Cirrus@Austlit

'KATE, 2019

'Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt. There, a secret lurks in the bones of the house, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

'VIOLET, 1942

'Violet is more interested in collecting insects and climbing trees than in becoming a proper young lady. Until a chain of shocking events changes her life forever.

'ALTHA, 1619

'Altha is on trial for witchcraft, accused of killing a local man. Known for her uncanny connection with nature and animals, she is a threat that must be eliminated.

'But Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamed…

'Weaving together the stories of three women across five centuries, Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Hannah Gadsby always dreamt of being a cool kid, but she had to accept that, just like her childhood dream of being a dog, 'normal' isn't always possible. In the vein of David Sedaris, Hannah's memoir is a series of interlinked stories that draw together the varied funny and sometimes dark events of her life. The result is a deeply personal, astutely observed, sometimes devastating but frequently hysterically funny book.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Elderly and in poor health, Mary fulfils her wish to herself to live out her last days on Bruny Island with only her regrets and memories for company. A long time ago, her late husband was the lighthousekeeper on Bruny, and she'd raised a family on the wild windswept island, until terrible circumstances forced them back to civilisation. The long-buried secret that has haunted her for decades now threatens to break free and she is hoping to banish it once and for all before her time is up.

'But secrets have a life of their own, and as Mary relives the events that led up to the shattering revelation, she realises she needs to trust a later generation to put things right. As she steadily weakens, she imposes herself on the island's ranger, Leon, who is reluctant to become nursemaid to Mary and resentful that he appears to have little choice in the matter. He has problems of his own and the last thing he needs is another drain on his time.

'Mary's adult children are respectively outraged, non-committal and sympathetic, but no amount of coaxing, pleading or threats will shake her resolve. Her youngest son Tom loves Bruny as much as his mother does, and can understand her primal connection to that wild island, a place of solitude, healing and redemption for them both.

'Years before Tom had spent a winter working on a base in Antarctica and had returned from that empty loneliness to find his marriage over and his life destroyed. Not for nothing do Antarctic regulars call that gruelling experience The Division of Broken Marriages and Shattered Lives. Still wounded, Tom lives a simple life in Hobart, unable and unwilling to make real connections with people in case he gets hurt again. But then he meets Emma, newly returned from Antarctica and as open and welcoming as Tom is not. Will Tom be healed by Emma's interest, or come to terms with his first trip there?

'As Mary's time winds down, both she and Tom must face their pasts in ways they cannot even begin to imagine. And Mary finds that the script she's written to the end of her life has taken on a few twists of its own. The Lightkeeper's Wife is a moving and redemptive story of love, loss and family, and what we have to do to live the best kind of life.' (From the publisher's website.)

'In the shifting desert sands of Egypt, rumours abound of a lost papyrus that will reveal the true purpose of the Pyramids of Giza. Could these ancient monoliths be the source of a new kind of energy, one that comes at no cost to the planet? CIA agent Curtis O'Connor and archaeologist Aleta Weizman are determined to find out.

'Close by, a shadowy and powerful group known as Pharos meets in Alexandria, its membership a closely guarded secret. Its first order of business: to orchestrate chaos on international financial markets with a series of spectacular terrorist attacks on the world's fossil-fuel supplies.

'And in Cairo, amid the anarchy of Tahrir Square, thieves have broken into the famed Museum of Antiquities and stolen one of the world's priceless artifacts: the mask of Tutankhamun. Is the audacious theft linked to the Pharos Group?

'Nimbly weaving politics, history and science through a rip-roaring plot, from Afghanistan to Washington, Sydney to London, The Alexandria Connection is a spectacular and stylish ride.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The end of the world awaits humankind if the Inca Prophecy cannot be found . . .

'An eerie clue to the Prophecy lies heavily guarded beneath the Vatican. Another is hidden near the famous Inca ruins at Machu Picchu. Archaeologist Aleta Weizman and rogue CIA agent Curtis O'Connor must unearth both clues if they are to decode the prophecy's meaning - before it's too late.

'But time is not on their side. The Iranians are building a nuclear bomb. Israel has an itchy trigger finger. Though the world has never been closer to destruction, a powerful few are doing all they can to ensure the Inca's fabled warning will never be heard. And the CIA is hunting Weizman and O'Connor down, hell bent on silencing them forever.

'With trademark style and sizzling pace, the bestselling author of The Maya Codex delivers his next action-packed international tour de force.' (Publisher's blurb)