Review: Blood and Gold by Michael Trant

Blood and Gold is book #3 in the Gabe Ahern series by Michael Trant. I felt it read well as a stand-alone as I hadn't read the first two books and there was enough backstory included that I didn't feel totally clueless whilst reading.

When Gabe hears his good friend Terry has disappeared, after bragging about a big gold discovery at a local hotel, he returns to his old hometown to help with the search.

He soon learns that other prospectors have also gone missing in the area. Seeing a pattern in the disappearances Gabe believes a killer is on the loose and is determined, for his old friends sake, to bring them to justice. As he hunts down a killer he must also face the ghosts of his past.

Outback Australia is the perfect setting for a thriller and Trant has used this setting to perfection. His descriptions of the countryside, the cold of an outback night and the local townsfolk bring out the essence of the Australian outback and the rugged people who spend their life chasing gold. 

Whilst I found the start of the book a bit slow the pace soon ramped up and I flew through the last 100 pages eager to see if Gabe would solve the mystery without getting himself killed.

Trant leaves a few well placed red-herrings and lots of suspicious characters and goings on to keep the mystery compelling and kept me guessing right up to the nail-biting ending.

Blood and Gold was a rollercoaster ride of a read. Trant captures the feel of the outback, its remoteness and vastness, in this compelling outback thriller.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Publication date: 21st January 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 323

Source: Own copy

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Review: For Richer For Poorer by Danielle Steel

For Richer For Poorer is my first read by best selling author Danielle Steel and once I got used to the author's omniscient style of narration I was totally wrapped in the setting of the Hamptons and the colourful group of family members.

Eugenia Ward has worked hard all her life bringing up her five children, mostly alone, whilst building a fashion brand sought after by the rich and famous. After the lengthy COVID lockdown worldwide and no dinner parties or balls for two years now, her exclusive haute couture formal wear brand is failing.

This is the first book I have read that explores the effects of the lockdowns and how many businesses failed and people lost their jobs during these times. 

Eugenia and her grown children go on their annual holiday to the Hamptons, at mum's expense, where she is hoping to come up with a plan to save her business.

It is so refreshing to read a story where the main character has a large family and manages to juggle a multi-million dollar business and also see to the  woes and demands of her adult children.

For Richer For Poorer really is the lifestyles of the rich and famous and I loved every over indulgent minute. A family holiday where there is a housemaid, a chef and a nanny! Then we meet Patrick who has a yacht with a full crew, a chef and a masseuse.  This story took me to another world, one that I will only live in through books.

Each of Eugenia's children were different in personality and temperament but they all came across as spoilt and privileged. 

For Richer For Poorer is rich in family drama there is never a dull moment. Eugenia is a strong female lead and Steel has included characters to love and characters to hate which kept the story interesting. As Eugenia owned a haute couture fashion label the story aptly includes lots of fantastic descriptions of characters' outfits and new design ideas Eugenia came up with to keep the business afloat.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication date: 19th August 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: The War Within Me by Tracy Ryan

I don't read a lot of historical fiction set during the 16th Century so I was a little apprehensive about reading The War Within Me. However, I found it very easy to read and immensely engaging.

The War Within Me follows the life of Princess Jeanne d'Albret, niece of the King of France and daughter of the King of Navarre.

Jeanne d'Albret, although a sickly child, was intelligent, fiery and stubborn, determined to get her own way. This made her a very interesting character to read about. Never a dull moment!

The War Within Me is the second book in Tracy Ryan's Queens of Navarre trilogy, however it reads well as a standalone as each book centres on a different period of time.

In a time when women were married to promote allegiances Jeanne was lucky to find love. However her commitment to the Huguernots and obsession with the Protestant Reformation threatened her marriage and her standing with the king. This religious and political divide across the continent led to uprisings and a civil war.

Tracy Ryan's writing is immersive, her characters rich and passionate making The War Within Me an outstanding read set during a period of religious upheaval and ongoing wars over territory.

