Cirrus@Austlit

'Dreading her first day at a new school, Alex is stunned when she walks through a doorway and finds herself stranded in Medora, a fantasy world full of impossibilities.

'Desperate to return home, she learns that only a man named Professor Marselle can help her ... but he's missing.

'While waiting for him to reappear, Alex attends Akarnae Academy, Medora's boarding school for teenagers with extraordinary gifts. She soon starts to enjoy her bizarre new world and the friends who embrace her as one of their own, but strange things are happening at Akarnae, and Alex can't ignore her fear that something unexpected... something sinister ... is looming.

'An unwilling pawn in a deadly game, Alex's shoulders bear the crushing weight of an entire race's survival. Only she can save the Medorans, but what if doing so prevents her from ever returning home?

'Will Alex risk her entire world - and maybe even her life - to save Medora?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'With the Nordic fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon as her inspiration, Juliet Marillier weaves a magical story of a young princess' search for her true self.

'Hulde is a queen's daughter and lives in a palace. But her life is lonely. Growing up atop the glass mountain, she knows only her violent and autocratic mother and a household of terrified servants. 

'Then a white bear named Rune comes to visit, and Hulde learns what kindness is. 

'But the queen has a plan for Hulde. When she turns 16, she will wed the most beautiful man in all the world. Hulde has never met her intended husband, and her mother refuses to explain the arrangement. Hulde becomes desperate to find out more, and seeks the help of a magic mirror. Perhaps someone is coming to her rescue. 

'On her wedding day, Hulde's existence is turned upside down. For the first time she leaves the glass mountain behind, setting out to be as brave as the heroines in her beloved storybook. 

'The journey will test Hulde to the limit. Can she overcome her fears and take control of her own life? '  (Publication summary)

'Two sisters climbing the ranks of Dublin’s criminal justice system. A murder case that could change their lives forever. The Sisters is a gripping new thriller from one of the most exciting voices in crime fiction.

'In this prequel to the international bestseller The Ruin, set 10 years prior, bright-eyed Carrie Ryan is at the very start of her career. When she has a hunch about an ongoing murder investigation, she knows it could be her only chance to prove herself and truly break into the “boy’s club” of Dublin’s police force. 

'Carrie uncovers this make-or-break moment in a case file her sister Aifric, a newly qualified barrister, leaves on their kitchen counter: Robert Collins has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend after a fight in a local pub, and all signs point towards a guilty verdict. But both sisters quickly begin to find evidence that complicates the story. All the while, Carrie is very aware that she’s crossed the line – if the detective sergeant running the investigation finds out she’s been messing around with his case, her career will be over before it has begun.' (Publication summary)

'In 1984, Detective Eric O’Malley investigated the bizarre deaths of a young couple, their bodies found naked by the side of a creek in Sydney’s northern suburbs. Shortly before their demise, O’Malley learned, the pair had attended a swingers’ party.

'The case was barely open before it was deemed an accident. But O’Malley knew it was murder. He just couldn’t prove it. Thirty-five years later, O’Malley is found dead in his flat in what looks like a drug overdose. But his son James knows something’s amiss. His dad was close to solving that case after all these years. And someone else knew it. To track down his father’s killer, James must find the men and women who were there on the fateful night when that young couple died.

'This was the night of ‘The Goodbye Party’ – and uncovering its secrets will lead James down a dark path, filled with horrific twists and turns. Inspired by Sydney’s real-life Bogle-Chandler case, playwright Louis Nowra  (writer of Australian classics Cosi, Radiance and The Golden Age) creates an enthralling multicast audio drama, featuring an exceptional cast including Ben Oxenbould (Deep Water, Wolf Creek), Steve Bisley (Water Rats, Mad Max), and Aaron Pedersen (Mystery Road, Jack Irish). This series contains mature themes and listener discretion is advised.' (Publication summary)

'Fifteen years after graduating from Harvard, five close friends on the cusp of middle age are still pursuing an elusive happiness, and wondering if they’ve wasted their youthful opportunities. Jules, already a famous actor when she arrived on campus, is changing in mysterious ways but won’t share what is haunting her. Mariam and Rowan, who married young, are struggling with the demands of family life and starting to regret prioritising meaning over wealth in their careers. Eloise, now a professor who studies the psychology of happiness, is troubled by her younger wife’s radical politics. And Jomo, founder of a luxury jewellery company, has been carrying an engagement ring around for months, unsure whether his girlfriend is the one. 

'The soul searching begins in earnest at their much-anticipated college reunion weekend on the Harvard campus, when the most infamous member of their class, Frederick - senior advisor and son of the recently elected and loathed US President - turns up dead. 

'Old friends often think they know everything about one another, but time has a way of making us strangers to those we love - and to ourselves....'   (Publication summary)

'When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

'Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again.

'Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?'  (Publication summary) 

'Every modern city has one week’s worth of food to feed itself. Then it will collapse. 

'Cut off the resources to New York, Sydney, or even a mid-size metropolis, and millions will soon starve. In Zero Day Code we see those immense and open, hyper-complex, networked supercities of the new millennium die. And in the last moments we see their vengeance take form as all the best and worst traits of humanity bubble to the surface. 

'Zero Day Code is set in a realistic near future with dwindling global food supplies under increasing pressure from worsening droughts, floods and extreme weather events. Written by prolific Australian writer John Birmingham, the thriller follows a handful of survivors from the first day of society’s descent into violent, uncertain futures. 

'James, a consultant to the US National Security Council, is the first to suspect that the worldwide emergence of a crippling computer virus is actually a cover for something else - a devastating cyber-attack by China on the food distribution system of the United States. The attack is a bid for the Middle Kingdom to distract America as it seizes the food bowl of South East Asia and feeds its starving population. But Beijing has miscalculated.

'Follow the missions of an embittered activist chasing salvation, a single mum rescuing her child from a frantic San Francisco and an army veteran who has long retreated from society, as the world they knew crumbles around them.' (Publication summary)

'On Zero Day of the first and last cyberwar in human history the internet went dark, transport and power grids collapsed, and cities began to starve. Ten days later millions have died from thirst and starvation, from violence, and from the simple failure of the world’s machines to keep them alive.   

'This second installment of John Birmingham’s End of Days trilogy finds James O’Donnell and his friends Rick, Michelle and Melissa hunkered down in the wilderness, where they know a horde of starving, desperate exiles from the graveyard of the US East Coast is heading their way.  

'On the far side of the continent, in the Pacific Northwest, Jonas Murdoch helps lead the good folk of Silverton in defending themselves from waves of starving and desperate refugees pouring out of Seattle.   

