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The General Hospital: A Menzies Mental Health Novel
Not yet published
Expected 31 Mar 26A profound and engrossing medical drama by bestsellers Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion
Trainee psychiatrist Doctor Hannah Wright is back where she worked as an the general hospital. This time, instead of dealing with patients' broken bodies, she's tackling their mental health issues, with a roving commission to cover the medical, surgical and obstetric wards. All the while learning that mental and physical health are inextricably linked.
Christina is planning to sue her obstetrician - Hannah's ex-boyfriend - for mental distress during labour. Junjie's Olympic dream has been shattered by injury. Is he at risk of taking his own life? Max's bipolar medication might keep him level-headed, but it is destroying his kidneys. And Ishani claims that setting herself on fire was an accident, but her story doesn't stack up.
When she's not on call, Hannah finds herself navigating an unexpected friendship and the promising early days of a new relationship with fellow trainee Alex, before her grandmother reveals an explosive family secret.
Filled with realism, heart and humour, esteemed Australian psychiatrist Anne Buist and internationally bestselling author Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project) bring us into the world of physical and mental health in this unique novel.
Praise for The Glass House and The Oasis:
'Contains all the comforting trappings of a fast-paced medical procedural' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Simsion's The Rosie Project' BOOKS + PUBLISHING
'A masterfully told, character-driven novel that will have you laughing and crying in equal measures' THE AUSTRALIAN
'An inside eye on the experience of young doctors . . . [with] a compassionate lightness of touch' THE AGE
'A unique novel that's so timely' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Deeply empathetic' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
Trainee psychiatrist Doctor Hannah Wright is back where she worked as an the general hospital. This time, instead of dealing with patients' broken bodies, she's tackling their mental health issues, with a roving commission to cover the medical, surgical and obstetric wards. All the while learning that mental and physical health are inextricably linked.
Christina is planning to sue her obstetrician - Hannah's ex-boyfriend - for mental distress during labour. Junjie's Olympic dream has been shattered by injury. Is he at risk of taking his own life? Max's bipolar medication might keep him level-headed, but it is destroying his kidneys. And Ishani claims that setting herself on fire was an accident, but her story doesn't stack up.
When she's not on call, Hannah finds herself navigating an unexpected friendship and the promising early days of a new relationship with fellow trainee Alex, before her grandmother reveals an explosive family secret.
Filled with realism, heart and humour, esteemed Australian psychiatrist Anne Buist and internationally bestselling author Graeme Simsion (The Rosie Project) bring us into the world of physical and mental health in this unique novel.
Praise for The Glass House and The Oasis:
'Contains all the comforting trappings of a fast-paced medical procedural' SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
'Reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Simsion's The Rosie Project' BOOKS + PUBLISHING
'A masterfully told, character-driven novel that will have you laughing and crying in equal measures' THE AUSTRALIAN
'An inside eye on the experience of young doctors . . . [with] a compassionate lightness of touch' THE AGE
'A unique novel that's so timely' DAILY TELEGRAPH
'Deeply empathetic' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 31, 2026
2 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Anne Buist
13 books159 followersAnne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry. She works with Protective Services and the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Medea’s Curse is her first mainstream psychological thriller.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vibes: Compassionate Care, Mental Health Matters
—-
This was my third visit with the Menzies Mental Health team and I absolutely loved stepping back into this world.
The signature structure in this series continues here with each patient’s story gently introduced through a glimpse into their life before their path leads them to the Menzies team. It’s such an effective storytelling approach and one I’ve really grown to love across the series.
Familiar characters returned too which brought a comforting sense of continuity. It was enjoyable to get to see them further along in their lives and careers with more experience, growth and emotional depth.
What really stands out is how well the book balances tone and subject matter. Heavy mental health themes are handled with warmth, compassion and a lightness that never feels dismissive. It captures both the reality of living with mental illness and the emotional impact on those working in the field.
Some topics may be triggering for readers, but everything is written with such care that it genuinely helps break down stigma rather than reinforce it.
If you’re new to the Menzies series I’d strongly recommend starting from book one so you can grow alongside the characters and follow the recurring patients. I’ve loved every instalment so far, so starting at the beginning is an absolute treat and this third book is a wonderful continuation.
Huge thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for the sneak peek of this excellent read.
—-
This was my third visit with the Menzies Mental Health team and I absolutely loved stepping back into this world.
The signature structure in this series continues here with each patient’s story gently introduced through a glimpse into their life before their path leads them to the Menzies team. It’s such an effective storytelling approach and one I’ve really grown to love across the series.
Familiar characters returned too which brought a comforting sense of continuity. It was enjoyable to get to see them further along in their lives and careers with more experience, growth and emotional depth.
What really stands out is how well the book balances tone and subject matter. Heavy mental health themes are handled with warmth, compassion and a lightness that never feels dismissive. It captures both the reality of living with mental illness and the emotional impact on those working in the field.
