Showing results by narrator "Elizabeth Brennan" in All Categories

When Harry Houdini comes to visit the seaside town of Sidford-on-Sea, Glory and her friend Dennis are first in line to see him. He is there to perform a daring trick – he will jump off the town pier in chains, pitching himself into the water below. But when Glory outsmarts the infamous Houdini, she is suddenly sucked into his world, and finds herself tasked with looking after his precious trunk – the one that contains all his secrets.

Twelve-year-old Rose can't remember anything before last week, when she woke up not knowing her own name, her own house or or even her own mother. The only thing Rose recognised was her puppy, North. But Mother patiently explained everything – well, not everything. Not the real-feeling dreams Rose has about a mysterious forest she half-recognises. Or why she is not allowed to stray beyond the garden, out into Luminelle, the vast city surrounding them. Mother is kind and helpful, but Rose can't shake the feeling that something's not right. Or maybe it's everything that's not right?

Benjamin Stevenson meets Nine Perfect Strangers in a story about writerly ambition, self-discovery and - of course - revenge. Sharp, fresh, bold, thrilling and gothic - gripping suspense from a spectacular new Australian talent. An opportunity a writer would die for ... Desley Barron is ready to...

A heartwarming collection of four brand-new festive stories from favourite Australian authors about finding love on the farm this Christmas. The Christmas Contract by Pamela Cook Bridie has until Christmas to convince her dad not to pull the loan he gave her to set up her organic produce farm...

A gem-fossicking discovery echoes through time and leads to a dangerous journey through the red dust outback. A gripping mystery from Australian author Annie Seaton. Gemma Hayden has returned to her hometown of Alice Springs for a new job as a primary school teacher. It's been six years since...

'A haunting and darkly beautiful retelling of Dickens's Great Expectations.' Karen Brooks, author. The icily enigmatic anti-hero of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations tells her own story ... and changes the ending in this beguiling feminist take on a classic for readers of Pip Williams and...

After five exhilarating years in New York, Stevie has a successful career and glamorous social life. But what she most wants is a baby – an aspiration that feels impossible given that she is single, 38 and living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, far away from most of her family in England. Determined to become a mother, Stevie returns to London and has a baby on her own. When she gives birth to Ash, she finds motherhood painfully at odds with her former life and her expectations. She begins to wonder if having a child was a mistake, and what she might be willing to do to escape.

Families come in all shapes and sizes. They are the people who help us feel that we belong. Families give us help, support and love, even when we are apart from them. When we are with our family, we feel like we are home.

Going into the playground can be like setting off on an adventure in the jungle – exciting, a little bit wild and filled with lots of different creatures. You’ll meet lots of people having their own adventures in the playground, and sometimes you might want to play together. There’s a lot to learn, but there’s also lots of fun to be had.

Friendship is a very special thing. It’s great to have a friend, and being a friend to someone else is a good feeling too. Sometimes getting along with your friends is easy, and other times it can be a little trickier, but there are lots of ways to keep your friendships balanced and fun for everyone.

The life inside your body is tricky to see, but you can feel it. Life lets you run and laugh and play – like how the wind helps kites to fly across the sky and leaves to dance across the ground. But where does the wind go when it stops blowing? And where does life go when it leaves the body?

The Big Hug Collection comprises of ten enlightening tales that offer gentle explanations of emotions and relationships through analogies children can relate to. Each story in the collection has grown from psychological sessions with children (and sometimes with grown ups) to help them understand and talk about complex emotional situations in simple, approachable ways. The Big Hug Collection acknowledges that some moments in life are tricky and encourages acceptance, problem solving and help-seeking as needed.

No evacuation plan, no safety net ... Sometimes you just have to save yourself. A hilarious, big-hearted story about second chances from the author of Terms of Inheritance 'Whimsical and heartfelt ... A great beach read with an unforgettable heroine' Sophie Green 'This fantastic up and coming...

A woman must track down a murderer to save her brother from the hangman's noose ... A rollicking and entertaining historical mystery, filled with adventure and romance from the Australian author of Daughter of the Hunter Valley. 1842, Hunter Valley: Lucy Stewart's life turns chaotic when she...

Number 3-1-5-5 is a good girl. She gets told that everyday when she is fed, moved to other rooms, given pills and examined. She doesn't remember much, but she can see every face she's come across as clearly as if they were in front of her. Her world is small, contained. But in a life where you know nothing but a sea of Janes and Johns, how will you know who is good and bad?

Megan kept drawing. The drawing seemed to have a mind of its own. She felt herself begin to panic. She wanted to stop. But her hand didn’t stop. Please, could she stop. Stop! Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures, and she shares her drawings with her best friend Li who writes stories to go with the pictures. They are kindred spirits with big creative dreams. One day everyone in town – except Megan and Li – is immobilised by a strange glow coming from their devices.

From the bestselling author of The Collaborator comes a compelling story of betrayal, collusion, revenge, and redemption set in German-occupied Jersey during World War II. June 1940. `It was a perfect June evening that began with hope and ended in despair.' So begins the journal of Hugh Jackson...

One irrepressible city girl plus a by-the-numbers accountant = a tricky equation... For city vet Isabella Passmore, the opportunity to pet-sit in the country knocks at the perfect time. Bring on that fresh air! But after three days of holiday bliss, Izzy is bored silly. If the air gets any...

The timing's terrible ... Fleeing a life her wealthy father planned – including the groom he picked out – Perth midwife Gabi Hudson heads off-grid to the small and charming town of Wirralong in the outback. She's hoping for a fresh start and to live a life of purpose while working in a local baby creche during her friend's maternity leave. A cute cottage is included, but the hot cowboy setting up an unusual holiday display is a heart-pounding surprise. Texas cowboy Cormack Callaghan has been travelling the world working odd jobs, until a lucrative hobby changes his fortunes.

Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures and she shares them with her best friend Li who writes stories to go with the pictures. They are kindred spirits with big creative dreams. One day everyone in town – except Megan and Li – is immobilised by a strange glow coming from their phones. Megan and Li are initially frightened and alarmed, but when they realise they are somehow immune, they set out to seek help.