Cirrus@Austlit

The doorbell chimes loudly. Her husband answers. Muffled voices. Then a crash. The sound of her husband’s body falling to the floor. “Joseph…?” Her voice wobbles. And she knows instantly—she should have stayed silent…

'Ex-cop Sally Fairburn has put the world of crime behind her, but when her old boss contacts her about working her first case as a detective, she can’t resist. The high-profile Austin case will be her first opportunity to prove herself.

'Retired accountant Joseph Austin has been found dead and his wife, Fiona, in a coma, in their exclusive Peakhurst mansion. It’s a suspected burglary gone wrong, but something about the murder scene doesn’t add up: why is nothing valuable missing?

'Nobody seems to know who might want to hurt this sweet old pair, but as Sally investigates, she discovers the wealthy couple weren’t as popular as she first thought. They’d been embroiled in heated arguments with their neighbor, ex-con Salvador Sobral, for months. His is the strongest motive she can find.

'But before Sally can pounce, she receives a chilling call. Sobral has been brutally murdered with a thin strip of wire. Racing to find the missing link between the murders, Sally grows ever more desperate to catch the killer—especially when her violent ex-husband returns to his post with the Franklin police department, determined to discredit her.

'Fiona Austin holds the answers Sally needs. But will she come round from her coma before the murderer strikes again? Or will the killer lead Sally down a dangerous path that will leave her balancing on a knife edge between life and death?' (Publication summary)

'The Nosy Detectives agency is like no other.

'For a start, one of the detectives is a dog called Monty, a rescued Golden Retriever with a heart of gold and a super-smart nose.

'Monty’s human is Rose Sidebottom, an ex-copper, with an uncanny ability to know when a suspect is lying.

'And Ollie Fernsby is a teenage super-geek and inventor of the rat-cam. They make a great team.

'There is just one problem – no clients.

'Then one day, Phyllis O’Neal, a grumpy grandmother from the village of Nether Wallop, offers them an unsolved cold case they can’t refuse: who really lit the fire that killed Tony and Marie Toyne? The surviving son and only witness, Finn, hasn’t spoken since that terrible night.

'Monty sets out to locate a forgotten second witness, a dog called Panda, who might recognise the arsonist if she had a good sniff. The tricky case gets harder when Rose is distracted by a handsome fire-scene investigator.

'Can Monty get Rose back on track? Is Tiffany the giant cat friend or foe? And why is the whole village lying about the night of the fire?

'Can the pawfect murder be solved in Louisa Bennet's The Nosy Detectives?' (Publication summary)

'The little girl fidgets in her seat, wringing the ends of her scarf in a rush of panic. She tugs at the car door handle but it doesn’t open. Tears well in her eyes. “I want my mommy.”

'Four years ago, six young girls were snatched from the streets of quiet, suburban Pioneer Heights—chilling, fake “missing” posters of each victim hung around town just before they were taken. Ex-police officer Sally Fairburn has always been haunted by the case and their inability to bring the girls home. Having lost her own daughter, she knows only too well the pain it brings…

'Four years on, the wide brown eyes and neat braids of twelve-year-old Anna Moorhouse—the last girl to disappear—still plague Sally’s dreams. She has never stopped fighting to bring the devastated families back together, but all leads have gone cold. Until Sally receives a chilling call out of the blue: their former main suspect, in prison for another crime, wants to talk to her… alone.

'Desperate for answers, Sally races to interview him. But a horrifying discovery stops her in her tracks: a missing poster—on her daily running route, in the same style used four years ago—with Sally’s own face on it…

'Not only is Sally in grave danger, but the more threats she receives, the more convinced she becomes that the killer is a lot closer to home than she ever could have imagined… But can Sally finally catch him before any more innocents disappear—and before Sally herself becomes his next victim…?' (Publication summary)

'She stumbles into the street in a thin cotton nightdress, tripping in her haste to get away from her house. Her feet are bare, her movements frantic. “I have to get out of here,” she pleads. “He’s killing me.”

'For weeks, Carolyn Tate’s suspicions that her husband is trying to kill her have been ignored—by her neighbors, her friends and even her family. But just two hours after her last attempt to make someone listen, her body is discovered.

'Carolyn’s neighbor, ex-police officer Sally Fairburn, is determined to seek justice for her friend’s death. But although Carolyn suspected her husband, Sally finds no evidence he was involved. And Carolyn’s best friends are strangely quick to defend him…

'Sally knows one of Carolyn’s friends, Lauren, is hiding something. She can see it in her tear-stained cheeks, averted eyes and tense shoulders: Fear. But just as Lauren’s finally ready to come clean, she is murdered in a brutal hit and run. Reeling from Lauren’s death, Sally is horrified to receive a series of dropped calls and anonymous flowers, leaving her with the unsettled feeling that she, too, is being followed…

'Then, on edge but feeling closer than ever to the truth, Sally watches a stranger threaten her teenage son—a finger drawn across his throat. Her world stops. It’s not just Sally at risk—everyone she loves is in danger unless she finds the truth… Can Sally stop a brutal killer before more innocent lives are lost?' (Publication summary)

'A new wagtastic mystery.

'Monty, the adorable, food-obsessed Golden Retriever will do anything for his owner, Detective Constable Rose Sidebottom.

'Of course, as these things go, Monty is no ordinary dog and Rose is no ordinary hooman.
'Monty's super-smart nose and network of unique informers, and Rose's uncanny ability to spot liars make them a funny and formidable team.

'When Rose is on sick leave a stranger begs for their help to find a missing person. The case soon becomes a murder investigation, and Rose's boss warns her not to interfere.

