Cirrus@Austlit

'It starts with a lie. One small lie to get everything he wants. But one lie leads to another, and another. Caught in his own web of deception, how can he recognise the truth? And what is it going to cost him?

'The legendary career of reclusive cult author Brenda Shales remains one of Australia’s last unsolved literary mysteries. Her books took the literary world by storm before she disappeared from the public eye, after a mysterious plagiarism case. But when an ambitious young writer stumbles across Brenda at a Melbourne pool, he realises the scoop of a lifetime is floating in front of him: the truth behind why she vanished without a trace. The only problem? He must pretend to be someone he’s not to trick the story out of her.

'One innocent lie leads to a slew that are definitively not, as Brenda reveals the strange and troubling truth of where her books came from. Yet the more the young author unravels about Brenda’s past, the more he begins to question whether Brenda is a reliable narrator. Is Brenda spilling secrets or spinning tales? Is she, like him, little more than a talented thief? Just who is deceiving whom? To write the book which will make his name, he must balance his ethics and ambition and decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to become the next great Australian writer.

'This astonishing debut, full of delicious twists and wicked insights, is a dazzling novel of desire and deception, authorship and authenticity, and the costs of creative ambition.' (Publication summary)

'The death of her estranged father made Kumi Taguchi realise how little she had known him and how ambivalent she had been about the Japanese side of her life. In a beautifully written memoir of captivating emotional honesty, the SBS Insight host sets out to find her dad, and herself.

'Growing up, Kumi Taguchi thought her father was just difficult: reserved to the point of silence, obsessively frugal, and – after her parents’ divorce – almost entirely absent. At several points, Kumi decided to cut their few remaining ties, each time learning that denying a piece of your identity is no simple task. Still, when her father died, she was far away and Kumi’s feelings about him – and her own heritage – remained tangled.

'But just because a parent has gone doesn’t mean they’re absent. Over time Kumi came to understand more about what made her father as he was, including his harrowing experiences as a child in wartime Japan and, above all, the culture she both loved and felt burdened by. She decided to travel to Japan to find the family home, and perhaps lay to rest some ghosts.

'In this highly evocative journey of understanding, Kumi explores her divided self: the tension between duty and freedom; the people she’s felt drawn to and lost; and how to find your place when caught between two worlds. The result is a beautifully candid, resonant book about feeling comfortable in your own skin that will speak to the seeker in us all.' (Publication summary)

''Frog', a term of endearment for intensive care paramedics, derives from the notion that everything they touch croaks. Sally Gould delivers a gripping and heartfelt memoir that dives into the unpredictable, often absurd, and sometimes heartbreaking reality of life as a paramedic.

Life as a paramedic, writes Sally Gould in this candid, witty memoir, can be traumatic, gross, dull, hilarious, magical. To make the cut, you need to be able to think outside the square, keep calm in the midst of chaos, be in possession of a strong stomach, and simply brush it off when patients die. That’s on top of having a profound understanding of the human body, plus the skills to counter its failings. It also helps to have a highly developed and oftentimes dark sense of humour. 

'But behind the sirens and the life-or-death scenes, and the absurdity of non-urgent callouts, a paramedic’s career is very different to how most people imagine it. Based on years of meticulously kept journals, Frog is an intimate look at the human cost of the job and the cumulative effect of trauma. Sally shares a personal story that is searingly honest and truly inspiring, one which offers a heartfelt tribute to the resilience, courage and camaraderie that define the high-stakes world of emergency medicine.' (Publication summary)

'Based on the true story of Tasma Walton’s ancestor, a powerful, heart-wrenching novel about maternal love that endures against pitiless odds. Kidnapped by sealers and enslaved far from her homeland, Nannertgarrook has a spirit that refuses to bow …

'From her idyllic life in sea country in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria), Nannertgarrook is abducted and taken to a slave market, leaving behind a husband, daughter and son. Pregnant when seized, she soon gives birth to another son, whom she raises with the children of her fellow captives.

'Nannertgarrook is separated not only from her Boonwurrung family, but from her birthright – the ceremonies she once was so joyously part of, the majestic whales who are her totem, the land and sky and sea country and its creatures. All these things she loves as deeply as she does her blood kin.

