Book excerpt: A young woman goes missing… On the threshold of World War II, a young woman from a titled family in the south of England disappears, seemingly without trace. An unexpected inheritance… In 2016 on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia, Maddison Browne is a romantic fiction writer who is lucked out in love and scared that her best days as an author are over. When she learns that she is to inherit an antique piano from a woman she’s never heard of, she wonders why and is driven to find out. A family secret… In England, Maddison unearths a century-old secret that leads her to a family she never knew she had and an entanglement in affairs of state. And she meets someone who might turn her life around. The Piano Woman highlights the fragility of family, the price of love, and the importance of traditions that can sometimes save us from ourselves. ‘A real page turner in terms of story and plot. The gradual unravelling of ancestral secrets across four generations is skilfully executed.’ – Chandani Lokuge, author of My Van Gogh ‘As a fan of dual-timeline novels, this one hit the right notes. There is mystery and some romance and a well written, compelling tale of families, tradition, and personal growth. Highly recommended.’ – Phillipa Nefri Clark, author of The Station Master’s Cottage ‘The structure of the book was very well executed, maintaining the suspense throughout. I was hooked until the end.’ – Goodreads ‘The Piano Woman has all the elements of a great contemporary fiction read, laced with detailed historical links.’ – HappyValley_Reads