Showing results by narrator "Natasha Beaumont" in All Categories

Teacher and former rugby league player Chris Dawson appeared to have it all - a loving family and a beautiful home in Sydney's Northern Beaches. But in the summer of 1982 his wife Lynette disappeared and not long afterwards Dawson married a much younger woman, a former student. Less than a decade later this young woman escaped the marriage and went to the police to record her suspicions that Dawson had been involved in Lynette's disappearance. A homicide investigation followed but got nowhere until 1998, when Detective Sergeant Damian Loone was handed Lynette's file.

Inspired by Melanie Dimmitt’s own crash-landing into special-needs parenthood, and shaped by her conversations with parents of children with wide-ranging disabilities, alongside specialists and researchers, Special shares real stories and expert guidance to soothe anyone whose life has taken an unexpected turn.

Alex has arrived at Pine Ridge—an ecovillage nestled high in the hills, surrounded by forests. She is determined to to make a fresh start for her and her two children, and this rural community apart from the modern world seems like the perfect place. But then sinister boxes start to arrive, and one by one they chip away at Alex's peace. She starts to hear stories about something awful that happened here years before, stories that sound eerily familiar.

In a hotel room on a sleepy Pacific island, Judy Novak waits. And worries. It isn’t the first time 29-year-old problem child Paulina has kept her mother waiting. But Judy can’t ignore the island’s jagged cliffs and towering pines - or the dread that Paulina has finally acted on her threats to take her own life. When Paulina’s body is discovered, Judy’s worst fears seem confirmed. Only, Paulina didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

In 1838 Englishwoman Elizabeth Gould - wife of celebrated ornithologist John Gould - made a trailblazing tour of Australia to collect and illustrate our curious birdlife. Inspired by real-life letters and weaving the discovery of some of the country's unique species with her own personal journey, The Birdman's Wife is an intimate memoir about the struggles and demands of art, the needs of children and what it's like to live with an ambitious and demanding genius.

Present day. When respected American jewelry historian Kate Kirby receives a call about the Cheapside jewels, she knows she’s on the brink of the experience of a lifetime. But the trip to London forces Kate to explore secrets that have long been buried by her own family.

Have you ever wondered if time travel is actually possible? Or where the Australian accent came from? Or what it feels like to have dementia? If you're an inquisitive person who likes to understand how things came to be the way they are, this collection of thought-provoking explainers from The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald has got you covered. Explain That answers some of the year's - and life's - most baffling questions.

To lose one husband may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder. In New South Wales in 1888, Louisa Collins was sentenced to hang after being tried multiple times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. The testimony of her young daughter helped to decide her fate. This clever and compelling novel recreates Louisa’s time in her Darlinghurst prison cell as she reflects on her life and on the grief and loss that delivered her to this place.

The Starlit Dancer is the enchanting bedtime story of Mabel, a girl whose love lights up the world! Buy now to discover the special secret of how, every night, she helps the stars shine bright. This quick uplifting story is ideal for 3- to 7-year-olds who love music, magic, and mystery. Stimulates the imagination and teaches gentle lessons about the power of love, unity, and harmony.