Please join us on Monday the 1st July from 6pm at the Ivanhoe Hotel in Manly to celebrate the launch of The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern.

Petronella will be in conversation with Ashley Kalagian Blunt, author of Dark Mode, and they will be discussing the themes and inspiration behind her new thriller.

Books will be available for purchase on the night, courtesy of Harry Hartog Warringah Mall and Petronella will be signing books afterwards.

Please RSVP - We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: Parking is available in the nearby Whistler Street carpark.

About the Book:

The Last Trace is a gripping thriller about siblings and secrets, and the traces we can never erase. What if you're scared you committed a crime but can't remember... Family. It means everything to Sheridan. She has missed having her brother around.

At last, Lachy is back in Australia, and Sheridan can’t wait to spend the Easter holidays all together in the mountains with their kids. But, on Good Friday, something devastating happens that rips their two families apart, and now she can’t imagine ever forgiving him. Lachy knows he’s not coping, but his sister doesn’t have the full story. And, terrifyingly, nor does he. There are some critical gaps in his memory. How is he connected to a missing woman, a hit and run, and a request for DNA? To untangle the truth, Lachy must decide who he can trust. His sister? His friends? Even himself?

'This perfect blend of crime and heart is McGovern's best novel yet!’ Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Dark Mode.

About Petronella McGovern:

Petronella McGovern is fascinated by what makes us tick, the lies we tell, and the secrets we keep. She writes twisty domestic thrillers.

Her books have been nominated in the Ned Kelly Awards, the Davitt Awards and the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards. Her first novel, Six Minutes, debuted on the Australian bestseller list. The Good Teacher was a book club favourite for its hot topic themes. The Liars was selected in the Top 100 Big W/Better Reading list for 2023.

Petronella has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and tutors in creative writing. She grew up on a farm in central west NSW and now lives with her family in Sydney on Gadigal Country.

Among other adventures, she has worked on a summer camp in America and travelled in eastern Africa which inspired parts of her new novel, The Last Trace.

About Ashley Kalagian Blunt:

Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the number one bestselling author of Dark Mode, a psychological thriller. Dark Mode was shortlisted for the 2024 ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year and ranked number 20 in the Better Reading Top 100. Her previous books are How to Be Australian (2020), a memoir, and My Name Is Revenge (2019), a thriller novella and collected essays.

Ashley is an award-winning speaker and has appeared at Sydney Writers’ Festival, Brisbane Writers’ Festival, Story Club and more, and is a Moth StorySLAM winner. She is the co-host of James and Ashley Stay at Home, a podcast about writing, creativity and health.