Crime

You should leave the past in the past ... or should you? A vividly told, jaw-droppingly twisty and wholly engaging story about the consequences of discovering the truth. For readers of Sally Hepworth, Nicola Moriarty and Adele Parks.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023

After a humiliating public scandal, Olivia is hiding from the press in a remote Tasmanian house when an unknown man knocks on her door, seeking Pippa, a woman who once lived there. His father, Jeremy, has died, leaving behind a letter for this mysterious woman. Olivia wants to help, but can she risk revealing her own sordid past?

Thirty years earlier, bohemian wild-child Pippa and her best friend Jeremy spend a perfect summer in the house. Pippa falls deeply in love with local boy Leo, and they begin to plan a life of adventure together, much to the displeasure of his conservative and controlling family. One night Leo leaves the house to confront his parents ... and is never seen again.

As Olivia is drawn into solving the mystery, the unexpected and tragic story of Pippa, Jeremy and Leo is slowly uncovered. At the same time, a path to reclaiming her own life opens, if only she has the courage to take it.

PRAISE:

'Debut novelist Jo Dixon delivers on every front with this impossible to second-guess thriller...' - Australian Women's Weekly

'This intriguing, decades-long mystery combines endearing but flawed characters, deadly secrets, and a deliciously twisty plot' - Sarah Barrie, author of Unforgiven

'A page-turning debut with a genuinely satisfying ending.' - Kelli Hawkins, author of Other People's Houses

'A compelling mystery filled with vivid characters, a gorgeous setting, and twists in its tail. A great read which explores public versus private lives and where running away can't erase the truth.' - R.W.R McDonald, author of The Nancys

'The House of Now and Then is a compelling mix of mystery, love and intrigue. I devoured it in one sitting. A brilliant debut from a writer to watch.' - Mary-Lou Stephens, author of The Last of the Apple Blossom

'An absorbing, character-driven mystery with a finely drawn sense of place that builds to a twist-filled and wholly satisfying conclusion.' - Dinuka Mckenzie, author of The Torrent

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything – and everyone – at a safe distance.

When her cousin Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she's ever had. Soon she's spending more time at Andrea's remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn't even mind that her cousin's wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry - baby fever comes with the territory.

What worries Maeve is that the more she immerses herself in Andrea's world, the more her long-buried memories flood to the surface. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come...

'A brilliant Aussie thriller, The Wiregrass is perfect for fans of Jane Harper, Chris Hammer and Candice Fox.’ - Books and Publishing

A murder made to look like an accident. A disgraced cop trying to forget his past.

My eyes sprang open. What was wrong? Something had been hovering down in the backwoods of my brain. A disturbing image that only rose to the surface when I began to relax. Wild winds, wet hair, black bark, blood. A crushed body. The poor bastard killed by the falling tree at Wycliff Rise. Something about that scene wasn’t right.

Nash Rankin is a disgraced cop trying to escape his past – his career was destroyed when he chose to take justice into his own hands. Now he’s living a quiet life in a small town, caring for the local wildlife and trying to stay away from trouble.
 
Jesse Redpath has a new job in a new town: Satellite. The stormy weather that greets her first few days on the beat seems like a sign of what’s to come. A local has died in what looks like an accident, but Jessie isn’t so sure that the ‘accident’ wasn’t planned. All the evidence points to Nash, but Jesse’s not sure about that either.
 
Seems like Nash has enemies. And what looks like a close-knit community might just be a cover for dark secrets.

No amount of rain will wash this town clean.

The new Jesse Redpath crime thriller from the bestselling author of Canticle Creek.

Praise for Canticle Creek:

‘The rural crime fiction wave continues with this brilliant new arid drama.’  ― Australian Women's Weekly

‘Hyland has mastered the architecture of noir – his sinister tale seethes with small-town atmosphere and satisfying twists, set against the dangers and harsh beauty of the Australian landscape.’ ― Sydney Morning Herald

‘an entertaining and engrossing novel. Hyland has written the ideal story for a long, hot summer, where fire always seems a possibility.’  ― The Canberra Times

‘You can almost feel the blanketing heat and crunch of dry foliage underfoot while reading Canticle Creek ... a well-paced, atmospheric thriller with unexpected twists’ ― The West Australian

‘An atmospheric gripper.’ ― Crime Monthly

‘More please.’ ― The Times
 

A gripping tale of romance, intrigue and deadly secrets – for fans of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, Colleen Hoover’s Verity and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. 

Last night I dreamt I went to Malibu again. 

