Cirrus@Austlit

'In the 1960s, off the Far North Queensland coast, a tropical island in the Coral Sea hides dark secrets behind its primordial wonder.

'Tallula (Tally) Ramsey has grown up barefoot, wild and free on the island purchased by her maternal grandfather – a paradise with two faces: an idyllic honeymoon resort for the rich and famous; and an untamed coastline with steeply rising peaks covered in impenetrable jungle. She has always known she will one day become the Mistress of Dara Island in her mother Nerissa’s stead. A belief founded on her mother’s promise. But as she matures, her determination and wilfulness bring her into conflict with her ruthless father, ‘Bullshark’ Richard Ramsey, a powerful figure feared by everyone, including his wife. Ultimately, Tally must face the heartbreaking realisation that her promised future is slipping from her grasp.

'After a sudden disappearance from the island, Talley embarks on a desperate search that leads her deep into Dara’s treacherous wilderness, a journey that will challenge all her assumptions about herself, her home and the people she loves.' (Publication summary)

'When Vivienne George decides she can't go through with her high-society wedding, she flees to a tiny town in North Queensland. Hidden away in a secluded lodge, she spends her days swimming in the beautiful lake nearby. It may seem like the perfect place to escape her troubles, but there's something about the lake which puts Vivienne on edge. When she meets local girl Josie Monash, Vivienne learns about the curse which has plagued the town for years ... Is there any truth to the legend of the girls of Lake Evelyn? And how will Vivienne find the life she's always wanted when her past comes back to haunt her?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'An irresistible story of family, secrets and love.

'Will their mother's scandalous past decide their futures?

'The Sunday train which snaked into Noah Vale that verdant, midwinter afternoon brought with it fire, sending an inferno of small-town gossip roaring up the valley...

'Beautiful, irrepressible Esther Hamilton had a reputation in the small Queensland town of Noah Vale. That was until she ran away, twenty years ago, under a cloud of shame. It's now 1955 and following their mother's death, the Hamilton sisters - Sonnet, Fable and little Novella Plum - have returned to Noah Vale to live near their aunt and uncle.

'Sonnet, twenty years old and legal guardian to her siblings, has never stepped foot in Noah Vale, yet has been the talk of the town for decades. Fable, at twelve-years-old, is a talented artist and lovelier than even her heartbreaking mother had been. And three year old Plum is just a little girl who's lost her mother and been taken away from the only home she's ever known.

'As the years pass, the three sisters settle into their new life, working in the town, going to school and swimming in the perfect waterfalls nearby. But suspicion and judgment continue to follow the Hamilton sisters wherever they go. In a small town where everyone thinks they know everything about each other, it's hard to escape the past. And when Fable falls in love with Noah Vale's golden boy, is history destined to repeat itself?' (Publication summary)