From the must-read journalist on how power, money and influence work in this country, the full story of how one of the nation’s favourite brands brought itself to ground.

Before Covid, both Qantas and its CEO Alan Joyce were flying high, the darlings of customers, staff and investors. After Covid hit, only money mattered – in particular, the company’s share price and extraordinary executive bonuses. Illegally redundant workers, unethical flight credits, abysmal customer service, antique aircraft: these became Qantas’ new brand.

How did things go so badly wrong? Why were customers at the end of the queue? And how did an increasingly autocratic Joyce constantly get his own way, with the Qantas board and with both Liberal and Labor governments, which handed over billions in subsidies and protected lucrative flight routes from foreign competition? For the first time, The Chairman’s Lounge tells the full story of how one company banked the nation’s loyalty and then cashed in on it.

In his celebrated column Rear Window for the Australian Financial Review, Joe Aston’s reporting of the ethical failings of Qantas spurred the early retirement of its CEO and the resignation of its chairman. With fresh interviews and revelations, written in Aston’s trademark swashbuckling style, The Chairman’s Lounge is the definitive account of how Qantas was brought to ground and who did it. It is a parable of our times.

‘A masterclass in investigative journalism … A scathing, unflinching takedown of greed, delusion and a shameless abuse of power, both jaw-dropping and brilliantly incisive’
Adele Ferguson

A small-town faking dating romance from the bestselling author of Flawless and Wild Love. Features an exclusive bonus scene, limited to this paperback edition!

Stefan Dalca is infuriatingly handsome and annoyingly persistent. We’re supposed to hate each other, but apparently he didn’t get the memo, because he’s been asking me out for years. And I always say no. Until today.

Today he has something that I need. Our time together starts out as a simple transaction: three dates, no touching, no telling anyone – and definitely no falling in love.

But with every intimate conversation, and each stolen glance, the tension between us builds. The way he looks at me gives me butterflies. And when he finally touches me? We sizzle. Stefan makes me feel seen in a way no other person has before. He cherishes my words as passionately as my body. He makes me laugh, he makes me blush. He’s not the villain he’s been made out to be.

And suddenly I find myself longing for him in a way the people closest to me wouldn’t understand. Giving in to Stefan Dalca is playing with fire. But, with him, I don’t even mind the heat.

What would you do if your husband suddenly left you with two kids to support? Go back to school? Go into real estate?

Or start a new career as a pimp?

Upon discovering that sex work is decriminalised in New Zealand, Antonia Murphy decides to build her own business: an ethical escort agency. It seems like a good idea, but she isn’t sure how it’s done, so she connects with the online sex worker community.

MadamAntonia: Hi! I’m new to all this, and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about being a sex worker?

phryne: Well. There’s sex and there’s sex. What do you plan to offer?

These smart, sassy women teach her more than she could have dreamed of – the importance of pineapple juice, how to remove chilli oil from, ahem, sensitive places, and what ‘Greek’ means (hint: there are no togas).

Clueless but hopeful, Antonia launches The Bach: a healthy, safe place where women can earn great money and provide compassionate, shame-free pleasure for clients.
At least, that’s the idea . . .

A poignant and darkly comedic memoir from a mother who opened an ethical escort agency in small town New Zealand – and dared to make a difference. Now a major international TV series starring Rachel Griffiths and Martin Henderson.

'It’s easy captaining Maxi. You just need to get out of the way.' Pat Cummins

Discover the exhilarating story of Glenn Maxwell, the daring batsman and all-round Australian cricket maestro.

During the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India, Glenn Maxwell played the most audacious, improbable innings in the history of one-day cricket. Yet less than a year earlier he had been in hospital with a shattered leg, unsure whether he would ever be able to play again.

This is the story of that year, from devastation to triumph; twelve months of frustration on the road to recovery, as well as jubilation when Glenn became a father. It’s also an exploration of his life before – the moments and decisions that informed this defining year.

For over a decade, Maxwell has batted with a style that is deeply creative and at times crazy-brave, while bearing the criticism of those who find his style more exasperating than exciting. At the same time, he has become a vital bowler and one of the world’s best fielders. However, his career has also been dogged by depression and self-doubt.

Now, one of cricket’s great entertainers tells his story in his own words. The Showman offers a captivating exploration of an enigmatic talent, whose name is synonymous with the thrill of the game.

'Maxi is about genuine care and connection. There’s so much more than meets the eye.' Virat Kohli

Acclaimed clinical nutritionist and bestselling author Sarah Di Lorenzo celebrates her Mediterranean heritage by sharing over 200 beloved recipes and cherished family stories.

