Readers' reviews
Every month we give our eNewsletter subscribers the chance to review books before they are published. If you're interested in reviewing a book,
sign up here.
Reviews
Click on a title to see readers' reviews
Fiction reviews
'This is an interesting novel that was not what I expected. By the end of this book I loved it. The different pieces fit together in a touching way and I appreciated the power of story that was the message of the novel.
When I began reading I found it hard to get my rhythm, especially as the events and therefore the voices, where quite removed from each other. I found myself wanting to skip to the modern events and labouring through Dawes’ chapters. But as the novel progressed and things began to come together I was so intrigued by what was happening and could not put it down.
The characters are engaging, the plot unpredictable and the idea creative. I love that it centres around the Harbour Bridge as it is such an iconic feature of our city and a place that draws everyone. It is a worthwhile read and you even have a few interesting history lessons thrown in.' - D. Bond, NSW
'Ashley Hay’s novel centres around three main characters in different eras, gathering their stories together to create a fascinating overlapping, interweaving novel. The Body in the Clouds is three distinct, yet strangely connected tales, beginning with the early settlement of Sydney; the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a modern day story. It is a book about the stories that make a place home, their interpretations and the impact that they have on our lives.
This is a cleverly crafted book which will have the reader mesmerized. The author has sprinkled the story with historical facts, creating a wonderful read. If you love history, and you enjoy a good yarn you will devour this book.' - Linda Westrupp
The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato
"The language and style of this novel suits the era. The well-crafted characters are beautifully brought to life. Though it is fiction there is an authenticity that sucks one in totally. Clearly Marina Fiorato knows her stuff. It’s a big novel, but there’s no padding in this enjoyable story; every page is relevant.
For me it was more enthralling and better crafted than the Da Vinci Code." - K. Hart, VIC
"The monk and the whore: that juxtaposition alone is enough to attract intrigued readers. But what follows is a 15th century Da Vinci Code book - a huge romp through Italian Renaissance history decoding symbols, carvings, maps, botany, power, politics, religion, even fashionable clothing, and - above all - Botticelli's beautiful painting Primavera, along with its startling 'secret message'. ... Based on Italian academic Enrico Guidoni’s new theory about the hidden message of Botticelli's painting, Fiorato's book is a fascinating read from beginning to end. A road story between reluctant partners, as it were, but rich and vibrant with history and colour and intense realism. I had to go and find a copy of the painting, just for curiosity's sake. Do the same, and keep it handy as you read the book. You'll be intrigued to the last page." - M. Yock, NSW
"The story, about a 32-year-old female realtor who is abducted and held captive in a mountain cabin for a year, is told in the first person narrative as sessions with the victim's psychiatrist. Chevy has created an original plot, with plenty of twists and full of tension, which keeps the reader enthralled and eager to see what happens next. The dialogue is realistic and the characters are so well crafted that sometimes the reader will feel like grabbing them by the shoulders and shaking them. There are occasional moments of black humour, especially the disposal of the body scene. Chevy shows a great deal of insight into the state of mind of victims. She gives us a gutsy heroine whose endurance and attitude cannot fail to garner admiration. Add to this a climax that leaves the reader gasping. Set aside some time to read this book and don’t be surprised if you read it in one sitting: once you start reading, it is almost impossible to put down. Chevy Stevens? More, please!" - M. Vincent, NSW
"This book is quite compulsive reading ... The family group of Josh, Caroline and Zoe and their relationships with extended family are absorbing." - Helen, NSW
"I enjoyed the interweaving of the storylines... A poignant reminder of how our lives can twist and turn in unexpected ways." - B. Riley, VIC
"If you have not read this author you must do so at once, for she has become a great favourite of ours, and there is a great clamour among us for a turn at the reading copies when we receive them. This one is a beauty! ... a truly enjoyable new novel from a fantastic author, with a cast of wonderful characters, written with oodles of wit, guile and vigour, from a lady whose every word just oozes style." - Annette, Timeless Books, SA
"This book is a masterpiece. Just from the captivating cover of a simplistic yarn with needles captures the eye of the lucky beholder of the book. The story, about love, loss, mothers and children, as well as hope and faith revolves around the character of Moss, who is a uni student and runs away from home. She wants to find her biological father to find that he is a reculse and living next to neighbours which share differing stories and a yearn for the survival for life. The neighbours include Lily Pargetter, a widow at the age of 83 and a mother to a stillborn baby. During her spare time she knits tea cosies for the United Nations. Others include, Lily's nephew, Sandy that not only plays the stockmarket in rural Australia, making him rich but watches his neighbouring farmers turn to dust. A novel that will stay with you for a long time, about the differences 4 people have." - A. Zhang, VIC
"Tess Evans has written a moving novel based on relationships between mothers, fathers, children, family and friends. It is a great book to snuggle up with, a quick read that kept me wanting to pick it up any time I could. The characters in Book of Lost Threads are people you want to get to know, feel familiar with after reading the book and touch the heart. For me I felt for the characters and enjoyed being a passenger on their journeys... It really is all you want in a great comfort read." - Mandy de Jager (read more at mandythebookworm)
"The Jane Austen spin-off industry rolls ever onward, with varying results. Lynn Shepherd's Murder at Mansfield Park offers a new twist to the genre, using familiar characters and settings in a fresh way. She takes as her starting-point the character that has been a puzzle to many Austen fans - the quiet and timid Fanny Price - and turns the characterisation on its head. Shepherd's Fanny Price is a heartless and calculating heiress, who uses her money as a weapon, especially in matters of marriage. In true Austen style, relationships are imagined, formed and abandoned, misunderstandings abound and family bonds are tested. ... The novel is an enjoyable read, with added interest and some real delight to be found in the many sly references to other Austen novels which are slipped into the text, as well as some quiet jokes about the differences between methods of detection of the period and contemporary forensic techniques." - M. Steinberger, NSW
Back to top
"From the very first page, Danielle Hermans has us intrigued. A murder in 1636 in an Alkmaar tavern, and another nearly 400 years later in an exclusive area of London: how are these related? What do the dying words of second victim mean? The two story lines develop independently, but are woven together beautifully. Danielle has obviously done quite a lot of research and we learn a great deal about tulip cultivation and trade, but in an easily digestible manner. She intertwines fact with fiction to produce an entirely believable tale. Danielle uses some clever analogies and pleasing echoes, the action is fast-paced, the dialogue, credible, and there are several plot-twists leading to a gripping climax. This novel is hard to put down: many will be compelled to read it in one sitting. David MacKay deserves praise for a first-rate translation. An excellent debut novel: let's hope we are treated to English translations of Danielle Hermans' subsequent novels soon." - Marianne Vincent, NSW
"The Tulip Virus is a fascinating book. It opens with the murder of Mr Winckel in 1636. Who is Mr Winckel and why was he murdered? Before these questions are even considered, there is another murder.
This second murder occurs in 2007. Alec receives a telephone call from his uncle Frank, demanding that he 'come here' immediately. Alec arrives at Frank's house and finds his uncle dying. Frank points to a picture of a tulip in a book, tells Alec not to call the police and then dies. Alec hides the book from the police and the search for answers begins. His friend Damien, an antique dealer from Amsterdam, joins him in his quest to discover the reason for his uncle's murder.
The truth about both murders is gradually revealed, as is the connection between them. The characters come alive and the plot twists keep the reader guessing.
Many thrillers based on true events slowly drown in a mass of irrelevant historical details, but this book is so well written that the facts blend into the fiction seamlessly. This is a clever, well written book and is impossible to put down.
I usually find translated books difficult to read. They tend to be stilted and artificial, but this translation is invisible. It is hard to believe that it was not written in English. David MacKay has done an excellent job. I look forward to his next translation of a Danielle Hermans book." - Merryl Donn, QLD
"Absolutely fantastic! I hate to sound clichéd but I did not want to put
this book down and whenever I had to I was always thinking about how to
wangle my next reading opportunity. I was hooked right from the first
page. ... This is one of the best books I have read and absolutely 100% goes in my
most favourite books list." - Mandy de Jager, WA (via Mandythebookworm)
"A book that piques your interest from the start. There are two plots - a Dutchman Frank Schoeller is murdered and as he lay dying, he turned urgently to his nephew Alex and pointed to a beautiful drawing of a tulip in an old book. He entreated him "no police, take the book". This introduces the second plot, the collapse of the tulip industry in the 17th century. How can the two be connected?
The author has well researched the collapse of this industry which led to economic ruin for many and is able to weave a story between this and the present day murder with a well constructed storyline and thought provoking incidents that keep the reader engaged to the end. A very easy to read book, and although the whereabouts of the bulb was revealed , it wasn't the end of the story. Could there be a sequel to this novel?
A fast paced thriller, full of historical facts, an enjoyable mystery, and education." - Rosanne Gager, QLD
Back to top
"Jodi Picoult has done it again. In a story that sweeps you into its vortex and doesn't release you until the final page, she relates the life of Jacob, who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. Brilliant but socially inept, Jacob has an obsessive interest in criminal forensics. But when he is arrested for the murder of his social skills tutor, Jess Ogilvy, his specialist knowledge and his condition work against him, and he has to try to obtain justice within an inflexible system. What is worse, even his supporters can't be certain of his innocence.
