AustLit

'The heartfelt new second-chance romance by the internationally award-winning author of The Life Swap.

'Two different dreams
Since their bitter divorce, Lisa and Rolf have forged new and separate lives. Rolf has moved out of Beacon Bay, while Lisa has remained in the tiny tropical town, a pillar of her community.

'One violent storm
When a cyclone brings a massive tree smashing into Lisa's roof - into the home Rolf built and where they raised their family - their son Dave convinces Rolf that he must do the repairs. Tensions abound when Rolf arrives with glamorous stage star Renata, along with a pretty young publicist who stirs up complications for Dave and his new restaurant business as well.

'Is the damage beyond repair?
Their combined efforts to rebuild the community see them confronting old wounds of their own, but will Lisa be brave enough to risk her heart again, especially if that means revealing the one guilty memory that has haunted her for decades?

'Set on the picturesque coastline of Queensland's tropical far north, this is an uplifting story about resurrecting hope and unearthing love, even through the most turbulent of times.' (Publication summary)

''A Sandie Docker book is like a cup of tea and a biscuit. It's warm on the inside, snuggly, sweet and lots of fun. It touches the heart, and stimulates the brain.' Happy Valley Books Read

'Sisters Eleanor and Maggie have been running the Lyrebird Lake Ladies' Choir for years. The choir means so much to the women who have found their home in the stately federation house by the lake. Eleanor decides to enter the choir in the All Voices Championship, not just for the prize money or the chance to prove how special the choir is, but also as a chance to make up for lost dreams.

'When single mum Hannah moves to the Lyrebird Lake's caravan park, homeless after being widowed, she and her son have the opportunity to start over. With her angelic voice, Hannah may be just what the choir needs to give them a winning edge. But when Eleanor hears her singing a long-forgotten lullaby, Eleanor is thrust back into a past full of pain and regret.

'In 1973, Eleanor and her sister Maggie are banished from their Irish village to Australia, after Maggie becomes pregnant, unwed. Starting a new life thousands of miles away is never easy, but when Eleanor is forced to make impossible decisions that alter the course of both their lives, it leaves her with memories she's not sure she can trust.

'Will Hannah's arrival in Lyrebird Lake mend old wounds, or will the secret from the past she unknowingly carries tear the sisters apart?' (Publication summary)

(Publication summary)

'A slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, by a favourite Australian author.

'Local vet Jana Malinski runs a wombat sanctuary with her sister on their family’s serene property by the Murray River. But Jana’s routine is up-ended after a chance encounter with handsome accountant and single dad Mark – the man who broke her heart in high school.

'Offered the opportunity to run Wildfell Park, the town zoo that has fallen into disrepair, Jana must push past her hostility to save the local landmark and home to countless native and exotic animals. But working alongside Mark every day isn’t easy, especially given the undeniable attraction between them. While she fights her feelings, a new danger emerges – one that could threaten the very existence of Wildfell Park and Jana’s dreams of an ideal future.

'Set in the gorgeous river country of South Australia The Rivertown Vet is a heartfelt and charming tale about community, conservation and kindness.' (Publication summary)

'A feelgood romantic comedy by Australia's bestselling romance writer, ideal for fans of Emily Henry and Marian Keyes.

'Named after a famous fictional character, librarian Bridget Jones was raised on a remote cattle station, with only her mother’s romance novels for company. Now living alone in Fremantle, Bridget is a hopeless romantic. She also believes that anyone who doesn’t like reading just hasn’t met the right book yet, and that connecting books to their readers is her superpower. If only her love life was that easy.

'When handsome Italian barista Fabio progresses from flirting with love hearts on her coffee foam to joining the book club she runs at her library, Bridget prays her romance ‘curse’ won’t ruin things. But it’s the attention of her cranky neighbour Sully that seems to be the major obstacle in her life. Why is he going to so much effort to get under her skin?

'With the help of her close friends and the colourful characters who frequent her library, Bridget decides to put both men to the test by finding just the right books to capture their very different hearts. She soon discovers that not all romances start with a meet-cute, but they might just end in happily ever after…

'Written by Australia’s most beloved romance writer, The Other Bridget is a delightfully uplifting book about books, and a gorgeous celebration of the power and pleasure of romance novels throughout the ages.' (Publication summary) 

'The heart-stopping new crime thriller in the Detective Jack Hawksworth series by blockbuster author Fiona McIntosh.

