List
Top 20 Most Borrowed Books: Australia Reads 2025
20 books Discoverable by Booko Admin
https://www.civica.com/en-au/news-library/australia-reads-national-library-borrowing-trends/
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The Unquiet Grave
Dervla McTiernan · 2024
Every grave has a story ... The much-anticipated new novel in the Cormac Reilly series, from the no.1 bestselling author of The Ruin and What Happened to Nina. For years the boglands of Northern Europe have given up bodies of the long-deceased. Bodies that are thousands of years old, uncannily preserved. Bodies with strange injuries that suggest ritual torture and human sacrifice.When a corpse is found in a bog in Galway, Cormac Reilly assumes the find is historical. But closer examination reveals a more recent story. The dead man is Thaddeus Grey, a local secondary school principal who disappeared two years prior.There's nothing in Grey's past that would explain why he was murdered, or why his body was mutilated in a ritual manner. At first, progress on the case is frustratingly slow and Cormac struggles to keep his mind on the job. His ex-girlfriend, Emma Sweeney, is in trouble, and she's reached out to him for help - Emma's new husband has gone missing in Paris, and the French police are refusing to open an investigation into his disappearance.Cormac is sure that he has found Grey's killer, and is within hours of an arrest, when another mutilated body is discovered on the other side of the country. Two days later, a third body is found. Press attention is intense. Is there a serial killer at work in Ireland? Has Cormac been on the wrong trail? And if so, can he find the murderer before they strike again?Praise for the Cormac Reilly novels:'Dervla McTiernan just gets better and better' Chris Hammer'A haunting mystery that will have you turning pages late into the night. This is Gone Girl-level good writing.' Janet Evanovich'Intelligent and fast-paced' Wall Street Journal'Taut, dense and darkly addictive. A treat for lovers of fine crime writing.' Candice Fox'As moving as it is fast-paced' Val McDermid'Cormac Reilly [is] a cop to follow to hell and back' Bookseller+Publisher
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Nightshade
Michael Connelly · 2025
No. 1 internationally bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces Detective Stilwell: a determined cop on a purgatory beat in paradise. Detective Stilwell of the Los Angeles County Sherriff's department has been exiled. Once he manned a mainland homicide desk; now internal politics have relegated him to a low-key post, policing rustic Catalina Island. He's beginning to think he could get used to it. It's all business as usual in his new territory, following up drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts, until Stilwell receives a report of a body found wrapped in plastic at the bottom of the harbour. He begins working the case, and soon he's forced to cross all lines of protocol and jurisdiction in pursuit of justice. But when Stilwell discovers dark secrets hidden in the shadows he must now ask: Is Catalina really the serene island it appears to be or is it brewing a deadly poison? 'The pre-eminent detective novelist of his generation' -Ian Rankin 'Superb crime writing from a master' -The Australian
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In Too Deep
Lee Child, Andrew Child · 2024
Reacher had no idea where he was. No idea how he had got there. But someone must have brought him. And shackled him. And whoever had done those things was going to rue the day. That was for damn sure. Jack Reacher wakes up, alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm has suffered some major damage. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there. The last thing Reacher can recall is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed. His captors assume Reacher was the driver's accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk. A plan that will backfire spectacularly . . .
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We Solve Murders
Richard Osman · 2024
With the heart and humour of The Thursday Murder Club combined with the international mystery of The Da Vinci Code, welcome to the blockbusting new series from the biggest new fiction author of the decade, Richard Osman. The first in a new series from the record-breaking phenomenon and globally bestselling author Richard Osman, starring a brand-new detective duo.