The story is told in the first person by the main characters, a device Jodi Picoult often uses, and one that works particularly well for this book, as we get to experience everyone's pain at first hand. It's especially useful in understanding Jacob, and feeling great empathy for him in his isolation from those around him. I am in awe of the depth of research this book would have needed, and marvel at the way we arrive at the end knowing a great deal about Asperger's without the slightest feeling of being lectured to. I thoroughly enjoyed House Rules and recommend it highly." - Ria McMahon, VIC
Back to top
"The Agency is chick-lit with teeth. Peel back the front cover, strap in and hang on as Tess Drake thrills readers with her slick sense of humor, witty slurs and 'beauty is about ego' attitude. Girl-power to the nth degree, an entertaining read from start to finish, The Agency has everything. Raunchy as hell and exhaustingly fun!" - Claire Perry, NSW
"Tess Drake is an agent in the London multimedia industry who travels through life at breakneck pace. Just how everything goes wrong for this very twenty-first century career woman will have you alternately laughing and cheering out loud. Think Sex in the City meets Bridget Jones.
The Agency does not disappoint. I was hooked in the first paragraph and found myself reading sections out loud to my husband by the end of the first page. It's a rattling good read and would be an ideal companion for a long plane trip or a lazy summer day at the beach. I'll be watching for Ally O'Brien's next book with anticipation." - Robyn Veugen, NSW
Back to top
"Lisa Heidke beautifully captures Kate, her life, family and friends in "What Kate Did Next". At times I was reminded of myself and my friends struggling with similar problems in life. One of the refreshing aspects of the book is Kate's acceptance of the choices she has made in life. She may not be happy where she is but she is accepting that her choices have landed her there and her choices will take her forwards.
Kate struggles with real problems - a husband who wants a wife to do everything at home but also have a career and independent life; a rebellious teenage daughter; an active son; a sister who cannot accept life; a mother moving forwards (or is it backwards?); a friend in more turmoil than Kate; a variety of work colleagues ranging from friends to tyrants.
Kate's choices while changing her life are often hilarious and not much different to the perils of the teenage years. This is beautifully shown with Kate and her daughter, Lexi.
This is a very clever story with a few unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoyed every word." - Catherine Evans, NSW
Back to top
"This was simply divine! When March comes round, just get yourselves a copy and have the most wonderful time. I adored this wise, warm, witty novel; a debut incredibly. It is absolutely irresistable; a glorious comedy of manners, which miraculously manages to be that elusive thing, a wonderful and yet entirely unsentimental love story in which not only are the two protagonists heaven, but the entire cast is full of interest; some you will love, and some you will just love to hate. I fell in love with Major Pettigrew, I fell in love with Edgecombe St Mary, I fell in love with the book, and the only thing I really didn't enjoy was having to close the final page, which I did with great reluctance, consoling myself with the fact that I can, after all, read it once again one day!
"In the small village community of Edgecombe St Mary, sensibilities are deeply offended when Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), that totally dependable, oh-so-British pillar of society surprises himself by unexpectedly finding love the second time around. Mrs Ali is a charming and cultured Pakistani shopkeeper, and those who are really not quite the goods, as my Great Aunt would say, find themselves shocked to the core by this lapse in propriety. This is one of those wonderful novels that we have come to expect from Allen and Unwin (publishers of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society); the writing is assured and mature (in fact it’s quite superb) and the book is a complete delight from start to finish... there is even a dash of derring-do and excitement to conclude, which kept me on the edge of my seat. Wonderful stuff! Bravo!" - Annette (Timeless Books, SA)
"Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand was a delight to read. Definitely
a book I would recommend reading with a cup of tea; it just seems right
to do so. This is Helen Simonson’s first novel and she has done a
superb job of letting us into the characters’ lives and emotions, it
feels as though you are there floating over the village watching the
story unfold through silk chiffon; a beautiful experience. I love the
humour in the book, the Major reminded me a little of Clint Eastwood’s
character in Gran Torino with some of the remarks he makes. There is
much to take away from this story and one thing I take away is this
lovely feeling I get when I think about my reading experience, all cosy
and enveloped by warmth. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are things that
occur which are not at all warm or cosy, but such is life. This book
is just written so beautifully that it whisks you away into a pleasant
reading experience which lends to a sigh of contentment when that last
page is turned." - Mandy de Jager, WA (via Mandythebookworm)
Back to top
"Torn Apart took less then a day to read, and as a busy housewife that is no easy task. Between sending the kids off to school and putting out the washing I spent a joyful day with Cliff Hardy. Full of intrigue and suspense, Peter Corris has managed to write a book that I will be recommending to all my reader friends. As a former Police woman, I was able to imagine the characters with ease. Many of the crime books I read come from America, so it was a joy to find an Australian detective set in more familiar surroundings. Corris manages to conjure up the character of Cliff Hardy, not unlike Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, as a loveable but flawed individual that while good at his job, has many shortcomings in life." - Sharon Thompson, VIC
Back to top
"Bernie and Chet are the Little PI team. They work in a sunny American state where Bernie drives the convertible, wears loud shirts and gets the girls. Chet worries about money, is skeptical about Bernie’s handyman abilities and puzzles over cliches such as 'an axe to grind'. Chet is a perceptive observer of human nature, probably because he can be objective. Chet, who narrates this story as he did with Dog on It, is himself a dog. While Bernie tucks his .38 Special into his belt, Chet has his 'teeth with him at all times'.
A "fluffball" called Princess is headed for another blue ribbon at the Balmoral dog show when a threatening note arrives. Chet and Bernie are hired to guard her but fired just as quickly when Chet becomes a little impetuous about Princess' bacon bits. Then, when Princess and her owner disappear, they are re-hired and Chet has a chance to redeem himself.
If you enjoy crime fiction, you will find this caper irresistible. If you love dogs, you will recognise Chet’s moods and reflections. If you are a dog-loving crime fan, you won’t believe your luck. Chet's bite is as sharp as ever." - Tony Smith, NSW
"Two is certainly great company when it comes to the first class Little Detective Agency. PI Bernie Little and his forever distracted, super funny and very observant canine partner 'Chet' battle the bad guys once again in Spencer Quinn's latest fast-paced novel, Thereby Hangs a Tail. The second in the series, and told brilliantly by narrator Chet from his four-legged point of view - we follow the chase to rescue two very rich and successful kidnapped 'ladies'. Weaving this way and that, the book takes us on a merry ride through valleys and deserts, on the ground and in the air in the search for 'Princess'.
"Who knew how fierce the world of Dog Shows could be? As Nance the dog trainer proves deadly, reporter Suzie Sanchez disappears too while the Count has his own role to play in this classic detective novel. Chet's nose in the company of Bernie's investigative nous prove to be a great (and very entertaining) combination in solving the mysteries within this 'tail'. Not to be missed by dog-lovers and super-sleuths everywhere!" - Christina Rose, ACT
"Chet is a very large, very lovable and very loyal larrikin who loves his crime-solving life. It’s one big adventure, and often a very dangerous one. [In Thereby Hangs a Tail] Chet and Bernie are on a mission to solve a kidnapping case, as well as a very serious dognapping one: Princess, a pampered show dog, disappears, along with her owner Adelina, Countess di Borghese. Bernie’s girlfriend, Suzie, a journalist, also disappears in mysterious circumstances during her own investigations of the kidnappings.
"It is a very funny book, with marvellous insights from Chet, given as only dogs can. Chet knows he’s a pretty good partner in crime solving, but also knows he’s a bit stumped with colours and counting; however, true to form, nothing stops him from trying really, really hard. Dog lovers will recognise Chet’s dog-speak, with a laugh and knowing nods. “Yes, of course. That’s exactly how they are.”
"The continual doses of humour evoked by Chet, and the attributes of a very well-crafted mystery novel, combine to make this recommended reading for fans of the genre. Good pacing, interesting plot and sub-plots, and believable characterisations - it’s all there in this Chet and Bernie escapade" - Gail Carrick, QLD
Back to top
"Whoever has read Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake cannot help but wonder how Snowman will fare at the very end of the book when he decides 'It's zero hour ... time to go.'. Will these unknowns on the beach be friends or foes? Finally, in The Year of the Flood, we not only get to find out, in a plot so intricate and reminiscent of The Blind Assasin in how it alludes, confuses, and then builds to its final crescendo, we get to see what the Pleeblands were really like in a book that Atwood herself has described as not a sequel or a prequel but a 'simultaneal'.
The Year of the Flood is set in the same time period as Oryx and Crake, but instead of life in the protected compounds, we get to see what life is like in the Pleeblands, reminiscent of The Proles in George Orwell's 1984. Like all good science fiction or speculative fiction as Atwood calls her brand of post apocolyptic narrative, Atwood isn't just telling a story set in the future, she is commenting on numerous issues that face the human race in the present. From the current persecution of environmentalists as crazy idealists to our obsession with perfection and youth, in The Year of the Flood, a waterless one in fact, Atwood warns of the possible outcomes to be had if we ignore our own uniqueness and spirituality." - Amanda Williams
Back to top
"Wonders of a Godless World is the story of a nameless orphan girl who works in a hospital on an island. This hospital houses both the mentally and physically ill and is comparatively isolated.
One night, a new patient arrives. This foreigner neither speaks nor moves, but somehow affects all those who live and work at the hospital. The patients on the catatonic ward begin to injure themselves and the geriatrics are roused from their lethargy. As a result of this, the foreigner is soon moved into isolation. Gradually, the lives of the patients and the islanders are turned upside down as strange phenomena and bizarre murders occur.
