Melody's family do not believe she would take her own life
Police searching for a 28-year-old British woman missing in Australia are investigating the possibility she may have joined a cult.
Melody O'Gara, 28, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, was last seen in Sydney three weeks ago.
Her handbag was found by the edge of a cliff near Bondi beach, raising fears she had committed suicide.
Her father, Hugh, said she was reading a book before she disappeared which urges readers to "dump" their past.
The alarm was raised after Miss O'Gara failed to catch booked flights to Melbourne on Monday, 25 October and Singapore two days later.
Her family said Miss O'Gara had been depressed during her time in Australia, but they could not believe she would take her own life.
Her father has travelled to Australia with her brother Kevin.
He said: "One of the books we have looked at which was in Melody's possession and she was recommending to friends, was that you can't rediscover yourself, you can't start again, without dumping your past.
"It says leave it all behind - and move on."
Miss O'Gara had been living in the King's Cross area of Sydney.
She originally travelled to Australia on a working visa in February.
As well as missing the flights, Miss O'Gara has not been in contact with her flatmates in Kings Cross.