I’m happy to say that I am starting 2025 with the fresh release of A Hospital in the Clouds – second edition.

The novel takes place in the 1920s in Cairns, Far North Australia, and was inspired by two women, one of whom is remembered by her crime, but remains anonymous to this day. It was also inspired by a derelict wooden building in the town, which was once a hospital. I mention the building because it is a character of sorts in the novel. The nurse who established it was from Scotland, and in basing the idea of my character upon her, it realised a common theme throughout my novels, which, like myself, have a connection to Scotland.

What struck me about the post-war era I researched for the novel, were the issues in common with today – post-war PTSD, global viruses, medical responses and experimentation, coups, assassinations and political change. The frontier land of Australia did not escape these issues. What I found was that the ‘sleepy’ town of Cairns and its environs was surprisingly cosmopolitan in its early days and this continues to be the case, with a thriving tourist industry.

If you are interested in post-war stories, tropical settings, intrigue, and the human drive to succeed then this is the novel for you.