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Morgan's Law

by Karly Lane (Goodreads Author)

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 71 ratings · 16 reviews

When Sarah Murphy returns to Australia she desperately needs a break from her high-powered London life. And though mystified by her grandmother's dying wish for her ashes to be scattered under 'the wishing tree' on the banks of the Negallan River, she sets out to do just that.
While searching for the wishing tree, Sarah stays in the small township of Negallan. It's there th...more

Paperback, 328 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Allen & Unwin Australia

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The Girl in Steel Capped Boots by Loretta Hill

The Cattleman's Daughter by Rachael Treasure

Australian Rural Fiction

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May 17, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

Six months ago , Sarah Murphy was living the high-life in London when she received a phone call that her Grandmother had passed away. Trudging back home to Sydney, Sarah goes to pick up her Grandmother's ashes -attached to the ashes is a note to Sarah of where the ashes are to be scattered. At the "Wishing Tree" in Negallan - a small rural town out in the wop-wops. Respecting her Grandmother's wishes, Sarah heads to Negallan expecting only to be a couple of days but as soon as she arrives - she...more

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May 27, 2012 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, aww2012, contemporary, family-saga, library-reads, rural-lit, romance, women-s-fiction

Sarah Murphy has returned to Australia in order to fulfill the wishes of her late and beloved grandmother, who wishes her ashes to be scattered under the ‘Wishing tree’ in a tiny town called Negallan, along the Negallan River. So Sarah flies back to Sydney from London, hires a car and sets out driving up to Negallen.

Upon arriving into town, it becomes obvious that this isn’t going to be quite as easy as she had first assumed. Her visions of driving into town, finding the tree and scattering the...more Sarah Murphy has returned to Australia in order to fulfill the wishes of her late and beloved grandmother, who wishes her ashes to be scattered under the ‘Wishing tree’ in a tiny town called Negallan, along the Negallan River. So Sarah flies back to Sydney from London, hires a car and sets out driving up to Negallen.

Upon arriving into town, it becomes obvious that this isn’t going to be quite as easy as she had first assumed. Her visions of driving into town, finding the tree and scattering the ashes and then turning around and driving out of town are dashed when she realises that no one in the town has any knowledge of her grandmother and the location of the mysterious wishing tree isn’t easily discovered either.

Sarah takes a room at the local pub and strikes up a friendship with Tash, the publican. Despite the fact that her inquiries don’t seem to be going anywhere at the moment, Sarah finds herself slowly relaxing in the small town, away from the pressures and stress of London and her high-profile job. She enjoys good food and the small-town atmosphere as she tries to find out some information about her grandmother. It turns out that someone does recognise her but Sarah is surprised to find that after all these years, her grandmother seems to have been hiding some very important secrets. Determined now to get to the bottom of everything, despite the warnings of the handsome local farmer to leave some things be, she sets out to solve the mystery so she can finally lay her grandmother to rest.

Morgan’s Law is another recent ‘rural lit’ release and, as I discovered, was the perfect read for a chilly winter’s night snuggled under a blanket. Sarah Murphy is an Australian who has been living in London for the past 10 years working her way up the chain in advertising. She’s got the minimalist apartment, the aversion to meat and carbs and a high powered career that has her thriving in the overseas city. Called back to Australia after the death of her grandmother and charged with carrying out her last wishes, Sarah finds out that some of the simplest pleasures have been totally passing her by. Negallen is a quiet farming town that is slowly dying since the closure of the cotton gin some years ago. It became too expensive to freight the cotton further for cleaning/sorting/etc so some farmers sold up and left. Some changed to grain or cattle. And some chose other ways out.

Morgan’s Law might be a story of friendship, farming and family but it also embraces a serious issue and one that rural Australian communities face – suicide. In the novel a character’s brother commits suicide after running into financial difficulty and there is frustration expressed at trying to get these country, proud men to doctors or counsellors for support when life on the land does become tough and depressing. The crippling droughts our country experiences, often broken by flooding rains that ruin crops leads to many farmers experiencing such phenomenal debt and a feeling of failure that some of them do feel that sometimes, that can be their only way out. There’s an emphasis in this novel on the need for better government and social support, somewhere that people can go for help without feeling uncomfortable.

