Review: The Sunbaker by P. A. Thomas

From the author of The Beacon comes another thrilling beachside murder mystery, bursting with local colour and humour. 

The Sunbaker is another page-turning success from Australian author P. A. Thomas.

I really enjoyed The Beacon and was looking forward to being back on the NSW North Coast with The Sunbaker. The Beacon is set in Byron Bay and The Sunbaker is set in the nearby town of Brunswick Heads. 

Journalist Jack Harris is back again and has been asked by a friend, forensic pathologist Nicola Fox, to help investigate the case of a dead body found lying on a sunlounge at her holiday house.

If you have read The Beacon you will know that Jack Harris is a journalist and runs the local newspaper. If you haven't read book one Thomas includes plenty of backstory on his main characters.

Inspector Begley is counting down the days until his retirement and an unidentified dead body turning up is an inconvenience he could do without. He calls in Jack to help dig up some information and assist with the investigation - strictly off the record.

I loved the eclectic mix of support characters that beautifully reflected the colourful range of residents of the Byron region. Plus the wonderful portrayal of Inspector Begley. He was tetchy, sweary and grumpy, with a dry personality dripping with sarcasm pitted against Harris who was light-hearted and a bit of a comedian.

Ricky is back to lend his hand at a bit of break-and-enter and get Jack out of a few scrapes.

P. A. Thomas is a medical specialist and around all the light-hearted fun he includes serious medical conditions and the ethical issues related to them.

Medical conditions, dark humour, murder and laugh-out-loud moments (mainly at Jack's expense) effortlessly come together to make The Sunbaker a compelling mystery read with plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 1st July 2025

Series: Jack Harris #2

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 384

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Lee Gordon Presents by Jeff Apter

 Lee Gordon Presents ... How one man changed Australian life forever is a thoroughly researched and mind-bending roller coaster ride that was the life of Lee Gordon.

About the book:

Post-war Australia didn't know what to make of promoter Lee Gordon. To some he was a typical Yank: crass, loud and outspoken, focused on just one thing - making money. But to others Lee Gordon was a mentor, a guru and a lifeline to the big time.

When Lee Gordon arrived in Sydney in September 1953, the only place Australians could see international stars like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope was on the big screen. But over the next 10 years, Gordon would promote tours for almost 500 international acts, everyone from Sinatra to Sammy Davis Jr, Liberace to Bill Haley, Buddy Holly to shock comic Lenny Bruce.

By the time Gordon died in mysterious circumstances, alone in London, in 1963 - aged just 40 - he'd not only established the entertainment industry in Australia, but also changed the country's culture forever.

Review: 

Jeff Apter recounts the birth of the Australian live entertainment industry in this tell-all biography of Lee Gordon

Lee Gordon made big money and lost big money. He played hard and was generous to a fault. The wins, the losses, the successes and the flops it's all included in this nostalgic look at the birth of live entertainment in Australia.

Lee Gordon was a man larger than life, he was charismatic, a born salesman who didn't baulk at taking risks.

Lee Gordon Presents ... would be of interest to anyone interested in the music industry and its connection to Australian history.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 1st July 2025

Genre: Non Fiction / Biography

Pages: 272

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo

The inspiration for Life, and Death, and Giants came from the remarkable life of Robert Pershing Wadlow, the tallest man who ever lived. Ron Rindo wondered how the twenty-first century would react to such a giant of a man.

Gabriel Fisher is born weighing a remarkable eighteen pounds and an accelerated growth rate sees him at almost eight feet tall by age seventeen.

Life, and Death, and Giants follows the life of Gabriel, a gentle giant loved by everyone who met him. As Gabriel grows it is clear he has a special connection to animals and often works beside local vet and friend Thomas Kennedy. 

Raised by his Amish grandparents Gabriel is somewhat protected from society until he is discovered by a local football coach and he is soon acclaimed across the nation.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a sombre read, an unforgettable story about family, fame and community. I was immediately invested in Gabriel's life and the ups and downs of his family.

Gabriel's story is told through multiple narrators and the love each of these people had for Gabriel is very clear. Gabriel changed lives for the better.

I liked the inclusion of the Amish community and their strong belief in following the rules of the Amish and how anyone straying outside the rules is excommunicated.

I wasn't so invested in all the football talk however I'm sure many readers will enjoy this.

I found Life, and Death, and Giants to be a profoundly moving story about life, love and the strength to keep going against all odds.

The reveal at the end literally broke me.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a story that will stay with you long after you turn that last page.

Content: Suicide

My rating: 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 26th August 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 325

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime by Fiona McKenzie Kekic

Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime is an outrageously entertaining coming-of-middle age story. I was totally invested in Eva's story, she is a likeable character that doesn't take herself too seriously.

Eva wakes on her 50th birthday to a call from her boss telling her she has been retrenched from her job of 25 years. She then receives an anonymous message that her husband is having an affair.

A character losing their job, husband and, quite often, their house is a well worn trope and Fiona McKenzie Kekic uses it to perfection.