Once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is in a downward spiral. After her second novel, a retelling of Rebecca, fails, her third novel can’t find a publisher. And her boyfriend breaking up with her hasn’t helped her creativity much either. Broke, newly single and struggling to write another book, Olivia jumps at the chance for a high-paying ghostwriting job when her agent calls her with the opportunity. 

It almost seems too good to be true: all she has to do is spend a few weeks in Malibu interviewing Henry ‘Ash’ Asherwood, a recently widowed billionaire recluse, who wants her to write a book about a stunning family secret involving his grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. 

From No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard comes a page-turning family drama that explores the emotional consequences of loyalty, deception and jealousy.

Stunned by her recently widowed father’s reckless behavior, a young woman must learn to navigate a new world — where the people she should trust the most have become strangers she cannot trust at all.

Frankie Attleboro returns home to Cape Cod with thrilling news. She’s met the love of her life, they’re getting married and have a baby on the way. Her talented, charismatic father overshadows her with his own announcement: he’s also getting married. To Frankie’s best friend, Ariel, who is also pregnant, and due soon. In an instant, he upends Frankie’s life. Her father’s choices will have profound implications for her, for her family and for her unborn child.

Before Frankie and Ariel can adjust to this new reality, Ariel’s estranged mother, Carlotta, returns after a decade-long absence. Carlotta’s presence is unsettling — where has she been all these years? Why did she come back now? Ariel is welcoming but Frankie is suspicious. She digs into Carlotta’s past, where she finds multiple identities, unexplained illnesses and a mysterious case of arson that was never solved. As Carlotta’s sinister behavior intensifies, Frankie realises she must untangle the threads of Carlotta’s past to protect Ariel’s future — and her own.

How much is a life worth? The scorching dark romanceCartel trilogy by the USA Today bestselling author now in one edition. For all fans of Penelope Douglas, Sylvia Day and Helen Hardt.

I grew up in Columbia, the daughter of a wealthy drug lord. I lived a life of extravagance, until one day a drug run went horribly wrong and everything came crashing down around me.

I was given away. A payment for a debt. The Gypsy Brothers motorcycle club became my owners, and I did everything I could to survive.

But falling in love with the man who owned me wasn't part of the plan ...

Before the Gypsy Brothers there was the Cartel — from USA Today bestselling author Lili St Germain.

Praise for the Cartel trilogy:
'Awesome job Lili ... I am ready to hop on the back of a bike and join the club!' LiteraryGossip.com
'Sensational, shocking, compelling and totally addictive ... the best when it comes to dark, brooding and bloody romance' Kelly, Perusing Princesses

SOON TO BE A MAJOR STREAMING SERIES

A riveting technological thriller following a woman whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash and she is left alone with an unnerving home robot, only to get caught up in an AI-related conspiracy. 

In near-future Japan, Susie Sakamoto is mourning the loss of her husband and son to a plane crash. Alone in her big modern house, which feels like more of a prison, Susie spends her days drinking heavily and taking her anger out at the only “sentient” thing left in her life: Sunny, the annoying home robot her husband designed. Susie despises Sunny, and sometimes even gets a sinking feeling that Sunny is out to hurt her.

To escape her paranoia and depression, Susie frequents the seedy, drug-fueled bars of the city, where she hears rumors of The Dark Manual, a set of guidelines that allow you to reprogram your robot for nefarious purposes. In the hopes of finding a way to turn off Sunny for good, Susie begins to search for the manual, only to learn it’s too late: the machines are becoming more sentient and dangerous. Thrust into the center of a dark, corporate war, Susie realizes there’s someone behind the code, pulling the strings. And they want her dead.

With a darkly humorous yet propulsive and lyrical voice, O’Sullivan presents us with an unsettling look at a future that feels all too real. Gripping and thought-provoking, Sunny is a haunting character study of an anxious woman teetering in an anxious time. 

** Longlisted for the Ockham NZ Book Awards 2022 **

** Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023 **

ALICE: 30-something, IQ of 159 (almost a genius), only communicates with her mother in Morse code. Her imaginary friend is back.

ERIKA: 15, daughter of hot ‘wealthugee’ who loves Russian literature, genuine genius, killer eyeliner and killer instincts.

The climate is in crisis and wealthy immigrants are flocking to New Zealand for shelter, stealing land, driving up food prices and taking over. But Alice has far more important things to worry about: hating her best friend’s husband, getting free wine and quiet-quitting her dull day job.

Until she meets Erika.

Now, Alice is about to find herself drawn into action of the most radical – and dangerous – kind. Just what is a slacker to do?

Bold, darkly funny and brilliantly bizarre, New Zealand publishing sensation She’s a Killer is the satirical dystopian cli-fi thriller you never knew you needed. Until now.