'But now, as her reality becomes profoundly different, she must keep that family and her old life alive in her mind. Their rich, pulsating elements sing to us through her beautiful voice, even while Nannertgarrook herself is subjected to the worst of humanity. This sweeping novel asks us to consider who, in colonial history, were the real savages, and what it truly means to be civilised.' (Publication summary)

'An abandoned resort seems the perfect place to hide, but is Barren Cape a refuge or a trap?
'Former housemates Mac and Erika are homeless.

'Well, Erika is fine, she just has to live with her parents until she can find another rental. Mac’s situation is much worse – family isn’t an option and she’s surfing the couches of her increasingly exasperated friends.

'Driving around one lonely afternoon, Mac discovers Barren Cape. Once destined to be a luxury escape, now it’s just wire fence and grey cement. It’s stark, but quiet. There’s no harm in staying here a little while … 

'From the bestselling author of The Rush, this is the chilling result of people pushed to the fringes of society and forced to make unthinkable choices.' (Publication summary)

'A young woman stuck in a rut is dragged by her grieving grandmother to hike the Inca Trail – but can a holiday heal heartbreak, or will longtime secrets tear them apart? A heartwarming novel from the acclaimed author of Someone Else's Bucket List .

'Heather Russo is miserable – work is non-stop, her love life is in tatters and she's in a total rut. But Heather's not the only struggling woman in her family. Her mother, Sandy, is finally separating from Heather's womanizing father, while her grandmother, Bonnie, is grieving her third husband by carrying his urn everywhere she goes… even the supermarket. She's had enough of wallowing, though, and plans a surprise girls' trip: they're going to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu!

'Heather is a reluctant hiker – until she meets charming Owen on the trail and things start to get interesting. But, of course, that's when Bonnie decides to share some long-held secrets that just might send Heather and Sandy over the edge. Will they even make it to the summit?

'With every twist on the trail, Heather learns more about her family – and herself – than she anticipated. And as her time with Owen becomes precious, she's forced to reconsider what she really wants for her future.' (Publication summary) 

'For ten years, Logan Booth served as a contract killer for the CIA – he just never knew it.  The first book in a blockbuster thriller series from Matt Rogers, a million copy bestseller and 'a bright new talent shaking up the genre' (Candice Fox).

'In the twilight of his career, Logan learns he has been a vessel for furthering government interests, not a rogue hitman for a band of vigilantes. The revelation destroys him.

'But when Jorge Romero – an investigative reporter and Logan's oldest friend – is brutally and inexplicably murdered, Logan allows his fury to deliver him from despair.

'With an ally in Alice Mason, a homeless witness with a target on her back, Logan goes to war. Against whom, he isn't sure, but he knows powerful forces are at work behind the scenes.

'Now, to deliver justice, Logan and Alice must confront their demons and win a savage battle that could destroy their lives... even if they survive.'  (Publication summary)

'One night in the woods
A party gone wrong
A body discovered at sunrise

'He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress …

'Everyone in the small town of Thorncombe knows the tales of the haunted woods where the birds don’t sing and a girl in a white dress roams, luring people to their deaths. But when a girl in white is found dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the bottom of an old stone folly, the community is thrown into turmoil.

'With a teenage daughter of his own, police detective Ben Chase knows how high the stakes are. Was the girl the victim of a party prank gone wrong, or does her death represent something more sinister and ritualistic?

'As the investigation unfolds and the noose tightens around Chase’s own family, the only thing anyone can be sure of is that no one is safe until this violent killer is caught.'  (Publication summary)

'In Budapest, Will Slater senses a whisper of the past. He follows the trail down neon-drenched alleys, and then it finds him.

'An old ally resurfaces.

'Jason King returns with devastating news.

'When Slater agrees to help get revenge, they quickly find themselves in a fight they know very little about. Because the world is changing. Technology is rapidly advancing, spiralling toward a total transformation of society. There is a new breed of terrorist — the next step in human evolution. As the truth unravels, the terror amplifies. And by the time it's over, they both find out that there is a fate far, far worse than death...

