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The Missing Girl

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( 391 ratings, 53 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Missing Girl by Kerry McGinnis is a gripping tale set in rural Australia, where the discovery of a long-missing girl draws a swirl of mystery and intrigue around a small, close-knit community. As secrets are unravelled, personal relationships are tested, revealing the impact of hidden pasts and the lengths people will go to protect their own. With its vibrant setting and rich character portrayal, the story keeps readers questioning loyalties and motives until the very end.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate gripping mysteries set against the backdrop of the Australian bush. Its blend of suspense and keen insights into rural life might captivate you if you're a fan of vividly drawn characters and settings that come to life.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A highly evocative family mystery of secrets and betrayal from the bestselling author of Croc Country.

The darkest secrets are buried the deepest.

An Unexpected Summons

Meg Morrissey has just lost her job, and her partner to an overseas assignment, when she is called back to the family home of Hunters Reach in the picturesque Adelaide Hills. Her ailing grandmother, who raised her when she was orphaned as a child, has always been a formidable figure in her life, and this is hardly a welcome summons.

Unearthing the Past

When Meg arrives at the ramshackle old homestead, she learns that the place is up for sale. She is expected to care for the property with its extensive garden, while packing up the contents of the house. As she begins the arduous work of bringing the grand old homestead back to its former glory, she is forced to examine the question that has plagued her all her life - why nobody loved her as a child.

As the house unfolds the history of an earlier age, it also spills out secrets Meg had never imagined - in particular, the discovery of an aunt she never knew, her mother's twin sister, Iris.

A Haunting Legacy

The discovery brings horror in its wake, as Meg learns the secrets of the missing girl and the truth behind a wicked heart where love simply never existed. The more she uncovers, the more questions she has. With her grandmother unwilling to share what she knows, Meg must seek out the truth for herself.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Australian bush in summer, with the ever-present threat of bushfire at its back, this is a highly evocative story of secrets and betrayal from the bestselling author of Croc Country.


Praise for Kerry McGinnis

"McGinnis is a natural storyteller with a deep understanding of life on the land." - The Weekly Times

"McGinnis has the eye of a painter; she writes as she sees and the land comes alive." - Weekend Australian

"Anything McGinnis writes begs to be read aloud around a campfire." - Country Style


Additional Books by Kerry McGinnis

Expand your collection with these captivating novels from Kerry McGinnis:

  • Bloodwood Creek
  • Gathering Storms
  • The Missing Girl
  • Croc Country
  • The Roadhouse
  • The Heartwood Hotel
  • Secrets of the Springs
  • Out of Alice
  • Tracking North
  • Wildhorse Creek
  • Mallee Sky
  • The Waddi Tree

Experience the captivating narratives and immersive landscapes of Kerry McGinnis's books. Order now!

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Missing Girl by Kerry McGinnis has been well-received for its atmospheric and vivid portrayal of rural Australia. The story is praised for its suspenseful narrative and realistic characters that draw readers into its intriguing mystery. McGinnis's knack for blending a gripping plot with the exploration of family dynamics and secrets has resonated with readers, making it an engaging and thought-provoking read.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761040634

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 2021

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Kerry McGinnis was born in Adelaide and at the age of twelve took up a life of droving with her father and four siblings. The family travelled extensively across the Northern Territory and Queensland before settling on a station in the Gulf Country. Kerry has worked as a shepherd, droving hand, gardener and stock-camp and station cook on the family property, Bowthorn, north-west of Mount Isa. She is the author of two volumes of memoir, Pieces of Blue and Heart Country, and the bestselling novels The Waddi Tree, Wildhorse Creek, Mallee Sky, Tracking North, Out of Alice, Secrets of the Springs, The Heartwood Hotel, The Roadhouse, Croc Country, The Missing Girl and Gathering Storms. Kerry now lives in Bundaberg and was awarded the Order of the Outback in 2022 for her work in promoting the bush.

Also by Kerry McGinnis

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  • The Roadhouse
    From Australia's authentic and beloved voice of the bush comes an outback mystery where old wounds resurface and secrets darken the vast horizon. A Hasty Homecoming When aspiring actress Charlie Carver learns that her cousin Annabelle has died, she immediately leaves Melbourne to fly home to the remote family roadhouse east of Alice Springs. It has been years since her...
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  • Bloodwood Creek
    A serial killer is roaming the outback roads of Australia's top end in Kerry McGinnis's new rural mystery. Bloodwood Creek follows the chilling story where "there's a killer roaming the roads and you're out here on your own, picking up strangers..." When Emily's beautiful cousin Aspen goes missing somewhere in the Outback, no one seems to take it seriously, not...
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  • Mallee Sky
    When it all goes wrong, where is there left to run to but home? Kate Gilmore hasn't been home in years, but with her marriage over and her job in jeopardy she doesn't know where else to turn. Desperate for comfort, Kate retreats to the Mallee, a place crawling with dark secrets and lingering childhood memories. When she's offered a...
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  • The Heartwood Hotel
    Discover the treacherous depths hidden beneath the charm of a small outback town, where loyalty and deception collide in this gripping rural mystery. The Heartwood Hotel is the core of this district. It always has been so, but it's still just a building. It's your family - you and Adam and old Tiger - who animate it, keep the heart...
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  • Wildhorse Creek
    Billy Martin runs from home, burying his past in the quest for a future. He finds it in Queensland's spectacular Gulf Country, on the sprawling cattle runs. The Gulf breeds tough men, and Billy is quickly drawn to the excitement and adventure of working with the fiery cattleman and ex-con Blake Reilly and his daughter Jo. Billy finds mateship, danger...
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  • Gathering Storms
    Set against the stunning backdrop of the Gulf country's monsoon season, this is a dramatic story of betrayal and forgiveness from bestselling author and Australia's authentic voice of the land. An Unexpected Arrival Penny Carter's quiet life in Southbend, running a nursery with her ex-father-in-law, is turned upside down when Lisa, the young daughter of her late husband, is unexpectedly...
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  • Croc Country
    Unravel a chilling mystery in Australia's untamed wilderness, where the past refuses to stay buried. Croc Country poses the question: Why would the police come back looking for a dead man? Disturbed Peace Young widow Tilly is making a new life for herself, keeping house for the rangers at the Binboona Wildlife Sanctuary in the isolated wilderness of the north-western...
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