The Islands by Emily Brugman Allen & Unwin The Abrolhos Islands were a day’s boat ride west of the Western Australian mainland when Finnish migrant Onni Saari went there in search of his brother Nalle who had gone missing in a storm in 1960. Onni didn’t find his brother but he did find a rhythm […]
Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are the award-winning authors of the Illuminae Files, which have sold more than a million copies across Australia and internationally, and Brad Pitt’s production company has even snapped up the TV rights to the series. It was the first book of the […]
The Secret Mantra by David Michie Hay House Matt Lester is in the Himalayan Mountains, following a goat track to the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan. In The sequel to The Magician of Lhasa, the former quantum physicist Matt has completely changed his life and devoted the last 5 years to spiritual development with Tibetan […]
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron Bloomsbury Variations of the Cinderella story have been told for nearly 2000 years and the mythology of the popular fairy tale lingers in our cultural ether even today. While the Grimm brothers’ tale is a lot darker than the Disney one, the possibility that magic can transform a destitute […]
Poly by Paul Dalgarno Ventura Press Melbournites Chris and Sarah Flood met in Hong Kong. He was working as a DJ and she was dancing professionally with Tasty Moves in Asia. Many years and two children later (7 year old Oliver and 5 year old Sophie), Chris can’t decide what to buy his wife for […]
Indigo Owl by Charlie Archibold Wakefield Press This is Adelaide author Charlie Archibold’s second Young Adult novel and it is set on the futuristic planet of Galbraith. After Earth was destroyed by climate change and overpopulation, only private corporations had the money to colonise new planets and Galbraith was a huge pharmaceutical enterprise. It is […]
The Wreck by Meg Keneally Echo Publishing Meg Keneally is fascinated by marine history and the title of her second historical novel gives an indication as to what historical aspects have influenced her writing of The Wreck. In the nineteenth century, the sailing ship Dunbar was forced into the cliff face a little south of […]
Tiny White Lies by Fiona Palmer Hachette I love that Fiona Palmer thanks her teenage children, who were born in the age of technology, for being the inspiration for her family drama. Her main character Ashley Grisham is still recovering from her husband’s suicide eight months previously when she finds out that her only child, […]
The Commando Way by Bram Connolly Allen & Unwin Bram Connolly spent 20 years in the armed forces from the age of 17. After rigorous training, he was deployed to Somalia at the age of 19 and also served several tours of duty in East Timor and Afghanistan. As a commander for the Australian Special […]
The Dead Line by Holly Watt Raven Books Casey Benedict works as an investigative reporter for the Post newspaper in London. When the fashion editor presents her with a taffeta and tulle skirt for a high end fashion shop, she sees there is a piece of white silk folded among the petticoats. Embroidered on the […]
