
As the café is the focal point of the Cook’s Basin community, it also provides the novel with its framework, enhanced by an ensemble cast of colourful local characters, a mysterious villain, family secrets, and a love story or two. The Briny Café is told from the point of view of three characters: Sam (the rough- diamond barge driver with a heart of gold), and two capable, high-energy women – Ettie, a middle-aged artist/foodie who earns a living by cleaning houses – and Kate, a successful young financial journalist tired of the demands of the rat race.Īs unlikely as it seems at first, these two women form a partnership and take over the run-down Briny Café from owner Bert, who’s forced to retire due to serious illness.

It’s no surprise that there’s a high demand for this particular novel in this particular library, as the book is set in Cook’s Basin, a thinly disguised Pittwater in Sydney’s north, which was the setting for Susan Duncan’s bestselling memoir Salvation Creek. I borrowed The Briny Café from the 7-Day Loan section of my local library (Mona Vale, NSW). Have fun - read it! I'll definitely be buying and reading the next. There were some loose ends - and that is why. I was left wondering why it finished where it did - but that is why. There were only a few things that took the edge off for me and they are explained by the fact that there is a sequel. There are romances, deaths, arguments, nastiness, and even straight out wickedness. During the process, we meet the offshores that live on the island. Together they engineer a rebirth for the Briny and themselves. Ettie, middle aged hippie foodie artist who cleans to pay the bills, challenges Kate, burnt out twenty something journo, to join her as a partner.


When Bertie is taken ill, he sells the cafe for a song to Ettie. The Briny Cafe is the heart of Cooks Basin on Australia's East Coast. And then I got sucked in by the characters and storyline (not plot), did some out loud chuckling, and it was all over! I was hooked. I started this book thinking that the writing quality was not that high and I was going to be disappointed.
