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  • Published: 2 July 2021
  • ISBN: 9781761040634
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $32.99

The Missing Girl




A highly evocative family mystery of secrets and betrayal from the bestselling author of Croc Country.

The darkest secrets are buried the deepest.

An Unexpected Summons

Meg Morrissey has just lost her job, and her partner to an overseas assignment, when she is called back to the family home of Hunters Reach in the picturesque Adelaide Hills. Her ailing grandmother, who raised her when she was orphaned as a child, has always been a formidable figure in her life, and this is hardly a welcome summons.

Unearthing the Past

When Meg arrives at the ramshackle old homestead, she learns that the place is up for sale. She is expected to care for the property with its extensive garden, while packing up the contents of the house. As she begins the arduous work of bringing the grand old homestead back to its former glory, she is forced to examine the question that has plagued her all her life – why nobody loved her as a child.

As the house unfolds the history of an earlier age, it also spills out secrets Meg had never imagined – in particular, the discovery of an aunt she never knew, her mother’s twin sister, Iris.

A Haunting Legacy

The discovery brings horror in its wake, as Meg learns the secrets of the missing girl and the truth behind a wicked heart where love simply never existed. The more she uncovers, the more questions she has. With her grandmother unwilling to share what she knows, Meg must seek out the truth for herself.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Australian bush in summer, with the ever-present threat of bushfire at its back, this is a highly evocative story of secrets and betrayal from the bestselling author of Croc Country.
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Praise for Kerry McGinnis


"McGinnis is a natural storyteller with a deep understanding of life on the land." - The Weekly Times

"McGinnis has the eye of a painter; she writes as she sees and the land comes alive." - Weekend Australian

"Anything McGinnis writes begs to be read aloud around a campfire." - Country Style

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Additional Books by Kerry McGinnis


Expand your collection with these captivating novels from Kerry McGinnis:
*Bloodwood Creek
*Gathering Storms
*The Missing Girl
*Croc Country
*The Roadhouse
*The Heartwood Hotel
*Secrets of the Springs
*Out of Alice
*Tracking North
*Wildhorse Creek
*Mallee Sky
*The Waddi Tree

Experience the captivating narratives and immersive landscapes of Kerry McGinnis's books. Order now!

  • Published: 2 July 2021
  • ISBN: 9781761040634
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $32.99

About the author

Kerry McGinnis

Kerry McGinnis was born in Adelaide and at the age of twelve took up a life of droving with her father and four siblings. The family travelled extensively across the Northern Territory and Queensland before settling on a station in the Gulf Country. Kerry has worked as a shepherd, droving hand, gardener and stock-camp and station cook on the family property, Bowthorn, north-west of Mount Isa. She is the author of two volumes of memoir, Pieces of Blue and Heart Country, and the bestselling novels The Waddi Tree, Wildhorse Creek, Mallee Sky, Tracking North, Out of Alice, Secrets of the Springs, The Heartwood Hotel, The Roadhouse, Croc Country, The Missing Girl and Gathering Storms. Kerry now lives in Bundaberg and was awarded the Order of the Outback in 2022 for her work in promoting the bush.

Also by Kerry McGinnis

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