Cirrus@Austlit

'Julia is a photographer, Chantal edits a fashion magazine, Helen is a feminist academic and Philippa is a writer. These four friends haunt the cafés of inner-city Sydney, eyeing the passing talent and swapping outlandish tales. Sexy, intelligent, predatory, they are women of their time—but can we believe their wild and wicked descriptions of their erotic exploits?' (Publication summary)

For centuries magicians have compiled grimoires to call up demons. In Victorian London, an ambitious warlock called Peter Owling designs a book to summon the Lord of Demons himself - Satan - and thereby achieve eternal life. But not even his beautiful young acolyte, Christian, grasps the full extent of his master's plans ...

In twentieth century Melbourne, a group meets in secret at Humberstone College, dedicated to reassembling Owling's book. But there are others meeting at Humberstone, too; three postgraduate students drawn to the College's mysterious past, its gloomy underground labrynth, and what they come to suspect are its current secrets. A beautiful young man appears to one of them in a mirror. He seems to carry a warning ... but can his dreadful story be true? (Publisher's blurb, back cover).

'"My name is Miles Walker. Remember it. I’m keen on immortality. I’ve got to be. I’m twenty-three years old. I’m the best painter of my generation. And I’ve got four hours to live."

'On the eve of the millennium, Miles Walker has problems. His flatmate Thurston, a moody medievalist, thinks it would be a good career move for Miles to die young. Miles' best friend, the pre-conceptual artist ZakDot, agrees – and the chainsaw-wielding Maddie seems only too happy to help. Then along comes Destiny, the enigmatically beautiful politician who hates art but likes Miles. Now the others really want to kill him. By the time bare buttocks are squeaking over the blackheart sassafras of the prime ministerial dining table, it looks like Miles' fate is sealed.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Soldier of fortune Michael Duffy returns to colonial Sydney on a covert mission and with old scores to settle, still enraged by a bitter feud between his family and the ruthless Macintoshes.

'The Palmer River gold rush lures American prospector Luke Tracy back to Australia's rugged north country in his elusive search for riches and the great passion of his life, Kate O'Keefe.

'From the boardrooms and backstreets of Sydney to the hazardous waters of the Coral Sea, the sequel to Cry of Curlew confirms the exceptional talent of master storyteller Peter Watt..'

Source: Publisher's blurb (2013 ed.).