Best Selling Fiction

Mr Einstein's Secretary

Matthew Reilly · 2023

A SECRETARY LIKE NO OTHER IN AN EPIC SPANNING 40 YEARS All Hanna Fischer ever wanted to do was to study physics under the great Albert Einstein. But when, as a teenager in 1919, her life is suddenly turned upside-down, she is catapulted into a new and extraordinary life - as a student, a secretary, a sister and a spy. From racist gangs in Berlin to gangsters in New York City, Nazis in the 1930s and Hitler's inner circle during the Second World War, Hanna will encounter some of history's greatest minds and most terrible moments, all while desperately trying to stay alive. She is a most unique secretary and she will work for many bosses - from shrewd businessmen to vile Nazis, to the greatest boss of them all, Mr Albert Einstein... Spanning forty years, this is the thrilling tale of a young woman propelled through history's most dangerous times. But read it carefully, because all may not be as it seems...

The Sugar Palace

Fiona McIntosh · 2023

‘How about we call it the Sugar Palace? And when people enter, we’ll make sure it feels like a colourful fairytale spun from sugar.’ Under the clamour of the Sydney Harbour Bridge being built nearby, Grace Fairweather is working in her father’s grocery shop in The Rocks when she begins making her own confectionery. Her colourful creations of toffees, lollies and chocolates soon become crowd favourites, and Grace begins to dream of one day opening her own sweetshop. When the roguish but irresistible Londoner Alfie Sweeting comes to work for the Fairweathers, his ambition for her success thrills her – so much so that she begins to question her engagement to Norman. Perhaps the ‘safe’ option in life isn’t the right thing for her after all. Alfie encourages her to open not just a sweetshop, but a delightful destination for young and old – a sugar palace! With Grace’s natural business acumen and Alfie’s creative sales skills, it seems like they could be the perfect pairing – in work and in love – but when Alfie’s criminal past catches up with him, both their lives come under threat and Grace is forced to make the most difficult decision of all. Moving between the colourful world of a carnival-like confectionery store and Sydney’s organised crime world of brothel madams, gambling dens and cocaine dealers, this is a thrilling romantic adventure that shows not everyone is to be trusted, and life isn’t always as sweet as it seems.

The Exchange

John Grisham · 2023

THE GRISHAM YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR What became of Mitch and Abby McDeere after they exposed the crimes of Memphis law firm Bendini, Lambert and Locke and fled the country? The answer is in THE EXCHANGE, the riveting sequel to THE FIRM, the blockbuster thriller that launched the career of the world's bestselling author. It is now fifteen years later, and Mitch and Abby are living in Manhattan, where Mitch is a partner at the largest law firm in the world. When a mentor in Rome asks him for a favour that will take him far from home, Mitch finds himself at the centre of a sinister plot that has worldwide implications - and once again endangers his colleagues, friends and family.

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus · 2023

The sensational Number One debut of 2022, now in paperback. The major bestseller featuring the uncompromising, unconventional Elizabeth Zott - the most exciting new character in fiction. THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Sparky, rip-roaring, funny, with big-hearted fully formed, loveable characters' SUNDAY TIMES 'The most charming, life-enhancing novel I've read in ages. Strongly recommend' INDIA KNIGHT 'Laugh-out-loud funny and brimming with life, generosity and courage' RACHEL JOYCE 'A novel that sparks joy with every page' ELIZABETH DAY Your ability to change everything - including yourself - starts here Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing. But it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one- Calvin Evans, the lonely, brilliant, Nobel-prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with - of all things - her mind. True chemistry results. Like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later, Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six. Elizabeth's unusual approach to cooking ('combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride') proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook. She's daring them to change the status quo. SOON TO BE A MAJOR APPLE TV SERIAL, STARRING BRIE LARSON 'I loved Lessons in Chemistry and am devastated to have finished it!' NIGELLA LAWSON 'Elizabeth Zott is an iconic heroine - a feminist who refuses to be quashed, a mother who believes that her child is a person to behold, rather than to mould, and who will leave you, and the lens through which you see the world, quite changed' PANDORA SYKES 'It's the world versus Elizabeth Zott, and I had no trouble choosing a side. A page-turning and highly satisfying tale- zippy, zesty, and Zotty' MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD, author of GREAT CIRCLE

