it.' (Publication summary)

'Everything's panning out for Charlie in picture-perfect Sunrise Bay. She has a new dog, a brand-new photography business, and maybe even a fresh romance with the hottest policeman in town. Plus, her latest photo shoot is double the fun. Identical twins Sam and Jess want photos to celebrate their thirtieth birthday.

'But the party stops when Sam disappears. Rumours spread faster than you can say “cheese”. Is her hot-tempered new boyfriend to blame? What did her neighbour really see?

'When Sam’s body is found in mysterious circumstances, Jess is distraught ... or is she? It’s up to Charlie to sort fact from fiction in a puzzling case of double trouble.'(Publication summary)

'Charlie Carter’s new life in idyllic Sunrise Bay is beachy keen. A wedding could be the big break Charlie’s fledgling photography business needs—she’s got all her fingers and toes crossed for a perfect day. Beautiful bride: check. Gorgeous weather: check.

'Dead guest at the reception: definitely not part of the plan.

'When the husband of one of Charlie’s friends becomes a suspect, Charlie must turn sleuth again. Can she win a game of cat and spouse with the matrimonial murderer before the police arrest the wrong guy?' (Publication summary)

'Accidentally becoming a necromancer was NOT on the to-do list. Oops.

'Today was meant to be all about destroying the assassins who have plagued the Realms of Faerie for centuries. Instead, the assassins are a no-show and I’m fighting ghosts that I shouldn’t be able to see. 

'Somehow, I’ve ended up with some of dear old Dad’s necromantic power. He’s the kind of guy who gave necromancy its bad name, and I’d give his tainted magic back in a heartbeat if I could. But he’s disappeared along with the assassins and the sinister dagger known as the Thief of Souls. That’s a triple threat that could smash the Realms into dust.

'When all that power is turned on my best friend, my only option is to embrace the deadly new magic I despise. And that’s a choice that could destroy me.' (Publication summary)

'Most estranged fathers would send an email. Mine sends a zombie.

'The infamous dagger known as the Thief of Souls is now mine. Its seductive power comes with a catch—the blade is determined to control me, and I’m losing the battle.

'Ash wants to free me from its clutches. He’s an ice-cold fae assassin who bizarrely seems to care for me, but can I trust his motives? A little voice inside me is screaming yes, but I can’t even trust my own thoughts anymore.

'So of course dear old Dad picks this moment to crawl out of whatever hole he’s been hiding in for the last five years. He’s a dangerous necromancer, and he wants the dagger, but maybe I can use him. Because he’s the key to what I want most in all the world—if I can bring myself to pay the price.' (Publication summary)

'Prisoner. Pupil. Puppet.

'Which one am I? Maybe all three.

'All I wanted was to keep my head down, avoid the fae nobles who sneer at my half-human blood, and spend time with the few friends who don’t care about my heritage.

'Then the notorious Night Vipers killed one of those precious friends. I’m determined to make the assassins pay, but my plans for revenge backfired, and now I have a choice.

'Trust Raven, the fae noble who wants something I’m not sure I can give, who has more magic in one feather of his midnight wings than I possess in my entire body, and who promised to help with my revenge.

'Trust Ash, the steely-eyed master assassin who spared my life, who demanded I become his student in the art of death, and who seems to hate me even as he protects me.

'Or confront the mysterious deadly being that lurks at the heart of the assassins’ power, the infamous Thief of Souls. We are all puppets dancing to its malevolent tune, but when the music stops, who will be left standing and whose strings will be cut forever?' (Publication summary)

'All I want is a little alone time with my hot new boyfriend. That shouldn't be too much to ask, but Kellith, the Lord of Summer, keeps sending his assassins after me.

'Since it's kill or be killed, I need to bring him down--but how do I take on one of the most powerful fae in all the Realms?

'The answer lies in the Realm of Illusion, the fabulously wealthy home of the tricksters and the shapeshifters. When Kellith stole its wealth for himself, he thought he'd destroyed them all. But a few exiles remain, and an explosive secret reveals that my fate is tied to theirs. If I can bring the exiles home, Kellith will lose the lot. But if I fail, Illusion disappears forever--and Kellith's next assassin will take my head.' (Publication summary) 

'For about five seconds there, my life was perfect. The fae king finally allowed me back into the magical Realms of Faerie, and his arrogant knight, the Hawk, was actually thawing towards me.

'I should have known it wouldn't last. When I get back to my childhood home in Autumn, my mother's gone, our house abandoned. Not exactly the homecoming of my dreams.

'Then an injured stranger turns up in the mortal world, claiming to be my mother, but she dies before I can question her. If I want answers, I'll have to find her killer. And guess what? The killer is looking for me, too--but not for a friendly chat.

'Everyone is keeping secrets, and I can't even be sure who I am anymore--or how dangerous the truth will be when I finally uncover it. Just as well the Hawk has elected himself my protector. Keeping me alive will be a full-time job.' (Publication summary) 

'I'd do anything to go home to Autumn, the fae Realm where I grew up. I might only be a changeling, but it's where I belong. That's why I'm doing everything the Lord of Autumn commands.