'And slowly, cautiously navigating the inland waterways of California, Jodi Sarjanan and Ellie Jabbarah negotiate an apocalyptic landscape of burning skyscrapers and marauding gangs.   

'All of them are seeking sanctuary. A safe place where the madness hasn’t penetrated. But does such a place exist?  

'And what if they need to sacrifice their very humanity in the struggle to reach it?' (Publication summary)

''I swear by the stars that you and the others slain tonight will be the first of many. Of that you have my word.'

'With Aven Dalmarta now hiding in the shadows of Meya, Alex is desperate to save Jordan and keep the Rebel Prince from taking more lives.

'Training day and night to master the enhanced immortal blood in her veins, Alex undertakes a dangerous Meyarin warrior trial that separates her from those she loves and leaves her stranded in a place where nothing is as it should be.

'As friends become enemies and enemies become friends, Alex must decide who to trust as powerful new allies-and adversaries-push her towards a future of either light... or darkness.

'One way or another, the world will change...' (Publication summary)

'Now that Aven Dalmarta sits upon the throne of Meya, Alex must race against the clock to save the rest of Medora from the Rebel Prince’s wrath.

'Haunted by an unspeakable vision of the future, Alex and her friends set out to warn the mortal races. But making allies out of ancient enemies proves difficult.

'With her nights spend deep in the Library under the guidance of a mysterious new mentor, Alex is desperate to strengthen her gift and keep all those she loves safe. Because in a world where nothing is certain, she is sure of only one thing:

'Aven is coming.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The final book in the best-selling and critically acclaimed Medoran Chronicles. In the wake of loss and devastation, Alex must cast aside her grief to seek aid from those who banished the Meyarins long ago. But the proud Tia Aurans care little for the woes of mortals and demand that Alex and her friends undergo the Gates of Testing to prove their world is worth saving. With an ancient prophecy looming, Alex must confront the secrets of her past if she is to survive long enough to see the future.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'On the eve of the global lockdown, Don Barlow opens the door of his old beachside cottage to find a pretty girl with pink-tipped hair, claiming to have nowhere to go.

'He allows her entry, and so begins a mystery set in unprecedented times: with the virus raging outside their home, the girl cannot be asked to leave, but what does he risk by having her stay?' (Publication summary) 

'They’re wearing ball gowns, they’re debutantes... and they’re black. The debs’ ball is a controversial colonial export but can it be empowering too? Australia’s most celebrated young playwright Nakkiah Lui and actress Miranda Tapsell put on their hats and gloves to find out.

Nakkiah and Miranda are angry, young, vocal, Aboriginal and very, very funny. Join them on their journey, starting with a lesson on teatime etiquette in London where it all began, as they follow the debutante trail and discover that First Nations women across the globe have made this tradition their own. Nakkiah and Miranda ask: can beauty, poise and politeness actually empower them? Or is it better to get angry and start shouting?'

(Source : Audible)

'Psychologist Margot Scott has a picture-perfect life: a nice house in the suburbs, a husband, two children and a successful career.

'On a warm spring morning Margot approaches one of her clients on a busy train platform. He is looking down at his phone, with his duffel bag in hand as the train approaches. That's when she slams into his back and he falls in front of the train.

'Margot's clients all lie to her, but one lie cost her family and freedom.

'A fast-paced psychological thriller for fans of The Silent Patient.' (Publication summary)

'Arthur MacDonald, 85, is having an end-of-life crisis. His beloved, dying wife of over 60 years no longer knows who he is. His older brother still has all his hair and a wife almost half his age. The man his middle-aged daughter is dating has a ponytail. 

'His teenaged grandson wants to cook desserts for a living. And his daughter wants him to move into Silvermine retirement home. Then Arthur meets the gorgeous, radical, 80-something-year-old Robbie and learns that nobody is ever too old to fall in love all over again.' (Publcation summary)

'Stan Weir is mourning a tragic loss when he meets a mysterious nine-year-old girl, who claims to be the reincarnated spirit of his late wife. Marcy Keef is a single mother trying to make ends meet when her daughter Erin starts describing 'past life memories'. Neither wants to believe Erin, but as violent secrets are revealed, the truth becomes harder to deny. 

'With echoes of Stephen King, Second Skin is a propulsive thriller about grief, guilt and truths better left unknown.' (Publication summary)

'Famous musician William Hamilton, vanished from the Maleny Hinterlands in 1994 under puzzling circumstances — no one has seen or heard from him since. When two podcasters, Adam and Simon, decide to solve the 25-year-old mystery, they travel with Lilly, William’s youngest daughter, to the secluded Hamilton estate for a long weekend. Lilly has granted the pair unprecedented access to the reclusive Gloria, William’s wife, who hasn’t given an interview since he disappeared. But when they arrive, they find Gloria in a state of mental decline and they’re not the only ones searching for answers. Lilly’s older sister, Norah – a musician who lives in the shadow of her absent father – is desperate to discover the truth from Gloria before it’s lost for good. Yet William’s sister Rachel is fiercely uncooperative and there even seems to be an intruder on the property. The deeper Adam and Simon get with their investigation, the more the lines between voyeur and subject become blurred. As events reach a shattering climax, it becomes clear that somebody is willing to go to violent lengths to uncover the dark secrets at the heart of this famous family....

'Written and directed by Clare Sladden and performed by a stellar cast including Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things), Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black), Noni Hazlehurst (The End), David Berry (Outlander), Anna McGahan (Picnic at Hanging Rock), Bernard Fanning (Powderfinger), Gabrielle Rogers (All Saints) with original music performed by Bernard Fanning and Elana Stone (All Our Exes Live In Texas) and with special guest Clementine Ford (Fight Like a Girl).

'This is an Audible Original Podcast, developed and produced with investment from Screen Queensland. Free for members. You can download all 10 episodes to your Library now.' (Production summary)

'If you both cheat, does that cancel the infidelity out altogether? Can you just wipe the slate clean?

'Cam and Holly have a picture-perfect marriage and life: a beautiful house in the suburbs and two adorable little boys. Cam has sold his successful marketing agency to look after the boys while Holly goes full throttle on her career post-maternity leave, and everything’s peachy.

'‘Til Cam discovers Holly has been having an affair with a colleague.

'Heartbroken but pragmatic, Cam sees the situation as an opportunity to confess his own infidelity with his 21-year-old assistant. His thinking being a dual-infidelity situation means they cancel each other out...and their marriage will simply bounce back, and they’ll fall in love all over again. But a tangled web of lies and buried resentments makes starting over harder than he thought.

