Showing results by narrator "Kirsty Gillmore" in All Categories

1948. After serving with the French Resistance during the Second World War, codenamed La Chatte Noire, Phryne Fisher escaped to Australia in search of sunshine, butter and peace. So she’s furious when tragedy intrudes upon her newfound tranquillity and she discovers a dead man on Somerton Beach - well-dressed, good-looking and with a secret smile on his lips. The police are baffled as to his identity and cause of death - not to mention the scrap of paper bearing the words TAMAM SHUD found upon him, and the coded message in the book from which it was torn.

In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Politically engaged from an early age, Ardern has encountered her fair share of sexism, but rather than let that harden her, she advocated 'rising above' critics. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of 'relentless positivity' - the tactic was a resounding success. But can Ardern live up to her promise? And what can we learn from the world's reaction to this inspiring leader?

Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy carefully explores the influences - personal, social, political and emotional - that have shaped Ardern. Peace activist and journalist Supriya Vani and writer Carl A. Harte build their narrative through Vani's exclusive interviews with Ardern, as well as the prime minister's public statements and speeches and the words of those who know her.

She's the victim. But is she so innocent? Sophie McCarthy is known for her determination, ambition and brilliance at work. She's tough, but only because she wants to get the best out of people. Aidan Ryan is strong, honourable and a family man. He's tough, too; the army requires it. When these two strangers are brought together in a devastating incident, Sophie's life is left in ruins. Her family wants to see Aidan pay for what he did. Aidan's prepared to sacrifice everything - including his marriage and his child - to fix the mess he's made.

With a husband and two children, 1200 sheep and 400 cattle, farm dogs and pet lambs, pigs bent on excavation and a goat bent on escape, country life is never dull. From calving cows to constipated dogs, weddings to weaning lambs, daffodils to ducklings to droughts, each season brings new challenges and delights. Sometimes it's exhausting but it's almost always a lot of fun - anyway, it's all part and parcel of the life of a Kiwi mother, farmer's wife and vet.

In 1948, a man was found dead on Somerton Beach in Adelaide, Australia. Well-dressed and unmarked, he had a half-smoked cigarette by his side, but no identity documents. Decades later, the Somerton Man's identity and death remain mysteries. From his clothing's missing labels, to the tiny piece of paper with the words Tamam Shud found in the fob pocket of his trousers, this cold case is brimming with facts that are stranger than fiction.

Judi Westerholme is happy living in secluded Candlebark, growing her own food, bothering no one - until the cops come knocking. Informed that her estranged brother Andy has been murdered, she assumes it’s connected to his long-term drug addiction. But when she returns home, Judi is shocked to discover that Andy had been clean for years and had a wife - now missing - and a two-year-old child, Mia. Andy seems to have been leading an ordinary life. But if he had turned things around for himself, why was he killed in a drug-deal shooting? And where is his wife?

Marjorie Hardaway runs a cafe in the small New Zealand town of Hanmer Springs, overflowing with kittens looking for new "forever" homes. A busy job made more troublesome when life throws her into the path of unsolved crimes! With her own quirky style and with the help of friends from the tight-knit community, Marjorie sets to work to solve the puzzles.

At 17, Jodie Cramer survived a terrifying assault at the hands of three strangers. Now 35, her past is a horror she's buried deep. When she sets out for a country escape with three friends, all she has in mind are a few laughs and a break from routine. However, unknown to the four women, their secluded cabin was once the focus of a police investigation and, like Jodie, it nurtures a dark secret....

Judi Westerholme has been through it. Brave and strong-willed, she's just about coping in her new role as foster parent to her orphaned niece, taking a job at the local pub to help make ends meet. Then the pub's landlord and Judi's friend, army veteran Pete 'Macca' Macclesfield, is murdered and her world is suddenly turned upside down. Despite warnings from the city police to keep out of it, Judi can't help but get involved in the search for Macca's killer.

