Cirrus@Austlit

'A rural antiques store is not where you would normally expect to see an Australian crime-thriller set. Yet, in Australian crime writer Garry Disher’s latest stand-alone novel, Sanctuary, his protagonist finds a safe place in a small town’s antique store.'  (Introduction)

'What causes more chaos than a will and the remaining family? In Susannah Begbie’s stunning debut novel, The Deed, she exposes the messy side of family and the chaos of sibling rivalry. Winner of the 2022 Richell Prize, Begbie’s story is so beautifully crafted with hilarious and, at times, shocking prose that readers could be forgiven for forgetting The Deed is her first novel.'  (Introduction)

'If you could build a Big Thing in your town, what would it be? Australia has a lot of Big Things — the Big Banana, The Big Merino, The Big Prawn — but in comedian James Colley’s debut novel The Next Big Thing, Norm believes building one will save his town. From the moment we are introduced to Norm while he chases an out-of-control trolley with a dog inside, the reader knows they are in for a fun and hilarious adventure. Any novel that starts with an old dog called Puppy in a broken trolley is bound to be packed with humour and quirky elements, and The Next Big Thing doesn’t disappoint.'  (Introduction)

'Teenage Junebug McBride has had enough of cooking and cleaning for her ungrateful older brothers in the isolated Buck’s Creek, Montana. So, when she is asked to write an advertisement looking for a wife for one of the local men, she secretly decides to do the same for her know-it-all brother Kit. Junebug knows a wife for Kit will get him off her back and means someone else can cook and clean for them. What could possibly go wrong?'  (Introduction)

'Do we really know the people in our family? Can you ever really know a person beyond what you see? Sarah Sasson’s stunning debut novel Tidelines delves into these questions as we follow Grub come of age and discover that her parents and brother are fallible humans. Set across Sydney’s north shore and inner city, Sasson’s novel is an immersive swim into the pain of grief and how our perceptions of family can shift as we age.' (Introduction)

'What do a private investigator, a miniature schnauzer called Miss Marple, a ballerina, a knitter, and a psychic have in common? They are all involved in screenwriter and author Elizabeth Coleman’s latest Edwina ‘Ted’ Bristol’s murder investigation, A Dance With Murder. A cosy crime mystery that cues to Agatha Christie novels and television series like Veronica Mars (without the high school antics) and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. The latter of which Coleman is credited as screenwriter.'  (Introduction)

'Every now and then, a novel comes along that dares to be different and push conventional structure out the window. Emma Darragh’s debut, Thanks For Having Me, does just that with its non-linear short stories structured into a novel. A structure that succeeds in some chapters yet is disorientating in others.' (Introduction)

'Can a naughty dog and a moody cat help their owners fall in love? In Love From Scratch, the follow-up to her debut, Sit, Stay, Love, Northern Beaches author Amy Hutton gives movie star Ethan another chance at love with the aid of two mischievous pets. While the character of Ethan appeared in Hutton’s first novel, Love From Scratch can be read as a stand-alone romance story.' (Introduction)

'What if you could see the inner workings of a hospital psychiatry ward? In Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion’s latest joint novel, The Glass House, readers are taken into the acute psychiatry ward at Menzies Hospital and explore how psychiatrists deal with their patients and their own trauma. These mental health doctors are often seen as impervious, yet Buist and Simsion remind readers of psychiatrists’ fallibility and humanity.' (Introduction)