Finding Joy in Oyster Bay

by Susan Duncan

From the author of the bestselling Sleepless in Stringybark Bay, this new book celebrates life, love, community and the power of forgiveness.

When former journalist turned café owner Kate Jackson abandons her six-month-old baby and disappears without a word, the quirky offshore community of Cook's Basin quickly steps in to salvage a delicate and difficult situation.

But even the best intentions can go horribly awry.

Relationships are tested, loyalties divided and the future of the beloved Briny Café, the beating heart of the community, comes under threat.

It takes a group of bossy retirees to navigate the brittle twists and turns of the grim past to point the way towards a hopeful future.

Wrapped in the colourful culture of a boat-access community, Finding Joy in Oyster Bay, the final book in the Cook's Basin series, celebrates life, love, community and the power of forgiveness.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook

342 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2024

About the author

Susan Elizabeth Duncan was an Australian author, journalist and editor of The Australian Women's Weekly and New Idea.

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Sam Scully woke in a panic and threw back the sheet. He strode across the short distance to his daughter's crib and laid a finger on the downy softness of her cheek, listening for the rise and fall of her breath. He exhaled with relief.
I've had a nightmare, he thought, his pulse steadying again. Not an uncommon syndrome amongst first time parents, or so he'd been warned. He straightened the baby's blanket and sat on the edge of the spare bed in the nursery, where he'd slept each night since offering to take on the midnight and four a.m. bottle-feeding shifts. He rested his arms on his knees and dropped his head in his hands, still uneasy.
Aman who earned his living at the mercy of the sea, he knew to trust his instincts, so he rose quietly and padded down the hallway, avoiding the squeaky floorboard he's discovered when he and his ex, Kate - the mother of his child - still shared the same bed. Very carefully, he nudged open Kate's door.
He sensed stillness. 'Kate?' he whispered. No answer, so he repeated her name, loudly now. He fumbled for the light switch. Stood at the foot of a bed that had been stripped bare and was unoccupied.

ABOUT 'FINDING JOY IN OYSTER BAY': When former journalist turned café owner Kate Jackson abandons her six-month-old baby and disappears without a word, the quirky offshore community of Cook's Basin quickly steps in to salvage a delicate and difficult situation.

But even the best intentions can go horribly awry.

Relationships are tested, loyalties divided and the future of the beloved Briny Café, the beating heart of the community, comes under threat.

It takes a group of bossy retirees to navigate the brittle twists and turns of the grim past to point the way towards a hopeful future.

MY THOUGHTS: A celebration of community, love and the power of forgiveness.

Finding Joy in Oyster Bay continues on from Sleepless in Stringybark Bay. While it's not essential to have read Sleepless first, it will enhance your enjoyment of Finding Joy in Oyster Bay. Or, even better, go back and start with The Briny Café, to get the full experience.

I love the community feeling in these books. Although not all the characters are particularly likeable, they know they can rely on one another in times of need, and Sam is certainly in need of help when Kate ups and leaves without warning.

While Ettie and Marcus are busy helping Sam, and putting their own relationship to the test along the way, the GeriEcstacies are feeling in need of a project to keep them from fossilising, and come up with a plan to help Lizzie restore her old home as a cover for 'doing good' elsewhere. All very hush-hush and 'undercover' stuff! My favorite character? Definitely Cliffy.

Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is a charming read with equally charming characters. Duncan has shown the terrible toll guilt can take on people, weaving in other issues along the way - like the need to keep our aging brains ticking-over and our bodies in motion, and acknowledging our own and others limitations. A delightful read, and I am sorry to see the end of this series.

I have just discovered that the author, Susan Duncan, has recently passed away. I will miss her gentle stories of endearing characters facing and (mostly) overcoming major life events.

⭐⭐⭐.6

#FindingJoyinOysterBay #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR - SUSAN DUNCAN enjoyed a 25-year career spanning radio, newspaper and magazine journalism, including editing two of Australia's top selling women's magazines, The Australian Women's Weekly and New Idea. She now lives in her own patch of offshore paradise, Pittwater, with her second husband, Bob, in the beautiful home built for poet Dorothea Mackellar in 1925.

