Talking Aussie Books

As an avid (somewhat amateurish skier), I am captivated by alpine landscapes. So when I learnt about a series of crime books set in the Australian Snowy Mountains, I was intrigued.   Lee Christine has made her mark on the Australian literary scene with six romantic suspense novels along with her series of snow-bound crime thrillers.  The latest of these is 'Dead Horse Gap' published by A...

Kylie Orr is a Melbourne-based writer whose debut novel “Someone Else’s Child” was released by HQ Fiction at the end of May. A gripping and at times confronting novel that explores the ethics of giving, toxic friendships and motherhood, this story of drew me in immediately and didn’t let go until the very last page. Kylie is a wonderful new voice on the Australian literary scene and I was absolute...

I love a good rom-com. And I've read my fair share of them. So finding a new voice and refreshing take on the romcom genre is always a happy occurrence.  Enter Kimberley Allsopp and her debut novel 'Love and Other Puzzles' (HarperCollins Australia). A fantastically original story that had me fizzing with laughter. Warm, witty and clever, it had me hooked from start to finish. I had a wonderfu...

Toni Jordan is a bestselling, award-winning Melbourne-based author of six novels.  Her debut, 'Addition', was an international bestselling novel which was also shortlisted for the highly prestigious Miles Franklin Award.  Toni's new novel, 'Dinner with the Schnabels', was recently released by Hachette. And whilst it is the first of Toni's novels I've read - it won't be the last.  Th...

What it means to be Australian is a question that runs through the heart of Shankari Chandran's delightful novel, 'Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens' (published by Ultimo Press earlier this year).  A complex and thought-provoking look at Australian society through the eyes of the compassionate community of Sri Lankan Tamils and others within a fictional western Sydney nursing home, this novel was...

Dervla McTiernan is an international, bestselling, critically acclaimed author of four novels along with three Audible original titles.  Her debut novel, 'The Ruin', was published in 2018 and became a top ten bestseller - also winning the Ned Kelly award for best debut crime novel (amongst other awards). 'The Ruin' was the first of Dervla's Detective Cormac Reilly series - which later include...

Wendy James is the author of nine novels, including best-selling title "The Mistake" and "The Golden Child" which was shortlisted for a Ned Kelly award in 2017. Her debut, "Out of the Silence" won the 2006 Ned Kelly Award for best crime debut and was also shortlisted for the Nita May Dobbie award for women's fiction. Her latest novel, "A Little Bird" (Lake Union Publishing) was released in the US...

Sydney-based author Jack Ellis has two published novels to his name. After studying classical composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, Jack went on to study dispute resolution and law, becoming a Family Mediator. His first novel "The Best Feeling of All" was published in 2014 and his second, "Home and Other Hiding Places" was recently released by...

Hilde Hinton is a bestselling author of two books and big sister to Connie and Samuel Johnson. Her debut novel, "The Loudness of Things Unsaid" propelled Hilde reluctantly into the literary realm. But with her second novel now out in the world, in my humble opinion Hilde has unequivocally arrived. Released earlier this year, "A Solitary Walk on the Moon" (published by Hachette) is a delightful, te...

Sasha Wasley's brand new novel 'A Caravan Like A Canary' (Pantera Press) is a beautifully written, heart-felt tale about a family ripped apart by tragedy and the road trip taken by siblings Tara and Zac Button in an attempt to put the past to rest and heal old wounds. Set against the stunning WA coastline, this is a gorgeous novel that had me enthralled from start to finish. I was super excited to...

Joanna Buckley is a Melbourne-based author whose debut novel 'Lily Harford's Last Request' (HQ Fiction) blew me away. A novel that was borne out of some of Joanna's personal experiences. It's a book that makes us confront some of the big issues we face as a society today and the choices we are forced to make along the way. A thought-provoking, moving and brave novel that I absolutely loved. I had...

Cassie Hamer is one of Australia's best-selling authors. With three published titles to her name now, Cassie is fast cementing her reputation as an auto-buy author for meany reader across Australia. Her new book - with the most fabulous title ever - is called "The Truth About Faking It". I've read it and loved it. And I know others will feel the same. An absolute must-read. I was absolutely deligh...

