In a former life, native Queenslander A. A. Bell was a canny property investor who made her name as a bestselling author of personal finance books – a career that enabled her to retire debt-free at the enviable age of 26.

These days, however, she has established herself as a multiple award-winning author of speculative fiction thrillers. Her first foray into the genre in 2010 with Diamond Eyes introduced us to protagonist Mira Chambers. Reminiscent of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander, Mira is a flawed genius who has been damaged by years of institutionalisation, but whom is also in possession of special gifts that give her an unusual talent for solving mysteries.

Astonishingly, Bell’s depiction of Mira’s blindness isn’t drawn from just her imagination – she is herself visually impaired, and has lived with eyesight difficulties for most of her life. Despite years of tests, specialists have been as yet unable to fully diagnose or rectify her problems, which means that Mira’s experiences are based on many very personal ones for the author.

LEOPARD DREAMING is the third book in this thrilling series. Upon finding herself cut off and alone for the first time in her life, Mira is swept into a world of conspiracies and betrayals, where her dream of achieving a normal life is constantly thwarted by the far darker desires of her enemies.
Layers of secrets unravel as her world falls apart – until the ultimate sacrifice presents a chance to save her friend and revisit her lost love.

About the author
A. A. Bell’s debut thriller DIAMOND EYES was Highly Commended in the 2008 FAW Jim Hamilton Award, and both it and its sequel HINDSIGHT won the prestigious Norma K Hemming in consecutive years (2011 and 2012). She has also published non-fiction bestsellers about finance. A. A. Bell lives near Brisbane with her partner and children.