Secrets of the River

A Wattle River Cosy Mystery #1

by Janene Morgan

In Wattle River, everyone knows everyone—or so it seems.

Life in the quiet Australian town runs on morning coffees, familiar faces, and the comforting belief that nothing truly bad ever happens here. But when a local man is found dead after prying into long-buried town history, that illusion shatters.

Librarian Maggie Ellis prefers books to people and order to confrontation—but she knows better than most that stories don’t stay hidden forever. As she follows a trail through dusty archives, whispered loyalties, and relationships tangled by time, Maggie begins to uncover truths the town would rather forget.

Because in Wattle River, secrets run as deep as the water—and someone is willing to kill to keep them buried.

Secrets of the River launches The Wattle River Mysteries, a contemporary cosy mystery series set in a close-knit Australian town where history matters, observation is everything, and danger lurks quietly beneath the surface.

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

About the author

I’ve always loved reading and writing—so much that I wrote my first book at eleven. With my dad’s encouragement, I studied Writing & Editing at TAFE NSW, but life and responsibilities pulled me away from my dream for many years.

Now, I’ve come full circle with Reads on the Road, a space to share my passion for books and writing. Today, I’m a wife, proud mum, and nanny who loves homeschooling, caravanning, and adventuring with my family (and our Cavoodles, Baxter & Bob). Along the way, I’m reading, writing, and working on my first novel—finally living the dream.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maggie Ellis, librarian and married to Martin, loved her job. Her preference was books over people, but she also understood people well. When one of her local visitors to the library hadn't turned up for a couple of days, she - and others in the town of Wattle River - began to be concerned. And when Arthur's body was discovered in the river, the tragedy of an accident was what was discussed. But it soon proved it was no accident, and Maggie was on the case.

Maggie's ability to dig deeply into an investigation; to follow where Arthur had been before her, meant she could add small details to make them into big ones. Arthur had started to worry someone and they didn't want him to find the answers to the secrets held in the town. Would Maggie discover what was going on? And who had ended Arthur's life?

After a slow start, Secrets of the River by debut Aussie author Janene Morgan showed its mettle. There were plenty of clues, a few suspects, and some clever twists to keep me occupied. Maggie is a stable, quiet but determined character, and it'll be good to get to know her and Martin more in further books. And I loved the main setting of the library too - all in all, an enjoyable debut which I recommend highly.

With thanks to the author for my ARC to read and review.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Ellis is a librarian in the small town of Wattle River, the river runs by the town and it means a lot to all of the residents it covers things makes things go away or does it, when long term resident Arthur Bell goes missing and his body is found a few days later by the river, it according to local councilors is nothing to worry about, natural causes but Maggie feels that it was something more and she will not give up till she gets to the truth.

Maggie follows a trail of paperwork through archives and computer check-ins she is methodical, patient and takes her time, to check and make sure of her findings, just like Arthur did while he was searching old files, there are whispers throughout the town, warning Maggie to let things go don’t upset the natural flow of the town but Maggie never gives up and she knows that secrets have been held for some time now, will she find the answers and get justice for Arthur?

What a fabulous debut for Janene Morgan, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Maggie and the residents of Wattle River, Maggie is good at what she does, stands her ground and is calm and meticulous when researching and she gets answers, I would highly recommend this one to any reader who enjoys a great cosy mystery. I do hope that there are more stories set in Wattle River and more mysteries for Maggie to solve.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★

Secrets of the River is a delightfully written debut novel by Aussie author Janene Morgan. With a great cast of characters that you warm to quickly in a small town setting this book was entertaining and I had a fun time reading it. Looking forward to her next book. Recommended.

[Nicole West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Congratulations on your debut novel 👏

There is a crime committed in this Australian town called Wattle River, which is slowly investigated by the local librarian Maggie.

The mystery and secrets of the river have the whole town mesmerised with some locals asking questions, whilst others are covering their tracks.

I loved this crime novel and especially the character of Maggie, who reminded me of a true Agatha Christie or Vera.

Loved it ♥️

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maggie Ellis, Librarian, prefers books to people but she knows enough about people to know secrets don't stay hidden forever. Living in a small village close to the local river, most people believe that the river will take away anything unpleasant and that will be the end of it. The quiet Australian town runs on morning coffee, familiar faces and the belief that their town knows everyone. This belief is shattered when a local man is found dead after prying into long-buried town history.

As Maggie follows clues through the town's dusty archives, she begins to uncover truths the town would prefer to forget.

This is a delightful debut novel for Janene Morgan and I believe there are more Wattle River Mysteries to come. I very much look forward to more.

[CC . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Perfect for an Australian small town mystery - will be watching out for more Janene Morgan in the hopefully not too distant future!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was set in a small town and centres around Maggie, a librarian
When a member of the small community (and a valued member of the library) goes missing, Maggie decides to investigate. Lots of twists and turns later, she teams up with police to try and work out what happened.
Very enjoyable, but I would have liked a little more detail on some of the 'associates" that
were involved in the disappearance.

[JEAN ROBINSON · Rating 5 out of 5]

secrets of the River

For a first book this is awesome, Janine shows excellent story telling skills like she’s been doing it for years. Can’t wait for her next book…highly recommend it!

[Sal Gallaher · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something special about a cosy mystery that quietly pulls you in and refuses to let go.

Janene Morgan’s debut does exactly that. From the first pages, I felt transported into Maggie’s small town, surrounded by richly drawn characters and a setting filled with warmth, charm and just enough intrigue to keep the pages turning.

I especially loved how the puzzle hobby was woven so naturally into the story, adding another layer to the mystery without ever feeling forced. And just when I thought I had it figured out… I didn’t.

A wonderfully entertaining read that made the hours disappear on a long-haul flight. A brilliant debut, and I’m already looking forward to what Janene Morgan writes next.

[Rhonda Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this cosy mystery. It featured great characters and was written in such a way that I felt like I was right there alongside them. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to read, and this book was a wonderful way to ease back into a light mystery that kept me entertained until the very end. Congratulations on your first novel. I’m sure there will be many more to come from you

[Gae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's the inner mystery solver within me going back to childhood days spent hidden away in the neighbour's mulberry tree reading countless whodunnits but I was hooked from the opening line and simply caught up with the deliciousness of this book. I felt as though it was written just for me, filled with all the things I love, clever, charming and 100% cosy.