'Zoë Foster Blake has written a provocative novella that rips off the glossy cling-wrap of being successful and married with young children. Clean Slate is narrated from the husband’s perspective and will invite listeners to rethink infidelity and how it can creep into a marriage.' (Production summary)

'From Australia's master storyteller comes an endearing and engaging novella about a journey as unexpected, painful, intriguing and character-filled as life itself. 

'A cruise was the promise. To cruise away from their troubles. To cruise towards the place where they first met, on the banks of the Thames. A cruise to dwell in their memories together and plan their next chapter. 

'Paddy and Jenny Davern have had a long and happy marriage together in Sydney. Together they embark on a cruise to London, for the last leisurely journey in each other's company. While on board, they meet a kaleidoscope of adventurous passengers that test their resolve to their promise to each other, and motivations towards their pact.' (Production summary)

'Why do some societies collapse into lawless savagery while others prove resilient and lasting?

'On Zero Day of the first and last cyberwar in human history, the internet went dark, transport and power grids collapsed and cities began to starve, showing just how vulnerable the world could be to a targeted campaign of online sabotage. This final instalment of this prescient epic of civilisation collapse finds the small ragtag band of survivors come together to face a new, but eerily familiar threat - the rise of a fascist militia among the ruins of a failing country.

'With American Kill Switch, John Birmingham’s End of Days trilogy comes to a high-octane, thrilling conclusion.' (Production summary)

''If there’d been a gun in her hand at that moment she knew she’d have shot them.... She’d been so pleased with little Dolly Russell, the good life she’d got for them all. Thought she had it made, had got her hands at last on the levers of her life.... Now it turned out that all that, being so pleased with herself, was no more real than a puff of smoke.'

'Always Greener is an exquisite portrait of Kate Grenville's complex, conflicted grandmother, who she feared as a child and only in adulthood came to understand. Born in rural Australia, Dolly Russell becomes a successful businessperson, mother and troubled wife. Then came the depression, bankruptcy and World War I. Yet, in a way, those disasters freed her. They allowed her to use her intelligence and ambition to make a space for herself in a man’s world.

'With all the pathos and subtlety that defined Grenville’s Australian classics such as Lilian’s Story and her Booker-shortlisted The Secret River, Always Greener tells the story of a generation of women often forgotten at our own cost.' (Publication summary)

'In the town of Gainesville, Cooper Fox has a special place in people’s hearts. Since the car accident that wiped his memories, Cooper has been...a little foggy. Cooper doesn’t know how to do much, but one thing he instinctively seems to know about is strength training, and with his help, Gainesville High’s football team has just won the Mid-States final. With Cooper the hero of the hour, the whole town is getting ready to celebrate in style. 

'When three strangers crash the party and decide to pick on the harmless-looking guy carrying a cooler full of sodas, they trigger something inside Cooper. Afterwards, the folks in Gainesville can never look at him in quite the same way. Is he really just a regular guy who suffered a brain injury in a car crash, or is he someone else? Or something else?  

'As Cooper tries to come to terms with baffling new memories, he’s about to be plunged into a terrifying world of secret experiments and covert assassins that will test his new-found abilities to the limit.' (Publication summary)

'To rogue ex-cop Jack Carlin, running a thug out of town and giving his stolen money to a kid struggling to escape the criminal lifestyle is all in a day’s work. Until it turns out the money belonged to a dangerous drug cartel seeking revenge against anybody who might have been involved in taking what was theirs.  

'With his act of charity ending in bloodshed, Jack won’t let the killers – or his guilty conscience – go unpunished. But how far is he willing to go to enact his own revenge plan? And what happens when the consequences start to hit a little too close to home?  

'From the best-selling author of The Hunted, The Consequence is a tense, darkly funny thriller about the limits of taking the law into your own hands.' (Publication summary)

'Pauly Johnson is a successful surgeon at a Melbourne hospital with a beautiful wife, a loving family and a memory he wishes he could erase.  

'One night, he takes a drive on a lonely road above a steep drop, determined to end it all, but before he can put his plan into action, a woman steps out of the darkness and into the path of his car. In an instant, her life is ended and his is saved.  

'Shattered by the experience, Pauly becomes obsessed with finding out who she was and why she wanted to kill herself. But he soon finds that the answers lie shockingly close to home....'  (Publication summary)

'Paul manages an old-school plastics factory that has pivoted during the pandemic to making face masks and is now booming. Along comes Emily, the wayward daughter of an old friend, whom Paul hires to be his assistant, and she’s a sparkling force determined to prove her worth with the one chance she’s been given.  

'Imogen, a beautiful former acquaintance of Paul’s, also coincidently appears outside the factory, down on her luck and clearly full of ulterior motive. The masked truths of the women around him soon threaten to turn Paul’s quiet family life upside down.' (Publication summary)

'Every object has a ghost.

'There is a small yellow backpack - half unzipped, mouth yawning to the pavement, contents strewn around it (a banana, an exercise book, a pair of scissors) - abandoned on a suburban footpath.

'Ten feet away, the rubber stamp of tyres, resisting clamped brakes, mount the curb and cut across the path. The tracks come to an end at a crippled stop sign.

'The street, a tree-lined suburban road dappled in late-afternoon sunlight, is calm. But anyone walking past can feel the ghosts: the prickle on the back of their necks that tells them something happened here. The story of a vehicle careening to a halt. Of a child’s backpack left in a hurry.

'That intuition all comes before they take a closer look, and see there is dark, dry red on the scissor’s blade. The ghosts are screaming now; the scene’s memory turns violent. And as the passers-by raise their phones to answer the question what is your emergency? They see more red. Between the tyre-tracks and the blood. There are two words, hastily scrawled on the sidewalk. Written in blood.

'FIND US.' (Publication summary)

'Situated in a beautiful setting abutting the Balarang waterways and located on an acre of natural bushland, this three-bedroom country home is full of promise, character and potential. Featuring private access to the many splendours of Balarang Creek, this idyllic property is perfect for anyone seeking fresh air and serenity.

'Nostalgic for childhood summers a world away from his manic Melbourne life, Dave Johnson purchases a secluded house in a postcard-perfect coastal town. A savvy investment, he convinces his wife. One year on, and his seaside dream has turned into one big headache, with his tenants not paying rent, and now simply vanishing into thin air, leaving all their belongings behind. Summoned back to the house to inspect the abandoned property, Dave and his wife Lisa become trapped in the isolated spot after their car breaks down. Spooked and alone, they become lured into investigating what really happened to their mysterious tenants.' (Publication summary)

'Maya joins the long-running and much-lauded Bennett Station Adelie Penguin Program as a research assistant in Antarctica. By the time everyone figures out Maya’s completely unqualified for her job it’s too late – the ship is already en route back to Australia and no-one is getting in, or out, of Antarctica until the summer season ends.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Lily is back from Australia for the first time in seven years to spend Christmas at her mum’s house in a small, gossipy English village. To her surprise, she returns to find that her mother is dating the man next door, who also happens to be the father of her ex-boyfriend Tom. Tom, who broke Lily’s heart all those years ago. Tom, the real reason Lily fled to the other side of the world and stayed there. Tom, who is also home for Christmas and right there, next door.

'In what is shaping up to be the worst Christmas ever, somehow Lily and Tom have to try to get along and play happy families, but living with the man who she is clearly not over is proving to be difficult, and tensions are high. Add in some drunken caroling, a reindeer bite, a potent Christmas pudding and some meddling parents and Lily’s trip home will turn her entire life upside down.' (Publication summary)

'Advice: Stay indoors. Remain calm. Avoid roads. Fill bathtubs.

'He's a part-time gardener and car thief. She's a murderous nun on a holy mission from another dimension.

'Together, they can save the world from a politically charged alien invasion - but only if the world wants to be saved.' (Publication summary)

'Mrs Beatrice Dark, the wife of powerful cabinet minister, Joseph Dark, enters the office of a tabloid newspaper and shoots her husband’s enemy, the editor of the tabloid on the eve of World War Two.  

'A sensational murder trial occurs, with its unfolding secrets, lies and sex scandals, mesmerising the nation, with those who believe she should be acquitted and those who think she should hang. But what is the real reason she killed Steven Hood, the editor?' (Publication summary)

'In the wake of an unexpected homecoming, Jason questions if there is still a place for him in the world he left behind.

'Forced to confront what he has become in his time away, he feels more alien than ever. But his old world is hiding secrets that he never knew….

'As he starts to unravel what has been hidden from him his entire life, he discovers that not only might he fit in better than ever, but he may be exactly what the world needs.' (Publication summary)

'Welcome to Brisbane, Queensland. It’s 1970, and Australia’s 'Sunshine State' is a land of mown lawns, beer and pumpkin scones. But underneath this buttoned-down conservativism, the state is awash with dirty money that runs through a network of corrupt cops. And tonight, the man atop this rubbish heap, Senior Sergeant Paul ‘Squinter’ O’Toole, is driving young crime reporter Lawrence Rich to his death. He should never have got in Squinter’s battered old Kingswood. He should never have fallen in love with Frankie. He should never have come to Brisbane in the first place....'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'World on Fire picks up where Magnificent Vibration left off: with the hapless Bobby Cotton and his beloved bride (and former nun), Alice, having unleashed a global pandemic that's fast wiping out half the world's population - and at God's request. 

'Bobby guides a very pregnant Alice and a motley crew of survivors to the Holy Land, darting through the hazards of a world that has fallen to pieces in a way more thorough than any we have seen. 

'But Bobby's newborn daughter is born with astonishing abilities, and she's not alone. A miraculous Convergence is headed for Galilee, where the stakes include survival of the Earth as we know it and the human race. 

'By turns hilarious and deadly serious, World on Fire explores the fate of the Earth in an utterly original way.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'If Emily and Scott can write one more best seller together, the world’s their oyster. But each of them believes they’re the talent....

'Emily was an aspiring literary writer, forced to make a living from editing annual reports, when she met Scott, a screenwriter in similar circumstances. With Scott’s punchy plot and Emily’s luminous prose, they crafted an international hit - and fell in love doing it. Three years later, Scott’s own novel has flopped, Emily’s struggling with her literary manuscript, and their relationship is falling apart. Can they overcome their creative differences to produce another masterpiece?

'Graeme Simsion is the internationally best-selling author of The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, The Rosie Result and The Best of Adam Sharp. He lives with Anne Buist, a novelist in her own right and co-author of Two Steps Forward and Two Steps Onward, in Melbourne, Australia.  

'This project is a work of fiction; any resemblance to actual persons or events is entirely coincidental. Sort of.' (Publication summary)

'Elise Glyk is a disgraced athlete. Her brother, Callum, is a well-liked teacher who has gone missing. In Elise’s search for her brother, they both become captured in a remote, abandoned farm. 

'Their captor hates Callum, and refuses to explain why, but she has little interest in Elise. So she offers a gruesome bargain: she'll let Elise go - if Elise kills Callum. That way, Elise can't talk to the police, not without getting arrested for murder.

'Years ago, when everyone turned against Elise, Callum was the only person who stood by her. But if Elise refuses the deal, they'll both die. With the clock ticking, Elise is forced to confront the choice: will she kill her brother to save herself?' (Publication summary)

'An unpauseable new romance from New York Times bestselling, Audie Award winning author Kylie Scott!

'When Anna wakes up from a coma after a car crash, she discovers life has gone on without her. Her husband has been unfaithful—with her best friend—and she’s been long since replaced at work. While her old life is a distant memory, her new life feels like an empty shell. Then she meets the stranger who saved her life during the crash, and he changes everything.

'Leif Larsen—tattooist, joker, and player—has his own scars thanks to the crash that put Anna in a coma. Helping her move on from her failed marriage, and create a new life, sounds like a perfect distraction. So when he needs a new roommate, he invites Anna to begin her new life with him.

'Although their lives may have been put on pause, together they just might find a way to heal.' (Publication summary) 

'In this new novella from the number one internationally best-selling author of The Sisters, Dervla McTiernan, a mother and son fighting to prove her innocence are reunited with an estranged friend - a detective who may hold the key to her freedom - as they’re forced to put their differences aside to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime. 

'When Clara Coleman is taken into custody, her teenage son, Sebastien, wastes no time before calling Simon Miller: an estranged family friend and detective in their old hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. Clara’s been arrested for the murder of Rachel Stapleton, a wealthy housewife and prominent figure in Lavender Valley, their well-to-do New Jersey suburb. But she swears she did not commit the crime. 

'Simon knows that Clara is not capable of murder and will do anything he can to prove her innocence - he’s felt indebted to the Coleman family since her husband, Will, Simon’s best friend, passed away years before. He arrives in Lavender Valley and hits the ground running on the case. With time, details surrounding the crime as well as the Colemans’ family history are revealed, unravelling the complex web of cause and effect that will finally bring the truth to light. '  (Publication summary)

'Your wife is a liar.

