Books
The Last Illusion of Paige White
AUS EDITION
US EDITION
Two women. A tragedy on the lake. And secrets beneath the surface.
'How flawless my life appeared, how romantic ... But no. I’m being disingenuous, seduced by my own story.'
Paige White kayaked across the lake each morning at dawn. Someone was watching her. Many someones watched her online. But was anyone with her the day she was found?
Paige White's beautiful life is documented closely for her thousands of followers: lakeside picnics with her daughter, sunny afternoons in the family van, and romantic dinners with her husband. So when she posts an ominous image, and her body is shortly after discovered in the lake, everyone wonders - suicide or foul play?
Paige finds herself suspended in a strange, idyllic place that resembles her most 'liked' Instagram post, forced to watch as life continues without her.
When Paige's death makes national news, Jane Masters, a journalist who was close to Paige in childhood, reluctantly travels home. Struggling with the morality of covering her friend's death, Jane will confront the town she left behind and the dark undercurrents that she's always known run underneath.
‘Compelling, haunting and beautifully written, The Last Illusion is a clever, page-turning modern mystery as well as a thoughtful exploration of female friendship, family dynamics and the complex impact of social media on self identity. You’ll be thinking about it long after you turn the last page! ’
Liane Moriarty
'An addictive read which nimbly combines a twisty small-town mystery with a thoughtful critique of influencer culture, all set against the wild, irresistible beauty of the Australian coastal landscape.'
Mikki Brammer, author of The Collected Regrets of Clover
Dreaming In French
She spent twenty years running from that summer... she never thought she'd return
Saskia Wyle spent one sultry European summer on Île de Ré when she was nineteen. The bright salt flats and sun-soaked beaches are now a distant memory, and one she made herself forget after an unspeakable tragedy.
But the French heiress she befriended over twenty years ago has left half of her magnificent home to Saskia and the other half to Félix Allard, the now-reclusive film star living on the island.
How did Simone Durant die? Was it the family curse that haunted her? And why has she included Saskia in her will after all this time?
Saskia returns to the place of dry-stone walls and ancient olive trees to find that Simone has left her another unexpected gift – a manuscript written in French. Like the lyrical language embedded somewhere in Saskia’s subconscious, she must find a way to understand what Simone is telling her. As Saskia once again falls under the island’s spell, she must reckon with her past to save what is most precious to her.
‘There’s a hypnotising rhythm to McCausland’s beautifully written new novel … an insightful and elegant read.’
Weekend Australian
‘McCausland’s book captures the heady delirium of a European summer love — where the heat and sex is fervent and sweet. The book is interested in exploring the devastating loss of youth, though never allows its characters to drown themselves in sentimentality or melodrama.’
Jessie Tu, SMH / Sun Herald
‘An intoxicating story of friendship, love and unspeakable betrayal. This is a stunning, emotive tale and a captivating escape of a book.’
Hannah Richell author of The Search Party
‘A beautiful book, I loved it. Vivid, evocative, haunting.’
Kate Forsyth
‘The book I've always dreamed of finding - magical prose, a glorious setting and a gripping storyline.'
Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre
The Beautiful Words
Two best friends, one summer night, and twenty years of silence …
Sylvie is a lover of words and a collector of stories, but she has no words for that night at the lighthouse. What happened to cleave her apart from her best friend and soulmate, Kase?
Sylvie yearns to rekindle their deep connection, so when Kase invites her to the wild Tasmanian coast to celebrate her 40th birthday, she accepts – despite the ghosts she must face.
As Sylvie struggles to find her feet among old friends, she bonds with local taxi boat driver Holden. But he is hiding from the world, too.
Through an inscription in an old book, Sylvie and Kase discover their mothers have a history, hidden from their daughters. As they unpick what took place decades earlier, they’re forced to face the rift in their own friendship, and the question of whether it’s ever okay to keep a secret to protect the person you love.
‘Exquisite descriptions of Tasmania’s natural beauty framing a nuanced portrait of close female friendship.’
Sydney Morning Herald
‘A clever and wonderful book.’
Herald Sun
‘McCausland brings the Tasmanian wilderness to life …A compelling story in a uniquely Australian setting, for fans of Hannah Richell or Emily Bitto.’
Books and Publishing
Book club questions for The Beautiful Words:
What are some of the key themes and symbols in the book?
The power and the fragility of deep friendship connections is explored. What was the message about friendship you felt was ultimately conveyed?
Did it make you think about friendships of your own and how they have changed over the years?
There is an exploration of loss - of memory, friendship, of a loved one in death. What do you think was found by the end of the book?
What role did memory and its fallibility play in the book?
How did the setting reflect the unfolding action and Sylvie’s emotions?
The novel explores the healing qualities of reading and writing. Can you relate?
What did you think of Holden’s relationship with his daughter?
How did you feel about Kase by the end of the book?
The book is about a woman finding her voice. Was there a particular moment where you felt Sylvie found hers?
What did you feel was the ultimate message of the novel?
The Valley of Lost Stories
Beautiful, beguiling … and treacherous
Four women and their children are invited to the beautiful but remote Capertee Valley, west of the Blue Mountains. Once home to a thriving town, only an enigmatic Art Deco hotel remains – and an unsolved mystery. In 1948, Clara Black walked into the night, never to be seen again.
As the valley beguiles these four friends, and haunts them in equal measure, each has to confront secrets of her own: Nathalie, with a damaged marriage; Emmie, yearning for another child; Pen, struggling as a single parent; and Alexandra, hiding in the shadow of her famous husband.
But as the story of what happened seventy years earlier unravels, one of the women also vanishes into this bewitching place, forcing devastating truths to the surface.
‘I was entranced … I couldn’t put it down.’
Sunday Mail
‘Easy breezy summer chick-lit this is not. Brace yourself for a foreboding, relatable, intriguing page-turner.’
Courier‑Mail
‘A superbly atmospheric, absolutely gripping read … I was completely swept up in it.’
Better Reading
The Lost Summers of Driftwood
Is it more dangerous to forget … or to remember?
Alone and adrift after a failed marriage proposal, Phoebe flees Sydney to her family’s abandoned holiday cottage. On the slow moving river, she is confronted with the legacy of her older sister’s suicide, a year before. Why did Karin leave a note written in flowers and walk into the water?
Phoebe’s childhood love, Jez, has moved back to the beautiful old house, Driftwood, one jetty down. He’s married now and his home has become a refuge for an unlikely little community.
As the river begins to give up its secrets, Phoebe finds herself caught up in old feelings and new mysteries.
The Lost Summers of Driftwood is a story of lost loves, rekindled passions, tragedy and betrayal set against the backdrop of an idyllic south coast town.
‘McCausland is a natural storyteller who weaves love, loss, mystery and secrets into a satisfying tale.’
Herald Sun
‘Full of mystery and romance, this is the perfect atmospheric summer read.’
Who Weekly
'Like the slow-moving river that flows through the story, this compelling mystery will creep up on you and pull you in.'
Josephine Moon