The Novelist is the story of Charlotte Clarke, journalist, writer and fictional daughter of the 19th century novelist, Marcus Clarke, whose most popular work is For the Term of His Natural Life.

Charlotte challenges herself to write a sequel to her father's celebrated book, twisting her father's ending to suit her beginning—where protagonists Rufus Dawes and Sylvia Vickers survive a supposedly fatal ending in a shipwreck.

As a natural sleuth, Charlotte investigates—in the role of journalist for the newspaper—local crimes and their outcomes in court.

This alone attracts unwanted company, often putting her life in danger.