'Smart, assured, and extremely funny' – Eleanor Catton

'A fabulously dark pleasure, delivered in prose of singing tautness' – Luke Jennings, author of Killing Eve

‘A thumping good story’ – New Zealand Herald

‘Damn funny . . . a dextrous and talented writer who has really hit her stride’ – STUFF Magazine

‘Brilliant’ – Greg Fleming, NZ Listener

‘Equipped with an exhilaratingly badly-behaved protagonist, She’s a Killer builds from a slice of very strange life into a thriller by way of a succession of stunning comic set pieces. You’ll laugh – a lot. And then you’ll cry and be really surprised about it since you were laughing so much’ – Elizabeth Knox, author of The Absolute Book

‘The novel’s sense of humour – it’s full of sharp one-liners and witty writing – doesn’t detract from the seriousness of the subject underpinning the narrative, making She’s a Killer a great read for those who like a bit of edge to their literary fiction’ – Books & Publishing

Cop or criminal? When you're undercover, the lines can get a little blurry. Former vigilante Lexi Winter, returns in a fast-paced, suspenseful crime thriller for readers of Candice Fox and Shelley Burr

Ace hacker, former sex worker and vigilante Lexi Winter is now a cop and not keen to revisit her criminal past. But when old friends invoke the wrath of a local motorcycle club - the same club Lexi herself used to work for - she races to help them the only way she can: undercover.

If Lexi is to save a child's life, she is going to have to go back - back to a life she thought she had outrun. Back to the person she used to be. But her timing isn't great. Former club president Arthur Cronin has finished his long prison sentence and is out for revenge for the death of his wife and child. As he launches a series of bomb attacks on the club members who set him up and the cops who took him down, Lexi is caught in the middle.

Torn between old loyalties and new responsibilities, she must decide once and for all which side she's on, but even if she does decide to break free, are her old criminal friends ready to let her go?

'Phenomenal. Lexi Winter is the gritty hero I didn't know I needed ... I'm now desperate for more' - bestselling Australian author Nicola Moriarty

'A gritty, twisty journey of suspense. Recommended.' Canberra Weekly

'If you like a read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this addictive, suspenseful thriller is for you.' Woman's Day

You're not who you say you are. But neither is she.

Read what everyone is saying about The Fake Wife:

A gripping, moving story of love, tenacity and the right to be heard by bestseller Tania Blanchard, inspired by a true story

'An exciting, inspiring tale of the women who quite literally changed the world ... Stunning' NATASHA LESTER

'A beautiful tale of courage and resilience from a born storyteller' LAUREN CHATER

'Engrossing ... A captivating and uplifting novel about passion, love, loss and self-discovery' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

1890, Northern England. Hannah Todd dreams of a future where women have the right to vote.

Fresh from her teaching studies in Durham, she joins her parents in a rural village, brimming with newly found passion and the groundswell towards women's suffrage unfolding in London. Working tirelessly to help women and children in the county, Hannah is determined to make the fight for the vote her life's work, adding her voice to the rising chorus across the nation and hopes of a new world and a new way of thinking.

But soon she must fight a new, unexpected battle – that of the yearning of her own heart. As Hannah grapples with her conflicting feelings she discovers that when power is threatened, darkness, brutality and dangerous, closely guarded secrets are never too far from the surface. How far can she go to fight for what's right?

From the exciting, progressive hive of London to the traditional villages of the rural north, A Woman of Courage rings with the strength and struggles of women at time of momentous change ... and the choices one woman must make to help forge a new future.

PRAISE FOR A WOMAN OF COURAGE

'A fresh, exciting and inspiring tale of the women who fought for their right to vote - women who quite literally changed the world. Main character Hannah is a true woman of courage, brought to life by elegant prose, meticulous research and a stunning narrative ... Bursting with charm, heart and hope' - NATASHA LESTER, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

'A timely reminder of how small acts of courage can change the world. Hannah's journey to self-discovery and her unwavering belief in the power and strength of women's independence made this a pleasure to read. A beautiful tale of courage and resilience from a born storyteller' LAUREN CHATER, bestselling author of The Winter Dress

'Engrossing historical fiction ... A captivating and uplifting novel about passion, love, loss and self-discovery. Its themes of feminist empowerment and passion-led political change are still relevant today' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

PRAISE FOR TANIA BLANCHARD

'Breathtaking ... Rich in every sight, taste and smell' Australian Women's Weekly

'Richly imagined, heartbreaking and captivating ... Outstanding historical fiction' Better Reading

'Packs an emotional punch that will reverberate far and wide' - Weekly Times

From a bestselling Australian author, this compellingly realised novel brings to life the story of an enigmatic figure, wife to feted colonial architect Francis Greenway, and asks, whose hand really shaped Sydney? Who is the talented Mrs Greenway?

