A standout local cast – and setting: Another Liane Moriarty novel hits the screen

WATCH / Local heroes

Danielle Macdonald and Teresa Palmer star in the TV adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s The Last Anniversary.

Ever since Liane Moriarty hit the streaming big time with HBO’s acclaimed adaptation of her 2014 novel, Big Little Lies, the Australian author has proved TV catnip. Four of her 10 novels have made it to the small screen, including the upcoming The Last Anniversary. Unlike Big Little Lies, in which the setting was switched from Sydney’s posh north shore to the swishy streets of Monterey in California, The Last Anniversary retains its Australian setting, the fictional Scribbly Gum Island on the Hawkesbury river, which is a hotspot for true-crime tourists hooked on the Munro Baby mystery. It’s this mystery that underpins the six-part drama, which focuses on 39-year-old Sophie (Teresa Palmer) who inherits a house on the island that belonged to her ex-boyfriend’s grandmother. It’s a bit silly – unravelling family secrets and so on – but the standout Australian cast makes it worth watching, including Palmer (who’s good but saddled with the standard, prestige-drama problem of a bad wig), the glorious Helen Thomson and Danielle Macdonald. English actor Miranda Richardson brings international star power. On Binge from March 27. Louise Rugendyke

LISTEN / Musk rat

Elon’s Spies investigates the less well-known life of one of America’s most powerful people.

If you thought the sight of Elon Musk, in sunglasses and MAGA cap, wielding a power tool above his head and yelling, “this is the chainsaw for bureaucracy” came out of nowhere, then listen to Elon’s Spies. The podcast from Alexi Mostrous (of chart-topping, Sweet Bobby fame) dropped before Musk became Trump’s right-hand man, but establishes a pattern of how far he has gone to protect his interests and destroy those who get in the way. Mostrous alleges that Musk was behind the hounding and defaming of the head of the 2018 Thai cave rescue, a whistleblower at Tesla who leaked information about safety concerns, and even his ex-girlfriend, Amber Heard. It’s chilling listening, especially given Musk now has access to some of the most sensitive information in the world. Barry Divola

READ / The wires

Twist is the latest from Irish best-selling author Colum McCann.

Twist ($33) is the eighth novel by internationally acclaimed Irish writer Colum McCann, author of prize-winning books including Apeirogon (2020) and Let the Great World Spin (2009). It is (pardon the pun) a deep dive into the murky world of the underwater cables which carry the world’s information along the seafloor. Following a cable rupture off the coast of Africa, Irish writer Anthony Fennell, nursing his own demons, joins a cable-repair ship skippered by the enigmatic John Conway to write the story of its repair. When Conway – a freediver who can hold his breath for up to eight minutes – disappears, Fennell’s search for him leads him to dark places reminiscent of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Chilling. Nicole Abadee

WEAR / SOS pinafore

Easily dressed up or down: the Lee Mathews “Leo Pinafore”.

Putting on a dress doesn’t always mean dressing up. The startling genius of the pinafore is its simplicity, cutting effortlessly through the flounces, prints and peplums currently filling the runway. In a durable cotton, with top stitching, the “Leo Pinafore” ($529) is willing to put in the hard work at the office, but just add some well-chosen accessories – a gold bangle, earrings or playful scarf – and you’ve found your new playsuit. Layer over a shirt as temperatures drop. Damien Woolnough

GROOVE / Breaking up

Just his voice and acoustic guitar: the latest from songwriter Jason Isbell.

Lauded as one of the greatest Americana songwriters of his generation, Jason Isbell went through that most country-music of experiences last year when he and his wife, fiddle-player and solo artist Amanda Shires, divorced after a decade of marriage. Naturally, everyone will be combing through his new album for clues. Foxes in the Snow was recorded over five days, in New York’s Electric Lady Studios, with only Isbell’s voice and acoustic guitar. It’s the sparsest collection of his career and possibly the most affecting. “All that I needed was all that I had, it was good while it lasted,” he sings at one point. There are no barbs or self-pity here, just that assured voice telling simple truths with hard-bitten poetry and masterful storytelling. Isbell and his band, The 400 Unit, will support Paul Kelly on his Australian tour, August 26-September 7. Barry Divola

COOK / Kitchen whiz

After six years, an update: the next-gen Thermomix.

A new Thermomix is a big deal. Unlike many appliance manufacturers who release new models annually, it’s been six years since the German multi-cooker brand launched an update. The new TM7 ($2649) will be a huge leap from 2019’s TM6 when it lands later this year; the announcement has already prompted huge FOMO in the 700,000 Australians with a Thermomix at home. Black, sleek and chic, the auto chop-cook-stir kitchen-helper has a larger touchscreen connected to a huge recipe library, more steamer capacity and is apparently close to silent – a big change from the current clatter and whiz. There’s also a gentle “open cook” function which means the machine can be used like a saucepan, with ingredients visible rather than locked away. AI-assisted cooking is (almost) here. Pre-sales open next month. Dani Valent

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