190,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿 

Come visit us in-store this weekend! 📚 Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

When Sullivan Met Lola

Brief Description
The eagerly awaited new novel by beloved Australian author Monica McInerney. Lola Quinlan is eighty-six. If her time on earth is running out, she's not leaving quietly. Against the wishes of her family in South Australia, she's flying alone to Melbourne for a week. They think... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$3199
Elsewhere:
$3800
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY

Found a better price? Request a price match

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

The eagerly awaited new novel by beloved Australian author Monica McInerney.

Lola Quinlan is eighty-six. If her time on earth is running out, she's not leaving quietly. Against the wishes of her family in South Australia, she's flying alone to Melbourne for a week. They think she's in search of distraction and entertainment. The truth is, she's looking for a ghost.

Sullivan Farrington is twelve years old. His life in Melbourne has turned upside down. His mother is in hospital, hiding an ever-growing secret. His father lives on the other side of the world. School is a battleground of bullies. But Sullivan is no ordinary boy. He's set himself a series of goals to turn his life around. The most urgent? Make a new friend.

In a hotel beside the Botanic Gardens, Sullivan and Lola meet. They instantly hit it off, deciding to help each other with their secret plans. What they don't know yet is the trouble that's about to unfold—or how much they'll need one another...

A warm, funny and moving story about unexpected friendships, lost loves and family secrets, When Sullivan Met Lola brings two of Monica's most-loved characters together in a sparkling standalone story of their own.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781761356940

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 September 2026

Country: Australia

Imprint: Penguin Random House Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 1.0mm

Width: 1.0mm

Height: 1.0mm

Weight: 1g

Pages: 368

About the Author

One of the stars of Australian fiction, Monica is the author of 13 internationally bestselling books for adults, including most recently The Godmothers, shortlisted for the 2021 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year, and her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat. Monica grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley of South Australia. She and her Irish husband have been living between Australia and Ireland for thirty years. They currently live in Dublin.

Also by Monica McInerney

View all
  • The Godmothers
    The heartwarming new novel by Australia's #1 bestselling author. The highly anticipated new family drama from one of Australia's most beloved authors. Eliza Miller grew up in Australia as the only daughter of a troubled young mother, but with the constant support of two watchful godmothers, Olivia and Maxie. Despite her tricky childhood, she always felt loved and secure. Until,...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Trip of a Lifetime
    The long-awaited and highly anticipated new novel from one of Australia's most beloved bestselling authors. 'I always thought memories were unchangeable. Set in stone, shaped by the years. But there are always others too, ones you haven't let yourself remember . . . ' The wilful and eccentric Lola Quinlan is off on the trip of a lifetime, taking her...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Taste for It
    A warm, funny novel about following your heart and pursuing your dreams, from one of Australia's most-loved authors. Maura Carmody's off on the trip of a lifetime. A talented chef, she's travelling around Ireland for a month to promote Australian food and wine. She's expecting a straightforward business trip. But what she gets is a whirlwind of mishaps, misunderstandings, rivals...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Hello from the Gillespies
    For more than thirty years, Angela Gillespie has sent friends and family around the world an end-of-year letter titled Hello from the Gillespies. It's always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself - she tells the truth... From the bestselling author of The House of Memories comes a funny and heartfelt novel about miscommunication and...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Those Faraday Girls
    A rich and complex story full of warmth, humour and unforgettable women, from one of Australia's most-loved authors. As a child, Maggie Faraday grew up in a lively, unconventional household in Tasmania, with her young mother, four very different aunts and eccentric grandfather. With her mother often away, all four aunts took turns looking after her - until, just weeks...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The House of Memories
    An exquisitely moving family story about forgiveness and learning to love again, from one of Australia's most-loved authors. Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are those that matter most. Following a family tragedy, Ella O'Hanlon flees home in an attempt to escape her grief, leaving behind the two people she blames for her loss—Aidan, the love of her life, and...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Upside Down Inside Out
    Upside Down Inside Out is a novel about love, adventure, honesty, and discovery from one of Australia's most-loved authors. Ever been tempted to pretend you were someone exotic, someone adventurous… someone different? Set in Ireland, England, and Australia, this is the funny and heartwarming story of two people whose lives are about to turn upside down and inside out. Eva...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat
    This heartwarming story by award-winning and bestselling author Monica McInerney will delight readers young and old. Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat follows Marcie Gill, who hasn't had a great start to the Christmas holidays. Her parents aren't talking to each other, and the family business—the Snorkel Bay Caravan Park—is in financial trouble. Her younger brother will only talk...
    Hardback
    $2400
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Hello from the Gillespies
    A funny and heartfelt novel about miscommunication and mayhem in a family like no other, from one of Australia's most-loved authors. For more than thirty years, Angela Gillespie has sent friends and family around the world an end-of-year letter titled Hello from the Gillespies. It's always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lola's Secret
    At the Valley View Motel in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley, 84-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She's sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people, and why aren't they spending the festive season with their own loved ones? As the big...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lola's Secret
    A funny, sad and moving novel about memories and moments and the very meaning of life. At the Valley View Motel in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley, 84-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She's sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people,...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Alphabet Sisters
    A witty, wise family saga from the bestselling author of The Godmothers. Anna, Bett and Carrie were childhood singing stars - the Alphabet Sisters. As adults they haven't spoken for years. Not since Bett's fiancé left her for another sister... Now Lola, their larger-than-life grandmother, summons them home for a birthday extravaganza and a surprise announcement. But just as the...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

More from General Fiction

View all
  • Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    A Court of Splintered Harmony
    Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.What was broken will be remade.Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he's been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories,...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.    Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...
    Hardback
    $6999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Throne of Glass Box Set (Paperback)
    Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend. Discover the worldwide phenomenon of the #1 New York Times-bestselling Throne of Glass series in this gorgeous 8-book box set! In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not...
    Set
    $12400
    Elsewhere:
    $15500
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Assassin’s Apprentice
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • John of John
    The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo.'John of John has the emotional range and sense of sympathy of his earlier books, but this book is special, it has an urgency, an immediacy, a brilliant sense of place, the drama of fierce emotion repressed, concealed and volcanically exposed' - Colm Tóibín'To read John of John is to move to...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Things We Never Say
    Internationally bestselling and prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout's new novel tells the story of a chance incident in a man's life—a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and free will in a capsizing world. Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a...
    Hardback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 190,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!