Cirrus@Austlit

'I met my husband on the same day I committed my very last murder. There's a joke in there somewhere, about ending two men's lives.'

'Olivia Hodges used to do horrible things - back when she worked for a Spanish crime syndicate - but she fled that life and moved home to Australia, building a family in the hippie, hipster community of the Dandenong Ranges.

'When a small-time criminal gang brings tragedy to her family, superstitious Olivia believes it's the universe demanding payment for her crimes. She wants revenge, but has to get it without adding to her karmic debt. So she creates situations where these bad men get themselves killed through their anger, ego and greed - all while trying to mislead the cops long enough to finish what she started.'  (Publication summary)

'Amy, Jin and Lucie are leading isolated lives in their partially renovated, inner city home. They are not happy, but they are also terrified of change. When they buy a pet rabbit for Lucie, and then Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay, the family is forced to confront long-buried secrets. Will opening their hearts to the rabbit help them to heal or only invite further tragedy?

'The Burrow tells an unforgettable story about grief and hope. With her characteristic compassion and eye for detail, Melanie Cheng reveals the lives of others—even of a small rabbit.'  (Publication summary)

'A gripping, haunting work about the reverberations of a serial killer's crimes in the lives of everyday people.

'In 1998, an apparently ordinary Australian man is arrested and charged with a series of brutal murders. The news shocks the nation, bringing both horror and resolution to the victims' families, but its impact travels even further - into the past, as the murders rewrite personal histories, and into the future, as true crime podcasts and biopics tell the story of the crimes.

'Highway 13 takes murder as its starting point, but it unfolds to encompass much more: through the investigation of the aftermath of this violence across time and place, from the killer's home town in country Australia to the tropical Far North, and to Texas and Rome, McFarlane presents an unforgettable, entrancing exploration of the way stories are told and spread, and at what cost.

'What damages, big and small, do these crimes incur? How do communities make sense of such atrocities? How does the mourning of families sit alongside the public fascination with terrible crimes? And can we tell true crime stories without putting the killers at the centre of the story?

'From the acclaimed author of The Sun Walks Down and The Night Guest comes a captivating account of loss and fear, and its extended echoes in individual lives.' (Publication summary)

'After a brutal wildfire tears through the town of Jasper in the Californian sierras, a body is discovered in a shed. It looks like an open-and-shut case of accidental death – until further investigation reveals that the victim was locked in from the outside.

'Years after leaving Jasper, Detective Alex Markov has been sent back under the shadow of an LAPD corruption investigation. She is convinced that the man, a family friend, was murdered opportunistically under the cover of the fire. As the smoke clears, Alex reveals a town corrupt to its core – but exposing that corruption could destroy her and the people she loves. Will she ignore the crookedness and deceit, or face the consequences of pursuing an inconvenient truth?' (Publication summary)

'When student doctor Taylor Lawrence's city life is turned upside down, she seeks sanctuary on her grandparents' farm in the South Australian countryside.

'During the lonely nights, she fantasises of a time long-gone; of Anna, who, rising at dawn to milk the cows and fetch water from the well, is caught in a bushfire that threatens to leave her reputation as blackened as the surrounding bushland. And of Anna's rescuer, fellow settler, Luke Hartmann.

'Reality blurs as Taylor repeatedly escapes into Anna's world, and she realises she must discover whether her dreams are pure fantasy—or if they recount a story more familiar than she could ever imagine.

'Either way, it seems she'll end up with a broken mind or a broken heart. The problem is, Taylor is no longer sure which she would prefer.' (Publication summary)

'A pitch-perfect new rural romance from the bestselling author of Kookaburra Cottage.

''The perfect recipe for a feel-good rural read. Fun, heartfelt and wise, Wallaby Lane is an absolute treat.' - Alissa Callen, bestselling author of Snowy Mountains Dawn

'From interviewing local flower growers to receiving blue ribbons for her show baking, Lauren Bickford's genuine love for her hometown is almost as strong as her ambition to become a radio presenter. But is it enough to outweigh the series of on-air stuff-ups that have plagued her career?

'No stranger to this small winegrowing region in South Australia's Limestone Coast, Jack Crossley is the new cop in town. He's traded his city beat for a slower pace, and as a former local, knows only too well that mischief can lurk around every quiet corner.

'For Jack and Lauren, the course of true love is not running smoothly. Can he restore order in the town before the neighbourhood watch vigilantes take justice into their own hands? Or are Jack's biggest worries much closer to home? Can Lauren's reporting remain impartial as her attraction to Jack grows? Or will her family's advice lead her completely astray?

'Featuring Penwarra's 100th Show, a one-eyed goat and a galah named Gary, Wallaby Lane is a complete delight from one of Australia's favourite rural romance writers.' (Publication summary)

'A young woman grapples with the arrival of a once-in-a-lifetime comet and its tumultuous consequences in a debut novel that blends mystery, astronomy and romance, perfect for fans of Tracey Lien, Emma Cline and Mireille Juchau.

