The House on Rookery Rock: Two women. One remote island. A sea of secrets.

by Madeleine D'Este

Two women. One remote island. A sea of secrets.
1895 – On Rookery Rock, a speck off Tasmania’s wild west coast, Edith Cane cares for her widowed father and younger sisters. But when a failed harvest, an anonymous note, and a savage storm strike in quick succession, her fragile world begins to unravel. Amid the chaos, can Edith keep her family safe — even if it means protecting them with a lie?
2024 – Felicity is stunned to discover she has inherited Rookery Rock along with two relatives she never knew existed. But the unexpected gift from Edith Cane comes with one surprising find my sister.
When Felicity travels to the windswept island, she’s drawn into a century-old mystery of love, loss, and loyalty. To uncover Edith’s truth, Felicity may have to face her own — and finally decide the life her heart has been longing for.
The House on Rookery Rock is a captivating dual‑timeline mystery about family, obligation, and the secrets we carry across generations.


"This novel is ideal for readers who enjoy multigenerational family sagas where the choices of the past reverberate to the present, a fascinating exploration of family legacy, suspicious messages, remote isolation, and the harsh demands of island life." Historical Novel Society review - August 2026

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2026

About the author

Growing up in Tasmania, Madeleine now lives in inner city Melbourne surrounded by books. After studying law (and never practising) and travelling the world, Madeleine now lives a double life, immersed in the corporate world by day and writing female-led speculative fiction or podcasting by night.

When not writing, Madeleine enjoys podcasts, knitting, forteana, indie films, kettle bells and coffee as 'black as midnight on a moonless night'.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dual stories of two woman and a mystery that surrounds them. If you like mystery, wind swept islands and a who-done-it, this is for you.

[Tamatha Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a dual timeline book, and this one does it so well. Weaving the modern-day story of the women who inherit a remote house on Tasmania's West Coast and the story of the home's early inhabitants, The House of Rookery Rock alternates between the stories of Edith Cane in 1895 and her decendent Felicity. The inheritance of the house on the wind-blown cliff comes with Edith's unexpected string attached: find my sister.

The mysterious connection between the women defies time and space to reveal secrets of love and loss. Will revealing Edith's past force Felicity to face her own?

[H.M. Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a slow start this became fast-paced and entertaining. Needs some editing and proofreading, and the ending didn't make a ton of sense, but liked it overall.