This is a fascinating book. It is very well written and totally absorbing. The characters come to life and everything gets odder and odder. The story grabbed my attention immediately and kept me reading all night. It is stranger than anyone can imagine and well worth reading." - Merryl Donn
"The first line sets the tone for this wonderful book from Andrew McGahan. The characters have no names, being referred to as 'the orphan', 'the virgin' and so on which heightens the element of mystery. The book is intriguing as the reader tries to work out good and evil. It stretches the imagination yet draws you in to believe it is really happening... I loved it." - Denise Dolan
Back to top
"Brothers and Sisters is a fascinating, compelling collection of short stories each penetrating in its own way - none sweet, each unveiling the complexities of sibling relationships and providing some comfort to me, an only child, in that I didn't have to suffer the torment so often waged upon siblings by siblings. Only brothers and sisters can get away with it. Nam Le ('The Yarra') recounts a difficult relationship between brothers involving violence, confusion and ultimately loyalty. Paddy O'Reilly ('One Good Thing') describes an intense childhood friendship between two girls aggressively destroyed by a jealous brother and later in adulthood, sadly cherished by one whilst forgotten by the other.
Readers of contemporary Australian literature will devour this medley of devotion, innocence and obligation, (Tony Birch - 'Blood') and dissection of rivalry, revulsion, and bitterness (Christos Tsiolkas - 'The Disco at the End of Communism'). Each short story impresses in its own way - some abrubtly, others slowly and nostalgically but all in the end for most readers will be reminiscent of a shared childhood.
A book of contemplation. Both for brothers and sisters and importantly for 'the only child' who had everything but seemingly missed out on so much." - C. Rose
Back to top
"As devourable as Earthly Delights' muffins, this book is a joy. Fans of the Corrina Chapman series will welcome back with open arms all of the familiar characters and new readers will find heroes in Corrina and Daniel as they rescue a pair of desperate runaways. If you like crime fiction superbly written and filled with heart, soul, compassion, spirit and an eclectic mix of strong wonderful characters you'll love this. Goodness ultimately triumphs over evil and a baby is born just in time for Christmas. The world is a much better place with books like this. Welcome back Corrina!" - C. Aitchison, VIC
"Master (mistress?) baker Corinna Chapman is back in this fifth episode featuring the Earthly Delights bakery and the residents of the Insula apartment block. Set in December with the lead-up to Christmas, the plot revolves around the search for a missing, heavily pregnant teenager and her boyfriend. It also includes the typical seasonal ingredients of a donkey, a church, Christmas carols, glace cherries and a virgin birth. To reveal more would spoil the plot.
The storyline in this new addition to the series is more coherent than some of the earlier titles but no less fascinating. At first there is no crime to solve as such (and it is Corinna’s live-in lover Daniel who is commissioned to find the runaways) but as always Corinna becomes entangled, not only in this little mystery but also other intriguing puzzles such as the origins and treatment of Serena the donkey, the well-being of wealthy but abused music student Rowan, the militant activities of his vegan friends and the habits of the local freegans.
Written with typical witty and wry Greenwood style, this latest addition to the series rollicks along at a furious pace matching the madness of pre-Christmas retail chaos. The lives and worries of Corinna’s neighbours, staff and fellow shopkeepers, who readers have come to know and love, continue but play a less dominant role in this novel. After a rather astonishing denouement, everything comes together in a harmonious satisfying conclusion on Christmas Day." - L. Babbage, NSW
Back to top
"Michael Kortya tells a story so gripping that you don't want to put the book down.
Bringing Lincoln Perry PI to life, you feel like you're with Lincoln feeling all the same confusion, and searching for all the same answers just as if you're his partner and actually working alongside him.
The plot with its many twists and turns will keep you up late until the very last page is read and as always the most obvious conclusion is never the right one.
Michael has outdone himself yet again with The Silent Hour.
I can't wait for his next offering. Michael's extraordinary and immensely creative writing makes him one of this decades best young writers.
The Silent Hour is a 5 star read." - A. Vickery, QLD
"The author of this moving book died in October 2008, before he could see his final work published. It's a story of love and loss, family dynamics and political persecution. What particularly struck me was that no specific time or era, nor specific geographical location is mentioned and for me this book could be a story set anywhere, anytime in any war." - N. Gibson, NZ
Back to top
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
"In her first novel in ten years, the beloved author of The Poisonwood Bible returns with an unforgettable work which will leave the reader at once elevated and devastated. Caught in a ruthless battle between the old world and the new, between east and west, politics and principles, one man's struggle for personal truth becomes the author's vehicle for a passionate articulation of the responsibility of the press, and the power of the printed word for good or ill. Harrison Shepherd is a very private man, but one who unexpectedly worms his way right into your heart, as I found as I breathlessly read the last eighty pages in the shop at breakneck speed... This is a novel which repays its reader one hundred fold." - Annette (Timeless Books, SA)
"Religion and social conscious requires that we are charitable to those in need but the risk of our efforts backfiring so that we become the victims is often the justification we have for looking the other way.
Clara Purdy is feeling empty and pondering her life without purpose when she is involved in a car accident with a needy family. When the children need care and a place to stay while the mother is in hospital, Clara takes them in, despite the questionable morals of their father and their grandmothers’ overall dark attitude. Clara is stretched to her financial and emotional limits but finds herself allowing people to help and support her for the first time. Despite the many hardships and a few betrayals she gained from the experience too.
Marina Endicott delivers characters that meander from the page and sit right next to you. Her honesty and insight gives each character depth so that they are recognizable in ourselves or as characters we would rather avoid. The story is so absorbing that the reader could be one of the church members eager for gossip and passing judgment.
A thought-provoking look into charity and conscience and their repercussions." - S. Benjamin
"A good story teller is able to transform the lives of ordinary people into a gripping and moving tale. Marina Endicott certainly achieves this with her novel Good to a Fault. With great insight she explores the relationship that develops between Clara Purdy a divorced 40ish aimless woman of independent means and the dysfunctional Pell family, mother diagnosed with cancer while in hospital, father, 3 young children and difficult grandma who she takes into her home after a car accident which destroys the car in which the family is living.
Clara’s capacity for love is awakened and the reader is drawn into the turmoil and confusion it evokes as Clara struggles with, yet enjoys, family life plus the possibility of a new man. A book with heart and one you will not want to put down as you wonder 'would I be able to do that?'" - R. Gager, QLD
"How ever will I find the words to express my enthusiasm for this glorious, luminous novel? This is a book so real, so true, that it is as if the author has found her way into the very bones and marrow of each character and has penetrated lovingly and unerringly into every situation she describes. I had been told just how brilliant this wonderful book was, but kept putting it off, never expecting to be so caught up in a plot of this kind, but once begun, I was done for; held in hopeless thrall. ... I loved the concept, so simple and yet so very original, and found the writing to contain such clear-eyed wisdom and such kindness that I read on and on in a kind of wonder. I was once struck by something really pertinent a friend said when we were discussing the prejudices of religious belief; what she said was, 'I don't need all that; I'm a good person', and I thought, now isn't that getting to the nitty-gritty. A similar well articulated thought may have been the genesis of Endicott's plot, for this is a book about being a good person; about endeavouring to do the right thing by one's neighbour, and giving one's life meaning and perspective.
When Clara Purdy crashes her car into a needy young family this is exactly what she sets out to do, and sometimes it hurts like hell, because our author is particularly good at fingering those complex and contradictory feelings people often experience in their dealings with others. The characters are all of them brilliantly done; the children are marvellously vivid and a lot of thought has been given to the brother figure, the warm and giving Darwin, who 'moves where the spirit wills'. The love interest, a down trodden, loveable, poetry quoting priest is simply heaven; how can a girl possibly resist a chap who quotes Gerard Manley Hopkins at her? Ah, what music! This is one of the most wonderful, exceptional books you are ever likely to read; it glows with warmth, is brimful of feeling, and its freshness and charm disguises a depth of thought that will cause the work to keep on resonating long after the final page has reluctantly been closed." - Annette (Timeless Books, SA)
Back to top
"Andrew Croome cleverly begins with the events surrounding the iconic photo of a distressd Mrs Petrov surrounded by KGB agents after her husband had defected during the Cold War so that the rest of the story can focus on Evdokia Petrov the person. Croome has skilfully portrayed the ordinariness of Canberra life in the 1950's with the covert activities of the Soviet Embassy, the conflict of Marxist ideologies while living in a capitalist society, lethal office politics where mistakes can be proof of disloyalty to Stalin and the dubious motives of key players behind the defection. Evdokia Petrov is portrayed as more than a Cold War heroine and is fleshed out as a sympathetic person who just wants to do her job well while thoroughly detesting the Ambassador's wife.
Document Z is an enjoyable trip down memory lane when Cold War paranoia in Australia was as real as concerns over the environment today. It inspired me to look up more about the Petrov Affair, surely a good thing when a book makes you want to learn more about real events!" - Kris Foreman
"Canberra in the 1950s now seems such an unlikely setting for a hotbed of political intrigue and yet, as the Cold War raged, it was. Andrew Croome's story rapidly draws the reader in - from the very first page of the prologue, we are put in Evdokia Petrov's shoes (shoe?), faced with the terrible, confusing reality of her husband, Vladimir's defection. We are then taken back to life in the Russian Embassy, where spying was part of the job description and where everything was reported back to Moscow -- national secrets as well as petty interpersonal squabbles. Where one always had to be on guard -- from co-workers as well as from ASIO operatives. Where the consequences of a misstep might be being sent home in disgrace or harm to a loved one still there.
