FICTION

The Stowaway An epic romantic adventure of passion and heartbreak in an age of exploration, danger and opportunity. Norway, 1828. A fiery descendant of Vikings, Elsa Ferner wasn't termed Elsa the Determined by her father for no reason, so when her mother pushes her to marry a wealthy but unscrupulous man, she seizes the opportunity to stow away and escape. Now aboard The Starling with her ally, handsome English officer Thompson Smith, she chooses to trust her heart, following their shared destiny on the salted wind.On arriving in Iceland, it seems the pair might finally explore the possibilities of a new life together. However, a rash and catastrophic act sees Thompson taken away in chains, with Elsa the one now fighting for their future, and leading them on to new frontiers. However, tragedy strikes, and Thompson chooses to stowaway himself, this time to Tasmania, embittered yet resolved to find a new life with their son, Sven.Little do they know that Elsa searches for them, even to the ends of the earth, never giving up on love...The Stowaway is an epic romantic adventure that whisks the reader from one end of the earth to the other, to witness sights unimagined, see places steeped in timeless beauty... and to experience passion and heartbreak in an age of exploration, danger and opportunity on a desperate quest for love.

<p>Murder Most Foul is a dark, witty and fast-paced novel, from one of Britain's best-loved screenwriters.</p><p>It's 1593, Elizabeth I is Queen and everyone is terrified of the worst outbreak of plague in a generation. Shakespeare has only written six plays and is lagging behind his friend Christopher Marlowe, London's leading playwright. When Marlowe is stabbed to death in mysterious circumstances, rumours abound but the one that won't go away is that Shakespeare did it to remove his greatest rival.</p><p>Will is determined to clear his name, and teams up with his old flame, Marlowe's sister Ann, who has plenty of secrets of her own. In their search to solve the crime, Will and Ann uncover a dark world of treachery, murder, and corruption which in turn provides Shakespeare with scenes and characters which will appear in his greatest plays.</p><p>'Clever, funny, ingenious and endearing' Lissa Evans</p>

Based on the true story of Tasma Walton’s ancestor, a powerful, heart-wrenching novel about maternal love that endures against pitiless odds. Kidnapped by sealers and enslaved far from her homeland, Nannertgarrook has a spirit that refuses to bow … From her idyllic life in sea country in Nerrm (Port Phillip Bay, Victoria), Nannertgarrook is abducted and taken to a slave market, leaving behind a husband, daughter and son. Pregnant when seized, she soon gives birth to another son, whom she raises with the children of her fellow captives. Nannertgarrook is separated not only from her Boonwurrung family, but from her birthright – the ceremonies she once was so joyously part of, the majestic whales who are her totem, the land and sky and sea country and its creatures. All these things she loves as deeply as she does her blood kin. But now, as her reality becomes profoundly different, she must keep that family and her old life alive in her mind. Their rich, pulsating elements sing to us through her beautiful voice, even while Nannertgarrook herself is subjected to the worst of humanity. This sweeping novel asks us to consider who, in colonial history, were the real savages, and what it truly means to be civilised.

By Her Hand The engrossing and propulsive historical fiction debut from a talented new writer, for readers of Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders, Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, Lauren Groff's Matrix, Robyn Cadwallader's The Anchoress, Pip Williams's The Dictionary of Lost Words. She must write her rage ... to win her war. Peak District, Mercia, AD 910: a young girl, Freda works hard to avoid her father's temper, while longing for his approval. She loves foraging in the woods and hearthside stories of heroes. Secretly she thinks in poetry and dreams of one day being able to write; her quills are grass stalks and sticks, her parchment the sky, the earth, her skin. But Freda's world is at war, and when her village is decimated in a savage raid and her father goes missing, Freda must find the strength to survive. Taken in by the church, her only options are a life of servitude or prayer. But the cunning bishop sees an opportunity. As well as teaching Freda to write, he uses her survival as evidence of a miracle so as to attract pilgrims who bring wealth. As Freda chafes against the bishop's increasing control, she develops a friendship with the Mercian leader Ethelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, who shows her what it is to lead as a woman in a world that worships warrior kings. Soon Freda must choose. Does she remain the powerless, subservient quill whose fate lies in the hands of another, or does she fight for the right to create - and write - her own story? 'A dazzling debut. Marvellous.' Robyn Mundy, Cold Coast 'A remarkable feat of storytelling. I wept as I read, in recognition of bravery, grief and longing' Michelle Tom, Ten Thousand Aftershocks 'Deft, vivid, intimate story-telling which reels us into a past that casts a bright, penetrating light' Sally Colin-James, One Illumined Thread 'I sank into this novel, knowing myself in sure hands. With meticulous research and deep empathy, Taffe invites us into the world of the tenth century, so unlike our own and yet, we discover, also familiar, a place of beauty and brutality, poetry and pain, longing and loss.' Robyn Cadwallader, The Anchoress

The Jam Maker Jam is sweet but it can also burn. Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory. Four years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets. As the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects. Intertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, The Jam Maker is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life. PRAISE: 'Brought to vivid life with richness, colour, and incredible warmth, the prose sings in this bitter-sweet Tasmanian tale of triumph over adversity, love, loyalty and the ties that bind and divide. The Jam Maker is another irresistible story from Mary-Lou Stephens, one that will sweep you into its heart and linger in yours. Simply delicious.' Bestselling Australian author Karen Brooks

The Four Winds Kristin Hannah is a New York Times bestselling author. She is a former lawyer turned writer and is the mother of one son. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, and Hawaii. Her first novel published in the UK, Night Road, was one of eight books selected for the UK’s 2011 TV Book Club Summer Read, and her novel The Nightingale was a New York Times number one bestseller, selling almost three million copies worldwide.

<p><strong><em>Amid the rising flood waters and shearers' strike violence, can one brave woman reclaim her future?</em> From an Australian bestselling author comes a riveting historical adventure about one woman's journey from a life of isolation to one of love and acceptance.</strong></p> <p><strong><em>1894, Echuca, Victoria</em></strong></p><p>Tess Hawthorn is a woman on the run from her abusive husband. All she has to do is get on the riverboat <em>Victor</em> and she will be free.</p><p>But with tensions at an all-time high between unionist shearers and Scabs, Tess isn't the only person trying to board a boat under the cover of night. When a brawl erupts between the union and non-union men, Tess is mistaken for a fellow Scab and in the chaos pulled aboard the PS <em>Rodney</em> - the same boat heading up the Darling River that her husband was bound for. </p><p>The last person Bram Kempster expects to see on board is Tess Hawthorn, the girl he's loved from afar since they were young. But he can't afford to get distracted, not when he's on an urgent trip to Renmark. Tess didn't want him back then and, if her haughty behaviour is anything to go by, she certainly doesn't want him now.</p><p>But childhood hurts are the least of their problems. The continent is a tinderbox of violence and bloodshed waiting to ignite, and at home the Murray River is rising fast. Can they overcome their past in time to work together and survive?</p><p><strong>PRAISE FOR DARRY FRASER:</strong></p><p>'Fraser has established herself as one of Australia's most loved historical fiction authors.' - <em>The Herald Sun</em></p><p>'In <em>The Milliner of Bendigo</em>, Fraser delivers another enthralling adventure, sweeping us along on the remarkable journey of a woman determined to forge her own path.' - <em>Better Reading</em></p><p>'Darry Fraser is at the top of her game with her latest Australian historical ... <em>The Milliner of Bendigo </em>is another wonderful tale to immerse yourself in.' - <em>Great Reads & Tea Leaves</em></p>