Australia – One for the weekend

Crime. A never-ending drought, searing heat and the intensity of a close-knit community ratchet up the tension, as a policeman returns to his home town for the funeral of his childhood best friend. A friend suspected of brutally killing members of his own family. Reluctantly drawn into the investigation, he is forced to confront his past and the community that rejected him two decades earlier.

Unmarried and approaching 40, a university scientist applies the same systematic approach to finding the perfect partner as he does to his work. But things don't quite go to plan when a women, who isn't interested in him anyway, and on paper is completely unsuitable, bursts into his life creating feelings he could never have anticipated. Quirky, humorous, touching, warm and highly readable.

Historical fiction. A lighthouse keeper and his wife find a boat washed up on the shores of their remote island. Inside is a crying baby and a man's body. Following their hearts, they make a decision that will shape the rest of their lives.

Historical Fiction. 1788 and a young lieutenant arrives in New South Wales, setting up an observatory to chart the stars in the Southern Hemisphere. He befriends a young Aboriginal child who helps him with his efforts to record and learn their language. As their connection develops he begins to question his purpose in their homeland. Thought-provoking and nuanced. A book that asked questions about how we value difference, how we communicate across language barriers and how we respond when faced with a moral dilemma.

Any book set in this location.