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Strangers in Time
David Baldacci · 2025
Charlie Matters' life has always been a fight for survival. Orphaned with no prospects, Charlie steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he can enlist in the battle against the Germans. He miraculously emerges unscathed from the Blitz, but there's no telling when the next bomb will fall, and whether it will be the one to end his life. Molly Wakefield's dreams of a joyful homecoming are all she's had to hold on to after being evacuated to the countryside via 'Operation Pied Piper' five years before. But when she finally returns to the city, Molly faces a London changed beyond recognition, and the devastating news that neither of her parents are there. Charlie and Molly's paths converge when they both seek solace at 'The Book Keep', where they find an unexpected ally and protector in the bookshop's owner, widower Ignatius Oliver. But the trio's newfound peace is jeopardized as past secrets catch up with them: Charlie's illicit activities have not gone unnoticed, an ominous shadow has trailed Molly since her return, and Ignatius is burdened by a secret that contributed to his wife's death. Can they help one another survive this turbulent time? Or will they be ripped apart from the last people they hold dear? **********
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Nobody's Fool
Harlan Coben · 2025
The past comes back with a bite in the gripping new thriller from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author and creator of Fool Me Once. A year after the devastating events that took place in Fool Me Once, a secret from former Detective Sami Kierce's college days comes back to haunt him. Present day is hard enough for Kierce, but his past isn't through with him yet... MALAGA, 2000 Sami Kierce, a young man backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning. He is covered in blood. There's a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of a woman. Anna. Dead. He begins to scream. NEW YORK CITY, 2025 Kierce, now a disgraced detective, is teaching night classes when he recognizes a familiar face in the crowd. Anna. It's unmistakably her. But as soon as he makes eye contact with her, she runs. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the mystery that still haunts his every waking moment. His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried . . . HARLAN COBEN never ever lets you down - LEE CHILD HARLAN COBEN- simply one of the all-time greats - GILLIAN FLYNN HARLAN COBEN never disappoints - STEPHEN KING HARLAN COBEN is the modern master of the hook and twist - DAN BROWN HARLAN COBEN is unbelievably brilliant - RICHARD OSMAN HARLAN COBEN is a GREAT writer - JOHN GRISHAM
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Here One Moment
Liane Moriarty · 2024
If you knew when you were going to die, what would you do differently? It all begins on a flight from Hobart to Sydney. The flight will be smooth. It will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off the plane. But almost all of them will be changed forever. Because on this ordinary flight, something extraordinary happens. 'A lady', unremarkable until she isn't, predicts how and when many of the passengers are going to die. For some, death is far in the future; for others, it is very close. A brilliantly constructed story that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. Liane Moriarty is a modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery and asking profound, universal questions. Praise for Liane Moriarty: 'Liane Moriarty produces novels that are miracles of structure as well as human insight' Sydney Morning Herald 'Moriarty is brilliant at her craft, all the time cranking up the suspense' The Age
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The Let Them Theory
Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins · 2024
Become happier, more confident, and secure with a viral, life-changing hack that teaches you to focus on what you can control about yourself vs trying to control others-from Mel Robbins, host of the #1 Mel Robbins Podcast and New York Times best-selling author. Become happier, more confident, and secure with a simple, viral, life-changing tool from Mel Robbins, host of the #1 Mel Robbins Podcast and New York Times best-selling author. Take Control of Your Life With 2 Simple Words The Let Them Theory is a life-changing tool that millions of people can't stop talking about. This is the best relationship advice no one has ever told you before. Start using it, and almost immediately, something begins to happen- Your stress and tension lowers. You feel more in control. Frustrating relationships disappear. Healthier relationships appear. Happiness and ease become your new default. If you're having trouble improving your life or achieving your goals, the problem isn't you. The problem is other people. Because you are making them the problem. You're spending too much time and energy trying to manage other people. And whether you realize it or not, it is making you miserable, tired, and stressing you out. There's a better way to live. New York Times best-selling author and #1 ranked podcast host Mel Robbins, one of the most respected experts in the world on mindset, motivation, and behavior change, is known to her 19 million followers for her relatable advice and science-backed tools that have changed the lives of millions worldwide. The Let Them Theory is Robbins' most powerful and profound work yet. Renowned for her ability to simplify complex topics into simple daily actions, Robbins draws on decades of research in psychology, neuroscience, and ancient philosophy to share the fastest, most direct path to changing your relationships with other people. Learn how to- Avoid the #1 regret that people have at the end of their lives when it comes to relationships. Protect your time and energy from negative people. Motivate yourself (or others) to change any behavior. Bring more love, acceptance, and support into your romantic relationships. Find and have the best friendships of your life. Stop worrying about what other people think of you. Build the life that you truly want. and much more. This theory will change how you think about your entire life. Two words. Endless possibilities. Let Them.
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Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry · 2025
Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of an heiress with more than a few plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry. When Margaret Ives, the famously reclusive heiress, invites eternal optimist Alice Scott to the balmy Little Crescent Island, Alice knows this is it: her big break. And even more rare: a chance to impress her family with a Serious Publication. The catch? Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud, Hayden Anderson, is sure of the same thing. The proposal? A one-month trial period to unearth the truth behind one of the most scandalous families of the 20th Century, after which she'll choose who'll tell her story. The problem? Margaret is only giving each of them tantalising pieces. Pieces they can't put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they're in the same room. And it's becoming abundantly clear that their story - just like the tale Margaret's spinning - could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad ... depending on who's telling it.
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The Waiting
Michael Connelly · 2024
LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a terrifying serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, with the help of the newest volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry's daughter.
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Hidden Nature
Nora Roberts · 2025
The beloved multi-million copy bestselling author is back with a brand new novel about an injured cop fighting to bring down a pair of twisted killers. When a woman mysteriously vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, injured police officer, Sloan Cooper, determines to keep herself busy looking for any similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young?the missing seem to have nothing in common. But the abductions keep on coming. It will take every ounce of Sloan's endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case?and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes...
