Packing up her mother's life, George instead unpacks her own... A deeply insightful and wryly funny story perfect for readers of Meredith Jaffe and The Weekend by Charlotte Wood.

Things you might be surprised to find when cleaning out your deceased mother's house:

• a secret diary
• a family mystery
• a new lease on life.

Grief-stricken middle-aged sisters George, Kat and Annie give themselves a week to pack up their childhood home and divide their mother's belongings. Beloved items are contested: an Eames chair, a collection of war medals, a learn-to-read book. The sisters - bossy Kat, mediator George and petulant Annie - are hampered by sibling rivalry, the prickly demands of their own offspring, the needs of their disabled younger brother and, in George's case, the after-effects of a spot of adultery.

The discovery of a decades' old diary divides the women further: not only do they learn what their mother really thought of them, they learn that she had a life entirely of her own. They are not the family they thought they were - and their mother was so much more than she seemed. This revelation might be the key to George's freedom ...

PRAISE FOR ILSA EVANS:

'The Unusual Abduction of Avery Conifer is a heartfelt and thought-provoking read, which will appeal to lovers of family dramas while also providing some laughs along the way.' - Weekend Australian

'A heartfelt and very witty novel that explores in an entertaining, and occasionally amusing way, some very real and poignant issues in today's society. Recommended.' - Canberra Weekly

'This is such a clever novel ... a terrific and heart-warming read.' - Tasmanian Bibliophile

'A compelling read that is hard to pin down to one genre, as it is entertaining whilst touching on serious themes ... It's great to see older female protagonists absolutely lead this novel and shake it up.' - Better Reading