The War Within Me has been extensively researched however it is still a work of fiction with invented scenes, characters and imagined dialogue.

The War Within Me is recommended for readers of Philippa Gregory and Maggie O'Farrell.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st June 2025

Series: Queens of Navarre #2

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

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Review: How to Survive 1985 by Tegan Bennett Daylight

Whilst I really enjoyed Royals by Tegan Bennett Daylight, How to Survive 1985 didn't hit the mark with me. I found it to be repetitive and all too conveniently plotted for my liking.

How to Survive 1985 features the same group of teens from Royals who met while trapped in a shopping centre. This time the teens are transported back to 1985. How will they cope without their phones? Without messages, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok?

I found the book to be very preachy. There were multiple statements about everyone being white and homophobic in 1985, and this just isn't true.

The story is narrated by Shannon who, in 1985, meets up with her future mother, Julia, who readily accepts Shannon's explanation that she is from the future. 

There is also a statement about not having food courts. 

" 'Do you have food courts?' Julia shook her head. 'In 2025, every mall has a food court...."

There were food courts in shopping centres in the 70's! 

Shannon remarks that she has never seen a Katies store. Katies only closed its doors this year.

"The shops themselves were next level, only next level down. There was one I'd never seen before called Katies."

These inconsistencies put me off the story.

There were many references to events in the first book, Royals. If you haven't already read Royals my advice would be to skip this one and go read Royals. At least the teens actually learnt something from that experience.

The story features underage drinking, stealing and shoplifting.

My rating: 2 / 5 ⭐⭐

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

Publication date: 30th April 2025

Series: Royals #2

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 256

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

My review of Royals:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2023/03/book-review-royals-by-tegan-bennett.html

#howtosurvive1985 #bookreview #ausbookbloggers #netgalley #simonandschuster #youngadult #timeslip 

Review: A Very Bookish Murder by Dee MacDonald

A Very Bookish Murder is book three in Dee MacDonald's Ally McKinley series.

Ally is the owner of a B&B in the tiny Highland village of Locharran. Ally is also an amateur sleuth. 

A Very Bookish Murder is another fun cosy mystery read from Dee MacDonald. Ally is such a likeable character and she loves to do a bit of investigating. There is plenty of opportunity for her to show her skills when not one but two people are murder whilst on a writing retreat.

Lots of name calling and shouts of plagiarism amongst the group of authors generated plenty of suspects and kept the plot moving along at a steady pace.

There is enough backstory dispersed throughout for those who are new to the series and also provides a refresher for return readers.

Some of my favourite side characters make an appearance in the story as this series is not only about the murders it is also about the little town of Locharran and its eccentric residents. Occasionally the murder investigation takes a backseat to the everyday life of the town.

If you love Midsomer Murders you will enjoy the Ally McKinley series.

A Very Bookish Murder is a fun, light cosy mystery, perfect for reading over a quiet weekend.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 19th September 2025

Series: Ally McKinley #3

Genre: Cosy Crime / Mystery

Pages: 273

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

Follow along on the book tour below:

#averybookishmurder #cosymystery #deemacdonald #allymckinley #bookouture #blogtour #newrelease 

Review: A Most Puzzling Murder by Bianca Marais

 I love puzzles, I love magic and I love a good mystery. A Most Puzzling Murder had all three and it had me totally immersed in the characters and the mystery throughout the entire book.

A Most Puzzling Murder is a unique interactive mystery where the reader is asked to solve puzzles throughout the story. There are even a few choose your own adventure scenarios where you get to choose how the story will proceed.

After the death of her mother Destiny Whip has become a recluse suffering from severe depression. She was a child prodigy attending university at age twelve. She also has vivid dreams about past and future events which plague her sleep.

When she receives a cryptic invitation to work for the Scruffmore family she decides to take up the offer and travels to Eerie Island. This is where it all starts to happen! the Scruffmores are a truly eccentric family living in an old castle on a foggy, isolated island.