'Has your wife told you the truth yet?

'Do you know who Claire really is?

'Lenny has always known that his wife, Claire, is the love of his life. But somehow his marriage is in shambles, he’s struggling with the kids, and a string of anonymous text messages are tormenting him, insisting that Claire is a liar.

'Claire knows Lenny is a good man, but there’s a lot she hasn’t told him about her past. Now she’s terrified that the horrors that haunt her are about to put her entire family in danger.

'Strange new neighbours, insidious clients and schoolyard scandal begin to fracture Claire and Lenny’s happy families façade. As secrets are revealed and pasts uncovered, the lies will be exposed and everyone's lives will change forever. 

'A gripping suburban thriller from the bestselling author of Beneath the Shadows and The Hush.'(Publication summary)

'Seven strangers are invited to compete to win a clifftop mansion. The rules are simple: each contestant must have at least one hand in contact with one part of the house at all times. The last one to take their hand off, wins the house.

'After 36 hours, a contestant is murdered. Soon they start to realise that it may not be the last person to leave the house that wins it, it may be the last person alive.

'From the bestselling author of Find Us and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone comes a locked room mystery where the door is open, but no-one wants to walk through it.' (Publication summary)

'In a cyberpunk future where water is scarce, rice is one of the first casualties. The recipe for printing natural-tasting, healthy, synthetic rice is a closely guarded corporate secret that a young hacker seeks to steal, for very personal reasons.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Marlo is a living her best life in sunny Sydney and avoiding thinking about her past at all costs. Avoiding thinking about the quaint village life she left behind in Britain. Avoiding thinking about that fateful Christmas Day.

'When Marlo is unceremoniously ghosted by her part-time lover, she decides she’ll need to avoid the whole Christmas season. That is actually pretty easy in this country, because it’s so hot and so far away from anything that means Christmas to her. But Marlo’s flatmate Alex is determined to lift her out of her grinch slump and convince her that Christmas Down Under may be unfamiliar, but exactly what she needs to start her life on a new course. Alex, with his calm order and terrible Dad jokes. Alex, with his sparkling Christmas cocktails, his chiseled jaw and washboard abs. Alex, who’s going to turn Marlo’s Christmas wish list upside down.' (Publication summary)

'In the Western Australian wheatbelt, refugees Anushey, Shahab and their daughter find safety in the sleepy town of Nunich. But when their daughter disappears without a trace and the town is plunged into chaos and violence, their newfound sense of security is shattered. Suspicions flare, slurs are hurled and tensions rise. Suddenly, Nunich and everyone in it find themselves caught in a storm of media frenzy, political corruption and even terrorist threats.

'Then another little girl goes missing.

'Told from the shifting perspectives of a refugee mother, the town mayor, a local journalist and a weary detective, The Missed isn’t just about the race to catch a predator, but also to save a community's soul.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The Driver:

'Ahead he could see only the stretch of unending road, on either side brown-scorched plains of dirt and scrub, above it all a soaring blue sky and blinding sun. Desolation that looked, to him, a hell of a lot like freedom. He wasn’t playing by anyone’s rules anymore.

'The Hitchhiker:

'Have you ever done something bad? The question was like a clawed hand seizing his guts. It had taken everything he’d had not to whimper, to cower away and beg. But as he’d deflected, he’d told himself to stay calm. To be in control. He had to be in control here.

'The Fugitive:

'She’d made a mistake. Wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last. Ever since she’d left, all she’d found was more trouble. More fights. More secrets. More scars. Now here she was, still alive but a long way from anywhere, and with options dwindling fast.

'From the award-winning author of The Hunted comes a fast-paced outback thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.'  (Publication summary)

'As the third wave of the virus hits, all inhabitants of Melbourne are given until 8pm to get to their homes. Wherever they are when the curfew hits, they must live for four weeks and stay within a 5km radius. When Lou’s son Samuel doesn’t arrive home by nightfall she begins to panic.

'He doesn’t answer his phone. He doesn’t message. His social media channels are inactive. Lou is out of her mind with worry, but she can’t go to the police, because she has secrets of her own.  Secrets that Samuel just can’t find out about.  Lou must find her son herself and bring him home.

'A fast-paced psychological thriller for fans of Tell Me Lies.'  (Publication summary)

'The world teeters on the brink of destruction.

'The people who should be saving the Earth ignore Jason Asano's warnings and choose to loot the house as it burns down around them. He lacks the strength to save the world himself, but resolves to do it anyway, impossible be damned.

'The impossible, in this case, means seizing a power that no mortal should touch. It's a choice from which there is no turning back, and marks Jason's first step into a wider cosmos that he is not yet ready to face.

'Holding the fate of two worlds in his hands, Jason must decide for himself what home truly means.' (Publication summary)

'Jason arrives at a kingdom in peril and he's surprised to discover that it's not his job to save it.

'With the authorities fulfilling their responsibilities (for once), he looks forward to some quiet time to rest and recuperate.

'The locals might not find ceaseless monster onslaughts and an interdimensional invasion relaxing, but Jason has had a rough few years. He's doing his best to let go of his anger.

'While his team is caught up in duty, Jason has no shortage of people looking to interfere with his rest. Enemies—old and new—are circling, and even would-be allies are trouble. A princess finds him inconveniently alive, an ancient king arrives at his barbecue, and the local Church of Fertility are uncomfortably enthusiastic about including him in their practices. As his friends strive to reach him from the far side of the world, they are all frustrated by obstacles.

'Jason is finally back in the world he longed for, but he is not the same man he was when he left. As the pressure on him mounts, allies and enemies alike will find that out the hard way.' (Publication summary)

'After a much longed-for reunion, Jason Asano works on moving past old traumas as he looks to a brighter future.

'Despite warnings of danger that awaits him, he gets back in the saddle as an adventurer, ready to tackle new challenges.

'But as enemies that have lurked in the background start moving into the light, those challenges are not hard to find.

'Jason and his friends don’t wait passively; they use schemes of their own to take the fight to the enemy. His companions find themselves plunged into dangerous missions and confronted with enemies both personal and unexpected.

'Jason will push new boundaries, and while it comes at a cost, it will move him deeper into the realms of cosmic power.' (Publication summary)

'When a simple mix-up leaves their father Joe’s estate to Eden, their long-absent mother, Clare and Aaron decide it’s finally time to track Eden down. But it’s been over thirty years since she left their remote outback mining town, and they’ve never heard from her again.

