Fiction Books by Lori
Lori's fiction works delve into a captivating world filled with mystery, intrigue, deception. Each narrative explores themes of murder, embezzlement, and whistle-blowers, all intricately woven into real-world events and vivid Australian settings. Drawing inspiration from her life experiences, work, and family, Lori enhances these stories with a touch of creativity, making the plots not only engaging but also thought-provoking. Readers are invited to journey through a landscape where reality meets imagination, uncovering the complexities of human nature along the way.
In the serene, sun-drenched hills of rural New South Wales, Annette Boyce lived a life that looked, from the outside, enviable—successful, respected, and deeply loved. A working professional with sharp business instincts and a solid marriage to Stan, Annette had every reason to stay. But one cool autumn evening, she simply vanished. No note. No signs of struggle. No trail. As Detective Lizzie Hart digs deeper, what begins as a baffling missing persons case slowly transforms into something far more sinister. The investigation reveals a web of secrets carefully spun across decades—corporate whistleblowing, false identities, and strained family bonds that snap under pressure. With each layer peeled back, Annette’s polished image crumbles to reveal a life meticulously compartmentalized—and dangerously fragile. Told from multiple perspectives, The Vanishing explores the haunting aftermath of disappearance, the silent wars we wage behind closed doors, and the lengths people will go to keep the truth buried. In the quietest corners, the deadliest secrets lie waiting.
*****
“A haunting and compelling page-turner!”
Reviewed in Australia on 29 November 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Pulls you in from the first page and doesn’t let go.
This gripping mystery is full of unexpected turns, emotional depth, and small-town intrigue. Burchmann masterfully peels back the layers of every character, revealing just how much people can hide behind everyday smiles.
Fans of Jane Harper, Dervla McTiernan, and Liane Moriarty will devour this suspenseful and emotionally rich thriller. I couldn’t put it down!
The fires that tore through New South Wales in the summer of 2019–2020 left nothing untouched — homes, livelihoods, and lives all turned to ash. When an unidentified body is found in the ruins of a burned-out cabin, it’s first dismissed as another tragic casualty of the bushfires. Detective Carla Murphy isn’t convinced. Something about the scene doesn’t fit — a timeline that stutters, a missing phone, a story that changes when the wind shifts. As she digs deeper, Carla uncovers a web of corruption and cover-ups reaching from the charred paddocks of the north to the polished offices of local government. When the pandemic sweeps across the country, another death follows — one written off as natural, but this time Carla knows better. The fire may have passed, but deceit still smoulders beneath the surface. To expose it, she’ll risk everything: her career, her safety, and the fragile truth that could burn her whole town to the ground. A taut, quietly powerful Australian mystery about loss, loyalty, and the courage to face what the flames leave behind.
Available Now from Amazon
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At Willowbend Aged Care in Launceston, 86-year-old Libby Geritz is slipping—at least that’s what the staff believe. She misplaces names, muddles the days, and sometimes speaks in riddles. But during weekly therapy sessions, Libby begins sharing vivid tales of her four husbands… each one dead, each death strangely tragic. As Dylan, her therapy worker, listens more closely, curiosity turns to obsession. Could Libby be confessing to murder? Or are her stories just the scattered echoes of a fading mind? When cryptic photographs surface and her past refuses to stay buried, Dylan must decide whether Libby is delusional—or dangerously clever. Darkly humorous and quietly chilling, Told Not To Dig is a layered mystery about memory, secrets, and how much we dare to believe.
Available 2026
In 1990, the picturesque coastal town of Tweed Heads hides more than crashing waves and sea spray—it holds secrets inked deep in its paper trail.When meticulous finance manager Sarah Whitmore transfers to the Tweed Tribune, she's expecting a quieter life by the beach. Instead, she finds evasive colleagues, cryptic financial records, and a newsroom that trembles at the mention of the past. Former Toowoomba Daily Times journalist Daniel Reid arrives the same week—charismatic, ambitious, and burdened with questions about the editor who vanished without warning.Drawn together by unease and shared curiosity, Sarah and Daniel begin to peel back layers of silence. Their late-night investigations spark more than suspicion—they ignite a slow-burning attraction neither expected. But someone is watching. Anonymous threats escalate. And the deeper they dig into old accounts and offshore dealings, the more dangerous the truth becomes. Set against the salt-swept backdrop of Australia's Gold Coast border, Ink and Shadows is a haunting tale of corruption, courage, and connection. Lori Burchmann weaves a taut, atmospheric thriller where every whisper carries weight—and every shadow hides a story. How far would you go to tell the truth when ink is permanent—and reputations are disposable?
Available 2026
In the quiet aftermath of their mother’s funeral, three estranged sisters return to their childhood home in the sleepy town of Penwyn Bay. Ruth, the dutiful eldest burdened by a lifetime of unmet expectations. Eliza, the sentimental middle child still clinging to a softer version of the past. And Caroline, the sharp, youngest daughter who always sensed there was more behind their mother’s silence. What begins as a routine sorting of a deceased estate takes a startling turn when Caroline discovers a hidden box tucked inside an old sewing cabinet. Inside: decades-old love letters, a passport under a different name, and a brooch linked to a long-unsolved theft. The name on the documents—Claudine Hartley—isn’t one they recognize. But the woman in the photographs is unmistakably their mother. As the sisters peel back the layers of Audrey Bennett’s carefully constructed life, they uncover a web of secrets that stretch across continents and decades—a life of espionage, passion, and sacrifice hidden beneath the modest surface of a country widow. With each revelation, the sisters must reckon not only with who their mother truly was, but with the truths they’ve buried in themselves. Hidden Chapters is a richly woven tale of memory, identity, and the unexpected legacies we leave behind. Perfect for fans of The Secret Keeper and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this mystery will grip your heart as tightly as it grips your curiosity.
Available 2026
When Elodie Vale steps into the tranquil grounds of Kuthura Sound Sanctuary, she isn’t looking for enlightenment—she’s searching for answers. Her brother died here. Peacefully, they said. A neurological anomaly, the report claimed. But silence, Elodie knows, can conceal far more than noise ever could. Set in a remote and luxurious meditation retreat nestled deep within the Australian bush, The Edge of Silence follows six strangers who surrender their voices for a seven-day vow of silence. What begins as a path to healing quickly unravels into a chilling psychological puzzle when one of them is found dead. As memories blur and the retreat’s strict rituals tighten their grip, Elodie begins to suspect that something is deeply wrong beneath the calm surface. Each still moment presses closer to a truth too terrible to name—one that may claim her next. For readers of Tana French, Jane Harper, and Gillian Flynn, The Edge of Silence is a taut, atmospheric thriller exploring what happens when language is stripped away—and all that remains is the sound of your own unraveling mind. A novel of ritual silence, fractured memory, and the crimes we carry in stillness.