He’s not that kind of magician—unfortunately.It’s 1974, and Hobart is buzzing with the opening of Australia’s first legal casino. Lawyer William Clarin hopes to boost his crumbling legal career with a tilt at politics.But when American gangsters mistake him for someone who can make criminal charges disappear, William finds himself in serious trouble.To stay alive, he has to run—straight into bigger danger on the high seas.Outclassed and out ...

Every tall tale needs its first lie. This time, the old blokes are trying to fool tourists into believing the Tasmanian Tiger isn’t extinct after all.Which is just as well… because in this comedy, Windy Mountain’s new museum manager is going to need all the help he can get.This hulking Irishman arrives by taxi late at night — and gets a taste of what's to come when the town’s scrawny old cab driver takes a swing at him.Mistaken identity.Old ...

NO-ONE BELIEVED the town drunk when he claimed he had been woken up in a bus shelter in the middle of the night by an extinct Tasmanian Tiger ...But they are listening to him now!This funny novel takes a satirical dig at a small town and some small-minded officials.The plot takes some quirky detours and you'll meet some quirky folk.If you enjoy a dash of mystery with your laughs, you might just love this book.

Three old blokes. One tangled family mystery. A trail of chaos from Tasmania to Ireland.Meet Oodles, Wish-Wash, and The Mayor—three bickering octogenarians who set out to uncover their family history… and end up unravelling far more than they bargained for.In Blokes on a Plane, a DNA test sparks the quest, but when The Mayor vanishes, the other two are forced to turn sleuth before they even reach the airport.In Whitey and the Six Dwarfs...

When a strange helicopter buzzes the shearing shed where he's hiding 12 illegal immigrants, Major Jeremy Billycock-Smythe leaps to exactly the wrong conclusion.If you’re allergic to satire, please consult a responsible adult before proceeding.Major B.S. is an unfiltered Englishman—clueless, politically incorrect, mildly unhinged and catastrophically wrong about almost everything. But don't worry: he’s surrounded by characters who are smarter, kinder and far...

Son, Give Me Back My Trousers is a collection of short columns from Australian humourist John Martin — perfect for a quick read before bed, between bus stops or while pretending to be busy.Before he was writing funny mystery novels, Martin was a newspaper columnist spinning tall tales about everything from teapot cosies turned fashion accessories to rats that haunt him from a long-ago island adventure.Inside, you’ll discover Beethoven’s kerfuffle refuffle, ...

Two elderly blokes. One missing mayor. And a mystery that really messes with their travel plans.They’re meant to be organising a heritage trip to Ireland — not chasing after a vanished ex-mayor they never liked. James Northan was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and now claims he’s descended from Shakespeare. So when he disappears, the two old fellas from Windy Mountain are hardly heartbroken… at first.But then local landmarks start vanishing. Demoliti...

The immensely popular knitalong—an organized event where people knit together for a common goal—has only grown with the explosion of the Internet. Yesterday’s wartime Red Cross sock drives have evolved into today’s meet-ups at locales as diverse as cafes, state fairs, and major league ballparks, as well as international online gatherings; in fact, at any given time tens of thousands of people worldwide are involved in knitalongs, organized around a particular yarn, a favorite social cause,...

When Billy Gumboots returns to the small town he’s done everything to avoid, the local funeral director goes out of his way to help him. But why? What's in it for him?Billy also encounters other bizarre characters – including a handyman who sprouts Latin, a red-headed Feng Shu expert who explains why Billy has his yin and yang all wrong, and an old man who looks like him but denies paternity.He soon finds himself tangled up in a mess he can’t easily escape. Can Dave, the un...

It’s not every day a group of jumpsuited crooners roll into Windy Mountain—especially ones with suspicious minds and surprisingly good detective instincts.When a garden ornament goes missing, the new owners of the Tasmanian Tiger Museum are faced with an escalating puzzle.The clues include a skeleton, a chess set, a concrete marsupial with a secret pouch, and the arrival in town of some unsavoury characters.Oodles, Wish-Wash and the Mayor are off in...

Three hilarious adventures. One remote island. A long-buried World War II secret.The Funny Capers DownUnder trilogy kicks off in 1974, when a pint-sized Hobart lawyer flees some very unhappy gangsters.He washes up on a forgotten island off Australia’s east coast, hoping for peace and quiet. Instead, he transforms into a cranky hermit known as Mad Bill—and the island soon attracts a motley parade of visitors, each bringing more mayhem.As the chaos un...

Seven twisted voices, seven outrageous stories.True Wit is a beach-ready collection of off-kilter tales from seven of today’s most original humorous authors from around the globe.What makes you laugh?In Benefit of Hindsight for Ghosts, a disoriented spirit gets more than he bargained for when he ends up haunting a jail against his will. Or dive into a bizarrely comic tale of mistaken identity in The Curious Case of a Murder Being Announced at Dos...