'Some doors should never be opened.'  (Publication summary)

'Will Slater needs to lay low. With the whole U.S. government antagonised by his recent choices, he smuggles himself to rural eastern Zimbabwe and tries to keep his head down. But that was never going to happen.

'Whispers and rumours sweep across the plains — tales of a gang of psychopaths. Remnants of the old regime, cast out from the previous dictatorship. Continuing to wreak havoc. As they’ve done for the better part of two decades. They’re armed to the teeth. Their manic leader is untouchable. Invincible. They own the territory, and everyone in it.

'Slater’s seen it all before. He follows the whispers, and marches straight towards the fight. But this time, he might have met his match.

'This might just be the one that breaks him for good…' (Publication summary)

'Will Slater is back.

'Aboard a luxury passenger train in the desolate Russian Far East, Slater heads for the port city of Vladivostok with a mysterious grudge. After traumatic past events, he was reluctant to return to the region, but he’s got unfinished business to attend to.

'Terrified passengers, secret police, and shadowy underworld figures are just the beginning. Upon arriving in Vladivostok he finds something wretched. Something dark and twisted and shocking. In a barren corner of the Medved Shipbuilding Plant, the largest nuclear-powered icebreaker in the world is being constructed, protected by an army of mercenaries.

'Slater sets to work digging for the truth. And what he finds puts him on a collision course with half the city. Because when the carnage reaches its apex, the consequences reveal themselves, larger and more daunting than anything he’s ever seen before.

'This time, the stakes are incomprehensible...' (Publication summary)

'A multi-billion dollar casino complex in Macau.
'A nine-year-old with information capable of ruining its owner.
'An ex-black operations killer looking for trouble.

'Outside the gigantic Mountain Lion Casino & Resorts, Will Slater — fresh off a brutal career as a government assassin — watches a young child get snatched off the street by an army of security.

'Acting out of instinct, he hurls himself into the fray, rescuing the girl and preventing her from a fate worse than death. She carries sensitive information capable of bringing down Peter Forrest, the billionaire owner of Mountain Lion. When Slater opts to protect the child and pursue the truth, he unravels a horrifying discovery that will unlock his deepest, darkest rage…'  (Publication summary)

'Ex-U.S. black ops warrior Will Slater never anticipated anything less than carnage when he made the decision to venture into war-torn Yemen. He wasn't looking for peace, hitting the road in a deliberate effort to find trouble.

'But he didn’t expect to have to call on his skill set so soon…

'A young Yemeni boy is dead, maimed by northern highland tribesmen in the Hadhramaut Valley. The act was intended to send a message to the remote mountain town of Qasam, ordering them not to interfere with the business of the tribes. Slater sets off into the mountains in pursuit of vengeance. It was supposed to be a simple act of vigilante justice, but what he uncovers spells disaster for hundreds of thousands of innocent lives…

'The boy was just the tip of the iceberg.

'From the foreboding caves of the Yemeni highlands to the bustling streets of inner-city London, Slater must fight tooth-and-nail to prevent an unspeakable horror, the likes of which the world has never seen before.' (Publication summary)

'An appealing and lively autobiography by one of Australia's most distinguished journalists, A Passionate Life will strike a chord with working women everywhere. An updated edition, now including an epilogue.

'Kerry Packer described her as a ‘dedicated and brilliant journalist who has achieved greatness in her industry very early and so quickly’ and ‘a jewel beyond price’. Cold Chisel wrote a song about her. Rupert Murdoch was so impressed by her talents, he asked her to be the editor-in-chief of both the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs – and in doing so, become the first woman ever to edit a major Australian metropolitan newspaper.

'In her extraordinary career, spanning over fifty years, Ita Buttrose has been involved in every aspect of the media, from newspapers and magazines to television and radio. From her creation of a new type of women’s magazine in Cleo and then ITA, to her appointment as the youngest-ever editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, a passionate love of journalism has driven her every step of the way.

