Joanne Tracey

Joanne Tracey is an Australian writer of contemporary romance, romantic comedy, cosy crime, and food-centred fiction. The Little Cafe By The Lake belongs to her Escape to the Country sequence and returns to characters whose lives connect Australia, England, and New Zealand. Set around Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu, the novel follows Richie and Maxine as they prepare for a baby, alongside Richie’s sister Jess, whose café and relationship appear to be flourishing. Their family’s sense of stability changes when a stranger arrives carrying secrets from Millie’s past. Tracey lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and describes cooking as part of her creative practice, an interest that carries into the occupations, meals, and recipes in her fiction. Published in 2021, The Little Cafe By The Lake combines family history, changing relationships, and a strong regional setting within an interlinked story world rather than treating the café as decorative scenery.