Croome's tale is told authentically, with audible Russian accents, palpable summer heat and mounting tension, which make it easier to stop every so often and reflect that the story isn't fiction, it is a very strange, almost implausible truth." - Marlies Lagerberg
Back to top
'The structure of the novel that intersperses the modern story with the re-creation of the 1912-14 expedition works well as a contrast between Mawson and his team with their limited rations, equipment, dogs and sleds against motorized gear and the wonders of modern communication technology. I can only appreciate his tenacity and bravery, which doesn’t in any way lessen my admiration for those who currently travel to this icy place to assist scientific discovery.
The main character, however, throughout this book is Ice. It is full of colour, beauty and life, and Mundy’s descriptions whet the appetite to see for oneself. Yet it’s not without danger. It’s unpredictable nature as captivating and scary as any human character can be.' - Kay Hart
'Freya Jorgensen is on her way to Antarctica. She has obtained a grant to produce a photographic expedition of Antarctica, incorporating not only her own pictures that she will take while there, but also the pictures taken by her 'hero' Frank Hurley, a photographer on one of the first expeditions to Antarctica.
But this story is not Freya's alone, as Freya is forced to share her time and her experiences in Antarctica with Chad McGonigal. And it is their story together that allows Freya to explore the intriguing and mysterious landscape of Antarctica while exploring her own nature. Out on the ice, in a harsh and revealing land, Freya is forced to see herself as she truly is, a side of her that has been hidden deep within her.
This story also mixes history with the present. Freya is not the only one to find a true understanding her own nature, and the importance of love reflected in the ice. Douglas Mawson, who explored the Antarctic about a hundred years before Freya steps foot there, also learns the revealing and raw nature of ice.
The Nature Of Ice is a story well worth reading. As it chops and changes from the past to the present, it offers an interesting and touching perspective on friendship, hope and love, and the nature of ice [which] is as strong and fragile as the enduring nature of the human spirit. Although slow to get into, due to the chopping and changing from past to the present and between present characters, it would not be as deep a story without the connection with the past.' - Larissa Chapman
Back to top
'This is a story of love, life and loss, a true womens novel, without being trashy. It touches on the current issues of young adult suicide, the environment and terrorism. It is heartbreakingly real and beautifully written as it simultaneously follows the three intertwined lives of Addie, Tom and their daughter Scarlet. From Addie and Tom’s meeting in his Biology of Birds class, to Scarlet’s birth, childhood and adulthood then the death of Addie, the reader is engaged in this page turning story.
Addie and Tom are both avid bird lovers. Tom, the scientist is absorbed in his work and Addie, the famous artist struggles with her own anger, sadness and environmental activism. Scarlet struggles with being the daughter of Addie and Tom, and particularly her relationship with Addie, making this as much a story about the mother–daughter connection as a story about finding our places in the world. It is a book about relationships, and also follows the college friendships and lives of Addie’s lifelong friends Cora and Lou. This is truly a book about real life, and as a grand-daughter, daughter and mother, I highly recommend it.' - C. Hicks
Back to top
'This book opens in Nagasaki during World War 2 just as the bomb falls. In the catastrophic flash of white, Hiroko Tanaka loses her German fiance, Konrad, and is left with bird-shaped scars across her back. Wanting some connection with the man she loved, Hiroko travels to Delhi to meet his relatives. She falls in love with their employee and makes India her home. But not for too long. Caught up in politics and the aftermath of wars yet again and again, Hiroko and her family find themselves relocated to Pakistan, New York and Afghanistan.
The narrative could seem to lack cohesion, relating what might be construed as unimportant events in the lives of the characters. But Shamsie skillfully develops the characters and we see how the aftermath of war and displacement continues to affect people’s lives.
I really enjoyed this book: the insight into cultures in other countries; the wonderful character development and the deeply personal account of lives affected by war and conflict.' - Nova Gibson
Back to top
'The River Wife is a magical fairy tale. It is a spellbinding story of the river wife, part woman, part fish, who grows closer to the human world and further away from her river world.
She sees and falls in love with a man, Wilson James. The river wife has a duty to care for the river, but she begins to devote more and more of her time to this man who captured her heart. The land around them changes and, as they spend more time together, they, too, begin to change.
This is a wonderful story of love, romance, passion and loss. It reminds me of the fairy tales I read as a child and the magic I found in them. This is the perfect book for a cold and wet day. It will leave you feeling warm and content. Try it, you will not be disappointed.' - Merryl Donn
'The River Wifecannot be read hastily. It is a story to be tasted and returned to, and savoured slowly, like a fine wine. More poetry than prose, this mystic, lyrical tale tells of love gained and lost as the heroine, half-human, half-fish, repeats the tragedy of loving a human that her mother, also a River Wife, has endured. Ecology and fantasy meet, and we are told "A story is always in the listening.' - Margaret Visciglio
Back to top
Many of us have been in relationships where we've questioned whether we're better of staying or going. I think the book "Vintage Alice" provides an understanding of the upheaval this can provide, but also explores travel, romance and big life changes all in one entertaining read.
"Vintage Alice" was a delightful read. Light and easy to read, I was keen to find out what ended up happening to Alice who I quickly took a liking to. I loved everything - the discussions about England, about Australia, about careers and particularly the fashion! The writing was such that I could just picture every single character - some I loved, and some I loathed! ... I love travel stories, and wondered if this one would provide that for me. It did, but it also had a lot to say about relationships and life decisions. I definitely recommend it. - Raechel Johns
There is nothing wrong way round or long way round about Jessica Adams new book Vintage Alice. It's like a good home cooked meal you open your door to smell and just can't help but follow your nose to something warm and inviting. Alice is one truly amazing woman! Just when you think the odds of her getting through another sticky situation are pretty low you realise you should have known better and Alice will land on her feet. The characters are so warm and inviting and I must say the Aussie characters makes me proud to be Australian, we are a little peculiar though we know when to help out a mate in need. Jessica Adams creates a colourful and wondrous adventure for Alice and us to experience. This book is a great read when you just want to snuggle under the covers but live in a brightly lit and adventurous world all at once. 5 star read and I'm already itching to read the next installment of Alice, Joel and the new long way rounder! Superb read.. this book is unputdownable! - Kara-Lee Dewhirst
Back to top
Fans of Barry Maitland's Brock & Kolla series have had a wait on their hands. The last book - Spider Trap - was released in 2006, with a standalone book Bright Air in 2007. Leaving aside the eagerness with which we fans wait for the next book in a favourite series, there's also the slight nagging doubt always - has the wait been worth it? ... DARK MIRROR is everything that fans of this long-running series are going to enjoy, and the wait definitely wasn't wasted. Strong sense of an unexpected gem of a place (and another location from Maitland's London that you just want to see for yourself); a good police procedural with a touch of the personal; some moving on in the lives of the central characters; and a motive that's all too human and whilst sad, is also surprisingly cruel - it all just goes to remind the reader yet again about the futility of cold-blooded murder. - Karen Chisholm
The drama starts in earnest in the first chapter. What an introduction! It bodes well for a story of intrigue and mystery. Who would have thought a quiet lunch in the park, adjacent to the reading room of the Library, would lead to such a varied collection of people spanning generations, yet all interconnected by clever plots, diverse settings and an amazing range of subjects. We meet low class thugs, thinking police, academics and the aristocracy.
Maitland has managed to meld the classicism of the nineteenth century with present day London into a tale that leaves the reader with the observation that human nature never changes, no matter what the century or the situation. His research into the scandalous lives and suspicious deaths of the Pre-Raphaelites is extensive and yet, touches of “The Godfather” demonstrate the author’s ability to combine past and present into a well crafted tale with a “poisonous” theme running through. - Rosanne Gager
Brock is a kind and considerate and always demands the best from his team. Kathy is dedicated, driven and lives to work. The more interesting the case the more determined she becomes to help solve it. Pip is young, brave and eager to impress Kathy, by going beyond the call of duty.
The plot thickens and you never know which way it will turn. Who would want to use arsenic to poison someone and how to you acquire it? What a nasty and painful way to die. Why kill the mysterious Marion? Or, did she commit suicide? Who was the father of her unborn child? Kathy just can’t let this case go. She has to try and solve the mystery of both Marion and Tina’s poisoning.
As always the plot is thick with many villains. It was a bumpy ride with lots of twists and turns to add to the excitement. Brock and Kathy are at their best and the story is as suspenseful as ever. Barry Maitland has done it again. This superb thriller will keep you guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. - Kathy Vandenhurk
Back to top
Suffer The Children is the first book in a new crime series set in London. It features DI Will Wagstaffe, known as Staffe.
The story introduces several characters and potential plotlines within the first few pages and, before long, a paedophile is found brutally murdered. DI Wagstaffe sacrifices his holiday to take on the case. As with all good crime novels, the plot rapidly becomes more complicated and serious detecting is required.