Some topics may be triggering for readers, but everything is written with such care that it genuinely helps break down stigma rather than reinforce it.
If you’re new to the Menzies series I’d strongly recommend starting from book one so you can grow alongside the characters and follow the recurring patients. I’ve loved every instalment so far, so starting at the beginning is an absolute treat and this third book is a wonderful continuation.
Huge thanks to Hachette and NetGalley for the sneak peek of this excellent read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“The General Hospital is the third in Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion’s series on the life of a psychiatric trainee – a pathway that Anne and I have both walked/ran/tripped on although in different States of Australia and at different times. Despite those geographical and time differences we are colleagues and friends so this review is colored, informed and enhanced by those facts and here is my review!
Hannah Wright has made it through part of her training and the intermix of her professional and personal lives, introduced in books one (The Glass House) and two (The Oasis) of this series, not only rolls along but the writing of Anne and Graeme together matures as this series moves along. The patient scenarios that are thrown at Hannah (a burns victim in a complex extended family dynamic, the road crash victim, the lawyer with his out-of-control bipolar mood disorder and others I hadn’t seen before) expose the very real dilemmas that medical staff deal with on the frontline. The patients, the families and their health care staff share life and death questions, empathy, emotions and very real lives. The authors provide nuanced and humorous dissections of the interactions of staff, patients and family members, with a lighter touch perhaps than in the previous two in this series, making it easy reading. And that's the joy of the book – the sly fun (yes Graeme – The Rosie Project) as Hannah steers herself in and out of relationships, deals with the expectations and complications of her family of origin, and yet reveals the complexities of working in a demanding job with very troubled (and real) people (Anne). Do I know Hannah? I almost certainly do as she is part of me, part of Anne and known to many of my psychiatric colleagues who are perhaps her supervisors – and as it turns out, readers of this series. Why would psychiatrists and other mental health staff read this book? “It isn’t ME that has to deal with this situation so I can be a voyeur for these challenging and gripping stories that sound oh-so-credible”. Of course Anne knows the territory so well – Anne’s work in her field has taken her to high honors in her profession and she can share and entertain you simultaneously. Why would others read this book? It is a great read, well-portrayed personalities and a further clear view of the world of acute mental health, highly nuanced and perceptive. So much easier reading about it sometimes than unravelling those dilemmas.
Hannah Wright has made it through part of her training and the intermix of her professional and personal lives, introduced in books one (The Glass House) and two (The Oasis) of this series, not only rolls along but the writing of Anne and Graeme together matures as this series moves along. The patient scenarios that are thrown at Hannah (a burns victim in a complex extended family dynamic, the road crash victim, the lawyer with his out-of-control bipolar mood disorder and others I hadn’t seen before) expose the very real dilemmas that medical staff deal with on the frontline. The patients, the families and their health care staff share life and death questions, empathy, emotions and very real lives. The authors provide nuanced and humorous dissections of the interactions of staff, patients and family members, with a lighter touch perhaps than in the previous two in this series, making it easy reading. And that's the joy of the book – the sly fun (yes Graeme – The Rosie Project) as Hannah steers herself in and out of relationships, deals with the expectations and complications of her family of origin, and yet reveals the complexities of working in a demanding job with very troubled (and real) people (Anne). Do I know Hannah? I almost certainly do as she is part of me, part of Anne and known to many of my psychiatric colleagues who are perhaps her supervisors – and as it turns out, readers of this series. Why would psychiatrists and other mental health staff read this book? “It isn’t ME that has to deal with this situation so I can be a voyeur for these challenging and gripping stories that sound oh-so-credible”. Of course Anne knows the territory so well – Anne’s work in her field has taken her to high honors in her profession and she can share and entertain you simultaneously. Why would others read this book? It is a great read, well-portrayed personalities and a further clear view of the world of acute mental health, highly nuanced and perceptive. So much easier reading about it sometimes than unravelling those dilemmas.
Read
January 17, 2026The General Hospital is a compassionate, engaging novel that offers a rare and insightful look at the intersection of mental and physical health. Through Hannah’s journey, the book explores complex cases with realism, warmth, and subtle humour.
The characters feel deeply human, and the storytelling balances emotional weight with hope and levity. A timely, empathetic, and thoroughly absorbing read that both informs and moves.
The characters feel deeply human, and the storytelling balances emotional weight with hope and levity. A timely, empathetic, and thoroughly absorbing read that both informs and moves.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed this novel. The best in the Menzies series. I felt I wasn't reading about characters, I was reading about people. I had an emotional response to this book, I felt their pain and all the things they were going through.
Review of advance copy received from Author
An authentic look at the world of mental health care in a general hospital setting.
Heartwarming, confronting & humorous in equal measures.
Heartwarming, confronting & humorous in equal measures.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4⭐️
Read this the day I got out of an Australian hospital for mental health reasons, so perfect time for this.
Read this the day I got out of an Australian hospital for mental health reasons, so perfect time for this.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review closer to publication date
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews