Showing results by narrator "Jo Van Es" in All Categories

Domestic noir with a chick-lit twist: a story of laughter, sisterhood, and women daring to do things differently. Perfect for fans of Jane Caro's The Mother and Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies. Welcome to Shellwater Bay ... where the sea is calm, the scenery perfect ... and three women are...

Everyone dies famous in a country town, but glamorous Vanessa Walton was a shining star. A celebrity since a television commercial when she was a child, Vanessa is back on the front page for all the wrong reasons; after a terrible storm she has been found dead at the bottom of her stairs. At first her death seems to be a simple accident, but anonymous letters are discovered that suggest otherwise–and when 16-year-old Jasmine Landridge claims it is murder, she suddenly disappears. As the police begin to investigate, secrets are exposed and friendships unravel.

The Widow of Walcha is a shocking true story about death, love and lies in the small NSW town of Walcha. Shortlisted, 2023 Danger Awards, Nonfiction category All farmer Mathew Dunbar ever wanted was to find love and have a family of his own. That’s why, just months after meeting Natasha Darcy...

If you struggle with the time and energy needed to manage your money, you’re not alone. So much financial advice is geared toward neurotypical brains. From checking your bank account to impulse spending and budgets that just don’t work out … It’s time to find the strategies that will help you manage your money in a way that suits your brain.

It's 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new façade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious red-light district of Little Lon, full of brothels where rich and poor alike can revel all night. The most glamorous among them is Papillon, home to the most alluring women in the city.

So many Australian parents are buying the government line about standardised testing of students through programs like NAPLAN and My School, which make them think they are getting results because of rankings and comparisons. But they don’t seem to realise that these new forms of assessment are actually negatively affecting our kids’ ability to gain the crucial life skills and appreciation for learning that have been, and should be, the main aim of teaching.

'A powerful and absorbing story of friendship and courage, bringing to life a history that should never be forgotten. I could not put this book down, even as it broke my heart.' Kelly Rimmer In 1941, country girls Minnie Hodgson and Margot McNee set sail from Perth, Australia, for Singapore in...

The staff of St Margaret's Primary School are hanging by a thread. There's serious litigation pending, the school is due for registration and a powerful parent named Janet Bellevue has a lot to say about everything. As teachers they're trying to remain professional, as people they're fast unraveling. There's Tyson: first year out of Uni and nervous as hell, Derek the Assistant Principal who's dropped the ball on administration, Bev from the office who's confronting a serious diagnosis and Sally-Ann who's desperate for a child of her own. Thank goodness for kids like Lionel Merrick.

Flushed with triumph on the evening of the best rodeo in the town's history, Amelia is driving the bags of cash into town when she becomes the victim of a terrifying smash and grab. Injured and distraught after her ordeal, Amelia must convince a skeptical detective that her account of what happened does add up and that he must help her track down the real culprits

WINNER OF THE VICTORIAN PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARD FOR FICTION WINNER OF THE NSW PREMIER’S LITERARY AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE AGE BOOK OF THE YEAR LONGLISTED FOR THE MILES FRANKLIN AWARD A gripping, haunting work about the reverberations of a serial killer's crimes in the lives of everyday...

Amidst the tragedy of wild species extinction lies a hidden world of survival and wonder. Conservationists are embroiled in a high-stakes clash with a drug cartel to save a porpoise. Scientists are fighting to save a flightless bird that romances rocks. Unconventional animals are upending 21st...

In 2014, Gabrielle Stroud was a very dedicated teacher with over a decade of experience. Months later, she resigned in frustration and despair when she realised that the Naplan-test education model was stopping her from doing the very thing she was best at: teaching individual children according to their needs and talents. Her groundbreaking essay 'Teaching Australia' in the February 2016 Griffith Review outlined her experiences and provoked a huge response from former and current teachers around the world.

Following the murder of their beloved brother, four sisters find a way to mend their own broken relationship by tracing the strangers he saved in death. The O'Shea sisters couldn't be more different. Allison, an obstetrician, has always put others before herself and is torn between her job and...

Faster than ever before, our world is moving from one extreme to another. How can we respond in a way that creates meaningful change for a better future? In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Catriona Wallace reveals a pathway for implementing a powerful shift in perspective and leadership. Rapid Transformation combines ancient wisdom with emerging technologies, offering practical tools to rise above crisis and create a safer, more sustainable tomorrow.

The one who expects the world, but never remembers your birthday. The one who constantly ditches your dinner plans when you’re already halfway to the restaurant. The one who leaves you feeling exhausted, used and completely emotionally battered. Why do we let these people into our lives? When is their friendship actually friend-shit? How do we dump these crappy companions? This is the no-bullshit, essential guide for anyone devoting their precious time and energy into maintaining friendships with toxic friends.

In Sex, Lies and Question Time, former MP Kate Ellis looks at what it is really like to be a woman in Australian politics today. In 2017, a survey showed zero per cent of young Australian women would consider entering politics. Zero. In a time when we critically need women in our parliament, and in a country that was an early leader in women's political participation, there is a perception that women and politics don’t mix. Shocking incidents have exposed the sexism that women in politics face from opposition, the media, the public, even their own colleagues.

In 2013, journalist Ginger Gorman was trolled online and terrified, but once the attack subsided, she found herself curious. Who were these trolls? How and why did they coordinate such an attack? And how does someone fight back? Over the next five years, Gorman spoke to psychologists, trolling victims, law enforcement, academics and, most importantly, trolls themselves, embedding herself into their online communities and their psyches in ways she had never anticipated. She uncovered links between trolling, cyberhate and real-life crimes. 

Radio young gun Alex York is used to knowing—and getting—exactly what she wants. But when she blows up her glamorous career and retreats to a tropical island, for the first time in her life she has no plan, no prospects and, increasingly, no money. Lured back to the real world by the breakfast radio gig of a lifetime, she promises herself she'll never let anyone throw her off course again—not her patronisingly old-school CEO, her network arch-nemesis or even her unexpectedly attractive new boss.

Kerstin is childless by choice and married to her job when Gianni, a charming Italian, turns her life into a champagne-colored fairy tale. Soon after their runaway wedding, Gianni is diagnosed with cancer and Kerstin becomes his dedicated carer. But when she discovers that he has been cheating on her all through their relationship, she is faced with a difficult choice: walk away, or continue to care for the man who betrayed her.

A media commentator, podcaster and academic, with a PhD in dating apps and intimacy, Dr Lisa Portolan has conducted hundreds of interviews and surveys over many years on the question of what love looks like in the digital age. Here she draws on her findings to present strategies to help you navigate the complexities of real-world relationships in order to achieve–and maintain–a successful, committed partnership.