'Aaron is dealing with a new marriage that’s currently trapped in immigration limbo, and his teenage daughter Cady is clearly going through a personal crisis of her own. After decades away, Clare has flown home from New York for Joe’s funeral, leaving her high-powered job and her not-quite-fiancé behind for what she thinks will be a short trip.

'Neither Aaron or Clare are prepared for a fight for their inheritance against the mother who abandoned them as children. As they dig through years of secrets and lies in their tiny community to uncover the truth about Eden and Joe, will they notice the more immediate danger that threatens their family?' (Publication summary)

'I know all about being afraid of the dark.

'Like my uncle, in my thirties I found my way into my own dark forest, face-to-face with the big bad wolf. He was so close to me the whole time, I could taste the blood on his breath. Meeting him felt like a fairytale. I fact, I met him at a bar called the Wolf's Lair.

'A sensational trial for an historic serial murder. A missing woman with a trail of secrets. A top lawyer famous for defending notorious criminals. A retired homicide cop hunting for the truth.

'Intriguing and distinctive, this taut novella will have you listening with the lights on.' (Publication summary)

'From the best-selling author of Only Daughter comes a twisty cat-and-mouse novella about a young woman who meets up with her ex seeking revenge, only to realize over the course of the evening that she may be the one in danger.

'Scholarship law student Margot’s fling with her classmate Sam almost cost her everything. Now, she’s going out to dinner with him to a luxurious French restaurant with a plan to even the score. But Sam arrives late and is acting increasingly strangely. His hands are shaking, he’s nervous and jumpy; he’s behaving nothing like the privileged charmer she knows. As the night unfolds, Margot realizes Sam has a terrifying plan of his own.' (Publication summary)

'After a disastrous relationship effectively torches her personal and professional life in Sydney, Annabelle is back in Brisbane. She’s about to start her dream job launching and curating a First Nations gallery in the city, and this time, nothing is getting in the way of her important work. Certainly not romance. Matters of the heart have always turned out to be a surefire way to make Annabelle run for the hills – literally.

'Everything is going to plan until a birthday trip to the rodeo with her tiddas brings Annabelle up close and very personal with Dusty Davies, bona fide cowboy. It’s just a country fling, obviously. Annabelle’s not built for the rodeo life, and she’s certainly not spending any more time than necessary in the red dust and cowboy boots. Dusty doesn’t take art and activism seriously like Annabelle does; and he’s born and bred on country, and looks set to stay that way.

'Opposites may attract, but how much change and compromise can you make before you’re running from yourself?' (Publication summary)

'“I love food” Nakkiah Lui says, and in the next breath whispers “so give us back our land”. In First Eat, a confrontational, raw and highly personal exploration of food politics, power and body sovereignty, Nakkiah Lui asks how our meals would look different if First Nations people owned the land from which the food came. First Eat is about more than just food, it’s an aural feast for a rich future.' (Publication summary)

'Jane Bancroft has returned to Lovett, Tasmania after 20 years away, minus one ex-husband but plus one outraged teenage daughter. Life in the city – life in general – hasn’t quite panned out as she would have liked. With her mother unwell, now seems as good a time as any to come back to where it all began, and perhaps even start a new life here in the heart of Tasmanian apple country. But the legacy of Jane's wild apple youth has not been forgotten by small-town Lovett and her homecoming is haunted by past tragedy.

'Jane’s not the only child of Lovett returning home. Drew Pascoe, one-time scrawny kid working the pub kitchens, now handsome celebrity chef, is also back in town and looking to re-establish his roots. With the blessing of the locals and in an effort to reinvigorate tourism to Lovett, Drew has restored the old homestead Valleyfield, and plans to televise its opening as Tasmania’s hottest new dining destination. He knows a key ingredient to success is a unique homegrown flavour: Jane's mother Thea, crowned Apple Queen of Lovett and the cantankerous guardian of the legendary recipe for apple snow. But the charm offensive he’s launched on Thea is not the only reason he's keen to spend quite so much time with Jane.

'Between her mother's bitterness, her daughter's escapades and the struggle to rebuild a her life, helping Lovett’s new golden boy with his grand plans are not Jane's priority. But Drew's enchanting persistence is making Jane realise that mending old wounds and a homegrown romance may in fact be the only way to start a fresh new chapter.' (Publication summary)

'After successfully matchmaking within the Sydney desi community for years, Nas has decided to open a marriage agency to help all Australians find love. With 17 years of marriage to his dream woman Tasnim under his belt, he's keen to help others find the same happiness that he's had. But what he sees as a perfect, happy match isn't necessarily what something others agree on - including Tasnim.

'Before long, the cracks in Nas and Tasnim's marriage are beginning to show, and Salima, their 16-year-old daughter, is caught in the middle. Which parent will she side with, if either one at all? She’s got her own complicated life going on, one that her parents seem too busy to notice. Maybe it's time for her to break some rules and follow her heart at last?' (Publication summary)

'‘You and I are going to have a chat. If you hang up, this girl dies.’

'Adam Turner works the mid-dawn shift at his local radio station. From 12am to 6am, it’s his job to fill the airtime with old songs, inane chatter, and the occasional talkback caller. It’s a long way from his prime-time slot from over a decade ago, when he was a star in the making. Now there’s no producers, no billboards, no stakes, and, crucially, not many listeners. His frequent callers are drunk college students headed home from a night out, or long-range truck drivers. He is completely alone in the studio from midnight until dawn every night.

'And then one night at 12:45am, he gets a different kind of call, with higher stakes than he could ever have wanted. The caller’s rules are simple – stay on the line, live on air, until dawn, or the woman they are holding captive will die.

'The night wears on and Adam is tormented by his caller, forced to answer increasingly personal questions, exposing his fall from grace for all to hear. He must try to figure out just who is calling him, what they really want, and how he can stop them. All while staying live on air, and keeping the psycho talking.

'But as the conversation gets deeper, is Adam willing to broadcast his darkest secrets to the world in order to keep a stranger safe?' (Publication summary)

'Flynn was only a teenager when her parents were killed in a terrible accident. Too young to lose her parents, too young to take on responsibility for her younger sister Kaiya, too young to protect Kaiya from the harshness of their new lives in the following years. Desperate to help her sister, Flynn reaches out to Willa Tomlinson, a grief counsellor renowned for helping her patients cope with profound loss. Under Willa’s influence and care, Kaiya finally seems to turn a corner, joining the climate action collective that Willa leads. Kaiya’s passion is ignited and she immerses herself in the group, leaving on frequent camping trips in the West Australian bush. But when a raging bushfire sweeps through the bushland near Margaret River, Kaiya fails to return with the rest of the group.