When another paedophile is attacked, it becomes evident that this is not an isolated case. Are these crimes committed by somebody connected to a paedophile victim or is it a serial killer? The suspense builds and the pace quickens.
Suffer The Children deals with paedophilia, an appalling subject, but it is handled well. There is enough detail to portray the horror of it, but not enough to overwhelm the reader. The book raises the question of whether vigilantism is acceptable when the law has failed to protect children. Everyone has an opinion on this and no one opinion will ever be acceptable to all.
This is a well written and fast paced novel with engaging characters - one of the best crime novels that I have read. It is impossible to put down and I can't wait to read the second Staffe novel. - Merryl Donn
Back to top
You know how a cat jumps into the warm spot on the sofa after you get up, then has to be prised out of position to regain your seat, well that was the type of battle I had with my husband whenever I was foolish enough to put this book down.
It held my attention (and his) to the end, with believable characters, and futuristic science that sent chills down my spine with its ultimate 'big brother' is watching you concept. This gave Detective Rita Van Hassel many problems in her attempts to investigate several gruesome murders, never quite knowing who to trust or believe, even amongst her own ranks.
Loved the book. A great read. - Pam Swain
Back to top
Red Dust by Fleur McDonald
From the wool-greased floors of the shearing shed to the surging creeks 'coming down' after a sudden storm, Fleur McDonald writes about a life and a country she knows from the inside out. Now living in the south-west of Western Australia, McDonald grew up in South Australia’s mid-north. As a child, she holidayed on her family's outback stations and travelled the dusty roads with her father, delivering fuel to country properties.
In Red Dust, McDonald breathes life into archetypal Australian characters - the loyal stockman, the shifty newcomer, the knowledgeable stock & station agent, the trusty working dog. Throw in a dead husband with a suspicious past, a contagiously lively - and impressively savvy - best friend, and a couple of swoon-worthy blokes in R. M. Williams boots and you’ve got more than enough to keep you glued to the page through a (hopefully wet) winter's weekend.
And then there's all that livestock that keeps disappearing and mysteriously turning up in Billbinya station’s back paddocks... Follow the clues and see if you can work out who's behind the sheep and cattle rustling and why they've got such a grudge against the widowed Gemma, Billbinya's resolute young owner. - Tessa Wooldridge
For anyone who has ever spent time in the mid north, Red Dust will evoke many memories. Fleur McDonald has cleverly and beautifully intertwined and captured the very essence of country life within the characters in her new book. The vivid descriptions of the country, the lifestyle and the characters are typical of life in that region. An added flavour is how well she has woven in romance and intrigue in to this, her first, novel.
Gemma is a delightful, very believable and loveable character although somewhat naïve. She epitomizes the guts and determination of the landowners who know the many struggles of country life. With the loss of her husband, and continuing suspicions regarding her role in stock stealing, she still continues to manage the property despite many people thinking she cannot function in what is seen as a man’s world.
Fleur McDonald has written a fresh warmhearted story that captures the actual spirit of the land. A very enjoyable read. I could not put the book down and look forward to her second novel on the bookshelves.- Anne Webb
Fleur McDonald’s debut novel Red Dust is a touching story which delves into the harsh realities faced by Australian rural farming communities.
Red Dust is a journey into the hardships and struggles faced by Gemma, the novels brave heroine. After having her world torn apart by the tragic death of her husband, Gemma sets aside her emotional struggles to overcome natural and financial hardships, along with criminal and physical danger.
The harsh realities of farming in rural Western Australia are vividly brought to life by Gemma’s family, friends and rural community in supporting her self belief and determination to pursue personal and professional success.
Red Dust is a beautifully written novel which pulls together Australia’s harsh bush lifestyle, the wonderful people who make this country and their never ending determination to succeed.
Fleur McDonald has set herself a high standard for a new Australian author, Red Dust is a novel which will entice readers to want more from a talented engaging writer. - David Cairns
Back to top
'I can't begin to tell you how exciting it was finishing this book; coming to the last 40 odd pages, hoping, holding my breath, reading with the biggest of lumps in my throat as a masterpiece evolved. There! Right in front of my eyes!
I am not one to be at all impressed by the fact that the book I am reading is Australian; it needs to be brilliant, it needs to be fresh, it needs to stand up there on its own merit, it must not be a second rate number that simply has an Australian background, and above all else it must not be earnest or try to lecture me in any way. But Jasper Jones could stand up there with anything I've ever read in my entire sixty years, and indeed it belongs to a very small number of books that I consider absolutely flawless. Bookclubs everywhere in particular, make sure you make a space for it in May, when this wonderful book is published and celebrate with me.
I am not going to say anything about the plot; I will simply try to convey how vivid and alive the book is, how brilliant it is to meet Charlie Bucktin, Jeffrey Lu and Jasper Jones, these three living, breathing people that will forever stay in my heart, the fantastic and witty dialogue between the two afore-mentioned characters, the marvellous story, rich and so full of wisdom, the plot's well judged and impeccable conclusion, and above all else, the creation of Jasper Jones himself, so charismatic, so cleverly used by his maker; sparely, so that you long for his every appearance. The cricket match that takes place about half way through the book is so exciting, that I have to admit to using the childish device of holding my hand over the paragraphs lower down on the page, so that I couldn't cheat! Oh! Reading Jasper Jones was such a joy! You will laugh, you will cry, but above all else, I am sure that you will rejoice in the coming of age of a new Australian talent.' - Annette (Timeless Books and The Raven's Parlour Bookstore, SA)
Back to top
'The Winter Vault continues ideas developed in Fugitive Pieces. The theme of this book is loss on all scales, and how, or whether it is possible to recover.
Anne Michaels continues to write in exquisite prose which wraps and surrounds the reader. It is a book to be read slowly, allowing the richness to penetrate and the mind to awaken to a new way of seeing. She takes us to historical events like the building of the High Aswan Dam and the consequent flooding of Nubia, and the destruction of Warsaw during the Second World War, in such a way that it is almost like being there. She guides us gently but relentlessly through these times, and we have no choice but to be informed and changed.
The characters are sometimes so hypersensitive as to be a little unreal, vehicles for the author’s purpose rather than actual people. Nevertheless, the result is that she makes us look again and wake up to a greater depth of life. The Winter Vault is a haunting book which stays with you long after you have closed the cover.' - Julie Collin
As with her debut novel Fugitive Pieces, the engine of Anne Michaels’ The Winter Vault is prose. Sentences have weight by virtue of her unique word selection, and the unexpected connections and associations behind them ? here is the poet at work, measuring and deliberating over every phrase. The prose is poetic, but not in the ‘purple’ sense. It is far from gilded, or unnecessarily adorned. It is spare, efficient and loaded. Proponents of the no-nonsense narrative school, may find the language over-written, but fans of Fugitive Pieces will relax into it with relish. - Bernard Peasley
Back to top
Spencer Quinn's Dog on It is a delightfully unusual mystery. The story is told by Chet, detective Bernie Little's faithful canine partner. Quinn pulls this off with skill; Chet is a very real and constantly amusing character. For anyone looking for a light-hearted but highly entertaining read, Dog on It fits the bill perfectly.
The story ensues when the Little Detective agency is hired to find a missing teenage girl. What follows is a fast moving tale that travels around the state of California, involving a little action, a little romance and some clever detective work, but mainly laughs as we are privy to a dog's observations of oftentimes illogical human behaviour. Chet's unfailing loyalty and adoration of his master is evident throughout, reminding us why dogs hold the title of man's best friend. - Justine T
An enjoyable, funny book about 'Bernie', a not-too-stupid PI and his offsider and K9 class dropout dog 'Chet'. Join them as they investigate the disappearance of a teenage runaway, or is she...
This book is unusual, as 'Chet' the dog is the narrator and I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect but maybe I'm just sentimental, as we have recently got a dog. I found 'Chet' really came alive for me and loved his humorous take on things.
Certainly an easy read and I'll be waiting for the second book! - Marlene Pratt
Back to top
'This is a superb book with mythological overtones. The puzzle is clever, the peasant Greeks are extraodinarily Greek, and the detective is properly deceptive and ingenious - with a savage edge only apparent in the last few pages.
But if you had ever thought it would be nice to winter over on a Greek island and learn the ways of the real people, hang onto your illusions, and don't read it. Otherwise highly recommended.' - Kerry Greenwood
Back to top
'An Aussie we can be proud of, Deborah Kalin’s debut is a striking, infuriating, endlessly surprising and wonderfully disturbing work, penned in prose whose clarity, wit and elegance more seasoned wordsmiths must dream about. The first of two novels, Shadow Queen follows young princess Matilde, after her family is slain and her throne stolen by the power-hungry Dieter. Forced to wed him and bound by dark magic, Matilde searches for a way to reclaim her crown, but with everyone in the upheaved kingdom now against her -- and the fearsome Ilthean Empire baying at the borders -- prospects are grim.
The cover blurb calls Matilde an unforgettable character and it doesn’t lie; she’s a young woman trapped in everything but thought, constantly fighting for a way clear. If she’s not always sympathetic it’s because Kalin’s honest writing delivers a deeply human heroine, prey to fear, embarrassment and pride, and who, cornered with decisions upon which lives balance, doesn’t always choose rightly. She feels real, though, and even if you bemoan her actions you’ll understand them every time. As a study of an unbreakable young woman battling the manifold barriers that ensnare her, Shadow Queen succeeds as surely as we hope Matilde will.' - Lachlan Huddy
'Shadow Queen by Deborah Kalin is the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series.