'But, when dogs start disappearing too, Monty and Rose have no choice but to track down the culprits by doing what they do best - together.' (Publication summary)

'Her heart pounds at the sound of footsteps outside her small cabin in the woods. The snap of a twig tells her someone is close by. As she treads lightly towards the back door, she says a silent prayer—don’t let him find me…

'Everyone in Eagle Falls knows Jessie Lewis. Ever since she reported her boyfriend, fire chief and local hero, for beating her, she’s been an outcast from the small town. But when someone sets fire to a house in the woods, killing the entire Troyer family in their beds, the locals turn on her once again. And when rumors circulate about her very public argument with Paul Troyer, they take it as proof that she killed them.

'Devastated that anyone could think her capable of such an atrocity, Jessie knows that if people don’t believe she’s innocent, more lives will be in danger. She turns to Ruth: new in town, and an ex-FBI agent, Ruth could be the exact person Jessie needs to smoke out the killer. But can she trust her with her life?

'Days later, another house linked to Jessie is set ablaze. Falling to her knees in the scorched remains, Jessie finds something buried in the ash which she immediately recognizes. The murders must be linked to the death of someone very close to her, and, terrified, she realizes the killer is coming for her…

'As local wildfires take hold of Eagle Falls and the town is evacuated, Jessie drives at high speed toward the fires, knowing she must put herself in unthinkable danger in order to catch the killer. When she finally faces the person who wants her dead, will she have the strength to take them down first?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Someone knows your secret. And they’re coming to find you...

'It’s already dark when Stephanie Miller returns to her remote lakeside home on Whisper Island. It’s only been a few months since her husband died, and her bond with her daughter is stronger than ever. Calling Amy’s name, Stephanie hears her phone buzz inside her purse. She doesn’t have to look to know that it’s another anonymous threat, she’s had them all day. But now she sees that this one is different. Someone knows she’s just walked through the door. Someone is watching her every move…

'Stephanie’s skin prickles. Whoever is behind the messages is close to her family. They know her secret and she will do anything to stop Amy finding out. As she nervously looks out across the pitch-black water something moves. Is that a dark figure watching her from the shadows? One minute he’s there, the next he’s gone.

'Days later, the police still have no leads. Stephanie knows she can’t risk being trapped on the island again. Then, her best friend is murdered in her own home and Stephanie’s only thought is for Amy. But little does she know, the killer has already made contact with her daughter and he’s about to make his biggest move yet. 

'When a huge storm cuts off the island from the mainland, Stephanie feels like a sitting duck, waiting for the killer to come knocking. Although she will do anything to protect her precious family, she’s totally unprepared for what the killer does next…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A journalist who travels the world exposing heinous crimes makes enemies. Olivia Wolfe has more than most.

'When her anonymous source is murdered, Wolfe must unravel the terrible secret that connects a British Cabinet Minister, a Vietnamese billionaire, and a poor South African teacher to a series of gruesome murders.

'Soon Wolfe is hunted by a terrifying assassin. With governments in the balance and the survival of one of the most magnificent creatures on earth in her hands, can Wolfe stay alive long enough to expose this shocking conspiracy?

'Four murders. Four countries. One terrible secret.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Devour is an action-packed conspiracy thriller with a spine-chilling psychological thriller sub-plot; an enthralling female central character; and a climax that will leave you breathless.

'Their greatest fear was contaminating an ancient Antarctic lake, buried beneath the ice for millions of years. They little knew the catastrophe they were about to unleash.

'Welcome to the high octane world of Olivia Wolfe.

'As an investigative journalist, Wolfe lives her life in constant peril. Hunted by numerous enemies who are seldom what the first seem, she must unravel a complex web of lies to uncover an even more terrifying truth.

'From the poppy palaces of Afghanistan and Antarctica's forbidding wind-swept ice sheets, to a top-secret military base in the Nevada desert, Wolfe's journey will ultimately lead her to a man who would obliterate civilisation. She must make an impossible choice: save a life - or prevent the death of millions.' (Publication summary)

'The first book introducing loveable dog detective Monty!

'You might think that dogs can't understand us...but you'd be wrong. Apart from an obsession with cheese, Monty is a perfectly rational animal. So when his beloved master is stabbed to death, Monty decides to use his formidable nose to track the killer down. Luckily he manages to find a home with Rose Sidebottom, the young policewoman who's investigating the case. But with her colleagues turning against her, and the wrong man collared, she's going to need a little help...' (Publication summary)

'A few years from now, climate change has produced global drought. Wars over water are becoming commonplace.

'When communications are cut from an Australian Antarctic station and two colleagues go missing, maverick glaciologist Luke Searle and his team are unaware they have fallen victim to a plan to harvest Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier for water. Yet the ruthless leader of this secret project has a second plan, far more ambitious and destructive than the first, which will give his country unchallengeable military power and make him exceedingly rich. But the plan risks destroying the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet, causing sea level rises that will not only wipe out low-lying cities, but whole countries.

'With their station burned to the ground and the team under fire, Luke Searle must not only survive the harshest environment on Earth but battle a mysterious assailant to stop a global catastrophe. Who has hatched this plan, how far will he go, and what will it take to stop him? With complex and intriguing characters, and plot threads skilfully woven together into a surprising and dramatic climax, Thirst will entertain and enthral. Based on L.A. Larkin's experiences in Antarctica and her interviews of scientists who have visited the remote Pine Island Glacier, Thirst is a chilling and explosive action thriller that is a startling reminder of the fragility and power of Earth's most precious resource. ' (Publisher's blurb)