Cirrus@Austlit

'Princess Isabella thought her father, the king, had put on a great ball for her 18 birthday, but it turned out not to be the case. Instead Isabella was thrown into the kitchen to work as a kitchen maid.

'Isabella was upset, but a good fairy came and made her a beautiful ball gown, telling her to go out there and just mingle with the guests. When Isabella saw the hunchback on his own, she felt there was something different about him, so went and danced with him.

'The hunchback fell in love with her, and to help her escape from the mean King, he ordered his witch to make a pill so Isabella could turn into a cat and escape.

'But who was this hunchback, and why was he so different? Find out what happened in Alida van den Bos new book, The Hunchback and the Kitchen Maid.' (Publication summary)

A collection of short stories, some humorous, some romantic.

''Flight into Death' is a crime thriller about Nina, a children's author, who escapes a violent marriage to the vile, philandering, drug dealer Roberto, who killed her family in a plane crash. She relocates and buys a house at the Central Coast area to what she hopes is going to be a safe place, and finds love in Matthew, but also finds evil forces at work. Paul, the plumber who wanted to buy the house before Nina beats him to it, believes there is a hidden treasure in the house and tries to scare her into abandoning the property, leaving decaying animals at the foot of the stairs and a threatening note.'

Source : publication summary

'When going for a drink with her boyfriend’s sister, Ryana, an attractive girl, realising it’s no ordinary pub, but a brothel, she runs away. The owner, Harry Trimboli wants her and caught her, but she escapes to her boyfriend Richard who had just passed his violin examination. As Richard is playing with the Symphony Orchestra, Ryana watches him on television and excitedly phones her brother Nicholas in New York when there’s a knock on the door calling flowers. When she sees it’s Harry, she screams as he drugs her and takes her to an old house he just bought. Nicholas still on the phone alerts police who are there when Richard arrives home to find out Ryanna has been kidnapped, and blaming himself he smashes his violin.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Suddenly a big explosion shook the house. Lisa, who had been asleep, yelled out, “What was that?” Everybody was sitting up, but there was no sound of aeroplanes. “I think I know what it is, they’re just blowing up the bridges, that’s normal procedure, it means that the Germans aren’t here yet.” Jelle said. More explosions sounded further away.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'What a difference compared with the other farm,' Amy said, 'no animals here, but plenty of activity in the sheds.' 'Sssh!' Janine and Rita reacted simultaneously. 'There are rumours about this place and something funny is going on,' Rita said. 'Don't look so close, things are going on in there in the night and we think that Hose and van Dam are both in it,' Janine remarked. 'Just play dumb, that's the best way.' The fast moving story-line travels rapidly through conflict after conflict as Amy is incarcerated in Holland's St Rudolph Institute for wayward girls then faces a mixture of calamitous and tragic events leading to death and destruction.'

Source : publication summary

'THE LAST BLACK CROSS delves deep into a true account of how SS Nazi officers heap vicious brutality on a young German medical student and other male and female inmates until the Russian army liberates prisoners near the end of the conflict. The story reaches climaxes in two parts, with subtitles THE ASHES OF AUSCHWITZ portraying unbelievable atrocities in this camp notorious as an experimentation centre, with Jewish men, women and children the main targets; and the second part, JUDGE JURY and EXECUTIONER, enthralling readers as they follow how the student, now Doctor Peter Helms, extracts revenge thirty years later on SS officers responsible for the annihilation of thousands of innocent Jewish people using beatings, shootings, and gassing them to death before taking them to the dreaded crematoriums.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'When Jennifer starts work in the kitchen of Sunpark College for boys, she stumbles across a secret bunker used by paedophiles. Jennifer inadvertently becomes part of the investigative team into murder and drug use, where by undercover officers masquerade as senior students.'

Source : publication summary