'Noah is no stranger to loss or to violence, but these days, he’s more interested in helping people develop the skills to defend themselves than seeking out fights of his own. When Flynn enters his life, desperate to find out what really happened to her sister, a friendship sparks, and Noah finds himself agreeing to help her. To do so, he’ll need to infiltrate Willa’s cultish collective at the fireground.

'In this new Original from the number one internationally best-selling author of The Ruin and The Murder Rule, Dervla McTiernan, Flynn and Noah must reckon with their pasts and fight to find the answers they seek before Kaiya’s trail burns out.' (Publication summary)

'It's nearly Christmas, Julia Devine's favourite time of the year. She's just programmed a wonderful lead into the holidays at Sunny Street Cinema, which leaves her plenty of time to worry about going home to Cumbria for Christmas. Her mum and stepdad are fine, but the thought of spending another holiday with her awful stepsister Becca is enough to make a Scrooge out of anyone.

'When Becca calls to let her know about the dreamy pilot she's bring to Christmas lunch, Julia finally snaps and does something very silly. She tells Becca she's dating heartthrob movie star Hugo Turner.

'Of course, Julia isn't dating Hugo Turner - she isn't dating anyone - but Becca will never let her live it down if she discovers Julia's lie. Enter Sam Hunter, ordinary guy on the street with a startling resemblance to a movie star. Without any holiday plans of his own, he's the perfect stand-in for the real Hugo. Sam has his own reasons for agreeing to be Julia's sham movie-star boyfriend. It's just for one weekend, right? But will this Christmas charade flourish into real Christmas magic?' (Publication summary)

'Jackie and Pete King have lived in Dunmore for years, running one of the two local pubs in the sleepy little town. Money has been tight after the bushfires, and it’s about to get tighter if they can’t find a way to pay their suppliers to keep their business going and keep the bank from foreclosing on their property. So when Jackie receives a mysterious phone call offering them $100,000 to let someone bury a body on their land, the answer isn’t as simple as they thought it would be.

'It’s a deal that could change their lives. But when a woman in the next town over goes missing, it’s a deal that could ruin them forever.' (Publication summary)

'Three couples, friends since high school, rent a luxurious house in the mountains for an unplugged weekend of drinking and bushwalking. No internet, no phones, no stress. On the first night, the topic of partner-swapping comes up. It's a joke - at first.

Not everyone is keen, but an agreement is made. The lights will be turned out. The three women will go into the three bedrooms. The three men will each pick a room at random. It won't be awkward later, because they won't know who they've slept with - or can pretend they don't.

'But when the lights come back on, one of the men is dead. No one will admit to being his partner. The phones still don't work, and now the car key is missing. They're stranded. And the killer is just getting started ...' (Publication summary)

'Remote villages in the Romanian mountains are going silent.

'People are disappearing without a trace in the night. Whispers that monsters from myth have reappeared to terrorize the land spread like wildfire, and the legend of an ancient sleeping dragon begins to stir.

'It’s up to EDGE Force—a clandestine organization that leverages the best and brightest humanity has to offer—to defend against threats that can’t be fought by traditional means.

'Six months have passed since the events of Mori Island that changed JD Rideout’s perception of the nature of reality. For the first time in a long time, life is good. Kaiser has joined his family, and together they’ve been waiting to be called back for another EDGE Force mission.

'After the call comes, JD takes up the mantle of Hatchet once more, but this time he’s fighting as part of an EDGE Force team. Led by the battle-hardened leader Xiphos and supported by deadly companions, Hatchet must find his place in the chain of command and fight back against the cosmic threat festering beneath the surface of the Carpathian Mountains.' (Publication summary)

'With the Builder threat behind them, the time has finally come for Jason and his team to hit the road.

'Eager to get back to the adventuring he’s been longing for, Jason is excited to not be at the center of world-changing events. But before he goes, one last attempt to pull him into politics has him leaving Rimaros with a strong final impression.

'With new places to visit and new people to meet, the remnants of recent events have scarred the land and left lingering dangers behind. It's a busy time for adventurers willing and able to fight with monsters. Threats that once loomed in the background start coming to the fore, and the team prepares to join the fight. Their angelic new adversaries are patient, powerful, and remorseless, using such unconscionable strategies that mass slaughter is only the beginning.

'Jason is forced to confront that his growing power may give him more in common with his foes than his friends. While this opens a path to uncovering the methods and objectives of their enemies, it also brings him to their attention. To them, this makes him yet another tool to be used. But when conflict spills into epic battle, they'll be the latest to discover that challenging Jason Asano is a very bad idea.' (Publication summary)

'A subterranean power creates strange bedfellows for Jason and his friends in the epic next installment of He Who Fights with Monsters.

'Following the devastating attack on Yaresh, its people are left to pick up the pieces. The city lies in ruins, but its decimated defenders have more to deal with than just reconstruction. Jason's actions during the battle have brought unwelcome attention from allies and enemies alike. While the adventurers question his loyalty, the messengers question his very nature. Both have designs on Jason that he intends to thwart, but a danger comes to light that shifts everyone's agenda.

'Deep underground, a hidden civilization has survived by tapping into a long-buried power. That power's growing instability has become both a threat and an opportunity to the warring surface factions. Neither side can stop or claim the power alone, leading to an uneasy alliance with a reluctant Jason at the center. The adventurers, messengers, and Jason himself all have intentions for the power but little idea what awaits them below ground. There are more players involved than any of them realize, and soon, they will have greater problems than each other.' (Publication summary)

'Prepare to be captivated by acclaimed crime writer Candice Fox’s gripping audio thriller, Hunting Game. Featuring an all-star cast including Krysten Ritter, Anthony Mackie, and Tony Goldwyn, you’re about to enter a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

'NYPD Detective Esme 'Es' Compran (Krysten Ritter) finds herself torn between her duty and her own desperate circumstances when a child is kidnapped. The victim's father, Jack Dengate (Tony Goldwyn), is a controversial big pharma CEO whose company's price hikes on life-saving drugs have dire consequences for Es' ailing daughter.

'As the investigation unfolds, FBI Special Agent Morris Jones seeks Es' help, but suspicions mount when evidence points towards Es’ ex-husband Danny (Anthony Mackie), a suspended officer. With a kidnapper in police uniform, a ruthless bounty hunter, and Danny's knowledge of her darkest secret, Es must navigate a treacherous world to protect her family.