'My latest job: enforcing fae laws in the human world. It's hard enough, but it gets worse when I meet my new partner. The Hawk is a fae knight, hot as hell--and an unrelenting jerk when it comes to changelings like me.

'Somehow, I have to impress this guy to get back to the Realms. Kind of hard to do when we end up running for our lives. I said I'd give anything for the chance to go home--but I didn't think that would include my life.' (Publication summary) 

'Lexi is back from the underworld, heartsore but determined to exact some sweet vengeance on the shadow shapers. To do that, she'll need Zeus's help, but Zeus is trapped in the wires, slowly disintegrating into nothingness. Without his lightning bolt, he's toast.

'So all she has to do is find the missing pieces of the lightning bolt and her troubles should be over, right?

'Wrong. She may have found out who she is, but her memory is still full of holes--which will make tracking down the lightning bolt kind of tricky. And when the shadow shapers strike again, threatening the people she loves, it's clear that Zeus isn't the only one running out of time.

'Lexi's had tough gigs before, but unless she frees Zeus and defeats the shadow shapers, Olympus will fall. And that kind of pressure can really ruin a girl's day.' (Publication summary)

'Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire. Jake, the man of Lexi's dreams, is trapped in the underworld. Only Hades can free him, but Hades is missing, presumably a captive of the shadow shapers. Lexi wants nothing more than to free both of them, but the shadow shapers have hidden their tracks well. She has no idea where to start looking for the missing Lord of the Underworld until a visit to Death himself reveals vital information.

'Finally Lexi has a target, but this will be no ordinary rescue mission. In a faraway city, she must face the shadow shapers on their home turf. She is the only hope for Jake and Hades, but there are too many gaping holes in her memory, too many things she doesn't know. And some of them are about to come back to bite her big time.' (Publication summary)

'Rescuing a god? Check. Escaping to the underworld? Also check.

'But despite her successes, things aren't going so well for Lexi and her friends--which is why they're hiding out in the underworld. The god they rescued has been magically collared, unable to access his power. Worse still, Lexi's best friend is similarly shackled, blocking her shape-shifting abilities.

'Since they have precisely zero collar-opening keys, they need to make one--except the only person who can help them, the god of metalshaping, is dead. The good news? Lexi's already in the underworld, so she can try to find him. The bad news? The underworld isn't exactly a meadow full of butterflies, and venturing even deeper into it may be the quickest way to join the ranks of the dead herself.

'But for her best friend, Lexi would journey through hell and back. Just as well, because that's exactly what she must do to save her friend and their allies.'  (Publication summary)

'Lexi didn't set out to steal a god's ring, but when a magic artifact starts trying to talk to you, what's a girl supposed to do? She's always had the ability to talk to animals, but this new development amps up the crazy. Now she's afraid her power is out of control and she's losing her mind.

'The only person who could possibly reassure her that she's not going mad is her mother, who has always refused to discuss the source of Lexi's strange ability. Now that the jewellery is getting chatty, maybe she'll finally spill the beans.

'Unfortunately, going home means a trip back to the human territories, and Lexi only just made it out of there alive last time. She's hoping for a quick visit, but with a god hellbent on retrieving the ring and a fireshaper she might have accidentally betrayed on her tail, life is about to get horribly complicated--for her and everyone she cares about.'  (Publication summary)

'When Vi and her twin sister CJ started spitting frogs and diamonds with every word, they discovered their parents worked for a secret organisation dedicated to keeping the magical denizens of the world safely locked away. Vi thought life couldn’t get any weirder, but then Dad became a bear, and her world really fell apart. Because it’s starting to look like that’s one spell the warders can’t undo. They’re all too busy trying to unmask the traitor who is secretly aiding the Sidhe. Vi managed to keep the Sidhe from breaking out of their magical prison, but she couldn’t stop the Morrigan from stealing back the great cauldron of the Dagda. And of course now CJ says the only way to save Dad is to get that cauldron back from fairyland. Talk about a suicide mission. Vi would have to be crazy to consider it, but as time runs out for Dad and the Morrigan threatens everyone Vi loves, craziness starts to look like the only sane option.' (Source: Amazon website)

'Most people only wake up with hangovers after parties. Seventeen-year-old Violet wakes up with frogs falling out of her mouth whenever she speaks, and her twin sister CJ’s dripping diamonds with every word. As if starting at a new high school wasn’t hellish enough, they’ve been hit with a curse straight out of a fairy tale, with not a handsome prince in sight. Apparently Mum and Dad don’t work for the military after all, but for a secret organisation dedicated to keeping the magical denizens of the world safely locked away. These are not the harmless fairies of children’s tales, but powerful beings with a score to settle for their long years of imprisonment. Now the barriers are failing, and if Vi can’t find answers fast the world will be overrun with vengeful fairies. And then there’ll be no happily ever after for anyone.' (Publication summary)