In this episode of Between The Lines, Chelle and Leanne chat with Australian author Penny Tangey about her delightfully funny cosy crime novel What Rhymes with Murder?

The story begins with Frida, an exhausted new mother searching for something to break up the sleep-deprived blur of early parenthood. When she attends Baby Rhyme Time at her local library, it feels like a small but meaningful step back into the world.

Then someone screams… and a body hits the floor.

Suddenly the library becomes a crime scene, and Frida finds herself drawn into an unexpected amateur investigation alongside a group of unlikely sleuths. Between gossip sessions and plenty of coffee at their local café, the group begin piecing together what happened — without realising just how close they might be to danger.

In our conversation with Penny, we talk about:

• The inspiration behind What Rhymes with Murder?

• Writing cosy crime with humour and heart

• The chaotic and identity-shifting experience of early motherhood

• How libraries and community spaces bring people together

• Creating an amateur detective who feels real, relatable and funny

Penny Tangey brings warmth, wit and sharp observation to this story, blending murder mystery with the messy reality of new parenthood.

If you enjoy cosy crime with quirky characters and plenty of humour, this is a great one to add to your reading list.

Penny Tangey is a librarian, mother and former stand-up comedian living in East Melbourne.

She has written several children's books with UQP, including As Fast As I Can, which won a Queensland Literary Award and the Readings Children's Book Prize. Her middle-grade novel Music Camp was published in 2025.

What Rhymes with Murder? is her first novel for adults.

Chelle and Leanne created Between The Lines because they love books and great conversations — and wanted to share both with you.

📚 Listen to the podcast for author interviews and reading inspiration.

📦 Or join our online book club, where we deliver books to your door and a book club to your reading nook.

https://www.betweenthelinesaustralia.com/bookclub2026

A Conversation with Susi Fox about The Other Child

In this episode of Between the Lines, we're joined by bestselling author Susi Fox to discuss her novel The Other Child - a gripping psychological story that explores motherhood, identity, and the fragile boundaries of belonging.

This is a book that unsettles in the best way.

At its heart, The Other Child asks a confronting question:
What truly makes someone a mother? Biology? Love? Care? Or something more complicated?

In our conversation, Susi shares the inspiration behind the novel and how she approached writing morally complex characters who don't sit neatly in "right" or "wrong."

• The emotional spark behind The Other Child

• Writing flawed, layered female characters

• The psychology of maternal attachment

• Moral ambiguity and reader discomfort

• Why the novel challenges traditional ideas of motherhood

• How tension is built through character rather than plot twists

We also talk about how readers respond when a story pushes them into uncomfortable territory, and why that discomfort can be powerful.

• Motherhood and identity

• Belonging and displacement

• Jealousy, fear, and vulnerability

• The complexity of female relationships

• The gap between public perception and private emotion

This is a thoughtful, layered discussion about the emotional terrain beneath the thriller elements.

If you enjoy psychological fiction that stays with you long after you close the book — this episode is for you.

The Other Child is a psychological novel that explores the fragile bonds between mothers and children, and what happens when those bonds are threatened. With emotional depth and mounting tension, Susi Fox examines how love can exist alongside fear, and how identity can fracture under pressure.

AND IF YOU LOVE DISCUSSING BOOKS:

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In this episode of Between The Lines, Chelle and Leanne chat with acclaimed Australian author Toni Jordan about her powerful new novel Tenderfoot.

Set in Brisbane in 1975, Tenderfoot follows Andie Tanner, a serious and determined young girl whose world revolves around her father and the racing greyhounds they keep beneath their home. Andie dreams of becoming a greyhound trainer herself, imagining a future built around the dogs and family she loves.

But life quickly becomes far more complicated than she expected.

When Andie loses the stability and people she depends on, she's forced to navigate a world shaped by secrets, addiction, grief and survival — all while trying to hold onto a sense of who she is and what kind of future might still be possible.

In our conversation with Toni, we discuss:

• Writing coming-of-age stories shaped by hardship and resilience
• Capturing Brisbane in the 1970s
• The role of greyhound racing culture in the novel
• Creating young protagonists with strength and emotional depth
• Family complexity, addiction and survival
• Why Andie's voice feels so authentic and compelling

This is a moving and beautifully observed novel about growing up too quickly, learning who to trust, and finding a way forward when life doesn't unfold as expected.

If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction with emotional depth and richly drawn Australian settings, this episode is for you.

Tenderfoot is a coming-of-age novel set in 1970s Brisbane following Andie Tanner, a young girl whose life centres around her father and their racing greyhounds.

When tragedy and instability shatter the world she knows, Andie must navigate a far more difficult reality shaped by secrets, addiction and survival while trying to reclaim her future.

Toni Jordan is the bestselling author of Addition, Nine Days, Dinner with the Schnabels and Prettier if She Smiled More.

Her novels are known for their emotional insight, memorable characters and distinctly Australian storytelling. Toni lives in Melbourne and Tenderfoot is her eighth novel.

Chelle and Leanne created Between The Lines because they love books and great conversations — and wanted to share both with you.

📚 Listen to the podcast for author interviews and reading inspiration

📦 Or join our online book club, where we deliver a book club to your reading nook