FICTION

The Calendar Mums  A gorgeously warm, funny and heartbreaking book about what it means to be a mother. The Hickory Creek Community Centre is a lifeline for new mums. So when a bad case of black mould threatens to end the only women's services available in their small town, a new mothers' group bands together to save it. Their plan? Create a fundraiser calendar featuring themselves ... in the nude. As the mothers bare all, it doesn't take long for them to start baring their secrets too. Stay-at-home mum Rhea is hopeful this project will be enough to distract her from the gnawing guilt she's been feeling about her dissatisfaction with being 'just' a mum. Single mother Samantha is recovering from a heartbreaking loss and isn't sure if the anxiety she's feeling is normal or not. And everyone says new-to-town Tahlie is so lucky to have such a present and supportive partner in Hamish, the town's golden boy. So why does she feel so lonely? As the calendar takes shape, the women begin to reclaim their identities, embrace their imperfections and forge new friendships. And perhaps the most unexpected result of all, in their bid to save the community centre, they just might also save a life ... Perfectly balancing light and dark, this stunning debut touches on issues of identity, post-partum mental health and community, and is a reminder to mothers that they were women first, women who are strong, capable and not to be underestimated. PRAISE "The Calendar Mums is one of my favourite reads of the year. It's warm-hearted and wise, while also being utterly compelling and unputdownable. Lauren McKellar has written a beautiful celebration of the strength of women and the power of female friendship. This is one to read with your book clubs!" Bestselling author Rachael Johns

‘The Pool is Christos Tsiolkas’s The Slap with an added whodunnit layer.’ – Books+Publishing Prince of spin and life of the party, Baz King, is missing. Nine years ago, at an innocent summer barbecue in Melbourne, everything imploded. For the Kings and the four other young families there that fateful day marriages fractured, friendships crumbled and lives were upended. Nothing would ever be the same. Now in their forties and their children teenagers, Baz King cannot be found. Has his charm finally run out? With a history of dodgy dealings and no shortage of motives, anyone could be a suspect – his ex-wife, Birdie; his colleague, Alex Turner; his lover, Jess and her husband, Richard; his friend’s nanny and new wife, Madison – who wants him out of the picture? A biting domestic noir, The Pool examines the enduring shrapnel of tragedy: if you witness the worst thing imaginable, how does it change you? Could it make you a murderer? PRAISE FOR THE POOL ‘Hannah Tunnicliffe creates a tangled web of love, betrayal and tragedy … It gripped me from start to finish.’ Anna Snoekstra, author of The Ones We Love ‘a bold and deeply intriguing story of morally ambiguous lives … it depicts a world full of domestic and corporate duplicity that could very well be the one you’re living in right now’ Lyn Yeowart, author of The Silent Listener ‘for fans of Garry Disher and Robert Gott—and anyone who loves a classic Australian mystery.’ –Books+Publishing