Lyn Yeowart is a professional writer and editor with more than 25 years of experience in writing and editing everything from captions for artworks to speeches for executives. Her debut novel, The Silent Listener, is loosely based on events from her childhood growing up in rural Victoria.
Propelling the reader back and forth between the 1940s, 1960s and 1980s, The Silent Listener is an unforgettable literary suspense novel set in the dark, gothic heart of rural Australia.
In the cold, wet summer of 1960, 11-year-old Joy Henderson lives in constant fear of her father. She tries to make him happy but, as he keeps reminding her, she is nothing but a filthy sinner destined for Hell . . .
Yet, decades later, she returns to the family’s farm to nurse him on his death bed. To her surprise, her ‘perfect’ sister Ruth is also there, whispering dark words, urging revenge.
Then the day after their father finally confesses to a despicable crime, Joy finds him dead – with a belt pulled tight around his neck . . .
For Senior Constable Alex Shepherd, investigating George’s murder revives memories of an unsolved case still haunting him since that strange summer of 1960: the disappearance of nine-year-old Wendy Boscombe.
As seemingly impossible facts surface about the Hendersons – from the past and the present – Shepherd suspects that Joy is pulling him into an intricate web of lies and that Wendy’s disappearance is the key to the bizarre truth.
A deftly wrought suspense novel from a remarkable new literary talent . . . A book that should be atop of everyone’s reading list.’ J. P. Pomare, author of Call Me Evie‘
A wickedly dark debut – haunting and unputdownable.’ Christian White, author of The Nowhere Child
‘The Silent Listener is simply unforgettable.’ The Age
March – Book of the Month
Rebecca Starford’s webpage
For information on the Northern Beaches Readers Festival in Avalon Beach in September 2021, go to: http://www.nbrf.com.au
days
hours minutes seconds
until
Northern Beaches Readers Festival
The Book Podcast 
Congratulations on the new festival you’re organising! Sounds wonderful.
Such an interesting conversation with Lyn Yeowart – loved the discussion about how truth can be implausible, even in fiction, and also about the intrinsic connection between writing and editing.
Fantastic book reviews, too.
Thank you Rosemary and Cassie.
LikeLike