This novel had so many threads that wove together to create this story and each of them were highly enjoyable. Sarah’s quest to find the truth about her grandmother and what she had to do with the powerful local Morgan family, as well as her blossoming romance with local farmer Adam, the fact that Negallan is dying as a town and that something needs to be done by the residents in order to resurrect that. I think that part of the story might’ve been one of my favourites, because of the idea of the community saving itself. I really enjoyed reading about how the idea itself came about and the local who took it and ran with it, working tirelessly to try and save the town despite some very vocal opposition from some of the residents. I also enjoyed the scene with the frog (which those who have read will recognise but that I won’t spoil for those who have not), it made me laugh so hard because I could picture myself and my reaction in a similar situation. It was one of the nice touches of added humour that really helped flesh out this book and its characters.

If you’re looking for one of those warm, comforting reads but that also addresses serious and genuine issues, then I can highly recommend this book. There’s romance and friendship, adversity and hardship but also success and a community coming together to really try and prevent the downward slide that so many rural areas seem to be facing these days. Such an enjoyable book – I think I raced through it in about two hours!

Morgan’s Law is, I think, the second book Karly has written under this name – she also writes romances under the name of Karlene Blakemore-Mowle. I have her first novel as Karly Lane, North Star on my Kindle to read and I am saving that for when I go away in July for 2wks as I’ll only be taking my Kindle and absolutely no print books and I’m definitely looking forward to the day when I can read it!(less)

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May 01, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012, rural-lit, romance, aussie-author

4.5 stars

Six months after the death of her grandmother, Sarah returns to Australia from London to fulfil her last wishes of her ashes being scattered under the ‘wishing tree’ in her hometown, Negallan. Sarah is a high-achieving, successful career-woman who feels completely out of her depths in this sleepy, close-knit town where she sorely stands out- and not just because she drives a BMW!

Sarah befriends the local bartender Tash and catches the eye of Adam Buchanan; the hunky local cowboy who is...more 4.5 stars

Six months after the death of her grandmother, Sarah returns to Australia from London to fulfil her last wishes of her ashes being scattered under the ‘wishing tree’ in her hometown, Negallan. Sarah is a high-achieving, successful career-woman who feels completely out of her depths in this sleepy, close-knit town where she sorely stands out- and not just because she drives a BMW!

Sarah befriends the local bartender Tash and catches the eye of Adam Buchanan; the hunky local cowboy who is completely different to the well-groomed immaculately dressed cheating ex-boyfriend Giles, who she left behind in London.

Determined to locate the wishing tree, scatter the ashes and get back to civilisation as soon as possible, Sarah realises that her journey to the outback will not be as simple as that. There are undercurrents that ground her there and motivate her to find out that her grandmother really was and what happened to her all those years ago to become estranged from her family as a teenager and never look back. Sarah uncovers a whole bunch of relatives she had never even heard of and in doing so creates tension in the town who feel she has ulterior motives for being there.

A quick two day trip lasts several weeks and Sarah finds herself revelling in the peace and quiet, slowing down her life and getting back to basics. Adam Buchanan is a tempting outlet and their chemistry sizzles throughout the story. I liked that Sarah is a strong woman who grows to love the rural community but will not settle for being a farmer’s wife without some real direction. I think this is what made her conflicts about pursuing a relationship with Adam quite realistic. Her driven personality would not have survived in that town without a career to keep her occupied. Ultimately, she is scared of the sacrifices she would have to make if she decides that Adam is worthy of a chance.

I especially loved Adam. He is cheeky, direct and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is blown away by Sarah the moment he lays eyes on her and I quite enjoyed their banter as it was evident that she not only annoyed the hell out of him but she also really hit a soft spot too. But Sarah’s stubborn nature and her fears of succumbing to love threaten their relationship before it even gets started.

I loved the complimentary characters brought to life in Morgan’s law as well as the secondary characters and sub-plots weaved throughout as it brought a real community atmosphere to the small rural town of Negallan. Sarah was a likeable, strong character who struggled to solidify her identity and find out where home really was. Adam was vulnerable and enticing and I really empathised for him when it was time for her to leave. I loved this story, but the only reason I haven’t given it 5 stars is because of the last part of the story which extended over nearly a year. I felt this was too long and a bit unfair on Adam, I honestly don’t know why Sarah couldn’t have just called him. I think she called herself a coward at one stage and I completely agreed with that. But in the end I was satisfied with how things all worked out, it was just tough to sit with that discomfort because I so badly wanted Adam and Sarah to work things out.