'Superstar footballer Luca Bruni is being blackmailed for a night of lust he swears he didn’t participate in...except the ransom photo denies that. A media darling on and off the field, he has powerful charisma, a perfect home life he’ll do anything to protect, and more money than he knows what to do with. He’s determined to defy the extortion racket.
'When Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth learns that the cunning mastermind behind this crime has already swindled a dozen of the world’s most highly prized male athletes, he is instructed to keep the situation from escalating and prevent a media frenzy.
'Intrigued by the creativity of the crime and the shockwaves it is creating through the global sporting fraternity, Jack begins a journey into a case that has tentacles far more wide-reaching that he ever imagined – and far more deadly.

'The explosive new blockbuster from an internationally bestselling author.' (Publication summary)

'When Jess accepts an offer to caretake a luxury property in the Australian outback, the solo trip is just what she needs.

'But Jess isn't as alone as she thinks.

'As bushfires rage, strangers start showing up to seek refuge. To keep them safe, Jess must let them in.

'Quickly, the guests begin to panic. Phone lines go down. All exits are cut off. And as the fires close in, tensions in the group rise.

'And when the first guest goes missing, Jess realises that someone in the house isn't who they say they are.

'The danger is already inside...'

'1917: America’s declaration of war against Germany gives Grace Winter, a keen-eyed New York Times investigative reporter, a much sought after opportunity to make her mark on the Western Front, albeit in ways she had never expected. But by 1918 the gruesome reality of trench warfare has set in, and an invisible new enemy – The Spanish Flu – is killing allied soldiers in their droves.

'Father Jude is no ordinary priest. He’s proven himself as fearless on the battlefield as any soldier, and as compassionate as any man of the cloth. He is willing to put himself in the line of fire to save the souls of young men on both sides of the barbed wire. But things get complicated when he renders assistance to the sharp-witted war correspondent, Grace.

'As their mission to filter secrets back through enemy lines become increasingly perilous, so too does their attraction. And when Grace catches the priest taking an obsessive interest in a tiny silver music box gifted to her by an unknown soldier, she suspects the good Father may be keeping a devastating secret. Grace must trust her instincts and make an impossible choice, between the life of one man and the lives of many men.

'Set against the backdrop of World War One and spanning three continents, this is a heart- stopping story of forbidden love and courage that explores the nature of faith, the quest for redemption and the true meaning of grace.' (Publication summary)

'Dr Hannah Rogan, a GP from outback Queensland, is in hiding from an emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend. When a visit to her friend Gracie in Featherwood sparks the idea to move there and open a medical practice for the town, Hannah finds the fresh start she needs. The town has rebuilt after devastating fires and its growing population is desperate for her calm presence and expertise.

'Her first patient is the son of the tight-lipped, attractive Jude, from the mysterious closed community upriver. Jude has a troubled past he doesn’t talk about, but now he’s helping others to turn their lives around. The last thing Jude needs is to fall for the new doctor in town but his son’s illness means they’ll be spending a lot of time together. The rain starts, and doesn’t stop. The creeks fill, the river bursts and soon the residents of Featherwood are at risk of losing everything they’ve rebuilt. As the floodwaters rise, so do emotions and everyone must pull together to save lives and salvage whatever they can.

'From the bestselling author of The Opal Miner’s Daughter comes this suspenseful tale of love, redemption and finding your path when you feel surrounded.' (Publication summary)

'A new romantic comedy from the author of Five Bush Weddings

'In a town like South Star, everyone knows Sarah Childs’ name, face, entire history … and the fact she’s just been dumped by Johnno West.

'Sarah would happily keep to herself on their property, Dunromin, for the rest of her days. But now her parents are refusing to put her in charge until she spends a year getting more involved in the local community and, yes, dating. Well. She’ll show them community spirit. She’ll be Miss bloody South Star if that’s what it takes. How hard can it be?

'Under small-town surveillance Sarah rekindles neglected friendships and throws herself in the dating deep end (recruiting the Bush Telegraph, Mabel Peters, to matchmake for her). She joins a new women’s rugby team, the Pink Cockatoos, and even the bristly new cop in town, Sergeant Smith, can't slow Sarah's race to keep up appearances as the perfect daughter, citizen and girlfriend.

'As Sarah moves in with Mabel to help catalogue her vast wardrobe – bringing up memories of Mabel’s beauty pageant past and long-lost friend Rose – vintage fashion might not be all that comes out of the closet.

'Wonderfully funny and very Australian, Love Match is a story about learning a new game, figuring out who you are, and maybe even finding real love.' (Publication summary)

'From the acclaimed author of Cooper Not Out comes a delightfully comic novel set in the Melbourne Goldrush era that reimagines the running of the inaugural Melbourne Cup.

