This user has not added any information to their profile yet.
Galway, Ireland. 1841. The Thornton family faces a decision which will put their lives on the line.
The Thorntons are in debt to their wealthy landlord, and their dream of owning land of their own seems an impossible one; while across the world, the colony of New South Wales calls for farmers to work the rich plains west of Sydney.
Mick and Cate and their two young boys survive 12,000 miles of treacherous seas, gales and sickness, but that’s just the start of a rollercoaster ride through dangerous territory; prison bars, crooked cops, bushfire, outlaws, and the gold rush, to name just a few.
Wide Sky People is a gripping tale of adventure in an untamed world where the price of success is hard work, a will of iron and a little luck. Two generations of Thorntons will take you on a journey of action, suspense, sadness, love and laughter. Join the people who saw a wide sky full of promise, and turned a colony into a country.
This is the first volume of the Thornton series. The second, ‘Breaking Lucky’, is out now on Amazon.
I thoroughly enjoyed the saga of the Thornton family, emigrating from Ireland to Australia in 1840, their first year in Sydney, and their lives thereafter in Central Western New South Wales. The bits of Australia's history liberally sprinkled throughout the Thorton's story were most welcome - like the US, Australia is a country of immigrants who found their way in a new land, and I loved discovering more Australian history. Definitely recommend!
Danny ‘Lucky’ Thornton cursed his middle name.
Born in 1895, asthma almost killed him when he was four, but he survived to be among the first volunteer lifeguards on Sydney’s Coogee Beach. His sister Cath dreamed of being a doctor, but the walls of prejudice against women demanded she should ‘know her place’.
Danny came home from the Great War with a crippling wound and a shattered mind. Unable to kill his demons, he saddled a horse and rode west, looking for answers. Cath refused to listen to the voices of bigotry, and fought for the right to follow her dream.
Will Danny find solace, or self-destruct? Will Cath achieve her dream or be crushed by a male-dominated world?
Join them in this gripping story of adventure, love, and courage against the odds.
‘Breaking Lucky’ is the second volume of the Thornton Series. The first, ‘Wide Sky People’, is out now on Amazon.
I really enjoyed this story of the trials and tribulations of the Thornton family. It feels as if I know each of them well. The backdrop of the Australian countryside is so realistic, and having spent time in both Sydney and Kiama, I loved being reminded of streets and sights there. Although the book is set in the early years of the twentieth century, much remains the same. Not just the places, but the ups and downs of family life. I hope the author continues with tales of the next generation of the family.
Sydney, January 1879. A body with its eyes hacked out is found in a suburban street, and a cryptic note promises more. Detectives Kennedy and Walsh scour the city for a crazed killer dubbed ‘Doctor Hacksaw’ by the press.
A female suffrage march turns ugly and Kennedy’s wife Mary defends three accused women in a courtroom drama. Walsh’s partner Victoria Chen has information on a crime boss that could get her killed.
Lives spiral out of control as the body count rises. Kennedy and Walsh are entangled in a web of Asian thugs and terrorism. Mary steals a horse for the ride of her life to stop the killer, and Walsh has a secret that could end his career.
There will be a reckoning in the darkness. Dare they enter?
Victorian Sydney Australia comes to life in Dare the Dark. Mitchell deftly weaves a story that’s sure to satisfy. A murder mystery combined with the changing political and social landscape of the 1870s makes for an intriguing read. Multiple subplots enhance the tale in expert fashion.
Pivotal moments are highlighted with perfect timing. Protagonist Liam Kennedy is immediately likable, and Henry Walsh is nuanced, showing an often unseen side of society at that time. A wide range of characters populate the pages, all of whom elevate the story and breathe life into the historic setting.
Booklife Prize.
The First World War is over, and the Thorntons celebrate Armistice on the streets of Sydney, but their vision of an era of peace and prosperity is about to be shattered.
Against a backdrop of the Spanish Flu, the Roaring Twenties, organised crime and the Great Depression, the Thorntons do what they’ve always done—they knuckle down and get on with life. But will that be enough? Will they survive the challenges before them, or be cast upon the jagged rocks of life, like so many during those troubled times?
From the Hindenburg Line to The Hungry Mile, Wild Fennel tells the story of Sydney’s battlers who faced overwhelming odds in the chaotic 1920’s and 30’s. Join the Thornton family in a rich, sweeping novel of hope, resilience, grit, and determination.
“This epic story unfolds in the tradition of Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath”. - BookLife Prize, USA
Sydney, 1933. The Harbour Bridge is one year old and Luna Park’s smiling face nears completion. The world holds its breath as Japan, Germany and Italy plan for war, and a deadly vacation lands Cath and Mingmei Thornton in the Battle of Shanghai.
Conflict erupts and the Thorntons do their bit. Mick is posted to the RAF in England. Helen joins the Australian Intelligence Bureau and enters the world of espionage when Japan plans to attack the US.
WW2 goes into hyper-drive and the stakes are high. Mick faces the terror of combat at 15,000 feet. Will he perish in the skies over Germany like so many others? Helen races the clock in a game of spies. Can she save the lives of thousands?
From Sydney Harbour to the Shanghai waterfront, the back-streets of Tokyo and the mountains of France, ‘If the Sun Shines Again’ paints a sweeping canvas. Join the Thornton family at a time when ordinary people achieved the extraordinary.
I enjoyed If the Sun Shines Again as it delved into the shadows cast by war, examining how ordinary people grapple with trauma, duty, and hope for the future. Its understated prose and careful pacing enabled the characters’ inner lives to take centre stage, which I thought gave the story a quiet authenticity. Relationships were tested, loyalties strained, and small moments of kindness carry significant weight.
