Aug 29, 2025 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Historical Fiction, Mystery Fiction, Thriller Fiction
ISBN 978-1-923443-04-4
PAPERBACK
How cunning trickery achieved victory over brute force and violence
A wandering troubadour. A secret hidden in plain sight. A murder that changed history.
When author Katrina Hunter visits the Abbey of Fontfroide in the South of France, she stumbles upon a startling connection – The Fool from The Tarot of Marseille depicted in a medieval statue. What if this is no coincidence? What if the Tarot was never meant for fortune telling, but for something far more dangerous?
In 22 Tricks, history and mystery intertwine as Katrina deciphers secret messages hidden within the Tarot’s Major Arcana. Through allegory, iconography, deception, and trickery, 13th-century troubadour Peire Vidal encodes an epic tale of war into 22 cards, evading the Inquisition’s grasp. But what forbidden knowledge did he hide? And what secrets and lost philosophies have remained buried for centuries?
A gripping historical murder mystery, 22 Tricks unravels a world of coded messages, lost philosophies, and a battle for the soul of Occitania. Who truly holds the power—the conqueror, or the one who writes history?
The game is set. The cards are in play. Will you decipher the trick?
Jun 4, 2025 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Fiction \ Novel, Melbourne, Music, Mystery Fiction, Thriller Fiction
ISBN 978-1-923333-62-8
PAPERBACK
Private Investigator Mike January, broke and down on his luck, accepts an assignment to reunite a wealthy broadcaster with his wayward daughter. But things take a turn when January becomes involved in the defection of a Soviet diplomat.
After a series of suspicious murders, January becomes the prime suspect and must solve the case before he too becomes a victim or hangs for the crime. Along the way, he falls for a beautiful young accordion player who takes more than his breath away.
Intrigue, murder, betrayal and Soviet spies all set to the melody of a sweet-sounding accordion.
Apr 15, 2025 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Fiction \ Novel, Mystery Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Thriller Fiction
ISBN 978-1-923386-82-2
PAPERBACK
Have you ever noticed something out of the corner of your eye, only to find when you look directly at it, nothing is there?
Private Investigator Darcy Mane’s perspective changed after a car accident granted him the ability to see supernatural beings living among us.
While trying to cope with his new abilities and heal in the hospital, Darcy encounters ghosts, goblins, and mermaids. Even the Grim Reaper manages to scare him almost to death. After leaving the hospital, he bonds with an old neighbour and fi nds a new home.
But then things take a darker turn with a friend kidnapped and murdered. As Darcy deals with the chaos, he continues to take on new clients while navigating the murder investigation. Soon, danger threatens his home.
The climax unfolds with the kidnapping of his housemate. Darcy tracks down and confronts a supernatural villain, with deadly consequences.
Mar 17, 2025 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Fiction \ Novel, Justice \ Law \ Crime, Mystery Fiction, Thriller Fiction, Victoria
ISBN 978-1-923386-00-6
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-923386-91-4
EBOOK
Your Sins Will Seek You Out
A Novel Based On True Events
Barry Keating’s cunning and violent nature manifested from his first childhood contact with other children.
John and Ruth Keating adopted Barry from birth.
John Keating, a community person, is also a career policeperson involved in numerous crime and traffic incidents as he advanced through the ranks. His involvement with the public and criminals outlines his quick reactions to planning and delegating. Undiagnosed PTSD haunts him throughout his career and his life.
Barry’s violent responses are often easily given; he rarely takes them.
His continuance with violence against both men and women maintains his rage while committing terrible crimes. Even after finding love and domestic commitment, his urges cannot be denied, and they take control.
Follow these real-life events, where only the names and locations are changed.
Jan 30, 2025 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Action Adventure, Adelaide, Australian, Fiction \ Novel, South Australia, Thriller Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
ISBN 978-1-7637191-4-9
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-7637191-5-6
EBOOK
How to make the decisions that shape you
Most book tell you to chase goals. This one shows you how to choose and achieve them.
The Pathfinders Playbook helps you cut through the noise, focus on what matters, and create a plan that actually works. Whether you’re picking school subjects, training for a competition or preparing for life after school, this method gives you clarity and direction.
Inspired by the targeting cycle used in military campaign planning, the framework turns big dreams into step-by-step actions. It’s simple, practical, and built for real life.
