The Birthmark is an irresistible page-turner, a novel that takes us into a world of adventure and secrets, a place where the past and present collide with astonishing results.The Birthmark interweaves the stories of two generations on the fictional Pacific island of Tevua, north-east of Australia. In 1942 young lovers Tepu and Edouwe struggle to survive under the brutal Japanese occupation; and in 2004 teenage friends Hector and Lily fight a modern battle with boredom, poverty and parental neglect.Both outsiders for different reasons, Lily and Hector spend their summer holiday roaming through the island's thick forests and around the coral pinnacles on the beach. They discover a Japanese sword, a relic of World War II, and soon afterwards an angry Japanese soldier begins to haunt Lily's dreams. What does the ghostly soldier have to tell Lily? Why does her birthmark burn in her sleep? Will the sword be used again? And can younger generations somehow resolve...

Murderer's Thumb is a haunting page-turner for young adults, an enthralling story of a close-knit community dealing with a mysterious crime.Adam Statkus and his mother are new to Falcon Ridge, a farming community in rural Australia. Within days of their arrival, Adam discovers a body buried in a silage pit. Is it one of the teenagers who went missing from the area six years ago? And who wrote the diary that Adam finds in the old farmhouse? Some locals are willing to do anything to get their hands on the missing pages. Will Adam be able to piece together the mystery in time to save himself?Murderer's Thumb is a novel about what happens when outsiders uncover secrets that have been hidden for too long.Beth Montgomery writes with perfect pitch and has created a cast of distinctive characters.'I loved Murderer's Thumb. It raced along like a runaway tractor.' Scot Gardner