Susan's bestselling memoir, Salvation Creek won the 2007 Nielsen BookData Booksellers Choice Award and was shortlisted for the prestigious Dobbie Award, part of the Nita B Kibble awards for women writers. Its sequel, The House At Salvation Creek, was also a huge bestseller.

She THEN turned her hand to fiction and is the author of four novels. Susan Duncan passed away in 2025.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Allen & Unwin via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Finding Joy in Oyster Bay by Susan Duncan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolute feel good of a read shining all that is good in small community and friends, and friends who feel like family. The author always describes location beautifully, the areas similar to those in New South Wales where she once lived herself.

Kate is a troubled young woman living separately but under the same roof as her baby's father, who suddenly disappears abandoning their baby to to live on her own in a shack in a boat only accessible community. She's lucky to have a completely understanding and hard working ex partner (this was a little elaborate), and an understanding group of retirees to help her along the troubled waters she finds herself in.

With charm and good nature woven throughout, fans of this author will embrace it for the happy and good nature it was written for. The food aspect was lovely, I could see the author’s cooking abilities shine through. Sadly the author recently passed away, it seems only yesterday I met her at an event for her previous book.

I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library. Unfortunately I never enjoy the narrator, Caroline Lee. Quite awful.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was half way through Finding Joy in Oyster Bay when I discovered the author, Aussie Susan Duncan, had passed away today. Such a sad, terrible loss. She, and her writing, will be sorely missed. RIP.

Kate Jackson, well known for her work in the popular Briny Café in Cooks Basin, did a runner in the darkness of night, leaving her partner Sam, and their six month old baby alone, with just a note of apology for Sam to discover in the early hours. Sam loved and cared for Claire, but working on the barge five days a week wasn't the life for a baby. The dangers were great and the barge wasn't designed to cater for a baby. Sam took Claire to the Briny Café, to Ettie, and she took control. Caring for Claire during the week, with Sam having her for the weekends looked good for the foreseeable future - hopefully Kate would return before too long...

But Ettie could see Marcus, her partner, was tiring. He had retired, but with Kate gone he needed to work in his old job of Chef, a job he loved. The exhaustion of being on his feet all day, then a baby to contend with at night was taking its toll - and on Ettie. What could they do? It was then a group of retirees - the GeriEcstasies - decided to step in to clear the way to a more positive future. Lizzie, Ettie's good friend, was part of the group. But would their plans succeed?

I have always enjoyed Susan Duncan's writing and Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is no exception. The characters are down to earth, a jovial group, close and always there for each other, helping out when necessary. Set on the outskirts of Sydney, in Pittwater, Oyster Bay is a close community, both in the fictional stories created by Susan Duncan, and in real life. A story of love, life, hardship and community spirit, Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is one I recommend highly.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my ARC to read and review.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this book was

* The community aspect. It really shone through. They all pulled together to help each other out when needed.

* The setting - Set in Oyster Bay , I could picture it . I was assuming somewhere near where I used to live in Cronulla.

* Characters - I particulary connected to Sam. He was a good guy who stepped up when needed . I have to be honest I didnt connect with Kate. I found it hard to imagine how someone could abandon their baby like that.

This is a book about love and forgiveness.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartrending, contemporary fiction story, told through multiple perspectives. This story is a delightful celebration of life, exploring the power of forgiveness and community connection.

When Kate Jackson, the former journalist and café owner abandons her six-month-old daughter and disappears without a word, the quirky offshore community of Cook’s Basin step in to salvage a difficult yet delicate situation. However, even the best of intentions can go awry. Relationships are tested, loyalties divided and the beating heart of the community – the beloved Briny Café – comes under threat...

I adored the quirky and memorable characters of this boat-access community, and my mouth was watering regularly with the mentions of all the delicious food. This was a beautifully written feel-good story, filled with small-town charm and connection.

This is a brilliant story for readers who also enjoy stories by Fiona Lowe or Liane Moriarty.

[Wendy Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read. We follow the characters we met in Sleepless in Stringy Bay. Baby Claire & her mother Kate are a central theme along with Ettie, co-owner of the cafe, Marcus her partner, Sam the skipper & the GeriEcstasis.

I score this 4 .2🌟

It has been very sad to learn of Susan Duncan’s death, sincere condolences to her husband, Bob, & their family.