Written by a former Royal Australian Air Force Intelligence Analyst, this book brings lessons forged in operations rooms across the world straight to you.
ISBN 978-1-7637191-2-5
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-7637191-3-2
EBOOK
The stakes are rising and Eclipse and Spectra are watching.
After the close encounter with an Eclipse agent that nearly resulted in her death, Zoe wanted nothing more to do with the secret world of spies. So, when her class wins a trip to Japan, the last thing she expected was just that.
Her trip overseas is turned on its head as Zoe is pushed right back into the war between spy agencies. This time though, she has company – Charlie, a teenaged Spectra recruit with secrets of her own.
When one of her class mates is taken by Eclipse in a kidnapping gone wrong, Zoe must decide what matters most: her friends, her family, or the world.
Written by a veteran with over a decade of experience in military intelligence, Zoe Baird: Terror in Tokyo is the second instalment in the gripping spy thriller series.
ISBN 978-1-763719-10-1
PAPERBACK
ISBN 978-1-7637191-1-8
EBOOK
Sometimes Grit Matters More Than Being Prepared
When a chaotic car chase brings long-hidden family secrets crashing into the open, Zoe’s world is turned upside-down. Thrust into a shadowy realm of spies with murder on their minds, she must stop a deadly pathogen from devastating her hometown—all while
trying to keep up appearances at school.
Armed with little more than her wits and determination, Zoe faces impossible odds in a game she never signed up for—but one she must win. The stakes couldn’t be higher, and failure isn’t an option.
Written by a veteran with over a decade of experience in military intelligence, Zoe Baird: Pathogens and Popstars delivers a grounded, realistic spy thriller perfect for fans of Alex Rider. Packed with high-stakes action and moral complexity, this story redefi nes the young adult espionage genre.
About the Author
Michael Ball is an Australian author with a past as intriguing as his books. Through 11 years as a military intelligence analyst and his current role at Disaster Relief Australia, Michael has encountered an incredible range of people with extraordinary experiences. These encounters fuel his writing, which delves into the gritty realities of hidden worlds, the tough decisions made by the few for the good of the many, and the power of resilience and determination over intellect or skill. Through his stories, Michael explores themes of resilience and agency, always reminding readers, “It is never too dark to dream, nor too late to step foot on your own path.”
Jul 8, 2024 | *, *Featured books, *listed, Australian, Fiction \ Novel, Thriller Fiction
ISBN 978-1-923214-87-3
PAPERBACK
The Introspective Detective
Unravelling the murder requires him to confront his own past and future
INTROSPECTIVE. characterised by the examination of one’s own thoughts and feelings: thoughtfully reflective: too often considered a sign of weakness when it should be an indication of strength.
A man found murdered on the last Melbourne Metro train to Hurstbridge. Detective Inspector Robin Lazelle, a thirty-year homicide veteran, leads the investigation.
Lazelle has grown up in a dysfunctional family and for the whole of his life has a voided crowds and noises and is more at home in solitude. He is not in any way gregarious. At the same time, he is admired by his colleagues and considered almost indispensable because of his amazing skills as a detective. He may not be a ‘people person’, but he certainly can find the ‘bad guy’.
This difficult case with its twists and turns challenges Lazelle and his team. For the man himself, now near retirement, it causes him to reexamine his life, his future, and his feelings about himself and for others.
The murder investigation, the unusual weapon, and the person involved, many within the medical fraternity at St. Bart’s Hospital, uncovers more victims than only the deceased. It is full of intrigue, emotional abuse and sexual impropriety that affects the livers of the people involved, both among the investigators and the investigated.
From the Author
Although this is an intriguing murder mystery, I wrote this book about the man… the introspective detective. His story is the focus.
It deals with many issues that many men near retirement or having already retired might identify with. It is a reflection about life and living when we get older. In this case, the detective, Robin Lazelle, has many issues because of his past childhood, the death of a sister when he was just a teenager, becoming a very good detective and learning to get on as best he could with other people.
I guess when you are an author in your eighties, a lot of what you write is from personally knowing people in such positions and having experienced many feelings yourself. The work is pure fiction, but personal feelings obviously influence an author when writing a book.
Michael Downes
