Talking Aussie Books

Cassie Hamer is not only an Australian bestselling author of 3 novels  - 'After the Party', 'The End of Cuthbert Close' and the 'Truth About Faking It' - but a colleague, a writing buddy and most importantly, a dear friend. This month, Cassie has a new novel out. And listener’s it’s an absolute cracker.  ‘The Stranger at the Table’ published by HQ Fiction is part crime, par...

Sara Foster is a Perth-based author of six best-selling psychological suspense novels that include ‘You Don’t Know Me’ The Hidden Hours’ and ‘All that is Lost Between Us’, along with the acclaimed dystopian thriller ‘The Hush’. Two of Sara’s novels have been optioned for TV and ‘You Don’t Know Me’ - a book I have read and absolutely loved - was adapted into a chart-topping drama podcast series by...

Listeners, I may have mentioned once or twice on the podcast before that I’m a huge francophile. So whenever I have the chance to read a book that takes me back to France or immerses me in the sensory heaven that is French food and wine, I’ll savour it like a glass of Moet and Chandon.  And so when a book called ‘Eat Your Heart Out’ set in France crossed my desk earlier this year, I knew it was go...

Listeners, if you tune in regularly, I’m sure you appreciate that I read eclectically and I’m fascinated by how books come into being - whatever path that happens to take.  Indie or trad, I’m interested in it all.  So when my fellow writer and friend, Sal Gallaher took the plunge and decided to self-publish her debut, I was keen to have a chat about it.  Sal is a writer and photographer. A Dane by...

Listeners I last spoke to my next guest, Maryrose Cuskelly, when her debut novel ‘The Cane’ was published by Allen & Unwin back in 2022.  "The Cane" was an atmospheric crime novel set in a fictional sugarcane town in North Queensland in the 1970s. A terrific story reminiscent of 'The Dry' and other Australian rural and outback noir, that became an Australian bestseller and wa...

Listeners today I’m so excited to introduce you to another Aussie author whose book has simply floored me.  Fiona Hardy - a writer, bookseller and reviewer from Melbourne - is the author of a new book published by Affirm Press earlier this year called ‘Unbury the Dead’.   A contemporary crime fiction novel about two best friends who are hired to undertake some morally questionable activities and w...

Marion Taffe is a Melbourne-based writer who after a 20 year career as a journalist, decided to turn her hand to novel-writing.  A graduate of the RMIT degree in Professional Writing and Editing, Marion was named Creative Industries Student of the Year in her graduating year of 2023. She was also runner-up in the Grace Marion Wilson Emerging Writers Prize (non-fiction) in 2022 and a recipient of a...

When a friend that you've been toiling alongside in the writing space for years can finally call themselves a published author, there's many reasons to celebrate. Chrissie Bellbrae is a talented Australian writer who took control of her writing career by self-publishing her debut novel 'The Florentine Quilt' early in 2025. I'd had the pleasure of reading an early draft of this...

There are many Australian writers out there producing quality book after quality book each and every year - satisfying the voracious demands of their eager fans.  Penelope Janu definitely falls into that category.  And if you haven’t heard of Penelope’s work as yet, then dear listeners you’re in for a treat.  Penelope is a former lawyer  - a longtime legal academic - whose debut novel ‘In at the D...

Unsurprisingly, I’m very much drawn to the work of debut Australian authors. And this year, I’m delighted to be interviewing a number of them, one of whom is my next guest. Kate Horan is Sydney-based ex-English teacher who once taught at high schools in Western Sydney loving being able to inspire teenagers with a love of reading.  For the last seventeen years, however, Kate has worked in corporate...

Ella Ward is a Melbourne-based author of memoir '27 Letters to My Daughter' and a brilliant debut novel 'The Cicada House'. Released by HarperCollins in January 2025, 'The Cicada House' is a gorgeously uplifting, magical coming of age story that starts out one way and takes readers on an unexpected but utterly delightful journey. Following 40-year-old protagonist Caitlin, we move from London to Ar...

I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off a brand new season of Talking Aussie Books than with my next guest author, historical fantasy writer, Kell Woods.  I've had the pleasure of interviewing Kell once before on the podcast - and that was for Kell’s debut novel ‘After the Forest’ back in 2023.  I remember distinctly finishing that book and thinking I had just read something incredibly sp...