Matilde has spent her life in training to ascend the Turasi throne, but her grandmother is reluctant to relinquish power. When Matilde's aunt, Helena, returns from exile, speculation and suspicion follow.
Matilde has a vision of doom and her world is destroyed by a new enemy who leaves a trail of death and destruction. She survives, but must fight this conqueror for her throne and her life.
This brief description does not begin to describe the captivating power of this book. It sounds like "just another fantasy" novel, but that is far from the case. The Turasi tribes, a Skythe shadow-walker and the Iltheans are mentioned, but not explained, in the first chapter. This immediately fires the imagination of the reader. Who are these people, what have they done and what will they do in the future?
Be prepared for a late night because this book is impossible to put down. I can't wait for the sequel, so I will have to read this book again and again until it appears.
If you enjoy reading fantasy fiction, you will love this book. If you have never tried fantasy, this is the perfect place to start. If you hate fantasy, this book will change your mind forever.' - Merryl Donn
'Shadow Queen is a fantastic book. It is magical, complex, deeply emotional and very dark. I was hooked in the first few pages.
Matilde is stuck in a situation that you can empathize with she struggles with her situation, herself and her world changing not knowing who she can turn to, and not trusting herself enough to be able to make the right decisions. Yet you can understand every other characters motivation which keeps you on the edge of your seat, anything could happen (and does). This is one I book I did not find predictable at all.
Deborah Kahlin has created a new fantasy world that you can feel building into something amazing.
Shadow Queen will definitely have a place on my book shelf with lots of space for the following installments.' - Joanna White
Back to top
Ice by Louis Nowra
'A highlight of the novel is the effort exerted in describing ice and its many flavours -- iceberg, Boston ice, sorbet, and the list goes on. We meet Malcolm McEachern as a young man who, together with his business partner, contrives to tow an iceberg into colonial Sydney. The stunt earns McEachern some cash and some fame, which serves as a springboard for the extraordinary achievements of the rest of his life. McEachern is an ice aficionado and its emotive effect on his psyche is another storytelling device used by Nowra to convey aspects of McEachern’s past and many of his feelings. A man obsessed with mechanics and modernism, the only two ‘softenings’ we see of McEachern’s character are in his fondness for his (first) wife and for ice -- in that order. The focus on ice becomes much less apparent in the second half of the novel, where McEachern’s increasingly erratic and irrational behaviour indicate a seeming descent into madness to the reader. While the motive behind McEachern’s strange behaviour is quietly obvious to the reader throughout, its full complexity isn’t revealed until the heart-splitting end.' - Stefanie di Trocchio
Back to top
The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
'Tsiolkas’ novel was compelling, returning again to his old stomping grounds: Melbourne, multiculturalism, and personal morality. In The Slap he creates a dysfunctional milieu around the central character, the unlikeable but physically mesmeric Hector. During a backyard get together with old friends and their young families, one of the guests slaps another's child - crossing the uncrossable line. ... The use of first person narratives from many perspectives was engaging - the development of the story through this device was well executed and added depth which would not have been achieved with a single narrative voice.
Already I’ve recommended this book to friends, and welcome the return to more familiar territory from Tsiolkas.' - Rebecca Boreham
'Christos Tsiolkas’ The Slap opens at a scene most of us are familiar with: an inner suburban barbeque. Hector and Aisha, the barbecue hosts, are surrounded by family, friends and colleagues. While there is a lot happening in the background including secrets, divided loyalties and infidelities, it is one event at the barbecue that takes precedence. While playing a game of backyard cricket, some bickering develops between the children, and Harry, Hector’s cousin, slaps a three year old child belonging to Rosie and Gary.
This novel explores the ramifications of this slap. Rosie and Gary press charges against Harry, and loyalties are tested even further. Tsiolkas has cleverly constructed this novel into eight sections told from the perspective of different characters. They each react to the slap and its consequences from their own life experiences, moral and political perspectives.
The strength of the novel is the way Tsiolkas manages to get into the voice of each character; spanning age groups (from seventeen to seventy) and across ethnicities and class divides. This book is exceptionally timely – there seems to be no hotter topic at the moment than how to best raise children. Because Tsiolkas has explored this contentious issue using fiction, he has freed himself and the reader from the limitations of political correctness.' - Annie Condon
Back to top
'Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan, is unnervingly satisfying. Both grotesquely confronting and beautifully poetic, the novel asks the reader to consider the price that one must pay for having heaven on earth - what could possibly be wrong with feeling nothing but serene contentment? Can there be a heaven on earth without a hell?
The reader will be enchanted by the eclectic array of characters, from the persistently endangered yet eternally ungrateful and foul-mouthed dwarf, to the powerful yet fallible witch, to the enamoured human bear, to the unknowing yet overwhelmed protagonist.
Like the witches in her story, Lanagan seems to possess natural magic as she easily toys with the reader’s emotions. Just like the protagonist, Liga, the reader is never fully at ease even in the tenderest moments in the heavenly world - there is always the lingering threat of a violent and tragic intrusion. No stone is left untouched in the highly emotive telling, as even the landscape itself comes alive in evocative and sometimes haunting detail, from a mysterious town that looks ‘like a grandmother’s teeth, half the houses missing’, to the foreboding silence ‘that streamed at her in its disguise of hissing leaves and bird-cry’.
This is not a cartoon fairytale to read before drifting off to sleep at night. Tender Morsels will have the reader on tenterhooks from the first page to the very last.' - Elizabeth Sim
'Readers beware - this book will stretch and work your imagination, take you to another world and push your senses to the limit.
Tender Morsels is a novel that is raw, original in its storyline, powerful, exquisitely written, a struggle to read at times but an absolute must-read for all fantasy lovers. Set within two worlds and dealing with the thin boundary between both, the tale will keep readers transfixed to the plot and characters. At times the characters even seem to jump from the page - so dimensional and well-written is the dialogue, descriptions and interactions between them all. Mind you it is not for the faint-hearted. So intertwined is the plot and the dialogue is so perfectly created to fit the 'worlds' it does take your concentration. But it is so well worth it. Enjoy and allow yourself to explore the interesting questions it asks about good and evil and the balance of both.' - Michele Perry
Back to top
'Deception means a number of things in this book. It is a physical place in the Australian outback, and it also refers to the threads of deception, which are unwound in an endeavor to uncover the truth. These threads are tethered with events of violence and uprising in the city of Paris - The Paris of the Commune in 1871, and the present time student riots in 1968. Nick is fascinated with the little that he knows of his grandmother's childhood. A family home deserted, a split in the family, and a mysterious, eccentric French writer. It is a story that shines with outcasts from society - those that have been outcast, and those that have shut themselves away. Nick travels to Paris, with a stash of rambling writings left by the Frenchman, and kept by his grandmother, hoping to shed light on some of the gaps in his family's history.
It is a well structured book, which encourages you to look at things with a different light, and keep an open mind about things until the truth is told. If you approach things with preconceived ideas, you will only deceive yourself.' - Amanda Nellist
Back to top
'Faith, a legal counsellor in a women's crisis centre, deals with damaged and fragile lives on a daily basis. However she is in crisis within her own life and then a chance meeting sets her on the path to finding some happiness out of all this despair that surrounds her.
Domestic violence is the central theme and the authors personal experience is evident here, giving insight into the difficulties faced by victims and their advocates which I found interesting. The listing of those who have lost their lives at the conclusion of the novel makes the story all the more poignant.
However with all seriousness aside I found reading this novel a real pleasure where I smiled, laughed and shed a few tears. All the characters are wonderfully drawn and the author's insight into the complexity of families with all their frailties and hidden secrets was wonderful. I will be searching for more from this author, highly recommended.' - Jenny Snell
Back to top
'Two young women, a walled garden and a beautifully illustrated book of fairy-tales are drawn together across continents and time, creating an intriguing story of love and envy, beauty and greed, duty and spirit. The Forgotten Garden is a gorgeous book of contrasts and symmetry where allegory, history and love finally solve a century-old mystery and the reason for a little girl's solo voyage to the other side of the world. If you liked The Shifting Fog, you'll love The Forgotten Garden. I know I did, despite dark circles under my eyes from reading into the wee, small hours!' - Marlies Lagerberg
'Kate Morton's eagerly awaited second historical novel, The Forgotten Garden is just as captivating as her first. Layered secrets such as a misplaced foundling, pirates, mysterious black ships that evoke future danger, stolen identities, unexplained bodily scars and a secret garden have the reader on the edge of their seat ... The tale is both haunting and atmospheric. The transition from past to present is smooth and addictive ... The Forgotten Garden is a compulsive read, a even though I have an early start in the morning, just one more chapter, kind of a read.' - Maria McLean
'Every now and then an author comes along that has the happy knack of telling such a damn fine story that, as reader, you're completely hooked and can't put the book down. The Forgotten Garden is such a book. I loved wallowing in it, and was rather bereft to finish ... The past unwinds so deliciously, with stunning revelation after stunning revelation, that I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough. Included in the book are three of the fairy stories from the little girl's book, and they are spellbinding reading, very poignant as their 'hidden meanings' become clear. Everyone who picks up this book is in for a real treat. Bravo, Kate Morton.' - Malvina York
'I haven’t been drawn in by a book like this for a long time. From the moment I opened The Forgotten Garden, I was drawn into three different generational worlds. Nell and Cassandra are both women who need answers to questions that have haunted them for years. To find them, they have peel away layers of hidden secrets and lies, and travel to the other side of the world, to find how they are entwined together forever.