Brimming with fresh vegetables, fruits, extra-virgin olive oil, fish and nuts, Sarah’s family-favourite recipes are delicious and easy to make. This book holds over two hundred recipes, including Mediterranean classics like spanakopita, stuffed tomatoes, roasted artichokes, pilafi and prawn saganaki. There’s also the perfect Mediterranean roast lamb for Sunday lunch, along with sweet treats like orange and honey paximathia, and baked ricotta figs.

Known for its bold fresh flavours and vibrant dishes, the Mediterranean diet is proven to help lower your rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes, reduce inflammation and obesity, and increase your lifespan.

In My Mediterranean Life, Sarah aims to share not just the health benefits of the Mediterranean way of eating, but the key principles and lifestyle. For Sarah and her family, this way of eating is a way of life. Food is much more than eating – it’s a bonding experience.

From the author of The North Wind comes a dark and beguiling tale of forbidden love, inspired by the Greek myth of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin.

Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey. She spends her days forging iron and her evenings studying the Text, all in preparation of becoming an acolyte. Twenty-one years on this earth and she has never touched a man. And she never will.

But when she finds an injured stranger in the forest, Brielle can’t resist the urge to help him. The encounter leads her to the realm of Under, where the air breathes rot, and the fair folk dance and whisper. Where she discovers that the man she helped is actually a god: Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring.

There are few Brielle can trust in Under, least of all Zephyrus. He is charming, dangerously so, and never has a man so thoroughly ensnared her. As she embarks on a journey through the eerie banks and caves of Under, Brielle finds herself in a perilous situation. For here is where faith and heart collide – and where she risks not only her future … but her life.

The story of Australia’s Black convicts has been all but erased from our history. In recovering their lives, Santilla Chingaipe offers a fresh understanding of this fatal shore, showing how empire, slavery, race and memory have shaped our nation.

On the First Fleet of 1788, at least 15 convicts were of African descent. By 1840 the number had risen to almost 500. Among them were David Stuurman, a revered South African chief transported for anti-colonial insurrection; John Caesar, who became Australia’s first bushranger; Billy Blue, the stylishly dressed ferryman who gave his name to Sydney’s Blues Point; and William Cuffay, a prominent London Chartist who led the development of Australia’s labour movement. Two of the youngest were cousins from Mauritius—girls aged just 9 and 12—sentenced over a failed attempt to poison their mistress.

But although some of these lives were documented and their likenesses hang in places like the National Portrait Gallery, even their descendants are often unaware of their existence.

By uncovering lives whitewashed out of our history, in stories spanning Africa, the Americas and Europe, Black Convicts also traces Australia’s hidden links to slavery, which both powered the British Empire and inspired the convict system itself. Situating European settlement in its global context, Chingaipe shows that the injustice of dispossession was driven by the engine of labour exploitation. Black Convicts will change the way we think about who we are.

A deliciously witty and inspiring memoir by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz about her decade in a cult and her quest to break free.

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show's millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.

An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she'd been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister - a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family's Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family 'minders' assigned to her on set, 'Maoist struggle session'-inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counselling with 'Leadership' were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to leave and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help of a One Tree Hill super-fan), she finally managed to escape the family's grip and begin to heal from the deep trauma that forever altered the course of her life.

Written with powerful honesty and dark humour, Dinner for Vampires is an inspiring story about the importance of identity, faith and independence.

You would do anything to protect your child.
Even if she’s a monster?

Rebecca Carter and her daughter Monica, nicknamed Moonflower, travel the American West alone and isolated. Wherever they go, bodies are left behind.

Special Agent Marc Donner of the FBI has been tracking a serial killer for the best part of two years. A murderer who kills only men. All of them with their throats opened, their bodies bled out and their spinal cords severed. The killer leaves no trace, no clues – only a trail of corpses.

After all this time, Donner has gleaned only a handful of facts from the few witnesses and snippets of CCTV footage available. He’s hunting a middle-aged woman who drives a van with blacked-out windows and false plates. Often, she poses as a child online to lure in her prey. But it’s never been enough to track her down – until now.

And so begins a cat-and-mouse game between Donner and his prey, Rebecca and Moonflower. But who is the actual hunter – and who is the actual prey? Perhaps Moonflower isn’t the child that her mother claims she is. Perhaps she’s something else – and as Donner puts everything on the line to capture them, perhaps he isn’t prepared to face what is really out there...

Blood Like Mine is the thrilling and terrifying story of a mother’s love, a daughter’s devotion, a man’s obsession – and the darkness that lives within us all.