This is the second book released by Karly Lane this year which I have read and I must say I truly enjoy her work. She quite skilfully crafts interesting, real and engaging characters against a beautiful Australian setting and interweaves it with suspense, family secrets and personal struggles. Morgan’s Law is a fantastic read!
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May 08, 2013 Dale Harcombe rated it 3 of 5 stars

three and a half stars.Sarah returns to Australia and ends up in the farming town of Negallan to fulfil the wishes of her dead grandmother and scatter her ashes under the wishing tree. It is not as easy as it sounds. Firstly she encounters car trouble getting there and needs to be rescued. Then when she does arrive, the hotel is not all she expected. To make matters worse no-one seems to have heard of her grandmother or any family by her name.
So there is mystery and crime, friendship as well as...more

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May 01, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-are, aussie-author, provided-by-publisher

Karly Lane's debut novel, North Star was nominated as a People's Choice finalist by the Australian Romance Readers Association and chosen as one of the fifty books for Australia's annual Get Reading Campaign in 2011. As a writer of the increasingly popular genre affectionately known as 'chook lit' Morgan's Law, Lane's second book, is sure to be greeted with deserved enthusiasm.

Morgan's Law is a story of self discovery, family roots, romance, mystery and rural life. Sarah Murphy can't imagine wh...more Karly Lane's debut novel, North Star was nominated as a People's Choice finalist by the Australian Romance Readers Association and chosen as one of the fifty books for Australia's annual Get Reading Campaign in 2011. As a writer of the increasingly popular genre affectionately known as 'chook lit' Morgan's Law, Lane's second book, is sure to be greeted with deserved enthusiasm.

Morgan's Law is a story of self discovery, family roots, romance, mystery and rural life. Sarah Murphy can't imagine what ties her grandmother had to a dying farming community like Negallan but takes some time off from her high powered, London based career in advertising to carry out her beloved grandmothers last wishes, to scatter her ashes beneath the Wishing Tree on the Negallan River. Sarah anticipates only an overnight stay in Negallan, she certainly doesn't intend to share a bathroom for long, but her plan is thwarted when a broken water pump leaves her stranded in the town for a few weeks. As Sarah searches for the Wishing Tree, and some answers about her Gran's mysterious past, she is surprised to find herself warming not only to the battling community, but also handsome local farmer, Adam Buchanan. Yet Sarah can't imagine the dusty, failing town of Nagellan could ever become 'home' and when her dream job beckons she makes a difficult choice, will it be the right one?

There is a depth to Morgan's Law that I wasn't really expecting and very much enjoyed. The main plot concerns Sarah's discovery of what she really wants from her life, whether her high pressure career is worth all the things she has to give up to maintain it, which is a valid question for many women today. I found Sarah very likeable and her conflicts believable. Her difficult relationship with her mother added texture to her personality as does the sudden appearance of her ex-boyfriend and occasional communication with her colleagues in London.
Two mysteries create subplots, one having to do with the identity of Sarah's Gran, the other is raised later in the novel when Sarah unwittingly stumbles upon a clandestine meeting in the bush. Both add just the right touch of intrigue to the story.
Underpinning the story arcs is a sensitive portrayal of the social issues such as depression, suicide, elitism and financial hardship that affect rural communities. Lane's fictional town is representative of many regional areas that are under pressure but fighting with admirable spirit to stay alive. The township of Nagellan has a personality of it's own in this novel and I found myself with as many hopes for it as I had for it's characters.
The romantic element of Morgan's Law is well handled, the attraction between Sarah and Adam has some time to smoulder before it ignites and when it does, it is believable. While Adam is sure about what he wants, Sarah is less so and the ambivalence creates just enough conflict to keep things interesting without overwhelming the plot.
The pacing is good, I was reluctant to put down Morgan's Law once I had started reading. **possible spoiler**I did think though that Sarah's sixteen month absence was a bit of a stretch though.
I like Lane's writing style and the dialogue is a real strength with some great lines that showcase Lane's laconic sense of humour. I even made a note of my favourite, which is something I rarely do, so I think it deserves a mention. In this scene Sarah is speaking with Adam about her ex boyfriend.