1814 Sydney When Mary Greenway, freshly arrived from the old country, steps into the maelstrom of Sydney Town with three children at her skirts, she has high hopes of a new beginning, despite having little money and a husband in irons. After all, the sudden death of her sadistic first husband has meant freedom from her gilded cage and Francis Greenway is an architect of some promise, under the protection of Admiral Phillip himself.

Mary herself is a woman of great resources and an even greater creative passion, a passion that will surely burn through anything that the filthy, burgeoning, vitality of colonial Sydney can throw at her. Soon ensconced in a tiny cottage in George Street, Mary sets about moulding a life for her family from the unpromising clay of this new colony, with a determination fired in equal parts by guilt for her disastrous past action that nearly brought ruin to them all and desire to see her true calling realised.

When she is befriended by Elizabeth Macquarie it seems that fate is smiling on them with the promise of a better life in her grasp. But fate is a difficult mistress and with past secrets to keep, and current betrayals on the brink of discovery, the stakes are higher than ever. With Mary's grip on this new life slipping, will her past lies come back to haunt her?

“Tim O'Brien is the one American author whose works I look forward to the most. His new novel’s ironic depiction of a post-Iraq war, mid-COVID, and mid-Trump world is piercing and razor-sharp.” —HARUKI MURAKAMI

An American Master returns: the author of The Things They Carried delivers his first new novel in two decades, a brilliant and rollicking odyssey, in which a bank robbery sparks “a satirical romp through a country plagued by deceit” (Kirkus, starred review)

Named one of Fall 2023's most anticipated books: New York Times, Associated Press, Esquire, Kirkus, Goodreads, LitHub, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and more

At 11:34 a.m. one Saturday in August 2019, Boyd Halverson strode into Community National Bank in Northern California.

“How much is on hand, would you say” he asked the teller. “I’ll want it all.”

“You’re robbing me”

He revealed a Temptation .38 Special.

The teller, a diminutive redhead named Angie Bing, collected eighty-one thousand dollars.

Boyd stuffed the cash into a paper grocery bag.

“I’m sorry about this,” he said, “but I’ll have to ask you to take a ride with me.”

So begins the adventure of Boyd Halverson—star journalist turned notorious online disinformation troll turned JCPenney manager—and his irrepressible hostage, Angie Bing. Haunted by his past and weary of his present, Boyd has one goal before the authorities catch up with him: settle a score with the man who destroyed his life. By Monday the pair reach Mexico; by winter, they are in a lakefront mansion in Minnesota. On their trail are hitmen, jealous lovers, ex-cons, an heiress, a billionaire shipping tycoon, a three-tour veteran of Iraq, and the ghosts of Boyd’s past. Everyone, it seems, except the police.

In the tradition of Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain, America Fantastica delivers a biting, witty, and entertaining story about the causes and costs of outlandish fantasy, while also marking the triumphant return of an essential voice in American letters. And at the heart of the novel, amid a teeming cast of characters, readers will delight in the tug-of-war between two memorable and iconic human beings—the exuberant savior-of-souls Angie Bing and the penitent but compulsive liar Boyd Halverson. Just as Tim O’Brien’s modern classic, The Things They Carried, so brilliantly reflected the unromantic truth of war, America Fantastica puts a mirror to a nation and a time that has become dangerously unmoored from truth and greedy for delusion.

Once a vigilante, now a cop ... but Lexi Winter still plays by her own rules. A fast-paced, suspenseful thriller for readers of Candice Fox and Sarah Bailey.

Ace hacker, ex-prostitute, Jack Daniels drinker and part-time vigilante Lexi Winter is now working with the police, with a new enemy in her sights and an old foe on her mind.

Most probationary constables would baulk at chasing a drug dealer into a train tunnel in the dead of night - not Lexi. But when she emerges, injured but alive, to face the wrath of her boss it's clear that while Lexi may now be in uniform, she has as much trouble with authority as ever. Just to prove it, Lexi is quietly using her hacking skills to investigate a notorious drug-dealing Sydney crime family with links to her old prey, the paedophile Damon Vaughn. As her colleague Detective Sergeant Finn Carson investigates a death on a Sydney building site that leads him to the picturesque Wondabyne train station on the Hawkesbury River, Inspector Rachael Langley oversees an enquiry that is becoming ever more complex as multiple lines of investigation seem to interweave. What they don't know is that Lexi is the only one who can unravel them - if only she'll toe the line.

'Phenomenal. Lexi Winter is the gritty hero I didn't know I needed ... I'm now desperate for more' - bestselling Australian author Nicola Moriarty on Unforgiven