The Art House and Words on the Waves Presents

Words on the Waves - Anna Downes Book Launch

27 Oct 2026 At The Art House Studio
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Words on the Waves - Anna Downes Book Launch
HighlightTalks/Panels

Times

Tuesday 27 Oct 2026 | 6pm

Duration: 60 mins, no interval + book signing

Tickets

Ticket + Glass of Bubbles & Nibbles: $25.00

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Important Information

About

Words on the Waves & The Art House Present
Anna Downes Book Launch

Words on the Waves and The Art House Wyong are delighted to welcome you to the world exclusive book launch of Dark Days Hotel, the new deliciously dark and twisty thriller from international bestseller Anna Downes. Joined by special guests and fellow crime fiction aficionados Candice Fox, Tim Ayliffe and Ali Lowe, this will be a celebratory evening of impassioned conversation and friendly author book signings.

Together, the panel shall dig into the creative process and unearth the fascinating thematic throughlines: health, wealth and our dangerous obsession with the two. 

Dare you book yourself into a lively night at the Dark Days Hotel?

All ticketholders will receive a complimentary glass of bubbles or non-alcoholic beverage on arrival and are encouraged to stay post-show for complimentary wine, nibbles and book signings.
 

About Dark Days Hotel

One dark winter night, a young woman in silk pyjamas collapses in a Tasmanian hospital carpark. The only witness is Liv, an exhausted emergency nurse who fails to save her.

Haunted by her mistake, Liv sets out to discover the woman’s identity, leading her to the Aonaran, an exclusive health resort where the ultra-wealthy come to reset and remake themselves.

But the deeper Liv goes, the more unsettling the resort becomes. A staff member has vanished, guests are watching her, and beneath the Aonaran’s serene surface, a darker transformation is taking place.

What is the true cost of a better life – and how much is Liv willing to pay?

Local bookseller, BOOKFACE, will be in attendance to sell copies of authors' books for signing after the event.
Cast and Creatives
Anna Downes

Author

Anna Downes

Bio

Anna Downes is an actor-turned-writer, born in the UK and now based in Australia. She is the author of three bestselling novels, The Safe Place, The Shadow House, and Red River Road. Anna lives on the NSW Central Coast with her husband and two children.

Tim Ayliffe

Author

Tim Ayliffe

Bio

Tim Ayliffe is an award-winning author whose thriller novels have been informed by his 25-year global career as a journalist. He writes about crime, espionage, extremism and the global power games at play in the 21st Century. He has been the Managing Editor of Television and Video for ABC News and also Executive Producer of News Breakfast. He is the author of the ‘John Bailey’ series including The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within, Killer Traitor Spy – which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Danger Awards – and The Wrong Man. Tim's thrillers are also in development for TV. He lives in Sydney.

Candice Fox

Author

Candice Fox

Bio

Candice Fox is the author of eleven crime novels and the winner of three prestigious Ned Kelly Awards. She has also co-written seven New York Times bestsellers with James Patterson, the world’s bestselling thriller writer. Candice’s novels Crimson Lake and Redemption Point were adapted into a major ABC TV series called Troppo.

Ali Lowe

Author

Ali Lowe

Bio

Ali Lowe is the author of five acclaimed novels: The Trivia Night, The Running Club, The School Run, which was a WHSmith Book of the Month in Australia, The Private Island and The Second Life. Ali is a journalist by profession: she was Features Editor at OK! in London and has written for bridal magazines, parenting titles, websites and newspapers. She has dual Australian and British citizenship and lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband and three children.

Reviews
“Seductive, sinister and impossible to put down. This book will get under your skin like no other.”— Naima Brown
“A dark, atmospheric and genuinely original thriller. Anna Downes takes a setting we think we know and makes it stranger and far more sinister. The dread builds with every page, and the ending is as intelligent as it is satisfying. Beautifully written, with characters you can believe in.”— Dervla McTiernan