'January 1997: In the small town of Jericho, New South Wales, Sylvia Knight is losing hope that the person who killed her husband will ever face justice. Since the night of the hit-and-run, her world has been shrouded in hazy darkness—until she meets Theo St John, the discoverer of a rare comet soon to be visible above Jericho.

'As the comet begins to brighten, visitors flock like pilgrims into town. Supermarkets run out of canned goods; campgrounds fill to capacity. And more and more people are drawn into the orbit of Joseph Evans, an enigmatic local who believes the comet's arrival is nothing short of a divine message. But Sylvia will soon realise that she isn't the only one haunted by the past. While everyone else is looking to the night sky for answers, her quest to uncover her husband's killer will unearth long-held secrets with far-reaching consequences.

'A novel about the search for meaning in a bewildering world, the loyalty of love and the dangerous lengths people go to in pursuit of the truth, Bright Objects is a luminous, masterfully crafted literary thriller.' (Publication summary)

'Beth doesn't feel like she belongs in her rambunctious, bohemian family. Apart from the special relationship she shares with her grandma, Elise. When Beth wins the lottery (on a ticket she bought to prove she could be spontaneous), she decides to spend it on treating Elise. 

'But instead of anything material, Elise wants Beth to help her track down her first love, Gerry. It's a fun and uncomplicated little adventure, Beth thinks, until she discovers that her grandma's great love is actually a woman, and their romance was thwarted by the conservatism of the day. Grappling with her grandma's past spurs Beth to reconsider herself in the present.

'Birds of a Feather is a funny, poignant and utterly charming debut novel about questioning who you are and what you might become.' (Publication summary)

'Full of simmering tensions, Katherine Allum's award-winning debut novel, The Skeleton House, pulls back the layers on a seemingly perfect family, exposing the complexities of marriage and motherhood when you are fighting to keep your own identity, no matter the cost.

'Meg's life is woven into the fabric of St Stephens. It's a tapestry made of two precious children, a hidden truth and a husband whose ideas of a perfect wife do not match her own. When Meg puts her foot down on a third kid, gets a job and is empowered by the same book group that was meant to keep her in her place, her marriage begins to disintegrate. Set in a tiny Mormon community, this is a novel about resilience and courage - the fierceness of mother-love and the power that comes with never forgetting who you really are.' (Publication summary)

'Ilene, a working class mother, is struggling to survive and desperate to reconnect with her children, Jack and Lonnie, in the aftermath of a near fatal tragedy.

'But her children vanish, setting off a chain reaction within the community.

'Suspended detective Omar helps out with the investigation, uncovering disquieting clues, but he keeps getting pulled away by a dangerous cold case.

'Benji, a recovering addict, finds peace by breeding lorikeets and caring for his mother, only to have his clean life upended by a stranger’s menacing threat.

'Nera, a city lawyer grieving on a country farm, wants to find out who killed one of her animals and is faced with increasingly strange and unsettling answers.

'In this gripping tale of human frailty and the otherworldly, each of the characters must confront the mystery of what really happened to Jack and Lonnie.'  (Publication summary)

'In an odd and serene moment, she wondered how something so bright and actually beautiful, such a vibrant red, a colour synonymous with passion, romance and love, the colour of blood, of life, could also be the colour of so much appalling devastation.

Sent south to the Snowy mountains to work on his Cousin Jack’s farm, George Sutherland finds himself fighting for a beautiful woman, his job and ultimately his life. He is driven to breaking point as he is made to question his own reality, if he is worthy of the job and ultimately, the family name.

'Maggie Jones can’t control falling in love, but the shift in her relationships will cause more devastation than she will ever know.' (Publication summary)

'Nessa keeps the world at arm’s length. It’s easier that way, for everyone. Her orbit is no bigger than her sister, her parents and a solitary work colleague with a penchant for dying wishes.

'But even these people don’t see the real Nessa.

'Saddled with her father’s impossible gift, a rundown homestead in the middle of nowhere, Nessa reluctantly develops a wellness retreat of sorts – a no-frills escape for women. All too quickly, keeping her distance becomes a trickier dance, even for someone so good at it.

'But the toughest test of Nessa’s resolve takes the shape of her feisty niece Lily, whose offer to help promote Navada comes with caveats and who ultimately holds up a mirror to a life that neither of them feels ready to see.

'Deeply moving and sharply funny, Storylines is a novel about how we see ourselves in an age of distortion.' (Publication summary)

'A delightful, warm and captivating rural romance from the bestselling author of Paperbark Hill.

'April Lacey is determined to lead her family's Limestone Coast winery into the future, but soon discovers the crumbling historic building and her father's reluctance to join the food tourism revolution are just the beginning of her uphill battle.

'English winemaker Connor Jamison has travelled to South Australia's iconic wine region to learn from the experts and carve a name for himself in the industry. However, it quickly becomes clear that Connor's past continues to nip at his heels.

