Most Recommended Books

Track reading, wishlists & new-book alerts

Get
Skip to content
Share:

Di Morrissey Books in Order

The complete guide to the novels of Di Morrissey, Australia's favorite storyteller, including book order, summaries, and where to start.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

View

Publication Order

Sort:

29 books

The Last Rose of Summer

by Di Morrissey

1992

Two women from different eras are linked by their love for a magnificent mansion called Zanana. In Edwardian times, heiress Kate fights convention to save her home, while in the present, journalist Odette battles developers to preserve the same estate.

Follow the Morning Star

by Di Morrissey

1993

In this sequel to *Heart of the Dreaming*, Queenie Hanlon's hard-won peace is threatened by a vengeful brother and a riding accident that leaves her husband, TR, with no memory of their life together. Queenie must fight once again to hold her family and station together.

The Last Mile Home

by Di Morrissey

1994

In a small Australian town in 1953, the wealthy Holten graziers and the shearer McBride family are divided by class and tradition. When the McBrides' eldest daughter falls for the Holtens' only son, their forbidden romance sparks a conflict that tests the entire community.

Heart of the Dreaming

by Di Morrissey

1996

At twenty-one, Queenie Hanlon is the sole heiress to Tingulla Station in the Queensland outback. When tragedy strikes, she must defend her heritage against drought, financial ruin, and those waiting for her to fail, all while navigating her love for bushman TR Hamilton.

Tears Of The Moon

by Di Morrissey

1996

Lily Barton discovers a mysterious pearl pendant that leads her to Broome in search of her roots. There, she uncovers the 1890s story of Olivia Hennessy and a pearling master, revealing a legacy of passion and tragedy.

When the Singing Stops

by Di Morrissey

1996

Young Australian Madison Wright Jones travels to Guyana, where she becomes involved with Amerindians fighting to protect their culture from corporate exploitation. Her journey plunges her into a dangerous world of political corruption and unexpected love in the rainforest.

The Songmaster

by Di Morrissey

1998

An abandoned baby in Melbourne and a dying woman's nightmares in Los Angeles are linked by ancient rock art in the Kimberley. Ex-nun Beth Van Horton leads a group of travelers into the remote region, where they uncover secrets that could change their lives.

Scatter the Stars

by Di Morrissey

1999

Once a Hollywood heartthrob, Randy Storm is now burned out and forgotten until a producer finds him at peace in Australia. As they plan his comeback, a secret from Randy's past threatens to destroy his second chance at stardom.

Blaze

by Di Morrissey

2000

International publisher Nina Jansous returns to Australia to launch a local edition of her magazine, *Blaze*. The move sparks intense office politics and rivalry among four ambitious women trying to balance their careers with complex personal lives.

The Bay

by Di Morrissey

2001

Holly Jamieson shocks her husband by buying a run-down house in a trendy coastal town to run as a B&B. She soon finds herself in the middle of a community battle between longtime locals and aggressive developers threatening the town's character.

Kimberley Sun

by Di Morrissey

2002

Lily Barton and her daughter Sami travel through the Kimberley, encountering a diverse cast of characters from an Afghan camel driver to a Chinese-Aboriginal man. Amidst the ancient landscape, they confront family roots and a local mystery.

Barra Creek

by Di Morrissey

2003

In the 1960s, Sally Mitchell flees her privileged New Zealand life to work as a governess on a remote cattle station in Cape York. Decades later, she holds the key to a secret that could reshape the future of the family she once served.

The Reef

by Di Morrissey

2004

Jennifer Towse moves to a Great Barrier Reef resort managed by her husband, forcing her to confront her fear of the ocean. She uncovers tension between the resort and a nearby research station, along with a family mystery that changes everything.

The Valley

by Di Morrissey

2006

A woman returns to a lush valley in New South Wales to uncover the truth about her family's history. Her investigation reveals the story of a forgotten pioneer and a secret her mother tried desperately to keep hidden.

Monsoon

by Di Morrissey

2007

Aid worker Sandy and her friend Anna travel through Vietnam, where they meet a journalist covering the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. The journey forces Sandy's father, a veteran, to face his ghosts, while Anna explores her own Vietnamese heritage.

The Islands

by Di Morrissey

2008

In the 1970s, Australian Catherine Moreland marries an American naval officer and moves to Hawaii. While the islands initially seem like paradise, she eventually discovers a darker side to the local culture and her own marriage.

The Silent Country

by Di Morrissey

2009

TV producer Veronica Anderson travels to the Northern Territory to retrace a film expedition that ended in tragedy fifty years earlier. With the help of a local ranger, she pieces together a puzzle that the survivors have kept silent about for decades.

The Plantation

by Di Morrissey

2010

Julie Reagan travels to Malaysia to visit cousins running a plantation founded by her great-grandfather. Her visit unearths a family mystery involving her grandmother's lost sister and the turbulent history of Malaya from the 1970s to the present.

The Golden Land

by Di Morrissey

2012

When Natalie discovers a Burmese artifact and a letter from her great-great-uncle, she becomes obsessed with his unfulfilled plans. Her research leads her to modern-day Myanmar and a moral dilemma that tests the foundations of her happy life on the Gold Coast.

The Opal Desert

by Di Morrissey

2012

Three women from different generations converge in the fictional town of Opal Lake. A grieving widow, an elderly recluse, and a young athlete find friendship and new direction amidst the stark beauty of the opal fields.