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The White Crow
Michael Robotham · 2025
His books have sold 8.5 million copies. Now the No. 1 bestseller returns with a nail-biting PC Phil McCarthy novel As the daughter of a London crime boss, Police Constable Philomena McCarthy walks a thin blue line keeping the two sides of her complicated life apart. On patrol one night she discovers a child in pyjamas, wandering alone. Taking Daisy home, Phil uncovers the aftermath of a deadly home invasion, as three miles away a prominent jeweller is found strapped to an explosive in his ransacked store. The crimes are linked, and all the evidence points to Phil's father as the mastermind. Phil's two worlds are colliding, trapping her in the middle of a vicious gang war that will threaten her career and everyone she loves. Who can she trust - the badge or her own blood? Praise for Michael Robotham's books, including When You Are Mine: 'As the expertly paced first-person narrative accelerates, the reader is drawn into Phil's personal life . . . Sidestepping all the cliches, the novel is as psychologically nuanced and emotionally engaging as it is suspenseful' Kirkus Review 'There's a relatable darkness to Aussie author Michael Robotham's thrillers that pulls you in - every time' The Australian Women's Weekly 'A heart-clutching psychological thriller' People 'Robotham's brilliant ability to render complex characters, both good and bad, keeps readers unsure of whom to trust, maintaining an air of excruciating suspense until the very last page' Washington Post 'A brilliant book from an absolute master of the craft. Deeply felt, utterly memorable and sharp as a razor' DERVLA MCTIERNAN 'A brilliant, propulsive writer of crime. Pick this one up' STEPHEN KING
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Lyrebird
Jane Caro · 2025
Lyrebirds are brilliant mimics, so if they mimic a woman screaming in terror and begging for her life, they have witnessed a crime. But how does a young, hung over PHD student and a wet behind the ears new detective, convince anyone that a native bird can be a reliable witness to a murder, especially when there is no body and no missing person? And what happens when they turn out to be right? A sound froze her blood. A woman. A woman screaming in pure terror. Screaming and sobbing-begging-out here, in this desolate place. Twenty years ago, ornithology student Jessica Weston panicked when she heard a woman screaming for her life in the remote Barrington Tops. Her relief, when she discovers that it is a lyrebird making the sounds, is profound. She is thrilled to have caught his display on video. Then she remembers-lyrebirds are mimics. Whatever the wild creature has heard must have really happened, and happened nearby. Jessica takes her video to the police. Despite support from newly minted detective, Megan Blaxland, with no missing person reported and no body, her evidence is ridiculed and dismissed. Twenty years later, a body is unearthed, just where Jessica said it would be. Horrified they let the case go cold, Jessica, now an associate professor, and Megan, recently retired but brought back to head up the investigation, reunite and join forces. They are determined to find the killer, whatever it takes. What they don't realise is that they are not just putting their lives in danger, but also the lives of those close to them ... 'Based on a mind-blowing and wholly unique premise, Lyrebird is a twisty thriller that will keep you in its grip until the last page.' JOAN SAUERS, author of Echo Lake 'I inhaled Lyrebird-it is such a compelling novel.' HANNAH DIVINEY, author of I'll Let Myself In 'Unputdownable. A brilliant read from a wonderfully evocative, insightful writer.' LISA WILKINSON, journalist 'Ripper story - couldn't put it down!' BRYAN BROWN, actor and author of The Drowning 'A fascinating, original mystery thriller.' MALCOLM KNOX, author of The First Friend 'No one writing in Australia is wiser . . . Jane Caro is a golden writer; she sees and expresses moments others do not. I would follow wherever she goes. And this book is no exception.' MIRIAM MARGOLYES, actress and author of Oh Miriam!
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The Tenant
Freida McFadden · 2025
#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a dark thriller about a rental gone wrong. Because sometimes you don't need to look far to find danger. Sometimes, danger lives right at home. A new, jaw-dropping thriller from the instant #1 New York Times bestseller of The Boyfriend and The Housemaid! There's no place like home... Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancee, he's desperate to make ends meet. Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she? Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets... Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set. #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden knocks at your door with a gripping story of revenge, privilege, and secrets turned sour...
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Scary Time! (Hotdog! 17)
Anh Do · 2024
A bushwalk to the famous Banana Waterfall sounds like a fun time for Hotdog and his friends ... until it turns into a Banana Water-fail! There's something spooky rustling in the trees! What could it be?!
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Weird Power!