[Jayne Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I'm taking a star off because this book was part of a series but NOWHERE was that said. I'm super annoyed. About a fifth of the way in I'm reading and thinking I feel there is prior knowledge needed here, so I went searching and realised that there are a few other books that come before this - one which is mentioned on the cover but doesn't say it's a sequel! Even Goodreads doesn't state that it's part of a series, not only that but this will be the last one. There were a few things left unanswered in the book, for example Cliffy being in potential danger but I'm assuming the author knew she had to wrap it up quickly due to her terminal cancer diagnosis and deteriorating health.
I found Kate very dispecable at times but I feel this wouldn't have been the case if I'd read the previous books. The other characters were brilliant, I loved Cliffy, Jimmy and Lizzie! I feel i should read the first few books now but it is weird knowing the ending.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read by this author. Beautiful setting with likeable and relatable characters all the things that make a great story. Recommended.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t know it was a series.

Overall okay read. But didn’t love the characters, and now I know why with it being in a series! 😮‍💨

[Lucinda Skeats Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is the final installment in Susan Duncan’s series, following Sleepless in Stringybark Bay. Picking up six months after the events of the previous book, it reunites readers with Kate, Sam, and Ettie. When former journalist turned cafe co-owner Kate suddenly abandons her six-month-old baby and vanishes without a trace, the tight-knit community rallies to care for the child. As relationships and loyalties are tested, the search for Kate takes an unexpected turn, she’s discovered hiding right under their noses, harboring a secret that will shake everyone involved.

This novel is a poignant and beautifully written conclusion to the series, though it can easily be read as a standalone thanks to the rich backstory woven throughout. That said, I found myself deeply frustrated early on by Ettie and her chef partner Marcus, who essentially take over decision-making for the baby. Their belief that Sam, the baby’s father, was incapable of caring for his own child felt absurd. Sending the baby to live with Ettie Monday through Friday was, in my opinion, a cruel disruption for a child already grappling with the loss of their mother, father, and home.
However, as the story unfolded, I began to understand the motivations behind their actions, at least to some degree. By the end, I could appreciate the resolution, though I remained frustrated by how easily the characters forgave Kate for her actions.

This book made me cry, it made me furious, it made me smile but most of all, I couldn’t put it down. That alone makes it a five-star read for me. It’s bittersweet to reflect on the fact that Susan Duncan passed away just a week before this novel was published. What a heartbreaking loss, as Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is undoubtedly her best work. I wish she could have seen the joy it has brought readers. Rest in peace, Susan, and thank you for your beautiful stories.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jane (Avid reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gentle tale of community, friendship and forgiveness.

[Lena Pav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first discovered Susan Duncan when her memoir "Salvation Creek" caught my eye in an airport bookstore, and I've loved her subsequent memoirs as well. This is my first of her fiction works.

This is the kind of book you read when you want something that's not going to challenge your emotions too much; when you want something happy with a guaranteed happy ending. When all of the characters will be reliably wonderful and positive and nothing much ever goes wrong.

Oyster Bay and its surrounding areas is populated (apparently) by overwhelmingly positive and generous people who are all willing to drop everything at a moment's notice to muck in and sort out everyone's problems for them and never complain about it. It would be nice to live in a place like that, but they don't really exist in reality, do they?

This was a nice book, but I found it difficult to accept that a situation like this could ever exist in reality.

I received a free ARC of this novel from the publishers via NetGalley.

[Alison Goss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I’m not quite sure why I keep reading this series.
The idea of escaping to an offshore community and its quaint Australian characters is appealing. And yet, it never quite lands what could be a cosy read. And then after what feels like a long meandering thread, it is all pulled together in a neat bow.

The story continues on from The Briny Cafe, Gone Fishing, and Sleepless in Stringybark Bay…but there is little need to have read the prior stories.

A very slow burn to reveal the layers of the story, with one too many sub-plots.

The story is at times overly explained for background and under-explained for particular observations on Australian nuances.

This story feels a little difficult to connect with. Not terrible, but only just above DNF.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacked the magic of the other books. Skimmed through many of the pages. A lot of unnecessary details.

[Sharon J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Joy In Oyster Bay by Susan Duncan is very pleasant and readable.

