Cirrus@Austlit

'In a city that flouts all the rules, journalist Charlie James has come to Paris to break news and, even more importantly, to break with her past.

'Gare du Nord's roof spanned as far as the eye could see, and the air was thick with hissing and clacking as trains pulled in and out of platforms. Porters in neat caps struggled to push trolleys loaded with luggage; families huddled in tearful reunions or farewells. Men with booming voices ambled along each platform, carrying trays of newspaper cones filled with warm chestnuts, while a young woman with a white chef's hat, a hot plate and nimble hands produced paper-thin crepes drizzled with lemon and sugar at breakneck speed.

'1938 Paris. The last sigh of summer before the war.

'As Australian journalist Charlotte (Charlie) James alights at the Gare du Nord, ready to start her role as correspondent for The Times, Paris is in turmoil as talk of war becomes increasingly strident.

'Charlie is chasing her first big scoop, needing to prove to her boss that she can do this job as well, if not better than, her male counterparts. And the best way to forge the necessary contacts quickly is to make the well-connected British expats Lord and Lady Ashworth her business. Lady Eleanor knows everyone who counts and at her annual sumptuously extravagant party, a circus ball, Charlie will meet them all.

'On the summer solstice eve, the circus ball is in full swing with the cream of Parisian society entranced by burlesque dancers, tightrope walkers, a jazz band and fireworks lighting the night skies. But as Charlie is drawn into the magical world of parties, couture houses and bohemian wine bars, secrets start to unravel, including her own. Putting a foot wrong could spell death …

'In this magnificent new beginning to the joyful Charlie James series, Manning beguiles with glamour and mystery set in pre-war Paris.' (Publication summary)

'A World War II story of female friendship, longing and sacrifice through war and loss, bringing together the present and the past.

'A forgotten manuscript threatens to unravel the past …

'Fresnes Prison, 1940: Margot Bisset, a former maid from the Riviera, finds herself in a prison cell with writer and French Resistance fighter, Josephine Murant. Together, they are transferred to a work camp in Germany, where the secrets they share will bind them for generations to come.

'Present-day Paris: Evie Black lives above her botanical bookshop with her teenage son, Hugo. Nursing a broken heart, Evie receives an unexpected letter; she clutches at an opportunity to spend a magical summer with Hugo on the Cote d'Azur.

'It's here, on the Riviera, that the past envelops them and Evie attempts to unravel the official story of a famous novelist. If she succeeds, a murder from a lifetime ago may be solved.

'Inspired by a true story of iconic French Resistance fighter, Agnes Humbert, whose secret journal shed light on a little-known aspect of World War II, The French Gift will captivate readers from beginning to unforgettable end.' (Publication summary)

'Why would someone bury a bucket of precious jewels and gemstones and never return?

'From the author of The Jade Lily comes a thrilling modern-day treasure hunt brimming with family secrets.

'In the summer of 1912, a workman's pickaxe strikes through the basement floor of an old tenement house in Cheapside, London, uncovering a cache of unimaginably valuable treasure that quickly disappears again.

'Present day. When respected jewellery historian, Kate Kirby, receives a call about the Cheapside jewels, she knows she's on the brink of the experience of a lifetime.

'As Kate peels back the layers of London's stories of plague, fire and political turmoil, she is forced to explore long-buried family secrets. Secrets concerning Essie, her great-grandmother, and her life in Edwardian London. Soon, Kate's past and present threaten to collide and the truths about her family lie waiting to be revealed.

'Inspired by a true story, The Lost Jewels unfolds an incredible story of mystery, thievery, sacrifice and hope through the generations of one family.' (Publication summary)