"...when you think a guy is some knight in shining armour, he ends up being a moron in tinfoil." (p84)

Morgan's Law is an entertaining and engaging read with wide appeal and topical relevance. The author proves herself as an accomplished storyteller with Morgan's law and I expect that Karly Lane has a bestseller on her hands.

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Mar 30, 2013 Chanpreet rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mar-yc-aussie

I love the idea behind this story. Coming "home" to lay her beloved Grandmother to rest, Sarah learns that she really didn't know her grandmother. No one knows of the Jones family and it isn't until she starts showing pictures that she learns anything.

I really liked this book. There were one or two things I wish had been dealt with better in the book. There was all this mystery surrounding her grandmother's disappearance and the identity of her grandfather. Part of it was handled well and the ot...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Tango rated it 3 of 5 stars

Despite the somewhat cliched storyline, this was a heartwarming story. The central characters were likable and the ending avoided wrapping things up too neatly. Karly writes about country towns from an inside point of view and, apart from some stereotypical descriptions of dusty boots, jeans and work toughened hands her characters and situations have a ring of truth about them. This is not my usual genre but I enjoyed it and even had a few tears towards the end.

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Jun 15, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

I really enjoyed this. Small town, a little mystery and some romance.
The mystery throughout kept me turning the pages.
Why did her Gran make her come back to this little town?.
What was the history her Gran has kept from her all her life?
The small town life and its struggles and Sarah learning what she really wanted from life kept me going with this book.
I would recommend this to anyone.

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Nov 01, 2012 Stephen Kerwin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Morgan's Law was an easy, predictable read. I found the style of writing to be slightly stilted and colloquial. I was looking for more body in the story line, more depth, but it seemed to be just a love story with a few distractions thrown in along the way. Many questions were left unanswered or the answers were only hinted at leaving the reader unsure of the real outcome.

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Jul 21, 2012 Bettina rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very enjoyable and easy read mixed with mystery that kept me turning the pages until the end. Rural suicide is a big issue in our country. So, very appropriate that it was one of the themes in this book.

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Feb 18, 2013 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book by Karly Lane. Easy to read, interesting and heartwarming. I was concerned for the characters and had many questions which kept me reading.

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Jul 22, 2012 Kerri Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not a rural romance reader, don't judge me!
Yet this author always has me giggle and freak out for the characters. I felt for the community that struggled in the downturn of a cotton industry and farming and felt right at home beside her hero who I have to say makes me drool just a little bit.
Karly takes a city girl who would never imagine life without decent coffee, expensive cars and beautiful clothes fall for cowboy hats, boots, steak and potato and the look of a man who doesn't use moist...more

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May 21, 2012 Jaye rated it 5 of 5 stars

fantastic read

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Jul 16, 2012 Greg Barron rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book by Karly Lane I have read, and I have to say that I really liked the first but this one is even better. It starts quietly, but builds in intensity, with characters I genuinely liked getting themselves involved in life-like convolutions. The author's genuine love of people, small towns and rural Australia shines through in this book. No trace of cynicism or cringe here. I recommend Morgan's Law to everyone, no matter what genre you usually read.

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Jan 17, 2013 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

really enjoyed it. lots of twists & turns along the way. a great read!

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Apr 28, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Here is my review of this wonderful Aussie book

http://peaseexchange.com/?p=2509

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May 06, 2012 Rachael Johns rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love this! My kind of book - a little bit of romance and a little bit of mystery, all in a gorgeous country setting :)

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May 04, 2013 Deb Bodinnar rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 03, 2013 Carly rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 01, 2013 Ericka Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars

May 04, 2013 Deb Bodinnar added it · review of another edition

Apr 30, 2013 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 26, 2013 Joy Chapman marked it as to-read

Apr 25, 2013 Missy marked it as to-read

May 08, 2013 Elaine Langley added it

Apr 17, 2013 Belinda Jutzen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 15, 2013 Darlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 12, 2013 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 04, 2013 Jo-anne Holmes rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 01, 2013 Kirstin marked it as to-read

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