This entrancing novel shifts easily from an historical era to the modern day and weaves a maze of mystery, revelations that make you gasp and makes you stay firmly entrenched in between the pages until you turn the last one. My husband had to get tea for the kids because I couldn’t put it down! A wonderful read.' - Fleur McDonald
'The Crazy School by Cornelia Read is a fun novel of gentle suspense. The story is set at an academy for disturbed kids where Madeline Dare is employed as a teacher. Madeline soon discovers that all is not as it seems at the school after a disturbing event hints at a secret history that goes to the academy's very heart. This book has elements of drug addiction, teenage pregnancy and apparent suicide in its storyline. This author has done a superb job of creating some gutsy characters who display some wonderful one-liners. This book is witty, dark and disturbing and is a great entertaining read. If you enjoy mystery mixed with comedy you will love this novel.' - Mel Honeycombe
Back to top
'While Maitland in his latest novel Bright Air has taken a break from the traditional police based detective story of his previous Brock and Kolla series into more of a thriller, he maintains the balance between plot and character for a challenging and enjoyable read.
The narrator, Josh Ambler, returns to Sydney after four years in London and is approached almost immediately by an old university friend to help her investigate the circumstances surrounding the presumed death of Lucy Corcoran. Here the mystery is not in forensic evidence so much as the secrets that the protagonists reveal only as Josh is able to discover the right questions to ask. While the pace may seem slower than thrillers such as The Da Vinci Code this is because the characters are more believable - Josh at one point muses on the unrealistically resourceful and resilient characters who typically feature in crime novels. But the strengths of Maitland’s writing in his descriptions and evocation of place, and intellectual delving into the subject/s around which the story is based are both very apparent in Bright Air. Recommended especially for those readers who like a puzzle more than gore.' - Judith Antcliff
'The story itself is slow to start and a bit dry in places, however Barry does manage to bring Bright Air to a solid and satisfying conclusion for the reader, who may have struggled at times with the technical terms and slow moment of the book in parts.
The characters relationships are well defined and interact well, not always to the conclusion that the reader first suspects and like all good mysteries, this book doesn't give up the ending until the very last few pages.
Never having read Maitland before it was a new experience for me, who rather starts with her murder at the beginning and works backwards, this book was if nothing else a refreshing change from the norm for me.' - Annette Vickery
Back to top
'Second Strike by Mark Abernethy is the sequel to Golden Serpent, which introduced us to Alan 'Mac' McQueen, an Australian spy with the Australian Secret Intelligence Service.
In Second Strike, Mac is awakened in the early hours of October 13, 2002, with the news that more than two hundred people have been killed by bomb blasts in Bali. While keeping watch on the forensic scientists at the scene, he learns that one of the blasts may have been caused by a mini-nuke. He pursues a group of businessman-terrorists through west Java and into Sumatra. He loses the trail and returns to Australia where he discovers a link between the Bali bombings and an Australian-based Muslim terrorist cell.
Although Alan McQueen is a spy, he is portrayed as human and fallable, and the reader can relate to him and his emotions. Exciting action combines with Aussie dialogue to grab your attention and take you on a thrilling ride.
Mark Abernethy has produced an intriguing novel that is impossible to put down.' - Merryl Donn
Back to top
'Wow, this novel certainly packs a punch. From the first moment with Matthew and Anna before tragedy strikes, Stefan Laszczuk doesn’t waste a moment or a word. His is a deft light humorous touch that regales the reader with issues of the dysfunctional Harrison family and their quirky strangely obsessive behaviour in face of sadness and depression. This is refreshing storytelling that gradually reveals a family bond in spite of it all.
The family moments in the story are narrated by younger son George, who is coming to terms with a broken romance and his boring job at the bowling alley. Matthew’s journey through tragedy is told in a parallel narrative introducing dream sequences with Magda Szubanski as the love of his life, and where the writer humorously plays with words, but gradually the poignancy of Matthew’s grief is unfurled.
The boys’ mother deals with her frustrating marriage by using popular songs to converse with her family. Their father cries a lot. Matthew would just love to cry!
Through his boring bowling alley job, George meets Stacey and her family who are all obsessive ten pin bowlers. As the friendship between George and Stacey begins to take on a deeper significance, Matthew reaches the crisis in his own journey.' - Kay Hart
Back to top
'From the first page of Envy The Night, Michael Koryta placed me on an express ride with Frank Temple, hurtling towards the same destination as brutal and heartless killers.
The escalating tension and realism of Frank Temple’s character is what glued me to this book. My focus was held by the increasing suspense, thus preventing me from predicting the twists the story took, while reading from the point of view of all those who were good strengthened my desire to see them triumph over evil. With the possibility of a love interest in Nora, I was pleased the outcome was closer to reality than fiction.
Envy the Night is filled with escalating tension, believable characters and a man’s internal struggle between good and evil. The only way to escape the clutches of this page-turner is to read to the end.' - Carol Tillyer
'This is one of the most gripping mystery novels I have read in recent times. While revenge is the theme of the novel, the author has managed to weave a fast moving story that has many facets, including the consequences of war on the minds of human beings, and also the strange workings of love. This novel has many interesting and believable characters and covers the deep bonds which can exist between parent and child. The peaceful beauty of the lake is a wonderful setting for a final shootout. I would recommend this book to anyone, even if they are not a fan of this genre. Hard to put down until finished!!' - Rosanne Gager
'Michael Koryta is a master story teller putting his reader almost in a position of watching his characters from a window as the story unfolds.
Michael's attention to the finer details is very evident throughout the book making for not only a totally believable and realistic, but also very captivating story.
I personally found it difficult to put down and difficult to resist turning to the final few pages early, to find out how it ended, but then that would have spoiled the intrigue.
Crime writing has never looked this good and I will definitely be looking forward to Michael's next offering if Envy the Night is anything to go by.' - Anne Vickery
Back to top
'Stray Dog Winter is a novel concerned with duality: lust and love, innocence and guilt, art and politics.
David Francis writes with considerable assurance and skill, evoking a pervasive sense of time and place that lingers long after the final page is consumed. His striking imagery is etched in sparse but powerful prose - the scenes from Darcy’s troubled childhood are particularly compelling.
Russia’s recent flexing of its military strength serves as a reminder that the events of this novel are entirely and terrifyingly plausible. Towards the end of the novel, a minor character remarks that: “Only in a world without evil are the naïve devoid of guilt.” In the brutal world depicted by Francis, everyone, whether or not they want to be, is soon complicit in the evil of the totalitarian regime. Innocence is an impossibility.
Stray Dog Winter is a hybrid novel: part love story, part spy thriller, part literary coming-of-age. It satisfies on all fronts.' - Kim Aikman
'I loved this book. A dark story set in a time and place that seems to be forgotten in the new century but in reality isn't that long ago. David Francis writes beautifully and really captures the chill and the harshness of both the Russian winter and life behind the Iron Curtain. Darcy Bright is an amazing character, so naïve and so flawed that you can’t help but feel for him as he stumbles from one disastrous relationship to another, always trusting when he should be the most suspicious person - a nice contrast to the very suspicious world of 1980's Russia. Francis has written a story so suspenseful, with so many twists and turns, that you have to keep reading to find out what happens. Stray Dog Winter is a roller coaster ride that I would recommend to any thrill seeker.' - Joanna Chalmers
Back to top
Non-fiction reviews
Serenade for a Small Family by Ingrid Laguna
"Ingrid's storytelling pulled me into her life and gave a frank insight of the see-sawing emotions she and her family experience with her premature babies Leo and Jordan. Through her zest for life to her deepest despair, it is a beautiful book told with raw honesty." - M. Pratt
"Ingrid Laguna has written a beautiful and memorable story about her family, a story that must have been incredibly difficult to write at times. She tells of her carefree, bohemian life as a successful musician and the romance of meeting her future husband Ben, and their move to Alice Springs. In contrast, these blissfully happy chapters alternate with those telling of the very early arrival of Ingrid and Ben's twin baby boys, Jordan and Leo, born at only 23 ½ weeks. The reader is immersed in Ingrid's world of delight and wonder at becoming a new mum to two tiny, yet very fragile, little boys, her frustrations and bouts of understandable anger, and her anguish over her babies' precarious health. When the unthinkable happens, it is impossible not to share Ingrid's grief. However, life has to go on and, as Ingrid finds out, life can still bring much happiness after a tragic loss.
I loved this story, and so did my husband. Ingrid comes across as such a fun and easygoing person, you really feel like you know her and her family by the end of the book. She is so brave to write such a personal story and share it with the world. I am sure other families who have suffered similar losses would find much comfort in Ingrid's story." - B. Rossi, VIC
"Ingrid (Inky) writes with such honesty. We get an insight into the fun loving, free spirited, gorgeous woman that Ingrid is, and her love for her family. I laughed many a time and shed tears. Real tears. The tears that result from emotion welling up in your throat and burning, real tears of heartbreak. Tears of heartbreak for the man and woman I have never met, but feel as though I do. This life story is definitely one to never be forgotten, and to remind us of what really matters in life. What truly matters to you." - L. Orchard, NSW
"Most Australians are aware of the origins of the First Fleet – that it was England's way of getting rid of her criminals by sending them as far away as possible. Prior to 1788, convicts had been sent to America but that practice ceased after the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
“A Merciless Place” relates what happened to many convicts in the intervening years, and it is both powerful and disturbing reading. The beginning of Sydney Cove has been described as hell on earth, but it was almost paradise compared to what happened on the slave coast of West Africa.
