Cirrus@Austlit

'Ruth Jordan has been a battler all her life - until a surprise inheritance catapults her into a strange new world of affluence. Clinging to her roots, she cautiously uses her unaccustomed wealth and time to support other women doing it tough. And that's how Rachael Anders explodes into her life.

'Desperate to protect Rachael's three young boys from the destruction swirling around them, Ruth is sucked further and further into their troubled lives. At the same time she's forced to confront the heart-stopping ghosts of her own failed family ... and all the while she's tentatively edging towards a new relationship.

'With help from her friend Annie Bryce, Ruth gradually gains confidence to deal with the challenges she faces. Annie is a minor but pivotal character in this multi-layered novel, a sounding board for the many characters each in pursuit of the same elusive goal: their happiness.

'This is a complex, moving and intruiging novel from the author of the popular 'Annie Bryce' mystery series. '