PRAISE FOR STUART NEVILLE:

'Stuart Neville writes crime fiction that is edgy, compelling and always deeply humane' MARK BILLINGHAM

'Stuart Neville is a powerhouse of deep, dark emotional fiction. One of Ireland's finest crime writers' STEVE CAVANAGH

'Chilling, compassionate and compelling' VAL McDERMID

'A crime fiction Titan' CHRIS WHITAKER

A steamy and swoonworthy standalone novel in the iconic Formula 1 romance series, from the bestselling author of The Fine Print and Love Redesigned.

Santiago: One mistake destroys my career, and I go from the most eligible Formula 1 driver to a grumpy recluse.

I’m committed to staying away from everyone, until Chloe Carter breaks into my house and accuses me of stealing her phone. I should have her arrested, but I decide to pretend she’s my girlfriend instead.

My plan is risky, but fake dating Chloe could solve all my problems with my family. Or so I think until our act transforms into something more, and I’m left wondering what could happen if we drop it altogether.

The only problem? Chloe hates liars, and I happen to be the biggest one of all.

Chloe: My whole life changes after an ancestry kit matches me with a long-lost father in Italy who has no idea I exist. Next thing I know, I’m in a fake relationship with a local who happens to be my father’s favorite Formula 1 driver.

The catch? I had no idea who Santiago Alatorre was when I agreed to be his girlfriend, so I’m stuck continuing the ruse.

Fulfilling our arrangement is one thing, but falling in love in the process? Never going to happen, even if Santiago is determined to prove me wrong.

A special edition paperback of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s beloved debut novel, featuring an exclusive cover. Soon to be a Netflix limited series starring Laura Dern and Margaret Qualley.

Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that ... in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met – and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted shows us that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending.

‘Touching and powerful ... Reid masterfully grabs hold of the heartstrings and doesn't let go. A stunning first novel.’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

A limited collector’s hardback edition of the international bestseller, featuring exclusive bonus content, a special illustrated cover and stunning sprayed foil edges.

Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. With her parents gone, it is Wren’s responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter, but if the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer.

For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade – a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond – weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come to choose his bride.

When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her – even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, Wren won’t go down without a fight.

This special edition contains a bonus chapter, exclusive to this hardback.

Stan Grant is talking to his country in a new way. In his most poetic and inspiring work yet, he offers a means of moving beyond the binaries and embracing a path to peace and forgiveness, rooted in the Wiradjuri spiritual practice of Yindyamarra – deep silence and respect.

Murriyang, in part Grant’s response to the Voice referendum, eschews politics for love. In this gorgeous, grace-filled book, he zooms out to reflect on the biggest questions, ranging across the history, literature, theology, music and art that has shaped him. Setting aside anger for kindness, he reaches past the secular to the sacred and transcendent.

Informed by spiritual thinkers from around the world, Murriyang is a Wiradjuri prayer in one long uninterrupted breath, challenging Western notions of linear time in favour of a time beyond time – the Dreaming.

Murriyang is also very personal, each meditation interleaved with a memory of Grant’s father, a Wiradjuri cultural leader. It asks how any of us can say goodbye to those we love.

This is a book for our current moment, and something for the ages.

A BookTok and Bookstagram hit! In this follow-up to romantasy debut Spark of the Everflame, war is coming and dangerous enemies wait on all sides... but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart. Now in an exclusive paperback edition featuring a never-before-seen bonus chapter and collectible design.

The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a perilous bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realises good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored – and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON NOW IN GORGEOUS HARDBACK WITH UNIQUE FOILED JACKET, REVERSE FAN ART JACKET, EXCLUSIVE MAP ENDPAPERS AND STUNNING PURPLE FOILED BOARD.

‘Nothing short of epic’ Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls
‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood
‘[A] titillating debut’ Publishers Weekly
‘A masterpiece’ Goodreads Reader Review
‘Everyone needs to read it’ TikTok Review
‘The BEST book I’ve read’ NetGalley Reader Review
‘A sizzling slice of fantasy romance’ Booksellers Review

Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games in this sizzling fantasy romance not to be missed.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya . . . The exceptional. The Elites. The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are just that, banished from the kingdom and shunned from society.

No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as an Elite. When she unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition to showcase her ‘Elite’ powers.

If the Trials and the opponents don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will if he discovers what Paedyn really is . . . completely Ordinary.

Be swept away by the first in the smash hit, dagger-to-the-throat romantasy trilogy that's taken the world by storm.

