Cirrus@Austlit

'Berlin, 2010: A deathbed promise launches Kathy Giuliano on a quest for the truth about her family during World War II. Alone, she travels to Berlin in search of an enigmatic octogenarian who holds the keys to the past. The only clues to his identity and whereabouts and are a black-and-white photograph and an outdated address in Reinickendorf.

'England, 1938: After fleeing Nazi Germany for the safety of England, a teenage boy is captured when Churchill gives the order to ‘collar the lot’. One of 2,000 prisoners on the hell-ship Dunera, he is sent to Australia. At the ‘family camp’, he makes footwear and forms life-long friendships. Eight years later, what does he find when he returns to Berlin?

'Victoria, 1943: With the Japanese at Australia’s doorstep, a mother and daughter are arrested at their cane farm in far north Queensland and sent ‘down south’. Their crime? Teaching the Italian language to school-children. The internment camp at Tatura changes everything. The secrets they share must be kept for the rest of their lives.' (Publication summary) 

'"We, of the far north, are drowning in immigrants who refuse to learn the language or assimilate into our way of life. These peasants, these wretched curs, are blights on our society." William Delahunty MP

'Spring 1939. To appease his electorate, Delahunty orders a police roundup of Italian sugarcane workers. With his marriage failing, he initiates a volatile affair with Amy. What will be her revenge?

'Summer 1941. Canefarmer Luigi is a naturalized British citizen, yet he is classified as an enemy alien during the war. Captured and interned for three years, what will he find on his return?

'Autumn 1943. Edith is the wife of Tony Zucchero, an accountant and canefarmer. When he is unjustly interned, her father refuses to help. How will a city girl manage the farm alone?

'Winter 1945. At Loveday Internment Camp, shell-shocked WW1 veteran Ted prevents a breakout and an uprising, and oversees secret experiments for the army. After the war, what will he do with his life?

'Enemies within these Shores is a page-turning saga that sweeps from the sugar towns of tropical north Queensland to the Riverland district of South Australia. Based on a true story, the novel brings the WW2 home front to life.'  (Publication summary)

'Sick of the boring desk job, budding author Emily Williams changes her life when she moves to a picturesque seaside town. She hopes to find solitude and inspiration to finish a manuscript. But when an adorable bundle of fur adopts her, she gets more than she bargained for. Frankie the cat is mischief with a capital M' (Publication summary)

'A scarlet key

'A bittersweet secret

'A corpse with cryptic tattoos

'When an envelope with a key and address lands on his newsroom desk, Seth VerBeek is thrust into a thrilling new crime adventure. The reporter's challenge is to identify the body of a tattooed lady. Why and how did she die? Above all, he must live up to his reputation: Seth VerBeek will know what to do.

'The cast of unforgettable characters includes a psychic tattooist, a greyhound trainer, a retired art teacher with an outrageous plan, and a personal handyman who fixes matters of the heart. Each character's story unfolds like a slow striptease. Layers of subterfuge come off one by one until all is laid bare.

'The Scarlet Key is a page-turner that tackles themes of positive ageing, finding love, psychic healing, forgiveness, and end-of-life choices.' (Publication summary)

'How much is a baby worth?

'Career politician Vann Willis is on track to find out when a blast rips through her electoral office. Her Inquiry into forced adoptions and surrogacy stirs up bad blood and uncovers crooked deals. To get to the truth she forms an unlikely partnership with Seth VerBeek, an investigative journalist.

'Together, they explore the seamy side of Maidenhead, a gothic homestead that was once a country hideaway for pregnant teenagers. Now, enclosed in an electrified fence, it has become an enterprise that is far more sinister.

'For Vann and Seth each step unleashes a new challenge. Dark secrets emerge. Threats are made on Vann's life. One relationship ends while another blossoms.

At the heart of the mystery is the baby farm.' (Publication summary)

'Saturday night, summer of 1920. Mowbray Park is where the local lads go for a laugh, a beer, and a smoke. Eight-year-old Lucky sneaks out of bed to discover his brother and hero has taken a dare that could cost much more than his one shilling bet. ' (118)