Cirrus@Austlit

'Haunted by her failures, Detective Isabelle O'Connell is recalled to duty by DCI Alec Goddard to investigate the abduction of yet another child from her home town. They have only days to find the girl alive, with few clues, a town full of suspects, and a vast wilderness to search. It soon becomes a game of cat and mouse, with Bella firmly in the killer's sights.

'For Bella, this case is already personal; for Alec, his best intentions to keep it purely professional soon dissolve. He couldn't be more involved if the missing child were his own, and his anguish over Bella's safety moves beyond the concern for a colleague.

'Their mutual attraction leaves them both vulnerable to their private nightmares - nightmares the killer ruthlessly exploits.' (Author's abstract)

'They've considered him a murderer for eighteen years, so no one in Dungirri is surprised when 'Gil' Gillespie returns and a woman's body is found in his car. Wearied by too many deaths and doubting her own skills, local police sergeant Kris Mathews isn't sure whether Gil is a decent man wronged by life, or a hardened criminal she should lock up. But she does know he's not guilty of this murder, because she is his alibi.

Gil isn't used to feeling anything for anyone. But there's a teenager here who has his eyes - a daughter he never knew existed. And the sergeant's fiery tenacity stirs his blood. He can't acknowledge either. He's made too many enemies in the Sydney Mafia and amongst corrupt cops. Kris's alibi might have saved him from a murder charge but her dedication to finding the truth has made her a target.

Gil is surrounded by wilderness, but there's no place to hide, because his enemies have most of the town on their side, and they know that the one thing most punishing would be harming the few people he cares about.' (From the publisher's website.)

'The latest romantic thriller by award-winning writer, Bronwyn Parry, reveals deadly secrets hidden in an Australian country town.

'For eighteen years, a black hole in Mark Strelitz's memory has concealed the truth: that he was the driver of a car in which a young woman died. Now he needs to set the record straight. His very public resignation from Parliament forces the reopening of the case that saw his mate Gil charged for the accident.

'Not much would drag investigative reporter Jennifer Barrett back to her hometown of Dungirri... except new questions about her cousin s death. She knows too well the whiff of corruption and cover-up, and she's determined to find the truth behind Mark's startling revelations. They had been good friends when they were young. That was long ago and people can change.

'Her first stop is Mark's homestead on the edge of town, but despite the sounds coming from inside, no-one answers the door. Walking around the back of the house, she sees that someone has broken in and a fire is spreading quickly. Who is trying to keep Mark silent and stop the investigation before it even begins? ' (Publisher's blurb)

'It’s Christmas in the outback town of Dungirri, and Angie Butler has returned to her old home, perhaps for the last time. Her life is elsewhere, and the ties that have for decades bound her family to the struggling town and its old hotel may soon be broken.

But the arrival of two strangers in town – Owen Caldwell and his grandfather – along with the hot, dry north wind herald a time of challenge and unexpected change.

Owen has no idea why his grandfather has quietly insisted on this Christmas visit to Dungirri, a town he’s never been to. But the old doctor has a final quest, and as long-held secrets come to light and Owen and Angie use their skills to assist those in need, they both must decide where they belong, and where their future is.' (Publication Summary)