'Some stories are too good to be true ...

'In the year 1861, there were three campfires burning outside the gold mining town of Mull Creek, in the British colony of Victoria.

'At the first is Jesus Whitetree, an escaped orphan with no knowledge of his new world, not even his age or real name. He only knows he wants to find gold. Gold makes everything good.

'At the second fire is the Jack Pink Gang. Jack is a little-known bushranger who is a violent criminal by day and a nervous wreck by night. His mother - a notorious criminal known throughout the colony as Mother Pink - engages the services of a bush poet to get Jack's name in the newspapers and make him feared and famous.

'And at the third fire is Mary, a young Aboriginal girl, and police constable Harry Logan. Harry has a good heart, but he also has Mary in chains. Despite her hard life and current circumstances, Mary remains smart, cheeky and troublesome to the struggling policeman.

'With the announcement of the first Melbourne Cup, all three parties descend upon Melbourne town. And the thrilling horserace offers something different for each of them - a new beginning, a chance to be written into history, or a prize bigger than they could imagine.

But only one can take the gold.

'GOOD AS GOLD is a reimagining of the very first 'race that stops a nation', and a heartwarming story about triumph and the things that mean more than gold.' (Publication summary)

'On the cusp of turning thirty, Prue feels like everyone else is living their best life. Her friends are boasting about everything from their wellness achievements and exciting travel plans to their romantic relationships and newborn babies. Prue on the other hand is struggling to recover from a failed marriage engagement and an abandoned university degree, and her job at Love on the Line counselling lonely people only seems to highlight how truly alone she really feels herself.

'As Prue finds the courage to make real changes in her life, setting three (rather ambitious) goals to achieve before her milestone birthday, she soon comes to realise that perhaps she has been focusing on the wrong things all along. There’s a difference between seeming to have a perfect life and finding your own perfect-ish life, and being far from picture perfect is perfectly okay' (Publication summary)

'True-crime podcaster Rachel Krall gets pulled into the cut-throat and narcissistic world of social media influencers as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of an
Instagrammer. Racing to find the missing woman before it's too late, Rachel discovers a
connection to the abduction and murders of other young women years earlier.

'Even social media influencers have secrets, and some of them can be deadly.

'The heart-stopping new thriller from international superstar Megan Goldin. A wickedly
entertaining and terrifying look at how dangerous our obsession with social media fame can be.'  (Publication summary)

'Tess is feeling burnt out from her uninspiring job and her busy city lifestyle. Even her personal relationships make her feel as if she’s simply drifting through life rather than living it to the full. Having tragically lost her mother a few years earlier, she knows she owes it to herself to make so much more of the precious opportunities life offers.

'Her godmother Luna, who leads a very simple existence in a rustic cottage in the North Queensland rainforest, is also at something of a crossroads. Keen to expand her jewellery- making business, she needs the new connections that a bustling city offers. When she suggests to Tess that the two of them might swap homes for an extended period, it seems the perfect solution.

'Tess soon finds herself in a new world, adapting to life off-grid, dodging cassowaries, working in a charity bookstore and falling for the gorgeous but unavailable guy next door. Meanwhile, Luna gets far more than she bargained for, with police on her doorstep, old lovers turning up out of the blue, and the possibility of having her biggest secret exposed. Are they about to discover that taking great risks can bring even greater rewards?

'A moving and heart-warming story by the bestselling Australian author of The Garden of Hopes and Dreams and The Happiest Little Town.(Publication summary)

'Ernest Cunningham returns in a deliciously witty locked room (train) mystery.

'When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time: I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn’t pan out.

'The program is a who’s who of crime writing royalty:

the debut writer (me!)
the forensic science writer
the blockbuster writer
the legal thriller writer
the literary writer
the psychological suspense writer.

'But when one of us is murdered, six authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime.

'Or commit one.

'How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A serial killer is roaming the outback roads of Australia's top end in Kerry McGinnis's new rural mystery

'‘There’s a killer roaming the roads and you're out here on your own, picking up strangers …’

'When Emily’s beautiful cousin Aspen goes missing somewhere in the Outback, no one seems to take it seriously, not even the police. After all, Aspen has a history of drug use and a string of broken relationships to her name. Emily knows that her disappearance is totally out of character, even for the family’s wild child, so she books a flight to the Northern Territory to find her.

'Emily’s search takes her south of Darwin to every road stop and tourist trap she can find, but the only person who turns up is the last person she expected to see, her ex-husband Ben. But there is a violent killer on the loose, a man the media have dubbed ‘The Outback Killer’ – and after two brazen attempts on Emily’s life, it soon becomes clear that someone wants Emily gone too, someone who is willing to do anything to stop her following Aspen’s tracks.