'United by food, music and an unexpected involvement in the Penwarra Country Show, April and Connor seem like the perfect match, but with old flames, new challenges and careers conspiring to keep them apart, can this pair forge their own path together?' (Publication summary) 

'We'll Meet Again is Book 3 in the We'll Meet Again Series. Readers will delight in continuing to follow the stories of the characters from Book 1 (Elizabeth's Star) and Book 2 (Until We Meet).

'The 1950s are a carefree time for a young woman like Grace. The war is over and when her family moves to Brisbane, plans are made for her to complete her studies at the University of Queensland.

'Ewan is also studying the same course and when he meets the beautiful, head-strong Grace, the differences in their backgrounds are pushed aside as they plan their future together.

'However, not everyone is happy with the romance and when the young couple is forced to separate, decisions are made that will determine their path in life. Will the path taken, lead Grace to the story behind a star she knows as Elizabeth’s Star, and will a fortune teller’s prophecy 40 years prior, be proven?

'We’ll Meet Again is a story of love and family, a connection between those who suffered loss and separation and a sweeping tale of hope, chance and love.' (Publication summary)

 (Publication summary)

'Fate and flooding rains brought them together. Secrets may tear them apart.

'Daisy’s in trouble. Her car is stalled in the middle of a flooded creek, with the water rising quickly.

'Dale is in no mood to rescue the woman about to be swept away by a raging tropical storm, who’s clearly a city girl, unfamiliar with the country roads, and driving a completely unsuitable car. He has half a mind to leave her right where she is.

'Stranded on the wrong side of the creek, Daisy has no other option than to accept Dale’s offer to spend the night at the luxury resort, Stormcloud Station.

'All of Daisy’s plans to leave the station are thrown into chaos when a girl is found drowned in the creek and everyone become suspects in a murder investigation.

'Daisy has discovered that far north Queensland is a wholly inhospitable country, but it also has a man with mesmerizing dimples, whose kiss has captured her soul. But she hides a secret that would tear them apart.

'On a night full of chaos, Dale and Daisy uncover the truth about the killer. But how can Dale safeguard this willful, determined woman who owns his heart, when Daisy puts herself squarely in harm’s way?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'With sparks like these, someone's bound to get burnt...

'Mai On is devastated when her landlord sells her building to a property developer and the bakery she's worked so hard to build is threatened. The last thing she needs is an outsider tearing down everything that matters to her. She's determined not to be swayed by the sexy, charming developer.

'After costing his company millions of dollars, Nicholas Shadbolt is desperate to prove himself. Taking on the re-development of a rundown building is just the stepping stone he needs towards redemption. What he's not expecting is Mai's determination to save her livelihood--or the fire she ignites in him.

'But attraction isn't all that's simmering in Blackbridge. Someone is out for blood. And when danger threatens the woman who's stolen his heart, Nicholas knows he has more at stake than just his reputation.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The gifts were innocent... at first.

'All Hannah Novak wants to do is to live a simple life, but her traumatic past refuses to let go. Her trust in men is at an all-time low, but when she becomes the target of a dangerous stalker she’s forced into close proximity with the sexy new cop in town.

'Ryan Kilpatrick has travelled across the country to get away from his manipulative ex-wife. Now, all he wants is to build a stable, loving home for his son. The last thing he needs is to be attracted to the secretive Hannah but he’s duty-bound to protect her.

'As the stalker’s gifts turn nasty, and time is running out, Hannah must face her fears and learn to trust again. Because if she doesn’t, she may not get a second chance.' (Publication summary)

'The magical fourth book in the rich and whimsical world of the Kingdoms and Empires about a non-magical boy called Oscar who finds himself caught up in a surprisingly urgent quest in an even more surprising world.

'Let me get this straight. I'm on a trip with the following people:
1) Bronte, a girl who makes magical 'Spellbinding' rings,
2) Alejandro, a former pirate/current prince who can shoot arrows and make fire from stones,
3) Imogen, who can read broken maps and is a kickboxing master,
4) Esther, who saved her entire world from some kind of ancient monster,
5) Astrid, a smart ten year old who can read minds, and
6) Gruffudd, a surprisingly speedy (and always hungry) Elf.

'And who am I? Just a kid who skips school to ride a skateboard.

'The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere is the account of Monday through Friday of last week. That's when Oscar found himself on a quest to locate nine separate pieces of a key, held by nine separate people, in order to unlock a gluggy silver spell that had trapped the Elven city of Dun-sorey-lo-vay-lo-hey. The quest was an urgent one. Friday at noon, the spell would become permanent, the Elves would be crushed to death and Oscar would be trapped in this magical world forever. (The account, it should be noted, has been written at the request of a small public school's Deputy Principal. She wants to know exactly what Oscar considered more important than coming to school last week.)

'From the award-winning Jaclyn Moriarty comes an enchanting tale of cryptic challenges, breathtaking danger and 360 kick flips.' (Publication summary)