If you’re a fan of crime fiction, you may have noticed that cosy crime is making a come back in a big way of late - certainly in Australia in any event.  A sub-genre of crime that many attribute to Agatha Christie has spawned many wonderful Australian novels that recently include 'The Tea Ladies' Mysteries by Amanda Hampson,  the Poppy McGowan Mysteries by Pamela Hart, Miss Fisher' Mysteries by Ke...

Alexandra Almond is a Melbourne-based author who, before turning her hand to writing, worked in a variety of roles - which included being a stable hand and a clown! Her debut novel, 'Thoroughly Disenchanted', was recently published by HarperCollins Australia. And what a delightful, romantic - and despite its title - enchanting novel it is. It’s about 4 friends, a cursed country house and a weekend...

'The Last Love Note' written by Canberra-based author Emma Grey was one of my most memorable reads for 2023 - a book that Emma wrote in the wake of her husband’s sudden death. It’s been incredibly successful both in Australia and NZ (selling more than 100,000 copies so far) and it was also picked up in the US and was selected for Book of the Month and Target’s book club.   Having said all that, it...

'Immortal Dark' (Hachette Australia) by Tigest Girma heralds a new and exciting era of vampire fiction. As a debut it is a remarkable, fresh, rich and clever reimagining of a tale as old as time. An Ethiopian writer based in Melbourne, Tigest is passionate about exploring East-African stories and myths - weaving them with dark and fantastical themes. 'Immortal Dark' is 'Twilight' meets older 'Harr...

Sydney-based Joanne Fedler is an international bestselling author of 15 books. A writing mentor, women's activist and keen ocean swimmer, Joanne's books have sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. Earlier this year, Joanne's new novel 'The Whale's Last Song' was released by HarperCollins Australia. And what a beautiful, magical and portentous book it is. So much so, I knew I had to speak with Joanne...

Brisbane-based author Christine Wells is the author of sixteen novels and is a powerhouse in the historical fiction space.  Her new novel, ‘The Paris Gown’ (published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins) is about three women who meet at the Paris Cordon Blue cooking school in the 1950s and become firm friends, only to go their separate ways afterwards.  Years later, they’re reunited in...

'Double Happiness' (Midnight Sun Publishing)  by Melbourne-based writer, editor and arts journalist Rochelle Siemienowicz is a work of auto fiction and explores the complexities of non-monogamy and what it’s like to love two or more people - equally but differently.  Set in Melbourne, the book is told from three different perspectives and spans a seven-year period in which Anna, her husband Brenda...

Listeners, it was a joy to welcome one of my favourite Aussie authors back to the podcast this week. Tania Blanchard is an Australian, bestselling author whose skill as a storyteller has gone from strength to strength in the 6 or 7 years that I have known her.  From her debut novel ‘The Girl From Munich’ to her latest, Tania has cemented her place as an international bestselling author and a power...

Tricia Stringer is a multi-award winning bestselling Australian author of 17 novels which include 'Back on Track', 'Keeping Up Appearances', 'Birds of a Feather', 'The Model Wife' and 'Table for Eight' amongst others. Tricia's brand new novel 'Head for the Hills' has just been released by HQ Fiction and what a joyful, insightful and timely read it is. I was thrilled to welcome Tricia back to the p...

Julie Bennett is a Sydney-based author of two wonderfully rich, intriguing historical novels. 'The Understudy' published in 2022 and now 'The Lost Letters of Rose Carey' published earlier this year by Simon & Schuster Australia. Storytelling is in Julie’s blood and that first novel was the most magnificent story - taking readers back to Sydney in 1973, inspired by her own child...

Christine Paice is the author of the incredible new novel ‘The Oxenbridge King’ which has just been published by HarperCollins Australia.  Listeners to say that this was a novel I enjoyed, would be an understatement.  'The Oxenbridge King' takes you back in time, giving you a glimpse into a by-gone era and ruminates on events we can only speculate about.  A clever, funny and at times heart...

Petronella McGovern is the author of 4 crime novels and two non-fiction titles.  Her first book, Six Minutes - published in 2019 was an instant bestseller and was shortlisted for the Ned Kelley Awards in 2020.  The Good Teacher was next, followed by The Liars.  All masterful stories that examine the human psyche and what makes people behave the way they do.  Petronella’s latest novel - The Last Tr...

When Lizzy Dent’s new book landed on my desk a couple of months ago, I was excited. 'Just One Taste' (HarperCollins Australia) is a book with all the feels. Unforgettable characters, delightful romance, humour, food to salivate over and destinations to dream of. An homage to Italy and complete sensory experience from an Aussie author that global bestselling authors Emily Henry, Marian Keye...