Cirrus@Austlit

'Holly Anderson is a lonely girl, born with the power to materialize living beings from thin air.

'When she decides to kidnap a ‘real’ person to be her friend, schoolgirl Alex Miller becomes the target.

'But, when Alex goes missing, her close friend, James, is the only one who suspects what really happened.

'And, the further James pursues the truth, the deeper into Holly’s bizarre world he finds himself.

'Even with some of Holly’s odd creatures on their side, it is soon apparent that they won’t get out unscathed – if they get out at all.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Southern Australia, 1983. While Middle-aged stalwart Miriam rolls into town in her broken down car, Frankie - a deer hunter - is up in the forested hinterland with her gun.

'Meanwhile, fisherwoman Old Pearl sits on her front deck with her dog, a glass of whiskey in her hand, and Emily, the English backpacker, scrubs out the pie-encrusted kitchen at the roadhouse.

'It's Christmas Eve when hapless musician Adam Banks stands on the bridge over the river that cleaves the isolated village of Burton. A storm is rolling into the narrow mountain pass. He thinks of turning back. Instead, he resolves to fulfil his obligation to perform the guest spot at The Cabin Sessions. He should be looking forward to it, but fear stirs when he opens the door on the Cabin's incense-choked air. Philip Stone is already there, brooding. He observes with a ruthless eye the regulars, from sleazy barmaid Hannah Fisher, to old crone Cynthia Morgan. Meanwhile, Philip's sister, Eva, prepares to take a bath. It's a ritual - she's a breath holder. At twenty-eight, Eva has returned to Burton to finish the business of her past, as memories begin to surface concerning one fateful day by the river and the innocence of her beloved brother...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.