Home News Books

In honour of Susan Duncan, these are her best books

The Australian author recently died, aged 73.

In sad news, Susan Duncan โ€“ Australian author and former editor of The Weekly โ€“ passed away on November 30, 2024. 

And so, in honour of Susan, weโ€™ve collated her best books below.

Salvation Creek is the most popular of Susanโ€™s books. The memoir recounts her journey through grief and loss โ€“ both her first husband and brother tragically died within a short time of each other. 

But itโ€™s not all doom and gloom; Salvation Creek also explores the incredible healing power of community and nature.

The Briny Cafรฉ was Susanโ€™s first fictional novel. It follows the lives of those who live in a close-knit waterside community. The novel showcases Susanโ€™s gift for creating interesting, vibrant characters. 

This book is a follow-up memoir to Salvation Creek. And so, it shares what Susanโ€™s life was like after she moved to a waterside home in Pittwater, New South Wales.

Similar to Salvation Creek, this sequel poignantly explores themes of healing, love, and community.

The House on the Hill marks Susanโ€™s third memoir. The book details how she restored an old farmhouse but also reflects on how she deepened her connection to nature and learnt to celebrate lifeโ€™s quiet joys.

This novel is a sequel to The Briny Cafรฉ, Gone Fishing. And so, it continues the story of the close-knit waterside community and beautifully explores themes of small-town life and friendships. 

In Sleepless in Stringybark Bay, a cafรฉ owner begins to investigate after an inexplicable death shocks her small community. 

Itโ€™s technically the third book in The Briny Cafรฉ series but focuses on different characters and is much more mysterious than the previous two booksโ€ฆ

Susan sadly died just days before Finding Joy in Oyster Bay was published. The fictional book continues from Sleepless in Stringybark Bay and ultimately celebrates life, love, community and the power of forgiveness.

Related stories