Lola in the Mirror

Trent Dalton · 2023

Bighearted, gritty, magical and moving, Lola in the Mirror is the irresistible new novel from international bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe and All Our Shimmering Skies, Trent Dalton. 'Mirror, mirror, on the grass, what's my future? What's my past?'A girl and her mother are on the lam. They've been running for sixteen years, from police and the monster they left in the kitchen with the knife in his throat. They've found themselves a home inside an orange 1987 Toyota HiAce van with four flat tyres parked in a scrapyard by the edge of the Brisbane River - just two of the 100,000 Australians sleeping rough every night. The girl has no name because names are dangerous when you're on the run. But the girl has a dream. Visions in black ink and living colour. A vision of a life as a groundbreaking artist of international acclaim. A life outside the grip of the Brisbane underworld drug queen 'Lady' Flora Box. A life of love with the boy in the brown suit who's waiting for her in the middle of the bridge that stretches across a flooding and deadly river. A life far beyond the bullet that has her name on it. And now that the storm clouds are rising, there's only one person who can help make her dreams come true. That person's name is Lola and she carries all the answers. But to find Lola, the girl with no name must first do one of the hardest things we can sometimes ever do. She must look in the mirror.A big, moving, blackly funny, violent, heartbreaking and beautiful novel of love, fate, life and death and all the things we see when we look in the mirror. All of the past, all of the present, and all of our possible futures.'Mirror, mirror, please don't lie. Tell me who you are. Tell me who am I.'

The Seven

Chris Hammer · 2023

The latest stunning thriller from the bestselling author of Scrublands and The Tilt. Yuwonderie's seven founding families have lorded it over their district for a century, growing ever more rich and powerful. But now-in startling circumstances-one of their own is found dead in a ditch and homicide detectives Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan are sent to investigate. Could the murder be connected to the execution of the victim's friend thirty years ago-another member of The Seven-or even the long-forgotten story of a servant girl on the brink of the Great War? What are the secrets The Seven are so desperate to keep hidden? With the killer still on the loose, and events spiralling out of control, the closer Ivan and Nell get to discovering the truth, the more dangerous their investigation becomes. Can they crack the case before more people die? The Seven is a compelling thriller filled with intrigue, emotional depth 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 and The Tilt can take his place among the world's finest crime writers. Praise for Chris Hammer: 'Hammer has confirmed and underline his reputation as numbering among the very best novelists in detective fiction.' The 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 The Murder Rule '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 in My Family Has Killed Someone '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.' The 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

Wildfire

Hannah Grace · 2023

From the author of TikTok sensation Icebreaker comes a deliciously swoonworthy romance following two summer camp counsellors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand. When Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a college party, a drinking game results in a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask her full name. Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on their first day as summer camp counsellors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives for the summer break. Russ hopes to avoid dealing with his father's gambling addiction while Aurora, tired of craving attention from everyone around her, wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home. As the summer unfolds, the tension between them intensifies. Russ doesn't want to risk breaking the camp's strict 'no staff fraternising' rule but, unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about rules. Will the two learn to peacefully co-exist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can't put out?

Black Sheep

Judy Nunn · 2023

Judy Nunn's new blockbuster is a sweeping historical novel about a prosperous sheep-farming family and the enigmatic young man with a dark past they let into their lives . . . Black sheep - there's one in every family . . . Orphaned at sixteen, James Wakefield was determined to be a gun shearer like his father. Now he's killed twice, changed his name, and is on the run from the law. He had his reasons for both murders, and he felt no joy in taking life ... Or did he? Ben McKinnon, meanwhile, is heir to the vast Glenfinnan sheep property near Goulburn, New South Wales. He too has a secret that, if ever revealed, would shatter the privileged lives of his father, Alastair, and his sisters, Jenna and Adele. When fate brings James and Ben together, a powerful friendship is forged, both men gladly becoming the keeper of the other's secret. Then Ben insists his new friend come to work at Glenfinnan Station. Has James finally found the family he's always longed for? Or has the McKinnon dynasty just unwittingly adopted a black sheep? From the Shearing Wars of Queensland to the close colonial community of Goulburn, to the trenches of the Western Front, Judy Nunn once again brings Australian history vividly to life.

Fourth Wing

Rebecca Yarros · 2023

Dragons, war and Hunger Games-esque trials. Fourth Wing is a high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas and dark academia. THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NUMBER ONE GLOBAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON! DON'T MISS OUT ON THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: 'This book contains an addictive, drug like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility until the very last word. Do not say I didn't warn you' Glamour 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I had the overwhelming urge to just start it all over again' ***** READER REVIEW 'If I can convince you to read one book I recommend it would be this one' ***** READER REVIEW 'You know when you finish a book, and it leaves an ache in your chest because it was so good, and now it's over? That's exactly how I feel after finishing Fourth Wing' ***** READER REVIEW Welcome to the brutal and elite world of Basgiath War College, where everyone has an agenda, and every night could be your last . . . Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general - also known as her tough-as-talons mother - has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you're smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away . . . because dragons don't bond to 'fragile' humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother's daughter - like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She'll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. Alliances will be forged. Lives will be lost. Traitors will become allies . . . or even lovers. But sleep with one eye open because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die. ------ OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION READERS HAVE ALREADY GIVEN FOURTH WING FIVE STARS. ARE YOU READY TO ENTER THE WORLD OF BASGIATH WAR COLLEGE?