Anh Do · 2025
Dad's at it again, helping Weir and his friends train for the athletics carnival! Weir's not sure he'll win anything, but maybe he'll find another calling! Would that be so bananas? It won't be easy ... but it will be funny!
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Intermezzo
Sally Rooney · 2024
An exquisitely moving story about grief, love and family, from the global phenomenon Sally Rooney. Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common. Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties - successful, competent and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father's death, he's medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women - his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke. Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined. For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude - a period of desire, despair and possibility - a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.
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Blood Pact
Fiona McIntosh · 2025
The explosive new thriller in the bestselling international Jack Hawksworth series Detective Superintendent Jack Hawksworth is seconded by counter-terrorism to investigate a spate of domestic events. First it was needles in strawberries, then tampering of lipstick samplers and baby formula. But when toxic mushrooms enter the market system and a death occurs, a wave of terror is set to sweep the country. There are no clues, no DNA, no witnesses, no CCTV footage. Jack and his Operation Sycamore must work on instinct to figure out why someone would harm innocent victims, and even whether these random events could lead back to the death of a blood-transfused child, even then nothing is adding up - and the clock is ticking. Jack's op overlaps another to confuse but when a bomber threatens a major London hospital, it is up to Sycamore to prevent the inevitable bloodshed. The explosive new novel in the bestselling international Jack Hawskworth series.
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The Prospect
Fleur McDonald · 2025
When you dig, will you strike gold ... or unearth dangerous secrets? An exciting new series from the queen of rural crime. No matter how much or how little you find, you will never, ever own the gold. It will always own you.After a scandal, investigative reporter Zara Ellison and her partner, policeman Jack Higgins have moved to Kalgoorlie - each struggling with this fresh start. This wild mining town has its own rules, and its inhabitants - drawn by the lure of gold and riches - guard their secrets carefully.Zara feels adrift in the swirling red dust of the lawless, bush city, without sources or any leads for the hard-hitting stories she's known for. Jack is out of the detective squad and trying to find his feet back in uniform.On an isolated stretch of highway, a pair of grey nomads is involved in a devastating accident which leaves more questions than answers. Zara starts digging for her own kind of gold, while Jack's investigation sends him on a parallel path towards a dangerous smuggling ring.In the wide open spaces of the outback, some secrets are buried deep.
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The Valley
Chris Hammer · 2024
The latest stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands and The Seven. Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic are back - as Nell is thrown into her most emotionally fraught investigation yet. A controversial entrepreneur is murdered in a remote mountain valley, but this is no ordinary case. Ivan and Nell are soon contending with cowboy lawyers, conmen, bullion thieves and grave robbers. But it's when Nell discovers the victim is a close blood relative, that the past begins to take on a looming significance. What did take place in The Valley all those years ago? What was Nell's mother doing there, and what was her connection to troubled young police officer Simmons Burnside? And why do the police hierarchy insist Ivan and Nell stay with the case despite an obvious conflict of interest? The Valley features a page-turning plot, intriguing characters, and an evocative sense of place-where nothing is ever quite what it seems. Chris Hammer, the acclaimed and bestselling author of the international bestsellers Scrublands, Treasure & Dirt, The Tilt and The Seven, presents another immersive and emotionally rewarding thriller. Praise for Chris Hammer: 'Hammer has confirmed and underlined his reputation as numbering among the very best novelists in detective fiction.' Sydney Morning Herald 'Chris Hammer at the height of his powers ... absolutely not to be missed!' Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town on The Tilt 'A darkly simmering mystery, gorgeously told ... Utterly brilliant.' Dervla McTiernan, author of The Ruin and What Happened to Nina? 'It would be unfair to say Chris Hammer is at the top of the crime writing game. Chris Hammer IS the game. Full Tilt may be a better title, given the speed with which readers will devour Chris Hammer's exceptional novel.' Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone On This Train is a Suspect 'Like everything Chris Hammer writes, The Tilt is a rich, complex thriller, packed with detail and intrigue. There's a reason why this guy is on my auto-read list!' Christian White, author of The Nowhere Child 'Chris Hammer is a great writer ... a leader in Australian noir.' Michael Connelly 'If you haven't read Hammer before, this is the perfect time to experience one of the best writers Australia has to offer. Rife with intrigue, murder, and small-town secrets, Treasure and Dirt is a spectacular thriller that delivers some unforgettable characters with twists and turns you won't see coming. Hammer has raised the bar for Australian crime, and this is a must-read.' Better Reading 'Chris Hammer has excelled himself with Trust...a thriller strong on character development, social insights, ethical issues and dramatic action.' Weekend Australian 'The best Australian crime novel since Peter Temple's The Broken Shore.' The Times on Silver 'Shimmers with heat from the sun and from the passions that drive a tortured tale of blood and loss.' Val McDermid on Scrublands