'Set in the bustling streets of Darwin and in an alternative-lifestyle commune outside of Tennant Creek, and told with McGinnis’s trademark colourful and poetic style, this is a gripping tale of the danger and lawlessness of Australia’s wild and remote places.' (Publication summary) 

'A deeply moving novel of love and loss set in the majestic mountains of Tasmania's Central Highlands.

'Senior journalist Allira is writing a story for Folk magazine when she meets Nora, a nursing home resident with dementia and a doll cradled lovingly in her arms. Bit by bit, Nora reveals details about her younger life as a spirited teenage girl living beneath the Great Western Tiers in Tasmania's heartland, of stitching linings into coffins, of her illicit romance with a charming Polish-German migrant, and of a family torn apart by heartbreak.

'As the two women form an unlikely friendship, Allira becomes helplessly drawn into the old woman's story. When Allira opens up to Nora about her own recent tragedy, the secrets embedded in the story of a carved Huon pine wren become the key to a life-changing discovery from the past. It is a revelation that finally fills in the missing pieces of Nora's history and has the power to set them both free.

'Set among the picturesque mountain ranges of Tasmania's Central Highlands, and moving between the 1950s and the present day, The Secrets of the Huon Wren is a lyrical and highly evocative story about two lives connected by a shared tragedy, and a universal love.' (Publication summary)

'The heartwarming new 'uplit' novel by the bestselling author of The Jam Queens. Phoenix Rose is a 35-year-old neurodivergent teacher who is at a crossroads in her career and in her relationship with her boyfriend, Zack. With her sick leave finished, her principal demands she return to school, whether Phoenix feels ready or not. But when she receives an urgent plea from a friend in Tasmania who needs to rehome her beloved animals, Phoenix, who has always led with her heart, spontaneously decides to help.

'When she suddenly finds herself the custodian of an eccentric dog, two cats, a clutch of chickens and a geriatric pony, she makes another snap decision - to provide a new home for them all herself. The trouble is, she will have to drive the menagerie all the way back to Brisbane in time to return to Zack and her job - and she cannot do it alone.

'She enlists the help of Lily - a colourful younger woman who, like Phoenix, is autistic - as well as resourceful members of their online community. Together the new friends must navigate unexpected twists, setbacks and moments of heartbreak and triumph as they both move towards a new identity and understanding of themselves. As well, they seem to be collecting ever-more stray animals along the journey . . .

'The Wonderful Thing about Phoenix Rose is a joyful and moving tale of a woman's commitment to fulfilling a friend's dying wish, while finding her own inner strength and power and sharing it with others along the way.' (Publication summary) 

'In 1941, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia for Singapore in search of adventure, full of excitement and keen to do their part working as nurses to the fallen soldiers in a time of war. What they encounter is an army of new friends and the terrors of a city under siege.

'When the Japanese attack and Singapore falls, they are forced to flee aboard the Vyner Brooke. The ship is bombed, resulting in utter devastation. Separated in the mayhem, one group of nurses find themselves in prisoner-of-war camps for the duration of the war, surviving on their wits, with humour, dignity, loyalty and determination. But another group of young Australian nurses - the girls on the beach - are washed ashore on Bangka Island, where they will meet a fate that must never be forgotten.

'Inspired by the author's own family story, this is an unforgettable novel of enduring friendship and boundless courage, based on the shocking true events of the Bangka Island Massacre. It is both a riveting tale and an important tribute to our brave nurses who sacrificed so much during WWII.' (Publication summary) 

'The heartwarming new rural romance by the bestselling author of Brumby's Run.

'Ambitious country reporter, Del Fisher, seems to have it all. She’s just landed her dream job, along with an engagement to Nick, Winga’s most eligible bachelor and son of local mayor and mining tycoon, Carson Shaw. But Del is blindsided when a feature article and its shocking allegations about the Shaw family is published under her name.

'Del and Nick’s relationship is torn apart. Devastated by the unintentional havoc she has caused, Del flees to the family farm at Berrimilla in the heart of beautiful Kingfisher Valley. Swearing that she will never write again, Del plans for a quiet life, restoring her late father’s vineyard and making peace with her estranged mother.

'But when the little town is threatened by a proposed coal mine, Del steps up and leads the battle to save it. To win this fight she must enlist the support of a man who believes she betrayed him. Can Del convince Nick that she was loyal all along? And will trusting the wrong person destroy both the town and Del’s second chance at love?' (Publication summary)