The Last Devil To Die

Richard Osman · 2023

The fourth book in the record-breaking Thursday Murder Club series from British national treasure Richard Osman Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club. An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

The Secret

Andrew Child, Lee Child

Resurrection Walk

Michael Connelly · 2023

Shortlisted for the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction 2024 Defence attorney Mickey Haller has agreed to represent a woman who is in prison for killing her husband, a sheriff's deputy, and Haller enlists his half-brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, as investigator. Even after five years in prison, his new client maintains her innocence. Reviewing the case, Bosch sees something that doesn't add up and senses the sheriff's department close ranks as he pursues the truth. The path to true justice is, for both the lawyer and his investigator, fraught with danger from those who don't want the case reopened. And their opponents will stop at nothing to keep the Haller–Bosch dream team from uncovering what the deputy's killing was really about. 'Connelly is the Raymond Chandler of this generation' —Associated Press 'Superb crime writing from a master' —The Australian

Iron Flame

Rebecca Yarros · 2023

Hunger Games meets House of Dragon in this epic fantasy romance series. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas and dark academia. From the NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTELLING author, Rebecca Yarros, comes the eagerly anticipated sequel to TIKTOK SENSATION and RADIO TWO BOOK CLUB pick Fourth Wing . . . The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity. - Xaden Riorson Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College, Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet's already wondering how she'll get through. It's not just that it's grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it's designed to stretch the riders' capacity for pain beyond endurance. It's the new vice commandant, who's made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is - unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet's body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else's, she still has her wits, and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won't be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College - and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

The Year of the Locust

Terry Hayes · 2016

The hotly anticipated second novel from Terry Hayes, author of the internationally bestselling I am Pilgrim If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot. But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive. Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart. The Year of the Locust is a voyage to a far-off land to see something no one has ever seen before. A mission to prevent the future happening. An encounter with true evil. And ultimately, a moment when Kane must make the decision to save his own life - or someone else's.

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect

Benjamin Stevenson · 2023

PRE-ORDER NOW THE EAGERLY AWAITED FOLLOW-UP TO THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE. Ernest Cunningham returns in a deliciously witty locked room (train) mystery. When the Australian Mystery Writers' Society invited me to their crime-writing festival aboard the Ghan, the famous train between Darwin and Adelaide, I was hoping for some inspiration for my second book. Fiction, this time- I needed a break from real people killing each other. Obviously, that didn't pan out. The program is a who's who of crime writing royalty- the debut writer (me!) the forensic science writer the blockbuster writer the legal thriller writer the literary writer the psychological suspense writer. But when one of us is murdered, six authors quickly turn into five detectives. Together, we should know how to solve a crime. Or commit one. How can you find a killer when all the suspects know how to get away with murder? Praise for EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE- 'What an exceptionally fresh, smart, funny book - I've never read anything like this before.' Jane Harper 'As fresh and zingy as a salted lime. It's Knives Out meets Richard Osman. Or Dexter by way of Agatha Christie. Or Schitt's Creek with a body count.' A J Finn 'Readers won't want to put this story down . . . This is undoubtedly a future classic.' Big Issue Australia 'For something different, look no further than the very clever and entirely experimental Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone . . . One of the most anticipated books of the year.' Weekend Australian 'The best thing I've read in ages. I absolutely loved it. Whip-smart, twisted, funny, and constructed with the pinpoint precision of a bloodthirsty watchmaker.' Stuart MacBride 'I absolutely LOVED it. Engaging, entertaining and charming. I don't think I've ever read anything like it. It was such a fun read.' Marian Keyes 'Clever, unexpected, and not to be missed.' Karin Slaughter 'Elegantly sinuous, superbly plotted, and surprise-packed . . . One of the best damn things I've read this year.' WrittenbySime 'The most original novel you will read this year . . . a funny and clever novel that pays homage to the classic British murder mystery.' Canberra

Unnatural Death

Patricia Cornwell · 2023

THE BREATHTAKING NEW KAY SCARPETTA THRILLER FROM THE 120-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Two mauled bodies in the woods. Top-secret autopsies. The most chilling case of Scarpetta's career . . . In this thrilling new instalment of the #1 bestselling series, chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta finds herself in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement. The victims have been savaged beyond recognition, and other evidence is terrifying and baffling, including a larger-than-life footprint. After the most frightening body retrievals of her career, Scarpetta must discover who would commit murders this savage, and why.

Icebreaker

Hannah Grace · 2023

A college romance about an ice skater and the hockey captain she hates as they're forced to share a rink. TikTok's latest viral sensation, this swoonworthy romance will be loved by fans of Mariana Zapata, Elle Kennedy and Elena Armas. Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. She has a drive that few can match and, as she enters her third year on the Maple Hills ice skating team, everything is going according to plan. Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the ice hockey team, Nate Hawkins. Nate's focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the ice skating team - including Anastasia, who clearly can't stand him. But when her skating partner gets injured, Nate looks like her best option to advance in competition. Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn't worried. After all, she doesn't have time for a relationship ... right?

Bride

Ali Hazelwood · 2024

#1 Indie Next Pick! A Hall of Fame LibraryReads pick! One of People’s Best Books to Read in February A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis. Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again... Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was…. Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.