A Haunting at Venus Bay: A compelling dual-time story of secrets, a mysterious disappearance and coming home
Jan 2026 · Hachette UK
Ebook
304
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
infoThis book will become available on January 8, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
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 challenge, 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 clearly who wants a wife who will also be 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 for ever...
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) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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 challenge, 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 clearly who wants a wife who will also be 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 for ever...
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) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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.
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