The whole family has been called home as patriarch Mordecai Scruffmore has an announcement to make.

A Most Puzzling Murder is a fabulous read, not only filled with puzzles to solve (the answers are in the back of the book if puzzles aren't your thing) but it also has a whole cast of nasty characters that hate each other. They are snarky, double crossing, infighting and back stabbing and it was all so much fun. Set in a creepy castle that was dark, somber and menacing.

A Most Puzzling Murder is an intriguing mystery with an easy to follow plot that includes twists and turns, jaw-dropping reveals and a few red herrings.

It wasn't even the mystery or the puzzles (which I both loved) that pulled me in but the characters. All very richly drawn.

If you love books that offer more to the reading experience I can recommend A Most Puzzling Murder.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 2nd July 2025

Genre: Mystery / Fantasy

Pages: 480

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: The Path Through the Coojong Trees by Leonie Kelsall

 The Path Through the Coojong Trees follows single mother Natasha as she arrives in Settlers Bridge to hopefully live a quiet life. Just her and her nine-year-old daughter Zehra.

When she meets Hamish she wonders if it just might be the chance she needs for a fresh start. That is until her past comes back into her life. Now Natasha must decide if she can forgive and be open to a second chance at love.

The Path Through the Coojong Trees is narrated through a dual timeline. The "now" had the reader returning to the familiar backdrop of Settlers Bridge with all the characters I have grown to love. Here we see Natasha settling into the area, meeting all the locals who are welcoming and friendly.

The "then" timeline is ten years previous in another small town with a young Natasha living in a dysfunctional family and working through her last year of high school.

There was much more "then" than "now" and Natasha's story was quite sad which I think spoilt the romance theme I was expecting.

The Path Through the Coojong Trees is a story about an all consuming first love and heartbreak. With themes of racism, dysfunctional families, xenophobia and family duty. I did find the story a bit heavy going.

What I did love was the atmosphere of living in nature and the slower pace of life in Settlers Bridge.

I was expecting The Path Through the Coojong Trees to be Natasha and Hamish's story and I feel a little misled by the blurb.

Overall I liked the story but it's not my favourite by this author. I liked that Leonie Kelsall featured a main character with a hearing impairment and showed how this was perceived by those around her. 

I am looking forward to Hamish's real love story, The Ironbark Promise, coming in January 2026.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st July 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural Romance

Pages: 373

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Other books I've read by Leonie Kelsall:

The Farm at Peppertree Crossing

The Wattle Seed Inn

The Willow Tree Warf

The Blue Gum Camp

The River Gum Cottage

The Homestead in the Eucalypts

Wings Above the Mallee

Review: Twelve Post-War Tales by Graham Swift

Twelve Post-War Tales wasn't quite the collection of stories I was expecting. The stories were set post-war but not necessarily about the after effects of the war.

 

Graham Swift's short stories were diverse in era, location and characters. Most had a reminiscent feel with the narrator looking back on past events in their life.

I enjoyed how Swift infused different moods into each short story - some were melancholy, humorous and tranquil with themes of loss, childhood memories and reminiscence.  

 

Some of my favourites were:

The Next Best Thing - a story about a soldier stationed in Germany in 1959 and inquiring about the fate of his Jewish relatives during the war.

 

Chocolate - a group of 70 year-old men chatting in a pub and ribbing each other as one tells the story of a sweet girl he met back in the 70's.

 

Passport - Anna-Maria waking on her birthday and can't remember if she's 81 or 82. She finds her passport which has her thinking about all the journeys she never took and how she became an orphan during the blitz.

 

All the stories are different in their telling however all have an element of history through memories.

 

My rating: 3.8 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (averaged over the twelve stories) 

 

Publisher: Scribner Australia

Publication date: 30th April 2025

Genre: Short Stories

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$35.00 (hardcover)

Source: courtesy of the publisher