'Hunting Game is a heart-pounding, immersive experience that plunges listeners into the depths of suspense and moral ambiguity. Trapped by the demands of duty and the unyielding bonds of blood, can Es outwit the dangers closing in on her family while uncovering the spine-tingling secrets of this relentless hunt?' (Publication summary)

'Eva Kavinsky wakes in a dark cellar, with no memory of how she got here. Imprisoned with her, seemingly at random, are four men. The only way out is the trapdoor in the ceiling – and it's locked.

'The single clue about what brings them all here is a cryptic message sprayed onto one wall. Connect the dots. Repent. A camera fixed high above reach is livestreaming this whole nightmare to the world. What confessions are they meant to make to their unseen audience?

'With only a single lighter between them and the cellar steadily filling with water, Eva races to discover what connects her to the four men. But nobody here is who they claim to be. And in this dark place, secrets and lies are so much easier to tell than the truth that could destroy them all.' (Publication summary)

'It's 1999, and Eira Hart and Ru Tattersall are set up to co-host The Lonely Harts Club, a new late-night radio show to help New Yorkers find love. It's a last chance attempt for both Eira, expert in Celtic mythology and amateur Welsh matchmaker, and Ru, once-hot-shot Aussie DJ, to achieve their New York dreams.

'The thing is, you either click with a co-host, or you don’t. It’s a bit like falling in love. There’s co-host chemistry, or there isn’t.

'With the countdown to a new millennium, it feels like the world as they know it is about to end.

'Radio is becoming commercialized and superficial. Lower Manhattan is gentrifying. The Lonely Harts Club feels like the last chance to hold on to something real. As confessions pour out over the late-night airwaves and their show gathers an impressive following of happily-matched couples, can The Lonely Harts Club make one last true match?'  (Publication summary)

'An unexpected story of life, family, hope and redemption – at the end of the world.

'Arto has a problem. For one, he's a robot. He’s awoken with no memory of who he is, with nothing but a mysterious letter, in a world bereft of those fleshy, talky things that made him. So why is he alone, and where have all the people gone?

'He stumbles upon a lost, cheeky kitten and selects it as his best friend for the adventure of a lifetime, trying to make sense of all this existence stuff. Just as Arto begins to fear he's the only sentient thing left on the whole planet, a cantankerous robot falls from the sky.

'She says she's his sister.

'And that's the problem, because she might be the reason there are no more people.' (Production summary)

'At twenty-two, free-spirited Amber Farrow has no concerns beyond finishing her final year of nursing on exchange in Australia. What she hasn't counted upon is crossing paths with Griffin Lee. Amber and Griffin's two hearts are clearly made for each other. But where Griffin is inclined to put down roots, Amber has always been a citizen of the world, treading lightly upon the earth, never staying too long in one place. Before long, Amber's inability to be still leaves Griffin behind.

'At thirty, Amber has built a life of constant exploration and humanitarian nursing—yet she's haunted by the memory of Griffin. After narrowly surviving a near-fatal accident, she reckons with her lingering passion and no small measure of regret. Following her heart could mean tying herself down, or it could be her chance to rewrite her life's journey.

'In the joyful spirit of David Nicholls' One Day and Emily Henry's You and Me on Vacation, a romantic story from Minnie Darke about the roads we choose, the chances we miss, and the beautiful, unexpected ways our paths can bring us back together again.'  (Publication summary)

'Sri Lanka, 2009. Decades of civil war and bloodshed are being brought to an end at last – by any means necessary. In the capital, Colombo, tenacious journalist Ameena Fernando is murdered, execution-style, on a busy street near her home, with no witnesses.

'With pressure growing to find Ameena’s killers, CIA agent Ellie Harper is sent to seek justice for the journalist’s death with strict instructions: Find something, but not too much. It’s her first time returning to the island after her last mission went tragically awry four years prior, and Ellie has more than one ghost to lay to rest. Amidst the international scheming and jostling for stakes in post-war Sri Lanka, Ellie follows the trail of secrets on a mission to uncover a truth worth killing for.' (Publication summary)

'Who is Audrey Hoedemaker? It's a question her sister Maureen has heard more times than she can count, and she doesn't know what the short answer would be. Little sister, troubled teen, backpacker, musical theatre coach, con artist, childcare worker. Murderer.

'A tragic, traumatic childhood casts a long shadow on the Hoedemaker sisters. Maureen has worked hard to move beyond the violence of the past and build a good, honest life for herself. Audrey, however, just can't seem to do the same, careening from one state of chaos to another.

'Maureen loves her sister, but when Audrey's criminal past catches up to them both, she will have to make some difficult decisions about the limits of family loyalty - and just how far sisters are willing to go to protect each other...'  (Publication summary)

'It's been three years since Bo Sullivan lost her dream job as one of the producers of the hit wildlife docu-series, Wild Hearts. Three years since her twin brother Max started battling cancer and she returned home to Lord Howe Island and put her life on hold. Three years since Griffin Marr, one-time crush and partner-in-crime, stole her job to become the lead producer of Wild Hearts.

'With Max now in remission, and Bo with a surprise podcast hit on her hands, it's time to start living again. Especially when Wild Hearts, now struggling in the ratings, comes to Lord Howe Island to film a special series on its unique environment and wildlife. This is the chance Bo's been waiting for – get her job back, broadcast the plight to extend the island’s marine conservation area, and get revenge on Griffin, all in one fell swoop.

'But with Bo’s experience as a producer, she should know that there’s always more to the story than meets the eye. Maybe the Wild Hearts job isn’t the quite the dream scenario she thought it was. And maybe Griffin isn’t the villain she’s assumed him to be. As Bo and Griffin work together behind the camera to produce the special, she realises that maybe there’s room to rekindle the old magic between them as well – and this time, not just for Wild Hearts.'  (Publication summary)

'Myer lives on a NZ mountain farm with her border collie, chickens, sheep and her faithful horse, Mustard. She hunts and forages, and barely leaves the mountain, only venturing into town to stock up on provisions once or twice a month. It’s on one of these trips that she notices a toddler choking in a public carpark. She springs into action and saves the child, and then slips away, back up the mountain.

'It’s been seven years since she fled to the edge of the world and reinvented herself, but her spontaneous act of mercy has brought her into the public eye. Which means that, despite all of Myer’s best efforts to outrun her brutal past and disappear, he will be able to find her at last...

'A chilling, high-octane thriller from the bestselling author of Tell Me Lies and Trapdoor.' (Publication summary)