AustLit

'In the cafe, I watch as a woman takes a photo of her plate – an impressive, glossy lime-coloured dessert with shards of chocolate perched on top. I want to feel that ease and confidence, too. Like this is my city again, and I know my way around it.

'Eight years ago, Sahar pursued her happily ever after when she married Khaled and followed him to Jordan, leaving behind her family, her friends and a thriving cake business. But married life didn’t go as planned and, haunted by secrets, Sahar has returned home to Sydney without telling her husband.

'With the help of her childhood friends, Sahar hits the reset button on her life. She takes a job at a local patisserie run by Maggie, a strong but kind manager who guides Sahar in sweets and life.

'But as she tentatively gets to know her colleagues, Sahar faces a whole new set of challenges. There’s Kat and Inez, who are determined that Sahar try new experiences. Then there’s Luke, a talented chocolatier and a bundle of contradictions.

'As Sahar embraces the new, she reinvents herself, trying things once forbidden to her. But just when she is finally starting to find her feet, her past finds its way back to her.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'Hannah and Quinn have grown apart over the years but their friendship hangs together because of a terrible secret they share from their university days; a debt Hannah owes Quinn they can never discuss. Quinn has always kept her professional and personal lives separate, but when a colleague assaults her, she decides to take revenge on her attacker and expects Hannah to help. But when things begin to unravel, Hannah must decide how much she's willing to risk in order to return the favour.'

Source : publisher's blurb

'I think I have been here like this – still, but awake; quiet, but wound tight as a spring shoved into a box – since I lay down, not long after dark. But I must have slept, slept then woken, shifted from blessed nothingness to tortured waiting.

'Sarah is a smart, young lawyer working endless hours when she falls head over heels for Daniel – handsome, passionate and part of the kind of large, chaotically loving family Sarah longed for as the only child of a single mother.

'When Daniel introduces her to a charismatic young couple, Rabbi Menachem Lev and his wife, Chani, despite herself, Sarah is drawn in by their progressive beachside synagogue and the song, feasting and friendship that come with it. By the time she and Daniel move to the Jamison Valley with the other believers, Sarah can’t imagine life without the joy, purpose and love they’ve discovered.

'Four years on, youthful fervour has given way to something darker. As the community celebrates the wedding of a beautiful young convert and a much older divorcee, a series of terrifying truths emerges that tear Sarah’s world apart, and cause her to question everything – her faith, her marriage and her future.'

Source : publisher's blurb

Twelve years had passed since the last Bonnievale Harvest Ball. I was eighteen then, still finishing high school when I was chosen as the Peach Queen. They crowned me with a peach-blossom coronet. And I was eighteen when I left, intending never to live in Bonnievale again.

'One tanked career, one badly timed glamour shoot and one dead boyfriend later, thirty-year-old Lottie Bentz is finally going home.

'In the orchard town where she grew up, Lottie tries to purify and declutter her life, Kondo-style. She gets rid of her phone, clears out her old stuff, and swears off make-up, mirrors and lying. But home has its own problems, and Lottie's staunchly feminist mother is furious about Lottie's risque photos appearing in a magazine.

'When kindly old Mrs Brooker offers Lottie a place to stay, it's not what Lottie expects and she finds herself earning her keep in a clapped-out caravan on the Brooker farm, teaching the old woman about the Kondo method. But after Angus, the taciturn heir to the Brooker orchards, makes it clear that Lottie is not welcome, she soon begins to uncover secrets and half-truths surrounding the dotty Mrs Brooker, Angus's failed marriage and his dead father. And even though Angus has a life-threatening bee-sting allergy, he refuses to wear a veil when tending his bees. Why is he so bent on self-destruction?

'As Lottie learns to cleanse herself and those around her, she reconnects with what's really important and she encounters a few surprises along the way.

'This beautifully nuanced, slow-burn love story deals with failed expectations, second chances, grief and the importance of family and community.' (Publication summary)

'OLD SECRETS NEVER STAY BURIED

'An isolated town with a dark past…

'Devlins Reach in the Hawkesbury River is known for its secluded location and picturesque beauty. But within its tight-knit community of loggers, store owners and tight-lipped locals, a killer is on the loose.

'When three bodies are unearthed in an excavation site, park ranger and wilderness expert Taylor Bridges is called in to help local police, and he discovers the town has an unsettling history. But Taylor has a past of his own that still haunts him and his family.

'As a torrential storm grows closer, The Reach goes into lockdown. With no way in or out, Taylor finds himself in race against the power of nature to catch the killer before the town goes under.' (Publication summary)

'THE ADVENTURES OF AN INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE VET

'Explore the majestic, biodiverse world with Australia’s very own jungle vet.

'Fresh from veterinarian shool, passionate conservationist Dr Chloe Buiting headed for the fontline of South Africa’s rhino-poaching crisis, going to live and work with Masai communities in Northern Tanzania. And the adventures just kept on coming!

'From catching wild giraffes by helicopter in Zimbabwe to treating elephants with prosthetic legs in Asia, fitting toucans with 3D-printed beaks in Central America and attending to endangered orangutans in central Borneo, Chloe’s compassion for animals in their natural habitat pushes her into awe-inspiring locations – and hair-raising situations.

'See what life is like in a job where no day is ever the same. Go on a journey into the eye-popping world of conservation, where run-ins with incredible creatures are commonplace. ' (Publication summary)

'For over two and half years, Subject Six-Eight-Four — ‘Jane Doe’ — has been locked away and experimented on in a secret government facility called Lengard. In that time, she hasn’t spoken a single word.

'As Jane’s resolve begins to crack under the influence of her new and unexpectedly kind evaluator, she uncovers the truth about Lengard’s mysterious program, discovering that her own secret is at the heart of a sinister plot.