Also Available in HB: Reckless
Available in PB: Powerful

Follow Lauren Roberts on TikTok and Instagram @LaurenRobertsLibrary

*Powerless was UK YA number 1 on TCM w/e 1st June 2024

Love is an impossible mission . . . the enemy is everywhere in the pulse-pounding follow-up to international heist sensation, Thieves' Gambit, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Readers 2024. For fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Suzanne Collins. *Pre-order now*

Six months into working for the Gambit, Ross is reeling from the betrayals of the competition – focusing all her hatred on Devroe – the lover she thought she could trust. On a new heist that takes her across continents, Ross encounters a rival gang stopping her every move. Devroe's mother is at the heart of this dangerous feud and he must decide where his loyalties lie, before there are deadly consequences . . .

​Praise for Thieves' Gambit:

'A propulsive, high-octane thriller that kept me guessing until the very end. Full of breathtaking heists, complex relationships, high-stakes tension, and characters I would follow anywhere, Thieves’ Gambit gripped me from the first page, and never let go. You won’t want to stop reading.'
Alex Aster, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lightlark

'Thieves' Gambit is a masterpiece! I love everything about this book from the twists and turns to the international settings and the characters. Kayvion Lewis has created a fast paced and dramatic story that had me addicted from beginning to end.'
Natasha Bowen bestselling author of Skin of the Sea

'This fast-paced heist thriller is incredibly assured with a blockbuster feel: highly cinematic' Observer

'A pulse-pounding thriller … addictive' B&N Reads

'Readers will experience the best kind of whiplash as the story moves from one heist to the next. A fast-paced roller coaster of a read' Kirkus Reviews

'Fresh descriptions of varied backdrops, including the Bahamas, Cairo, and France, elucidate wanderlust vibes in this edge-of-the-seat thriller' Publishers Weekly

'The high-octane stakes will appeal to fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Ally Carter, and the twisty plotting is reminiscent of Ocean’s 8. This new teen criminal will steal hearts' Booklist

A small-town brother’s best friend romance from the bestselling author of Flawless and Wild Love. Features an exclusive bonus scene, limited to this paperback edition!

I kissed her, and the world stood still.

But Nadia Dalca isn’t just some girl. She’s my best friend’s little sister, fourteen years younger than me, and completely off-limits.

My plan is to stay away, but the universe keeps pushing us together. It’s like some sort of cosmic joke, to give me a taste of something so electric – so real – that I can’t touch.

I’ve always considered myself a strong man but when she looks at me with those sultry eyes, so full of longing and free of judgement, I’m weak.

Her sinful curves, her light-hearted laughter, her wild side… I’m addicted to every last bit of her.

To give in to our connection would be a betrayal. Her brother is the only family she has left and, sad as it sounds, he’s also my only friend.

But I kissed her again anyway.

And now I can’t stop…

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES! OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD, NOW IN GORGEOUS HARDBACK WITH UNIQUE FOILED JACKET, REVERSE FAN ART JACKET, EXCLUSIVE MAP ENDPAPERS AND STUNNING RED FOILED BOARD.

Praise for Powerless:
‘Nothing short of epic’ Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls
'A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance' M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood
‘A masterpiece’ Goodreads Reader Review
‘Everyone needs to read it’ TikTok Review
‘The BEST book I’ve read’ NetGalley Reader Review
‘A sizzling slice of fantasy romance’ Booksellers Review
‘Incredible and impressive’ Goodreads Reader Reader
‘A riveting fantasy debut’ Bookseller Review
‘This destroyed me... In a good way!’ Bookseller Review

With more than 60 million views on TikTok, the second heart-racing instalment in this bestselling and sizzling fantasy romance trilogy. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and The Hunger Games.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Be swept away by this bestselling, dagger-to-the-throat romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm.

Powerless and Powerful available now.

Follow Lauren Roberts on TikTok and Instagram @LaurenRobertsLibrary.

A special collector’s hardback edition of the beloved bestseller and TikTok sensation. Featuring an exclusive bonus chapter and sprayed foil edges!

“I want everything about you, Aurora … I want to protect you from possums and sharks and, sometimes, when you need it, yourself.”

When Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a college party, a drinking game results in a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on their first day as summer camp counsellors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives for the summer break.

As the summer unfolds, the tension between them intensifies. Russ doesn’t want to risk breaking the camp’s strict ‘no staff fraternising’ rule but, unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about rules. Will the two learn to peacefully co-exist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

Note: Wildfire contains 18+ content and is not suitable for younger readers.