'Refreshingly candid about the challenges she has faced as a professional woman, not only in her career but also in her love life and as a mother*, A Passionate Life* describes those groundbreaking years with Ita’s trademark clarity, precision and wit.' (Publication summary)

'Shy Prince Edmund will be a great king one day: it has been Seen again and again. With rare magic giving him dominion over the nation’s plants and weather, Edmund feels a great deal of pressure to live up to his nation’s many expectations, including making a perfect diplomatic alliance through marriage. That is, until he meets Lord Aubrey Ainsley.

'Charming, romantic, and politically insignificant, Aubrey is a Seer, but not even he could have predicted catching the eye of Edmund, the Prince of Fortune—nor that the anxious prince who talks to plants more than people could feel so right for him. Aubrey’s dream-visions have been full of battle, not love, but to say that Prince Edmund has captured his fancy would be a grand understatement.

'As the two become more and more intertwined, the nation of Saben falls under attack. War and dark sorcery loom on the horizon. To save their homeland, Edmund and Aubrey must resist the outside forces seeking to drive them apart and find the power within themselves to create a future for Saben—and each other—they never could have imagined.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'In this spine-chilling gothic thriller, a woman on the brink travels to a remote writers’ retreat to uncover the secrets of her past and lands herself in a deadly situation that could destroy her future.

'Kate arrives on the wild, remote island of Rathlin in the freezing Irish Channel for a ten-day writers’ retreat. Plagued by memories she can’t unravel and desperate to understand the breakdown of her marriage, Kate is determined to leave the retreat with answers.

'As the retreat’s director uses techniques that tap into the eerie mythology of the island, Kate becomes increasingly fascinated by him and her surrounds. But when the temperature plummets and the strange therapy intensifies, her memories unspool. Triggered into a series of disturbing flashbacks, Kate realises her past hides a frightening truth, but can she trust her own mind?

'Faced with dark secrets and duplicity, Kate must unlock the answers she’s so desperate to find – and survive the danger she has unwittingly walked into.'  (Publication summary)

Discover the exhilarating story of Glenn Maxwell, the Australian cricket maestro whose audacious flair has redefined the nation’s beloved game.

'Glenn Maxwell's brilliance on the cricket field is not without its risks. His bold approach can exasperate as well as exhilarate, yet when he hits his stride, he has the power to change the course of a match in a matter of moments.  

'In a career marked by jaw-dropping performances and an exile from test cricket, Maxwell's record-breaking feats have left cricket enthusiasts in shock and awe. From blasting the fastest T20 international century in Australia to delivering a mesmerising World Cup double-century in 2023, Maxwell's achievements keep breaking records. 

'Yet, away from the pitch, Maxwell grapples with his own battles, bravely confronting his mental health challenges and a headline-grabbing night out that landed him in hospital.  

'With insights into Maxwell's electrifying journey, The Showman offers a captivating exploration of one of cricket's most enigmatic talents, a player whose name is synonymous with spectacle, resilience, and the boundless thrill of the game.'  (Publication summary)

'FIRE UP! shares some of the lessons I’ve learned from the first twenty-five years of my life, from growing up in the bush to running across Australia. This is what fires me up every single day.

'I’m aware I’m just one person among billions, many of whom are far wiser than I am.

'While this is what works for me, by no means am I suggesting it’s some sort of guaranteed formula for success. You may read something that sparks a fire in your belly (as it does in mine), but ultimately it comes down to you having a red-hot crack.

'I hope that, among these insights and stories, you’ll find some words of inspiration that encourage you to chase your dreams and give you the self-belief to back yourself along the way.'  (Publication summary)

'Within hours of arriving in New York City, Jane is dragged into a case and finds herself up against one of the toughest minds she’s ever had to crack: a Silicon Valley billionaire whose ex-business partner has just been murdered.

'Sarah Noble is the darling of the tech world – the genius behind an AI defence system that hijacks enemy missiles. But when Sarah’s estranged business partner is killed in a mysterious plane crash, suspicion immediately falls on one of the few people who could hack the plane’s guidance system and had a motive to do so: Sarah herself.

'Against her better judgement, Jane agrees to profile Sarah and is immediately drawn into a world beyond her control, where money is no object, murder a tool of trade and the stakes go straight to the heart of the United States itself.

'Jane Halifax will need all her forensic experience to unlock the secrets of one of the world’s most formidable minds.' (Publication summary)