A poignant novel by a fresh Australian voice,
The Promise Seed will move and
mesmerise you.
This is a beautifully paced debut … it’s a thoughtful portrait of friendship, family and loneliness, and Moriarty’s finely drawn characters … bring levity and pathos to a sombre but moving story.
Books + Publishing

Parting Words is a gripping story that exposes family silences, and questions how well we really know those close to us.
…a beautifully written opening scene; and a cast of lightly drawn characters. This is a nuanced love letter to parents who have passed on; something that will no doubt resonate with many.
Books + Publishing

The development of Cass’ third novel is assisted by a grant gratefully received from the Australia Council for the Arts.

Cass Moriarty writes movingly about family, friendship, love and relationships, exploring the themes of loyalty, loss, betrayal, guilt, redemption, grief and the importance of forgiveness.

Her stories feature histories, memories and secrets and the way in which troubled families function.

Moriarty explores family secrets, polite societal conventions, love, loss and expectation with truth, compassion and genuine feeling.
Leanne Edmistone

The Courier Mail

Cass Moriarty

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Latest News

How is it 2026?

I can’t believe 2026 has well and truly begun. I hope you are reading interesting, informative and enlightening books and I hope, if you’re a writer, that you are carving out the time and space to work on the projects that you are passionate about and that thrill your heart. I’m excited to be in conversation with Sita Walker in March about her novel IN A COMMON HOUR (which I could not put down) – see Events for booking details. And I’m very much looking forward to moderating a panel of criminally good crime writers at the next Sisters in Crime literary dinner in April – again, details on the Events page. There are so many great events and workshops coming up at our Indie bookshops – why not take a look and decide which ones you’d most like to attend? I also recently attended the Brisbane Writers Crew monthly get-together. What a fantastic group of emerging and established authors. It’s a social afternoon, all about connecting, making friends, chatting writing and providing encouragement. Search on Facebook for their next event, epically organised by Rahnia Collins. I hope this year brings great books, excellent words and new writing friendships in this fantastic literary community.

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What Am I Reading?

The Marriage Portrait – Maggie O’Farrell

After fulsome adoration of HAMNET and LAND, I reached for the novel by Maggie O’Farrell in between those two that I’d missed: THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT (Headline Publishing 2022). Written in O’Farrell’s consuming and evocative style, it is another triumph of characterisation, place and plot.

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The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion – Beth Brower

Thanks to Fiona Stager for pressing into my hands this whimsical, witty, sardonic, clever and entirely amusing comedy of manners set in 1883, THE UNSELECTED JOURNALS OF EMMA M. LION (Vol 1 & 2) by Beth Brower and published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2026. For several days I lost myself in this enchanting period, documented by Emma in a series of daily journal entries.

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© 2017 by Cass Moriarty