Talking Aussie Books

Mary-Lou Stephens is a Tasmanian born author, whose divine debut novel "The Last of the Apple Blossom" (HQ Fiction) I recently had the pleasure of reading. In this book we get to re-live the highs and lows of being an apple orchardist, through the eyes of two life-long friends Catherine Turner and Annie Pearson. This was a spectacularly rich, thoroughly researched and highly emotive family drama t...

From award-winning bestselling author, Sarah Bailey, comes a brand new nail-biting thriller. "The Housemates", published by Allen & Unwin, is Sarah's fourth book and her first stand-alone novel. A gritty urban crime novel, "The Housemates" introduces us to Olive Groves - a Melbourne -based journalist who became obsessed by a case dubbed the "Housemate Homicide" involving three housemates: one murd...

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of reading a new novel from Sydney-based writer, Tessa Lunney. Called "Autumn Leaves, 1922", it's the second book in Tessa's Kiki Button mysteries. A novel that does much to capture post-war sentiment in Europe at the time. Think Phrynne Fisher meets The Great Gatsby. A complex tale with a colourful and vibrant cast of characters - both real and imagined. I wa...

Margaret Hickey's novel, "Cutter's End" (Penguin) is a deeply atmospheric, mesmerising crime novel that explores the chilling underbelly of the Australian outback. In a story that has echoes of Jane Harper's "The Dry" and Chris Hammer's "Scrublands" fans of outback noir are in for a treat. This was a highly entertaining, addictive page-turner that I cannot recommend highly enough. I was so delight...

Barbara Hannay is an international best-selling Australian author. With over 50 titles to her name and over 12 million books sold globally, Barbara is a force to be reckoned with. Her new book, "The Garden of Hopes and Dreams" (published by Penguin) was released in early August 2021. A delightfully heartwarming book about the importance of community and connection that I thoroughly enjoyed. I was...

Tough times mean it's never been more important to have feel good stories we can turn to. Stories that send us on a welcome journey away from reality, if only for a little while. And that's exactly what Jodi Gibson's new book did for me. "The Five Year Plan" (Brio Books) is a super-fun story which follows the adventures of Melbourne woman, Demi Moretti, as she tries to navigate life bearing the we...

Hannah Bent is a Sydney-based author whose debut novel 'When Things Are Alive They Hum', was recently published by one of Australia's newest publishing houses, Ultimo Press. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Hannah studied Fine Art and Film in London before deciding to pursue further studies in writing in Sydney. Completing a Masters In Creative Writing, Hannah was awarded the Ray Koppe Young Writer's...

I was so thrilled to join this stellar cast of women podcasters recently to celebrate Dani Vee's 400th episode of her fabulous Words and Nerds Podcast. Not only is Dani an exceptional, authentic and inspirational human, she's a wonderful supporter of Australian writers and other podcasters. Join Dani, Pamela Cook, Alison Tait, Ashley Kalagian Blunt and I as we celebrate this incredible milestone e...

Simon Rowell is a Victorian based author with an eclectic working background. His first novel, "The Echo of Others" was an Amazon bestseller and went on to be Longlisted for the Ned Kelly Awards - Best First Crime for 2018. This year, he returns with a brand new crime thriller. A book that is propulsive, filled with twists and turns, and a new and unforgettable crime-busting duo. Called "The Long...

In mid-2020 I had the happy privilege of chatting with rural fiction author, Léonie Kelsall about her gorgeous book, "The Farm at Peppertree Crossing". With its well developed characters and strong sense of place, it was a book that offered humour and hope and a way of making sense of some of the tough issues often faced by our rural neighbours. So I guess it comes as no surprise to learn that thi...

Francesca Haig's "The Cookbook of Common Prayer" (Allen & Unwin) is a book that will forever leave an indelible imprint on my heart. Set between Tasmania and London, this book explores themes of grief, food, mental health and hope in a thoroughly compelling and unique manner. Heartbreaking and somehow uplifting at the same time, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I was overjoyed to have t...

Paige Toon's latest book "Someone I Used To Know" (Penguin) was released here in Australia in June 2021. A tender, passionate and romantic story that was both heartbreaking and heartwarming at once. I absolutely loved it. Set in North Yorkshire, this book captured my imagination and was everything you love in a contemporary romance. I was thrilled to welcome Paige to the podcast earlier this year.

