AustLit

'Chaos seems to follow Danny and Zan.

'After narrowly avoiding a sticky end in Los Angeles, they escape to Vietnam to help out an old army mate of Danny’s and explore a new TV-writing project. But soon they become entangled in a web of mysteries: their friend is being poisoned, a government official’s daughter has disappeared, a mysterious body has been found in a canal, and there’s a bloodthirsty sun bear somewhere in the city.

'It all seems to revolve around one powerful man, and he has Danny and Zan in his sights. They’ve got to get on the front foot if they’re going to walk out of this mess.

'Tunnel Vision sees fever-pitched adventure collide with sharply witty, pacey dialogue as Danny Clay and his (almost) faithful sidekick navigate the corrupt world lurking beneath Saigon’s crowded streets.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Ten years after surviving special operations in Afghanistan, Danny Clay is working as a scriptwriter in the emotional war zone of TV production. His best mate and editor is Vietnamese neighbour and script editor Zan who may or may not have killed a man with her bare hands. When their writer friends start dying in mysterious circumstances, Danny must resurrect his old army sapper skills to prevent himself and Zan becoming the next victims.

'From the backstreets and brothels of Sydney’s Kings Cross to the fake sincerity of Hollywood, Perfect Criminals is an action-packed and hilarious romp through the dark side of the entertainment industry where criminals have the same skill set as movie producers – only with a more evolved moral code.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Wildlife warrior, professor of snakes, entertainer, Olympian. John Cann is a truly remarkable Australian. Written in John's engaging and affable voice, The Last Snake Man tells the story of John and his fascinating family, who entertained Australians for nearly a century with their incredible snake shows.

'Every Sunday for almost a century John Cann's family ran the famous snake show in a pit at La Perouse—an area once alive with tiger, brown and black snakes. After growing up with over 300 'pet' snakes in their backyard, John and his brother George took over the snake show from their parents in 1965. By the time John retired in 2010, he'd survived five venomous snake bites.

'Many of those familiar with John and his shows wouldn't know that he was also an Olympic athlete, a top state rugby league player who played alongside some of the legends of the game, a state champion boxer, an adventurer and a world authority on turtles.

'The Last Snake Man chronicles John's extraordinary life and times. From wrangling snakes to chasing turtles, from remote country towns to the impenetrable jungles of New Guinea, this is the story of an amazing Australian and his never-ending search for fascinating animals and adventure.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

''We make and we break.'

'They were the forward scouts, the mine clearers, the bridge builders and the tunnel rats. They were frequently not just on the front line, but right at the sharp end of the action. They were the legendary Aussie sappers, the army engineers, who were literally everywhere in the fighting against the Vietcong.

'This special breed of soldier lived hard and played hard. They were there at the beginning of the war. They were also among the last to leave. And on the way, they fought alongside their mates in infantry and tanks and bore the brunt of the Vietcong's revenge.

'To the rest of the world, Vietnam was a conflict of ideologies. On the ground it was a battle of wits and the sappers were at the forefront. This is their story.' (Publication abstract)

'Karri the bouncing koala has a peaceful new home - until a gang of fierce, football-crazy cats moves in.

'The moggies aren't welcome - they keep chasing the bush birds and animals - but they've got nowhere else to live.

'Karri makes a deal with the cats. They'll play football and if the cats win they get to stay. But then he remembers . . . Karri and his friends don't know the first thing about the game!' (Publisher's blurb)

'Dr Kate McDonald (Rachel Ward) is married to the small farming community of Paringa, where she's been the vet for 15 years. For most of that time she's been hiding a secret, and as a result, refuses to allow anyone to get close to her. Needless to say, she has problems keeping an assistant, something she desperately needs.

'Kate's newest assistant, Dr Jill Blake (Victoria Thaine), is 24 and keen to widen her veterinary experience with farm animals. She's "by the book", enthusiastic, and ready to try new techniques. But it doesn't take her long to realise that she's made a huge mistake in leaving the city for Paringa. Her boss is the rudest person she's ever met and Paringa is not exactly the idyllic country town of her dreams.

'Somehow, these two opinionated women must find a way to come to terms with each other and the difficulties they encounter in supporting the failing district and Kate's overstretched veterinary practice. In the community, well established farmers face ruin as they gamble on re-stocking and re-development. The prolonged drought creates emotional and financial strain on families and people are leaving the land because of financial failure, or because they cannot take any more.'

Source: ABC Shop catalogue

Set at Sydney's Bondi Beach, the series's storylines and characters are all linked to several establishments located in a majestic building that takes in the grand sweep of the beach boulevard. These are a cafe (Kate's), a community newspaper (The Breaker), a modelling school (BMS), and a volunteer agency (Against the Tide) that finds work and accommodation for the homeless kids who are drawn to the beach suburb.

The main characters are the teenage children of The Breaker's owners, the young models, the clients and volunteers of Against the Tide, the customers and staff of the cafe, and staff of the newspaper.