The author's historical research is meticulous and detailed, but the litany of failure and disaster can numb the reader after a while. The best chapters are where we gain insight into specific individuals such as the upper-class conman of many aliases, William Murray Mackenzie, who survived transportation first to Virginia, then Africa, and whose gruesome end at the hands of a relative is particularly shocking even for the cruel age in which he lived.
Essential reading for anyone wanting to learn more of the historical background to the beginning of white settlement in Australia." - M. Maxwell (read more at The History Bucket)
"Willow Wilson leaves America at the height of its changing relationship with Islam after the tragedy of September 11. She moves to Egypt and falls in love with Omar, converts to Islam, battles with the oppressive dust in an apartment that can never stay clean, learns how to shop at the souks, and struggles with how best to tell her family and friends back home of her new life and choice of religion.
"At its simplest, The Butterfly Mosque could be a story about anyone. Anyone who has a strong faith, anyone who has struggles in their relationship, anyone who is trying to make a foreign country home or undertake major life changes can relate to this. Its also a refreshing tale of an empowered Islamic woman, and a beautiful look at a religion portrayed in other stories as a frightening and hostile one. I really enjoyed reading this young womans story, and was left wanting more as she was contemplating how her life would be if she and her husband lived in America. That would make for a great sequel." - A. Mujakovic, VIC
"What a wonderful read. Willow's story is fascinatingly insightful and told so well. After graduating Willow goes to Cairo where she takes language lessons, teaches at a language school and falls in love with Omar, a Sunni Muslim. They marry and settle in Cairo before returning to Willow's home in the US. This all takes place post the 9/11 tragedy, when converting to Islam will not win her any friends let alone living in a Muslim country. Willow details in a very readable way her struggles being a foreign woman in Egypt, her conversion to islam and dealing with her developing feelings for Omar a colleague and friend. She writes of her feelings and emotions and how she copes day to day but it is so interesting and never boring." - L. Furnage, TAS
"As I write this review, I am yet to finish Listening to Country. I could have finished it by this time but I am savouring the experience of ‘listening’ to this book. It is perhaps the most lyrical and evocative book I have read in years. Ros Moriarty is married to John, an Aboriginal man, and they have three children. From the earliest years of their marriage, they have travelled home to John’s country and family, a journey that, each time, holds special meaning for everyone as John was taken from his mother when a young boy. With her children now young adults, Ros undertakes an extraordinary journey with John’s female relatives. She travels to the Northern Territory’s Tanami Desert with these remarkable women to perform ceremony. Ros Moriarty, in sharing her experiences with us, has created a beautiful rendering of the wonder that results when one human being connects with another. She has provided a lovely portrait of the natural grace and humility of good women. And, she has offered her readers the chance to just be still and listen to this land, its people, and our own hearts." - Mary Dalmau, Readers Feast bookstore
"Murderer No More is a gripping story that confronts you with the harsh reality of corruption and the fierce hold that judges and police have over the fate of many. As you read Murderer No More you feel disbelief, anger, confusion and pity. This book had me gripped and rooting for justice until the very end. Colleen Egan and other strong-willed Australians fight for Andrew Mallard even when ostracised and bullied by the media and the Supreme Court. Andrew Mallard is a mentally ill young man who loses the best years of his life due to the actions of a few men.
The failings and prejudice of the West Australian justice system is appalling. Mallard's innocence becomes undeniable as the book progresses and the people that start to fight for Andrew's freedom are examples of people who know right from wrong and are willing to fight for that distinction. Egan tries to be unbiased in her reporting but it becomes obvious that she cannot escape Mallard's pull. Her writing is succinct, emotional and persuasive. I tried to stay impartial but Egan's writing makes it hard not to feel the injustice." - C. Wilson, NZ
Back to top
"Hamilton brings a sane voice to a debate that has been muddied by vested interests, political biases, PR campaigns and misinformation on all sides. It is a relief to read, in spite of its sobering and challenging messages. He confirms that we are indeed in very dire straits and that is exactly why we are so reluctant to act with any urgency. ... He invites the reader to think differently about climate change by reframing and challenging prevailing beliefs and arguments that dominate the debate. Hamilton provides a welcome antidote to the comfortable yet misguided assumption that adaptation, with all its associated dangers, will be our last resort." - Kate Rizzetti, VIC
Back to top
"To write about dementia and to make it sound manageable and even joyful (given certain attitudes and behaviours on the part of carers) is one of those skills not readily available to your average writer. But Sharon Snir has it in spades.
Psychotherapist Sharon Snir's mother Lily seems to have been a 'difficult' parent: 'kind and cruel, sweet and bitter - and stunningly beautiful' writes Sharon in her preamble. The main focus of her life was her doctor husband, Lionel, followed by her other interests: the hairdresser, art, travel, friends, clothes and social events. Sharon and her sister Donna tried to be acknowledged, appreciated and loved by their mother, but she was more interested in her friends, however hard Lily tried to be the child she hoped her mother wanted.
Then dementia struck.
Sharon's story is about the progress of Lily’s disease, interspersed with the latest research on dementia.
It moves from observed changes in behaviour (such as forgetfulness) to the struggle Lily and other family members and friends had to find ways to cope with a person whose life and theirs had been turned upside down. The story is painfully honest, full of attempts to understand the condition and suggest strategies, the most important of which is to 'let go of past baggage, old resentments and hurts' and to deal with whatever presents so that 'the relationship becomes a heart to heart experience'. To sum it all up, dementia 'is the opportunity to move from conditional to unconditional love'.
And there's no turning back, no cure, no ways other than patience, tolerance and understanding. And by doing so, one comes to understand oneself; dementia in a loved one reveals to us who we are.
I found Sharon's story moving in the extreme, written with the tenderness, love and insight that lesser mortals such as I can only aspire to." - Alan Wheatley, VIC
Back to top
"You can't change your family, you have to live with them for better or for worse. Luckily Sean Dooley, he of the ABC Spicks & Specks script-writing department, realised that he didn't know his family and particularly his Dad, Baz, well enough.
When Baz develops cancer, Sean takes him in hand and together they learn the best of each other and realise what they had missed. Written with a light touch about a deadly subject Sean takes us through the ups and downs of life, how he realised what he had missed in the past, his relationships with Mother, Father and brother and produces a very readable book that will serve as a model of how to develop relationships for the next generation. ... A worthwhile addition to my bookshelf." - John Robinson
Back to top
"She Played Elvis is an engaging dissection of personal and national identity; and how we extract meaning from experiences. The narrative is an eclectic mix of travelogue, self-analysis, and musings on the construction of reality, family, a sense of place and belonging. Shady Cosgrove’s writing style is intimate, yet unflinching and clear-headed as she peels back the surface layers and encounters truths about her family and her country of origin." - Alison McCallum
"When I first picked up She Played Elvis, I must admit that I
was a little wary about what else could be written about Elvis Presley,
after all he died in 1977. I discovered that this story is very
different, and very enjoyable.
This is a true autobiographical story, Shady is an American residing in
Australia with her Australian boyfriend, Scott. Shady wants to return
to America and reacquaint herself with her homeland, and after a
suggestion from a college friend Heather, Shady and Scott set out on a
pilgrimage to Graceland, home of the late Elvis Presley.
What began as a pilgrimage to Graceland honouring Elvis became a
personal journey for Shady invoking many strong and conflicting
childhood memories, particularly about her absent father.
Shady and Scott travel around America via Greyhound coaches with Shady
busking more in a tribute to Elvis than the expectation of earning
money for their journey.
Throughout their travels, they experience kindness from unlikely sources, re-establishing Shady's faith in her countrymen.
A story of awareness and self-discovery, written in a very clever and witty way, an enjoyable read." - Cheryl Moulton
Back to top
"Death is a subject that both fascinates and repels us all. Headlines of death and destruction grab our attention, murder mysteries rivet us to our seats and watching real people deal with loss through tragedy on TV consumes us with empathy. But facing our own or our loved ones death is something we prefer not to think about. The Intimacy of Death and Dying gently takes our hand and helps us open our eyes to what we do not want to see, that death comes to all of us, and that how we face our own end or that of our loved ones is just as vital to the celebration of life as welcoming a new baby into the world." - Carolyn Greene (The Book Warehouse)
"... can only say every home needs this book -- it is the bible of how to prepare for death and how to make sure you make the most of living." - Barbara
"This book is a major step in removing death from the taboo list and placing it on the table for open, caring and loving discussion." - Alex
"... wow, this book is so beautifully written. I think I’ve cried every second chapter, but not in a depressing way, in an uplifting way." - Natalie
Back to top
'This book is the male version of Does My Head Looks Big in This? ... A great read ... Honesty about how his religion is perceived by the public and how wrong we can get it. [It] made me laugh and feel sad for the [author's] struggle to find his way from tradition and to becoming a man.' - Leonie Short
Back to top