It's always a thrill for me to discover the work of authors I haven't read before. Especially crime writers. So, you can imagine how excited I was to find Tim Ayliffe's books. Tim is a Sydney-based author and journalist who works as the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News. A few years ago, he decided to try his hand at novel writing and has now penned three novels featuring former...

Sandie Docker is an author whose books are now highly anticipated amongst the band of loyal readers she has amassed over the last few years - characterised as they are by their idyllic settings, relatable characters and long-held mysteries. Titles which include "The Kookaburra Creek Cafe", "The Cottage at Rosella Cove" and "The Banksia Bay Beach Shack" demonstrate Sandie's knack for writing intrig...

Rob McDonald also known as RWR McDonald is the award-winning author of the 2019 novel "The Nancys". A murder-mystery featuring 11 year-old Nancy Drew fan, Tippy Chan, who teams up with her babysitter uncle and his boyfriend to form their own amateur detective club to solve a high-profile murder case. This year Rob released a follow-up called "Nancy Business" (Allen & Unwin). Tippy along with her U...

Tania Farrelly's debut novel "The Eighth Wonder" (Penguin) is one of those books I found so brilliant it left me amazed and envious in equal measures! It was inspired, nuanced, thought-provoking and intelligent - so much so, it's difficult to fathom that it's a debut. It's book that takes readers on a journey through New York in the early 20th century. A time of great contradictions and one that p...

Two years ago I had the great fortune to chat with Kaneana May on the release of her debut novel, "The One" (Harlequin, 2019). A story that took us behind the scenes of a popular reality dating show and the lengths someone will go to to find their one true love. This year Kaneana is back with another fabulous novel. A beautiful and moving story about friendship, love and loss. Something that I kno...

"Girl, 11" is the explosive, incredible debut novel written by Melbourne-based author, Amy Suiter Clarke. For lovers of true crime and the podcasts that shine a spotlight on cold cases, this book was a nail-biting page-turner that I devoured. I had a terrific time chatting with Amy on the podcast a little while ago.

Rachel Givney is an international best-selling author and film-maker with a list of TV and film credits to her name. In 2020, Rachel added novel-writing to her impressive list of achievements with her runaway success break-out novel, 'Jane in Love '. A romantic comedy that fans will no doubt be delighted to learn has been optioned by Amazon Studios and Di Novi Pictures for a film adaptation. This...

Maya Linnell and I connected via social media when her first book, 'Wildflower Ridge' was about to be published back in 2019. Almost two years to the day, we had our first podcast chat. In that time I have watched Maya's rising star with awe and amazement. She is a force to be reckoned with. A talented writer, home-baker, garden guru, social media and marketing whizz, avid reader, book reviewer an...

"Lovebirds" (Penguin) is the latest release from Sydney-based novelist, Amanda Hampson. A heart-warming story about the power of love and family that sensitively deals with a number of heavy themes. It was the first of Amanda's novels that I've had the good fortune to read. Now I'm itching to go through her backlist. Titles that include "The Olive Sisters", "Two For the Road", 'The French Perfumer...

Kelly Rimmer is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels. Her titles include, "Before I let you Go", "The Things We cannot Say" and "Truths I Never Told You." Her brand new novel, "The Warsaw Orphan" was released by Hachette Australia at the end of April this year. And what an incredible story of courage, resilience and survival it is. Meticulously resea...

Lawrence McMahon is a Melbourne-based author whose writing career began as a medical student some thirty years ago. He has won multiple national and regional short story awards and somewhere in and around his medical career and position as Professor of Nephrology at Monash University, Lawrence has written an astonishing debut novel - drawing on his experiences as a doctor both in Australia and abr...

Nicola Moriarty is a Sydney-based novelist and copywriter whose works include bestselling novels, "The Fifth Letter", "Those Other Women" and "The Ex". Her brand new novel, "You Need to Know" was released by HarperCollins in early April this year and I have to tell you listeners, this is one you will not want to miss. A thrilling, compulsive page-turner, this book had me breathless til the last pa...

Cassandra Austin is the author of three novels and describes herself as a homesick Australian who lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. Before deciding to pursue a career in writing, she worked as a criminologist and a documentary film-maker. Cassandra's new novel "Like Mother" (Penguin), is a captivating and compelling addition to a growing body of work known as "domestic noir"....