Fifteen stories gleefully examine the predicaments of characters who see themselves as reasonable beings marooned in an unreasonable world. Suffering the indignities of existence in a range of settings, from Japanese villages barely touched by the twentieth century to SOHo's latest temple of trendiness.

What if you could remember a past life? Or worse, what if you couldn't? Born in 1875 and raised in a Scottish orphanage, Abigail is about to turn fifteen—an age where she will be cast out of the only home she has ever known—no matter how horrid. The day before they force her to leave behind the only life she has known to enter an uncertain future, a mysterious wooden box arrives requesting she travel to London to meet with a lawyer by the name of Henry Malcolm. Abigail is thrown into a world she is fearful of—while events from the past of which she has no control or influence could change the course of her life in ways she never expected. A reluctant journey taking her across the ocean to Melbourne, Australia, sees friendships formed that will last a lifetime—but leaves Abigail even more confused by the auras she has seen since she could first remember. Surprised by the golden glow surrounding many of the new souls she meets along the way, she wonders if they know something she doesn't. Only to find the further she travels from home, the more common they become, Abigail dives deeper into the mystery of these auras, soon discovering they could hold the answer to who she truly is—and what darkness hides in the past of which she has no control or influence. Start your journey with Abigail in the epic new Australian historical fiction series spanning a lifetime. Based in Geelong, this debut series by J L Martin spans a lifetime, from 1890 to 1968. Join thousands of readers accompanying this cast of characters through each decade, sharing their joy and sorrow, their triumphs and tragedies, while trying to find out the meaning of the golden glow. Available in ebook, audiobook and paperback from all good bookstores and online platforms.

A heartfelt novel about a midlife crisis and a woman tired of beingtaken for granted—and a reminder that family, like happiness, can take many forms. To the rest of the world, Polly Solo-Miller Demarest lives acharmed life. She has a beautiful home, a dashing lawyer husband, and two delightful children. But beneath this idyllic surface, the pressure of being the “perfect flower”of an illustrious family—and a stable, always-available wife, mother, and daughter—are getting to her. The spark has gone out of her marriage, and to her own surprise, she’s having an affair. What follows is at once cathartic and provoking, and both may be necessary states in order for Polly to become the kind of person she wants to be.

For years Tina Devers' lonely mundane life has been plagued by frightening dreams, brought on by years of suppressed guilt and fear-the guilt of causing a terrible accident that killed her mother and sister, and the fear of her father, who she believes hates her for what happened all those years ago. This guilt and fear cause her nights to be filled with haunting dreams. The only real friend Tina has is Lily, the big cloth doll with brown yarn ponytails from Tina's childhood. It is in Lily that Tina confides her most private thoughts and confesses her deepest secrets. Tina's only means of escape is the office where she works-the only place where she feels secure and in control of her life. But disturbing events cause the safety of that haven to be destroyed and the tension at home to worsen, triggering even more haunting dreams. Then architect Ben Collins comes into Tina's life and evokes feelings she never dreamed of, introducing her to a kind of love she never expected to find. With that love comes dreams that are filled with more guilt and fear, but there is also the possibility that Tina will be able to leave her childhood demons in the past. Will Ben's love for Tina be strong enough to help her overcome her past?

In what promises to be a breakout in Charles Finch's bestselling series, Charles Lenox travels to the New York and Newport of the dawning Gilded Age to investigate the death of a beautiful socialite. London, 1878. With faith in Scotland Yard shattered after a damning corruption investigation, Charles Lenox's detective agency is rapidly expanding. The gentleman sleuth has all the work he can handle, two children, and an intriguing new murder case. But when Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli offers him the opportunity to undertake a diplomatic mission for the Queen, Lenox welcomes the chance to satisfy an unfulfilled yearning: to travel to America. Arriving in New York, he begins to receive introductions into both its old Knickerbocker society and its new robber baron splendor. Then, a shock: the death of the season's most beautiful debutante, who appears to have thrown herself from a cliff. Or was it murder? Lenox’s reputation has preceded him to the States, and he is summoned to a magnificent Newport mansion to investigate the mysterious death. What ensues is a fiendish game of cat and mouse. Witty, complex, and tender, An Extravagant Death is Charles Finch's triumphant return to the main storyline of his beloved Charles Lenox series—a devilish mystery, a social drama, and an unforgettable first trip for an Englishman coming to America.