'Desperate to save her friends — and the rest of the world — from the looming danger, Jane must first question everything she has ever believed, especially when long-lost memories begin to surface and the mysteries of her past continue to grow.

'Allies become enemies and enemies become allies, leaving her certain about only one thing:

'One wrong move, one wrong word, could change the world.

'The Whisper Series is an epic duology of Young Adult dystopian fiction consisting of Whisper and Weapon.'

Source: publisher's blurb

'Your heart will never lead you astray

'Sky's aunt and uncle are expecting a baby, her boyfriend Oliver seems more interested in their YouTube channel than in talking, her father is settling into life in West Creek, and her best friend Lucy is in a new relationship. The problem is, Sky is still trying to work out where she fits in.

'When she learns about a shocking animal rights situation close to home, Sky is desperate to help. She travels to an animal rights conference where, surrounded by people who share her beliefs, she finally feels like she belongs.

'But when she's asked to take her activism to a new level, Sky starts to question what doing the right thing really means. Will she risk losing the tribe she's spent so long searching for?' (Publication summary)

'This collection of short stories showcases some of the best work that Australian literature has to offer in this new decade. Featuring work from both emerging and established writers of colour, the stories in Collisions transcend genre and experiment with style. They are necessary reading for everybody with an interest in the future of fiction and our planet. Although many of these visions are dystopic, the quality of their writers is something the future has to look forward to.

'What does the future hold? Collisions prods at what it means for each author, and while many will come to expect speculative fiction at surface level, the breadth of imagination transcends these boundaries. From an account of a tense dinner party amidst impending signs of climate catastrophe, to a playful fable about a father turning his family backyard into a graveyard; and an irreverent yet thoughtful tale of a gang of activists planning an attack on ASIO drones in a Kyle Sandilands government, these stories are experimental, genre-bending and lucid. 

'Collisions presents a diverse collection of work too often ignored or elided in a time where marginalised voices are still unheard. It exists to re-centre the voices of writers of colour and to encourage dynamic narratives, to bring about a more robust literary landscape in Australia’s future.' (Publication summary) 

'Seventeen-year-old Layla was just like any other teenager in her small town: she studied hard, went out drinking with her friends and worked at the local café. Until she started a relationship with her older, married boss. Twenty years later, she's living a quiet life in the suburbs with a husband and children, a life far removed from the girl she was. Until she receives a text message. For years she outran her past, turning away from the town and her friends. Now her past has caught up.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

''Do not fear what you are about to suffer.' Revelation 2-10

'In a peaceful coastal town, a young woman is found brutally murdered, a piece of scripture held tightly in her hand. Local detective Charlotte Callaghan is put on the case, and she's glad for the distraction: Gull Bay can be a hard place to keep a secret, and she's holding on to a few.

'After Charlotte asks her brother, Father Joseph Callaghan, about the verse, her suspicions fall on his parishioners. Then a second victim is found, along with another biblical message.

'A dark betrayal is concealed within the small community. For Charlotte, there's something personal about this case, something that threatens the very core of her beliefs. Can she unravel this mystery before it tears her town apart?

'A gripping crime novel about murder, betrayal, and the monsters who hide in plain sight,' (Publication summary)

'When his friend Daniel Cartwright dies and names Rowland as his executor, Rowland must divert his plans to return home to Australia and travel to America. Daniel was vastly wealthy but appears to have disinherited his family in favour of a man called James Meredith, whom no one can find. Rowland and his troupe of friends embark on a journey that takes them through New York, Warwick and Baltimore as they track down answers to the questions that surround Daniel's death and the mysterious disappearance of James Meredith.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A small Yarra Valley town has been devastated by a bushfire, and Reefton Primary School principal Phoebe Warton can't sleep. She's the single mother of eighteen-year-old Caleb who is accused of starting the fire—on purpose. Phoebe will be forced to confront the nature of guilt and redemption, and decide what boundaries she is willing to cross to save the son she loves. Torched is an explosive, haunting and compelling crime novel about mothers and sons and the ties that bind them.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Chloe Bayliss was born to perform and, thanks to hard work and determination, was accepted into an international dance school at sixteen. But overnight a mystery illness took Chloe from starring in Swan Lake to clinging to life in hospital. Against all odds, she found a whole new way to flourish, and despite the challenges she faced, never stopped dreaming big. En Pointe is the real-life story of how an aspiring ballerina became an inspiring young actor after overcoming a life-threatening illness. Miracles really can happen, even if they're not the ones you asked for.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'I already knew he was a psychopath. But now?
He's more dangerous than ever.
And I have less than twenty-four hours to stop him.

'After escaping Lengard and finding sanctuary with the Remnants, Alyssa Scott is desperate to save those she left behind - and the rest of the world - from the power-hungry scientist, Kendall Vanik. But secrets and lies block her at every turn, and soon Lyss is left questioning everything she has ever believed.

'When long-lost memories begin to surface and the mysteries of her past continue to grow, Lyss battles to retain her hard-won control. Allies become enemies and enemies become allies, leaving her certain about only two things- when it comes to Speakers, nothing is ever as it seems... and the only person she can trust is herself.' (Publication summary)

'Secrets have a habit of rising to the surface, especially in small towns. Two couples, four ironclad friendships, the perfect coastal holiday town. Wife and mother Abbi, town cop Blake, schoolteacher Hannah and local doctor Will are caught in their own tangled webs of deceit. When the truth washes in to their beachside community, so do the judgements: victim or vigilante, who will forgive, who will betray? Not all relationships survive. Nor do all residents. A domestic noir-thriller with a distinctly Australian flavour.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.