Maryrose Cuskelly is an award-winning Melbourne-based author of both fiction and non-fiction. Her debut novel, "The Cane" was published earlier this year by Allen & Unwin. A gripping, atmospheric crime novel set in the fictional sugarcane town of Quala in North Queensland in the 1970s. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was delighted to have the chance to speak with Maryrose on the podcast...

**Warning: This podcast contains discussion of themes and issues some listeners may find distressing.** Back in 2020, I had the pleasure of connecting with West Australian author Monique Mulligan and chatting with her on the podcast about her debut novel, "Wherever You Go". A book which occupies a spot on the short list of books in recent times that has made me cry. A beautifully written and heart...

"The Understudy" (Simon & Schuster) by Sydney-based author Julie Bennett is a brilliant new debut novel inspired by the Sydney Opera House and Julie's own childhood. A fascinating, page-turning glimpse into the underbelly of the theatre world, along with the rivalries, politics and machinations behind a history-making opera performance in 1973 Sydney. I am in complete awe of Julie's achievement wi...

'Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter' (Penguin) is a brilliant debut novel from Lizzie Pook, an award-winning travel writer and journalist. Spending time in north-western Australia researching the south-sea pearling industry was Lizzie's inspiration for this novel - which not only explores the origin of this treacherous industry, but deals with themes of family, loss, redemption and the lengths a...

Aoife Clifford is an award-winning, bestselling Australian crime writer of three novels including "All These Perfect Strangers", "Second Sight" and now her brand new novel "When We Fall". Published by Ultimo Press, "When We Fall" is a tense, gripping and propulsive novel with a racing plot that will leave you breathless til the very end. If you're a fan of crime fiction, you will love Aoife's work...

Ali Lowe is a Sydney-based author who works as a journalist. I had the great pleasure of meeting Ali at a book launch back in December 2020 and was delighted to learn of her then upcoming debut novel. The book is now out in the world. Called "The Trivia Night" (published by Hodder & Stoughton) it's a page-turning, rip snorting read that will shock, delight and have you turning pages til the wee ho...

Jill Staunton is a North Queensland-based author of two novels, "Reiver's Moon" and "All That He Is". Both published by Boolarong Press. "All That He Is" was released late last year and boy oh boy, what a terrific read! This novel grabbed me from its opening pages and didn't let go until the very end. It had everything you want in a book: a cast of wonderfully depicted, strong and relatable charac...

When an author tells you she was married to a career criminal and that this inspired her debut novel, it cannot fail to pique your interest. Listening to Loraine Peck talk about her inspiration for her novel, "The Second Son" (Text Publishing) at a writers festival late last year, I knew I had to speak with her on the podcast to learn more. What followed was a fascinating chat about her life and h...

Dinuka McKenzie is a crime writer who debuted onto the Australian literary scene with an almighty bang. Winning the Banjo Prize in 2020, Dinuka secured her place in literary history and scored herself a book deal with publishing giant, HarperCollins Australia. More than a year down the track and her debut novel, "The Torrent" has finally hit the shelves. And what a cracker of a story it is. I was...

Dinuka McKenzie is a crime writer who debuted on the Australian literary scene with an almighty bang. Wining the Banjo Prize in 2020, Dinuka secured her spot in literary history and scored a book deal with publishing giant, HarperCollins Australia. More than a year on from that win, Dinuka's debut novel "The Torrent" hit shelves. I was thrilled to welcome Dinuka as my first guest for 2022.

Nore Hoogstad is a Sydney-based author and former diplomat to Australia and the UN who held a diplomatic posting to Jakarta and Dili in a time of great political upheaval for Indonesia and East Timor. Now a writer as well as a nutritional therapist, Nore has just published her first book. Called "Gunfire Lullabies", Nore plunges us into a gut-wrenching, dangerous world where two women must navigat...

Discussion around consent and sexual violence experienced by girls and women in educational institutions and the toxic culture engendered by these institutions has been a topic that has dominated headlines in recent years. It's a discussion that is slowly filtering its way into high school curriculums and hopefully leading to a change in what young women and men think of as healthy, respectful sex...

Karen Herbert is a Perth-based author whose debut crime novel was recently released by Fremantle Press. Called "The River Mouth", it's a haunting, evocative novel which centres on the shooting death of 15 year-old Darren Davies and his mother's struggle to come to terms with his death. This book has everything book lovers enjoy in a crime novel. A stunning debut that had me guessing til the very e...