About Me
One of my children describes me as
Mum
Short, bossy
neat, loving, caring
A book writing machine
Mummy
My local newspaper published my first story Santa’s Elf when I was eight. In my first year of university I wrote my first book on a typewriter, based on my year as a governess in outback Queensland. But I put it aside to pursue a busy media career.
Twenty years later I returned to my novel writing dream and in 2013 released my debut crime thriller Write About Me. This novel set in Kings Cross sparked a new investigation that solved the baffling cold case mystery of my cousin Ursula Barwick. Ursula disappeared from Kings Cross in 1987 when she was 17 and I was 15.
During the four frantic years of the renewed search for Ursula I published more crime novels including the Detective Rhiannon McVee mystery series, Find Me, When You Find Me and You’ll Never Find Me to help keep attention on her case. In 2017 I published the sequel to Write About Me, it’s title Found reflecting the end of our search for Ursula.
I am the only Australian author who is a family member of a missing person tackling the complexities of missing through fiction. I spend my time between the Sapphire Coast and Australian outback, watching sunrises and sunsets and writing the next instalment in the Detective Rhiannon McVee mystery series.
A life-changing choice
An advocate for missing people
Through my fiction writing I am a strong advocate for missing people around the world. I am also the founder of Picnic for Missing, an event where families can remember and celebrate their missing loved ones. In 2015 the Daniel Morcombe Foundation appointed me as a Day for Daniel 2015 Ambassador, a role which continues today. I support missing persons organisations in Australia via public speaking and advocacy work.