On the rebound from being dumped after 10 years with the man she'd hoped would be the father of her children, Maggie Ellis buys a neglected cottage in Tingara on acreage to start her life over and fulfil her dream of owning a garden nursery. Divorced truck driver and single dad Nick Logan has his hands full enough raising three sons alone without getting distracted by his new neighbour.

Already struggling to juggle co-running Candlebark's pub/bistro along with her new childcare responsibilities, the last thing Judi Westerholme needs right now is more stress. Yet, as usual, it arrives in spades: she starts receiving threatening late-night phone calls before discovering one of her best employees, Kate, shot dead in her bed. Once again, Judi finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation, as well as the hunt for Kate's fourteen-year-old daughter who has been missing since the murder.

The frost and fairy lights only remind her it's been a year since she lost the mother who took her in as a baby and raised her. She's never felt more alone - until she discovers her birth mother's identity. And where to find her. A lifetime and thousands of miles have separated Evangeline and Bonnie. Now, travelling to New Zealand could be Evangeline's chance to confront the woman who gave her up. But is she ready for what she'll find there? The answers she's been looking for, a new family to heal her... Or someone she could never have expected?

Anaesthetic fellow Rory McBride is adrift. Since a routine procedure went horribly wrong, he has been plagued by sleeplessness, flashbacks and escalating panic attacks. Jodi Waterstone has recently started work as a first-year doctor at the same hospital, and the night shifts, impossible workload and endless hours on duty are taking a toll.

The city of Wellington is unforgiving and unrepentant. Forget the politicians: they're poor amateurs in deception and crime. It's Saturday night down on the wharf. Celebrations are in full swing for the Westons' fortieth wedding anniversary. Their daughter Stella has returned from London to attend. Once shoulder-tapped as detective material, a few bad decisions and a questionable ethical dilemma saw her leave the police force under a cloud. She's now a private investigator in London, reduced to filming errant husbands for court cases.

Melbourne is a city on the brink, suffering from arson-fed bush fires, searing heatwaves and the potential threat of terrorism. Detective Inspector Robbie Gray, falling foul of police bureaucracy, gets called to a body found lying in a rural swamp. When the nationality of the victim is revealed, ASIO takes over her investigation, and she is sidelined. Convinced they are misinterpreting the evidence, Robbie—along with a disenfranchised policeman—secretly digs for the truth.

Marjorie Hardaway is going stir-crazy. With the country under Level 4 lockdown, her entire world has shrunk to the size of a computer screen. Braden is stuck at the other end of the country and zoom meetings are very nice but they're no substitute for a chest-crushing hug. Her few ventures into the community to exercise or deliver meals on wheels are the only opportunity for company - at a strict two-metre distance.

Betty's life is on repeat: waitress till late, drink till dawn, collapse into bed to forget. But partying like there's no tomorrow is no fix for the problems crowding in. Her ex is back and drinking at her favourite haunts, her flat was burgled, and she faces eviction if she can't pay late rent. Then there's the serial rapist dubbed 'the Psychic', who's terrorising women in their homes. When her ex is murdered and left in her bed, Betty and her flatmate Alabama turn to the bar world to find out who did it. Was it the Psychic - or someone closer?

Inlet Creek, Australia: Tragedy compels three estranged sisters to reconnect. Seeking a sense of belonging, Daisy Sheldon moves back to the small coastal town, but she soon realises where her heart really lies, hoping she hasn’t left it too late. Maddie Harwood-West hopes to rebuild her life after a wrenching loss. Her father wants her to stay and help him run the family sheep station, but Maddie is torn. At Inlet Creek, she meets a local fisherman who isn’t what he seems—and when he learns about her past, Maddie fears rejection.

With Christmas fast approaching, Marjorie is baking for the community center. They're hosting the annual foster family Christmas party, an event stuffed to the gills with presents, food, and good company. But when the Christmas gifts generously donated for the foster children are stolen, Marjorie can't stand idly by and let the kids go without. With the entire community already on edge, it'll take a Christmas miracle for them to band together and find the culprits, all while ensuring the annual celebrations go ahead.