The Winter Sea

by Di Morrissey

2013

Escaping an unhappy life in Sydney, Cassie Holloway moves to the coastal town of Whitby Point. She falls for Michael, a descendant of an Italian fishing family, but the death of the family patriarch exposes secrets that threaten their future.

The Road Back

by Di Morrissey

2014

Journalist Chris Baxter returns to his hometown of Neverend with his teenage daughter, hoping for a quieter life. Instead, he finds himself investigating a suspicious death connected to a diplomatic trip from forty years ago, putting his family in danger.

Rain Music

by Di Morrissey

2015

Musician Ned Chisholm disappears into Far North Queensland, prompting his sister Bella to go looking for him. In remote Cooktown, they both grapple with a recent family tragedy and discover a local history that changes their paths forever.

Distant Journey

by Di Morrissey

2017

In 1962, Cindy leaves her life in Palm Springs to marry an Australian grazier and move to a remote sheep station. She struggles to fit in as an outsider while uncovering a mystery that haunts her new husband's family.

The Red Coast

by Di Morrissey

2017

Jacqui Bouchard settles in Broome after a personal upheaval, but her peace is shattered by a divisive mining proposal. As the town splits over the development, Jacqui faces her own difficult choices about trust and the future.

Arcadia

by Di Morrissey

2018

In the 1930s, an artist named Stella finds solace in a Tasmanian forest she calls Arcadia. Decades later, her granddaughter Sally uncovers Stella's secret life in the wilderness, leading to a modern-day battle to save the ancient trees.

The Last Paradise

by Di Morrissey

2019

After discovering her husband is a fraud, Grace takes a job promoting a luxury hotel in Bali. Inspired by the story of a historical female pioneer, she finds the strength to rebuild her life in the island's lush interior.

Before the Storm

by Di Morrissey

2020

Betrayed by a colleague, Ellie Conlan retreats to a Victorian beach town where her grandfather runs the local paper. She is soon drawn into a community dispute over development that forces her to confront her own suppressed past.

The Night Tide

by Di Morrissey

2022

Dominic Cochrane quits his political job and moves to a boatshed in Pittwater. His quiet retreat is interrupted when he agrees to investigate the disappearance of a neighbor's husband twenty-five years earlier, uncovering secrets someone wants kept hidden.

Where should I start?

If you want the classic outback saga: Heart of the DreamingFollow the Morning Star.

If you prefer a mystery with an international setting: The Plantation or The Golden Land.

If you enjoy stories about coastal communities and family secrets: The Winter Sea, The Bay, or Before the Storm.

If you want a multi-generational historical mystery: The Valley or The Silent Country.

Author bio

Di Morrissey is one of Australia’s most successful and beloved storytellers. While she is famous for her sweeping novels that capture the spirit of the country, her own life story is just as colorful as the plots she writes. She was born in Wingham, New South Wales, but she spent her growing-up years in Pittwater, just north of Sydney.

Her childhood took a fascinating turn due to a connection with a famous face.

After her stepfather passed away, Di was mentored by the legendary Australian actor Chips Rafferty. Rafferty was more than just a mentor; he was a vital support system for her family during a hard time. He played a huge role in helping Di and her mother move to California. They lived there for a while before eventually heading back home to Australia.

Di didn't start out writing fiction. Her career actually began in the fast-paced world of journalism. She was only seventeen years old when she started working as a cadet at The Australian Women's Weekly. It was a big job for a teenager, but it set the stage for a life of writing.

Later, she moved to London to work on Fleet Street, which was the heart of the British newspaper industry. Her life became even more global after she married a U.S. diplomat.

This marriage took her all over the world. For years, she lived in a variety of fascinating places, including Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and Guyana. She also spent time living in Hawaii, which turned out to be a very exciting chapter in her life. While living there, she didn't just sit on the beach. She hosted her own morning television show. She even landed a small acting role in the classic TV series Hawaii Five-O.

Eventually, Di returned to Australia. She continued her media career on camera, working as a presenter on Good Morning Australia. But in 1991, she decided to try something new.

She published her first novel, Heart of the Dreaming.

The book was an instant hit. It became a bestseller and launched a brand-new career for her. Since then, she has been incredibly prolific. Her books are known for being deeply rooted in the Australian landscape. In fact, the setting is often just as important as the characters.

Her stories usually blend a few key ingredients. You will find romance and family mysteries, but you will also find a strong message about the environment. Di cares deeply about nature, and her books explore how the places we live shape the people we become.

Titles like The Valley and The Silent Country are great examples of this style. They show off her talent for describing the unique atmosphere of Australia's diverse regions, from the coast to the outback.

These days, Di is back in the area where she was born. She lives in the Manning Valley. She is still very involved in her community. Seeing a need for local news, she actually launched her own newspaper, The Manning Community News, to support local journalism in her area.

She remains an active environmentalist and continues to write the kinds of stories her fans love—books that celebrate the land and the people of Australia.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

Comments

Did we miss something? Have feedback?

Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts

We only use your email to notify you about replies.

All comments are moderated.

Discover and track your reading on the go

Track your reading, manage wishlists, and get notified when new books are added.

All 29 Di Morrissey Books in Order (Complete List 2026)