It’s 1942 and the world’s in turmoil.
Mick Thornton’s on the run from the Gestapo after his plane crash-lands in the north of France. His attempted escape to England becomes a bloodbath at the Spanish border, and his plans are thrown into chaos.
As Japan casts a shadow on Australia’s doorstep, twenty-year-old Sean Thornton serves his country in the jungles of New Guinea. Outnumbered and outgunned, the brave young men of the 39th Battalion must hold the Japanese in check or Australia could be next.
Helen Thornton enters the murky world of espionage when Japanese spies steal codes from Australian Intelligence. Her night at the Trocadero ends in a brawl between Aussie and Yank servicemen, and an unexpected encounter changes her life forever.
Can Mick reach London before the Gestapo hunts him down? Will Sean and his mates survive the infamous Kokoda Track? Who has walked into Helen’s life, and will she solve the mystery of the stolen code?
‘The Light Beyond’ is a gripping tale of everyday Australians at war and at home during WW2. From Special Forces operations to the midget subs in Sydney Harbour, join the Thorntons as they fight for freedom at the world’s darkest hour.
“I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants an action-packed novel with an exciting ending.” – RC
Sydney, 1870s. A horribly disfigured body is found in a back lane. The police call for Ben Laidlaw; lawyer, adventurer and amateur sleuth.
An autopsy reveals death by a rare poison, and a cryptic note is found in the lining of the corpse’s jacket. Is it a warning from the beyond the grave? While Laidlaw and Detective Henry Walsh hit dead ends, a second body is found.
Clues point to the Coral Sea where a native uprising threatens the colony of New Caledonia. In their search for truth the investigators enter a labyrinth of mystery, magic and danger, where each step could be their last.
A sorcerer stalks the streets of Sydney. A puppet master pulls strings above a stage of death. Can the partners decode the note before the killer strikes again, or will the hunter become the hunted?
Find out……. if you dare.
An intriguing tale highlighting the very essence of Bruce Mitchell’s amazing talent of morphing fact with fiction into a story set in old Sydney town. The characters are superb, the plot all encompassing, and the embedded life lessons so subtle yet so uplifting. Bravo, cant wait till the next thrilling adventure of Ben Laidlaw.
Sydney, late 1870s. A priceless diamond thought lost in antiquity re-surfaces, triggering a brutal murder. Laidlaw and Walsh take on the case.
The gem goes missing, and Laidlaw is abducted by smugglers and sentenced to hang unless he tells what he knows. Walsh embarks on a suicide mission to save his partner’s life. Will they escape Smugglers Cove? Will the diamond’s curse of death claim them both?
Join our heroes on a spine-chilling ride from the streets of old Singapore to mysterious Scotland Island. ‘The Smugglers Cove’ is a cliff-hanger that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.
“My first read of a Bruce Mitchell novel. Huge congratulations, it deserves a literary award!” – Wendy Honnor
Sydney, late 1800s. Renowned surgeon Professor William Hunt is found dead in his Potts Point mansion, stabbed thirty-nine times with a carving knife. Amateur sleuth Ben Laidlaw and his partner Detective Henry Walsh are on the case.
The cook and maid declare their innocence, and Hunt’s Oriental ‘companion’ Deng Hua has disappeared with the gardener. Are they all in this together? Details of Hunt’s unscrupulous life surface with links to Sydney crime-queen ‘Madame Fang’. Does she know more than she’s telling?
Laidlaw and Walsh encounter more dead-ends than the backstreets of Chinatown. Enter Zhang Sun Leung, business tycoon and resident of the mysterious Jade Pagoda. Is he the puppet master in this theatre of intrigue?
Five suspects are summoned to the mansion on a dark, stormy night. Who is the murderer? Deng Hua, the hapless concubine? The gardener, Arthur Somersby? The diabolic Madame Fang? The maid Stella Bates, or the cook, Maggie Shaw? And who was lurking in the garden on the night of the murder?
Find out if you dare!
“I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who wants an action-packed novel with an exciting ending.” – RC
The Circus Maximus, Rome, AD54. Veteran gladiator Flamma has a trident at his neck, but his Nubian opponent disobeys Emperor Nero’s command and spares his life. That night Flamma returns the favour and cuts the Nubian down from the cross.
Everyone knows you don’t mess with Nero. The gladiators must escape Italy while they’re still in one piece. The duo becomes a trio when Dimitra, runaway Spartan slave and warrior, joins them on an epic journey.
Each of our heroes is haunted by the past. Dimitra battles the tyranny of nobles. The Nubian seeks to regain a kingdom. Flamma has sworn to kill the man who stole his life. Can they defeat an empire, or will Rome grind them to dust?
Flamma is a rollicking tale of adventure, love and danger, from ancient Rome to the mountains of Thrace, across the Mediterranean to the North African desert. It’s a story of women and men who lived and died as heroes, when the world was young and dangerous.
I'm not normally a fan of 'sword and sandal' novels, but this book is an exception. The author weaves a tale steeped in historical realism, yet modern in its treatment of the characters. Flamma, the protagonist, turns a life of slavery into a gladiatorial career, and falls in with two fellow fugitives (one a female Spartan warrior), as they keep one step ahead of Nero's henchmen and cross the Mediterranean into Egypt. Their epic journey combines courageous endeavour with witty dialogue and touching emotion; not to mention a dash of good old Egyptian mythology. Combine this with an epic final battle and a cliff-hanger ending, and you have five-star entertainment.