Cirrus@Austlit

' What would you do if your best friend was murdered and the police decided it was a random act with no apparent suspects?Charlie Michaels, owner of Sandhaven's Coffee 'n Cake Café, refuses to accept the finding and sets out to do her own investigation.Close friend and Head of Police, Tom Waters, removed from the case to work in another area, warns Charlie of the danger she could be placing herself in.Undeterred, Charlie perseveres with her investigations, digging up more than she bargains for as she searches for her friend's assailant, almost losing her own life in the process, before the murderer is finally revealed.' (Publication summary)

'Amy McKenzie, escaping from a violent marriage, finds herself contending with a set of ghosts. Moving into a rundown home, she soon discovers it is haunted by the figures of an elderly couple, the original owners of the house.

'Amy's nights are disturbed by anguished cries from voices calling for Georgie, whom she learns is the couple's small grandson, who mysteriously disappeared.

'Determined to solve the mystery, Amy is unaware that her ex-husband has traced her, is watching her every move, and has already attempted to kill her friend. ' (Publication summary)

'Leonie Hall's remarkable novel, Issy, covers four tumultuous years in the life of the title character, Issy Duncan, who lives with her family in working-class Fitzroy during the 1950s.

'Having left school at fourteen to work in a factory, Issy is determined to learn new skills and better herself. However, her life takes a tragic turn when her best friend is found dead in a pool of blood in a back lane after a botched abortion, leaving Issy devastated and alone...'

Source: Equilibrium Books (http://www.equilibriumbooks.com/issy.htm). Sighted: 14/7/2011