Ilsa Evans, Books

About the books etc

Spin Cycle - TPB released December 2002

Spin Cycle It’s Monday morning and this twice divorced mother of three has locked herself in the laundry to lament the monotony of her life. It just goes to show that you should always be careful what you wish for. Within hours her life is spinning out of control in a flurry of family revelations, friendship crises, work debacles and the inexplicable deaths of her children’s pets. All in the same week as she sacks her therapist. After all, why pay someone else to make you feel miserable when your friends and family can do it for free?

Drip Dry - TPB released February 2004

Drip Dry She’s back! New, improved and stronger than ever - but still struggling to keep her head above water, even in the bath. And what a week it is - there’s one wedding, two babies, three engagements and four birthdays. Then Alex’s long awaited return from overseas heralds VERY unexpected results. Along the way there’s an infectious disease outbreak, a mysterious death in the family, a broken nose, a bruised rump and several bruised egos. Can life get more frenetic than this?

Odd Socks - TPB released March 2005

Odd Socks Yet another celebration of hectic normality that proves once again that our suburbs are rich with fascinating characters and madcap events. But this time the focus is on Camilla Riley’s best friend - Teresa Diamond. And Terry is everything that Camilla is not: she’s tall, slim, confident, compulsively fastidious, and has a chest that could stop traffic - or at least do wonders for airbag design. She’s also in a rut about the same size as the Grand Canyon both at work and at home, But all that’s about to change as she falls in love for the first time in her life - twice.

Each Way Bet - TPB released March 2006

Each Way Bet It’s Melbourne Cup day and the Broadhurst sisters are having an each way bet by trading places. But the odds are against them when their family gets together and they have to cope with predatory females, elusive pregnancy tests, midnight breast examinations and a three-year old with a severe case of potty mouth. Will they make it to the home stretch? Will the Easter Bunny get his man? Will their mother crochet herself into oblivion? Spend a madcap Melbourne Cup day with these sisters and find out if the race that stops a nation can get things back on track.

Flying the Coop - TPB released January 2007

Flying the Coop - TPB released January 2007

Flying the Coop All Chris wanted to do was teach her ex-husband a lesson, but somehow she ends up with a free range chook farm - when her only poultry experience is a childhood rooster that was repeatedly violated by the resident rabbit. So soon Chris finds herself in the country. Where the neighbours have deep secrets, her teenage daughter is bent on world domination, the bookkeeper is bent on revenge, and the alpaca is psychotic. By flying the coop she may have put all her eggs in one basket. And they’re each about to hatch.

Broken - TPB released September 2007

Broken As opposed to the other novels above, Broken is not light fiction. Instead it introduces Mattie Hampton, a woman who has just left her husband but is still desperately trying to find ways to mend her broken marriage. While Jake, Mattie’s husband, gravitates between understanding and frustration, and their two small children try to make sense of the separation, Mattie begins a physical and emotional journey that will ultimately see her committing the unthinkable.

The Family Tree - TPB Released February 2009

The Family Tree - TPB Released February 2009

The Family Tree Kate Painter always wanted to be a writer, but life just got in the way. Now however, as the events of one traumatic year reverberate through her family, she rather unexpectedly gets her wish. But life continues to trip her up and she soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, including her family tree.

TPB released September 2010

sticks & stones (the sequel to Broken) Mattie Hampton is back - but six years have passed and a lot has changed, including her name, her address and her sense of self. Then one day she sees a face in a crowd and soon realises that it doesn’t matter how many years pass, or how much distance is created - some things never change at all.

And some reviews!

Spin Cycle Evans has written a novel that will touch the hearts of many a woman and maybe open the eyes of many a man. And the best bit? Her heroine is fallible, not male obsessed and actually admits (this bit is for all the male readers) that she isn’t always right! (Marijke Richards, Living In)

Mothers of Melbourne - close the laundry door and open a good bottle of wine. This is a gift for the end of another week. (Julia Trappett, Melbourne Weekly)

Wildly entertaining. (Woman’s Day)

Drip Dry Unique and entertaining in its own right. The laughs just keep on coming from page one right until the very end. But this feelgood novel should come with a warning. Drip Dry will make every mother nod and laugh, every father count his blessings, and everyone who’s ever thought of procreating, think again. (Rachael Blair, West Australian)

You have to love someone who gets roped in to helping clean her ex-husband’s house by her ex-sister-in-law, drinks way too much because she can’t think what else to do when she’s invited in to say hi to him and then promptly has sex with him because after two bottles of champagne it seems like a good idea. This is one for the girls. (Maryanne Church, Newcastle Herald).

Odd Socks Evans highlights beautifully how everyday life is rich with madcap characters and unexpected events. It’s quirky, it’s cute and it’s sure to have you laughing out loud. Try not to read this one on a full bladder. (’This month’s must read’, Cosmopolitian)

Tongue-in-cheek look at life... [and] a scream of a book with lots of Aussie innuendoes. (Armidale Express)

Guaranteed Great Read (Angus & Roberston)

Each Way Bet Misunderstandings, meltdowns and... no shortage of intrigue: a secret pregnancy, a man-eating mystery woman, a sexually confused boyfriend, a floundering marriage and more. The belly laughs keep coming. (Amy Cooper, Sun Herald)

The results are funny, shocking and touching. It’s full of quirky characters and impossible situations - or are they? Think about your own family and you’ll find similarities. (Carolyne Jasinski, Adelaide Advertiser)

A deliciously entertaining romp where crochet, carpet bowls and a foul-mouthed toddler play significant and confusing roles. Enjoy! (Woman’s Day)

Flying the Coop Hilarious, fast moving with comic events and zany characters. It nevertheless provides insights into human nature. A very enjoyable read. (The Victorian Country Woman)

Broken In this extraordinary novel, Ilsa Evans expertly draws the reader into a searing, realistic portrayal of the complexities of relationships, and why some things can never be fixed, once they are broken. (Morning Bulletin)

The rawness and the quality of the writing together with its subject makes compelling story, laced with truth and purpose. (Nina Valentine, Ballarat Courier)

A beautifully composed novel that will haunt you for days after you put it down. (Kylie Field, Good Reading)

The Family Tree A rich portrait of a woman trying to find herself and her place in the world, by one of Australia’s most underrated authors [note from said underrated author: not sure if I should be flattered by this or peeved!]. (Women’s Weekly)

Both moving and extremely funny. The Family Tree is further confidence of Evans’ increasing maturity and confidence as a writer. (Dianne Dempsey, The Melbourne Age)

All Ilsa Evans books are published by Pan Macmillan. They are available at most good bookshops or can be purchased at online stores such as: