Sleepless in Stringybark Bay

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When five couples pool their resources to live in a house located where a turquoise lagoon meets the sea and silver branches of mangroves glow in the moonlight, the quirky little offshore community of Cook's Basin is shocked. How will ten people-one in a wheelchair and one with a hauntingly familiar face-cope with the physical challenges of living where the only way in or out, is by boat

Their worst fears are confirmed when a member of the household is found floating face down in the bay soon after they take up residence. The police insist the death was accidental but the bizarre circumstances-factoring in tides and weather-have locals scratching their heads.

Former journalist turned caf owner, Kate Jackson is curious to discover why a group of retirees in their late 70s have chosen to live in such a difficult and isolated location. Kate finds their secrecy disturbing until a throw-away line in an old magazine story opens a Pandora's Box of intrigue and mystery. And once opened, everything becomes more complicated and spirals out of control.

Wrapped in the colourful culture of a boat-access-only community that prides itself on taking care of its own, Sleepless in Stringybark Bay celebrates having a go at any age, revels in the magic of the bush, and explores the fragility of relationships, old and young.

Author Bio

Susan Duncan spent her childhood in country Victoria where her father was supply officer for the Bonegilla Migrant Camp. When she was nine years old, her family moved to Melton, near Melbourne, to run a country pub where a rousing sing-along around the piano on a Saturday night was a lot of fun. After completing her secondary education at Clyde, Woodend, a girls' boarding school, she took up a cadetship on the Melbourne Sun which led to a 25 year career spanning radio, newspapers and magazines.

Susan quit journalism after her brother and husband died within three days of each other and eventually wrote the best-selling memoir, Salvation Creek, about grief and loss and finding a place to belong. Later branching into fiction, the underlying themes of her writing remained constant - good communities create a sense of belonging and lead to contentment. She now alternates between boats on Pittwater and raising cattle at Wherrol Flat with her second husband, Bob, writing occasionally for The Australian Women's Weekly.