Valverde Maclean has a passion for Australia. He has traveled widely throughout the country and has lived and worked in both the southern and northern areas of Australia. This experience shows in the way he writes of an Australia far from the big cities. Australian history, particularly the development of the inland, and the ramifications for the economic life of the nation form a backdrop to his stories. However it is not only the past, but the present day changes and challenges to Australian culture that are apparent in his writing. He is also a keen observer of human behaviour. His first novel "The Disappearance of Merry" was well received by readers who enjoyed the combination of romance and mystery. This was continued in his second novel "Magenta". Readers of both books also had the pleasure of traveling today’s Australia and discovering, or for some rediscovering, an Australia they had heard of or remembered. He now lives near a small village in the beautiful Sunshine.