This is a good feel story set in a small town in New South Wales with a very supportive community. The characters are varied and it is so wonderful how they all, in their own way, provide support when needed. Kate and Sam are central to the story and the development of the plot focus around them. At times it is very emotional and the reader becomes embroiled in all that is happening.

It is well written with excellent character and plot development.

I was saddened to hear that the author Susan Duncan passed away on the 30th November 2024.

Highly recommended read.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Allen & Unwin via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#FindingJoyInOysterBay #NetGalley

[Gemma Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. Like many reviewers I had absolutely no idea this was part of a series, which is perhaps why I couldn’t find any depth in the characters and kept losing track of what was going on. I didn’t find any sense of romance between any characters, and even the platonic love felt superficial. Perhaps it would have been better if I’d known it was part of a series and had read the books in order, but I’ve got no interest in going back to the beginning of the story now. Overall too many characters, too many place names to remember, too many little details that had no bearing on the plot. I struggled to pick the book up and often fell asleep mid-chapter. It took me so long to read I have fallen 2 books behind schedule in my reading challenge, which is a shame because I picked this up thinking it would be a nice, quick little read

[Shereen Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolute feel good of a read shining all that is good in small community and friends, and friends who feel like family. The author always describes location beautifully.
When Kate Jackson, the former journalist and café owner abandons her six-month-old daughter and disappears without a word, the quirky offshore community of Cook’s Basin step in to salvage a difficult yet delicate situation.
While Friendship can be tested, but the community rallies together to help in a funny way.
I listened to this via the Borrow Box app and my public library. Unfortunately, I never enjoy the narrator, Caroline Lee. Not the best…

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure of genre? Love story? Drama?
But a good read. Took time it wasn’t a page turner and didn’t seem to have a set destination or obvious gotcha moment but I still enjoyed it. Took a week but more because I was busy not because I couldn’t put it down. Didn’t have the time to race through in a few days. Ended ok but you bond with so many of the characters and most don’t get a finalisation. Left wondering what happens to several characters. A nice story is about it and I am wondering about a follow up.

[Julie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Joy in Oyster Bay is a heartwarming tale where friendships, community, and long-held secrets are tightly bound in more ways than one.
When café owner Kate Jackson disappears, leaving behind her baby, the quirky residents of Cook’s Basin bound together and thrown into a emotional tangle. What follows is a moving story of unexpected companionship, and the power of a tight knit community.
A lovely, heartwarming read that celebrates community at its best.
★ ★ ★ ★

[Laura Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a heartfelt and uplifting story that I really enjoyed. I especially loved how the older characters came together to support Kate and Sam during such a challenging time. As an Aussie living abroad, I could vividly picture the setting and found myself appreciating the beautiful environment we call home.

[Jenny Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Susan Duncan lived up to her standards of a great book. Loved the story of how the older generation helps the younger generation in the community of Oyster Bay. Covers different issues for example mental health, dementia and more.
Love her books and they never disappoint. Thank you Susan Duncan for the escape to Oyster Bay...

[Gulcin Cribb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an easy light read. I read the previous book Sleepless in Stringybark Bay.
Lovely story, too many councidences and all the characters are ‘kind of nice’. It is superficial to some extent but one needs books like these especially during a cyclone.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the characters of previous books return. Kate does a runner leaving her baby behind. Story revolves around a community who support each other. Sad that this will be the last due to Susan Duncan’s death.

[Cazbookmagnet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will miss the characters of Susan’s wonderful books so much. I struggled greatly with the character of Kate but everyone else stole my heart. Susan’s writing was always fairly simple but beautifully evocative of the Australian landscape, she will be so sadly missed.

[Cristo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn't get into this book. I didn't like the writing style somehow and the characters were hard for me to develop any connection with. DNF.
I just discovered the book was a sequel so that explains a few things.

[Rosie Duke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted read, I didn’t realise it was part of a series but didn’t seem to matter. There were many characters which made the storyline busy, with some aspects of the story left unexplained. I enjoyed the seaside themes and could imagine myself visiting the town for a getaway.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy read. I enjoyed the non-fiction books the author wrote about this area.

The fiction books are all about community - this continues of from Sleepless in Stringybark Bay.

[Marg Keily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacked the magic of earlier books. Characters were one dimensional and story was padded out. Was close to a dnf for me.

[Ann Koenig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy novel to read - full of heart warming characters.