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A Haunting at Venus Bay
A compelling dual-time story of secrets, a mysterious disappearance and coming home
Brief Description
A home. A disappearance. And a mystery that spans a century... When Cass leaves London with a fractured heart, she plans to settle in Australia, specifically in the beautiful area of Victoria coastline where she spent so many happy holidays. Yet when she arrives, her house...
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Format: Paperback / softback
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See moreSet on the beautiful Australian coastline of Victoria comes an immersive dual-time novel of secrets, marriage and coming home - from the author of The Keepsake
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Description
A home. A disappearance. And a mystery that spans a century...
When Cass leaves London with a fractured heart, she plans to settle in Australia, specifically in the beautiful area of Victoria coastline where she spent so many happy holidays. Yet when she arrives, her house is not quite what she'd envisaged - doing a place up is one thing, living with things that go bump in the night is quite another.
Years earlier, Minna and her mother have escaped war-torn Europe to join the fairgrounds. There, Minna meets Albert, a man who wants a wife - but also a full-time worker on the farm near Venus Bay. Albert has no interest in Minna, nor tolerance of her desire to become a writer. When he, and then Minna, both disappear, the mystery of what has happened to them stays buried, seemingly forever...
It will take Cass, and the discovery of a hidden book, to unravel the secrets of a childhood and a marriage, and a story that will also help her live again.
Two women, decades apart, and a house that brings them together. What readers love about Julie Brooks:'Such a wonderful story. Set across two timelines, two hundred years apart - I loved the way things wove together beautifully' (The Heirloom) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Beautifully written...A story which kept me hooked, with mysteries to uncover' (The Keepsake) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A truly delightful story with fastidious attention to detail...the plot twists and redirects expectations in what makes a thrilling read' (The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781035414864
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 08 January 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Headline Review
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 153.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Julie Brooks was born in Brisbane, Australia, but has lived most of her life in Melbourne. She taught English and Drama in secondary schools before working as an editor of children's magazines. She has been a full-time author since 1999 and is the author of several young adult novels as well as children's fiction and non-fiction. The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay, The Keepsake and The Heirloom are her novels writing as Julie Brooks.
To find out more, visit juliebrooksauthor.com and follow her on Instagram @juliebrooks_books.Also by Julie Brooks
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The Heirloom
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Two women set sail for Australia, bound by a terrible truth. But only one will make it off the ship. The Secrets of Bridgewater Bay is a darkly gripping dual-time novel, with a wealth of twists, turns and secrets, and an absolute book club treat, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley, Rachel Rhys and Hannah Richell. "The writing is polished...PaperbackSold Out
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