I really warmed to Eva which made the book so easy to read. She has two dear and loyal friends that are always on her side and an eccentric mother who causes Eva no end of anxiety, and embarrassment, but has Eva's best interest at heart.

While Eva's life is falling apart at great speed she gets a call that her parents have gone missing from their organised tour of India. Eva books a flight and heads straight there determined to bring her wayward parents home to Australia.

What follows is a hilarious cat-and-mouse chase as Eva's mother leaves clues of their whereabouts via TikTok videos.

Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime is not only a highly relatable tale of women and middle age, it is also a fabulous tour of the sights, sounds and food of India. Armchair travel at its hilarious best!

Eva's travels, and awakening to her current life situation, are interspersed with journal entries from a younger, passionate and driven Eva.

Fiona McKenzie Kekic expertly portrays how our hopes and dreams when younger don't always pan out and how, as women, those dreams are often waylaid to support a husband's career.

Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime is charming, witty and memorable and is sure to resonate with many readers.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction AU

Publication date: 29th July 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Blue Skies by Fleur McDonald

I first discovered Fleur McDonald's books nine years ago when I read and reviewed Indigo Storm in 2016 (before I started this blog). I was immediately taken with Fleur's character of Detective Dave Burrows (as were hundreds of other readers).

I couldn't wait for each book to come out. I've recently been making my way through Fleur's backlist. Click on the title to read my review of her debut novel Red Dust.

Fleur McDonald is a farmer at heart and she writes what she knows which comes across on the page as real and authentic.

Blue Skies is narrated through a dual timeline.

In 2001 - Amanda is trying to work with her father to save the family farm Kyleena. Just out of Ag College with a degree in Agribusiness she is full of new ideas and eager to implement them. Her father is old school and they often lock horns.

In 1934 - Michael Greenfield arrives from England to start a new life in Australia, acquiring land and building Kyleena from the ground up.

Blue Skies is rich in drama. Both timelines involve heartache and miscommunication making Blue Skies a riveting read. There is plenty of mystery and strange happenings that kept me immersed in the story and eagerly turning pages.

I enjoyed the historical timeline involving the Greenfield family history, the mystery surrounding Michael Greenfield and the building of Kyleena.

The modern day timeline features women in farming and how alone and vulnerable Amanda felt at times.

Fleur includes themes of family skeletons, revenge, gas-lighting and sabotage all wrapped around a compelling mystery.

I enjoyed Blue Skies and can also see how far Fleur McDonald's writing has come over the years.

My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½

Note: Dave Burrows is not in this novel

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st January 2010

Genre: Fiction / Small Town Fiction 

Pages: 328

Source: Own Copy

Review: Summer, in Between by Holly Cardamone

Summer, in Between is the pitch perfect debut novel by Australian author Holly Cardamone. 

Seventeen-year-old Cat Kelty is counting down the days before she starts year 12. The most important year of her life! As all her friends have gone away for the holidays, she plans to bury herself in her books. She needs top marks in her final year to get into University and out of the small beachside town she calls home.

Summer, in Between will bring back all the feels of that first summer romance. The sun, sand and hot chips on the beach. The story follows Cat as she falls for walking surfer god Paul Lightwood when he is employed by her father to work on their house renovations and follows the ups and downs of their relationship during the summer break.

I loved Cat's family! Her parents were affectionate, loud and often embarrassing. Her brothers were such typical little brothers, annoying and obnoxious, but loveable.  Cat's nonna was outspoken and cantankerous. The quintessential Italian grandmother. She was my favourite character.

Cat does come across as very judgy of her peers, and yes, actually stuck up, as she attends a private school and thinks she is better than the public school students. She complains about them calling her names but also has derogatory names for them. I'll just put that down to teenage self centredness.

I loved Cat's fiery temper and determination. Her teenage hormones were all over the place especially where Paul was concerned.

Summer. in Between is a funny and heartfelt read and I found it hard to put aside, and read it in a day, as I became involved in the lives of Cat's whole family.

I was eager for Cat to have her forever with Paul but also attain her dream of going to University.

Holly has given her readers an honest portrayal of teens. They like to party and indulge in underage drinking. They overreact, make bad decisions and spread gossip.

Holly leaves the story beyond the story up to the reader. What happens after that final page? I would love a sequel when Holly and Paul are a bit older - they are characters I didn't want to let go of.

I did think there should have been more phone use included. Teens are never off them, snapchat, tiktok, taking photos, sending texts. I felt a bit like they were living in the 90's.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content: underage drinking

               alludes to consensual sex

Publisher: Hawkeye Publishing

Publication date: 16th September 2025

Genre: Young Adult / Romance

Pages: 270

RRP: AU$29.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: The Berlin Agent by Stephen Ronson

The Berlin Agent is book #2 in Stephen Ronson's John Cook series. 

John is working his farm but has also been assigned as a special agent, simply told he will be contacted  when needed.

The Berlin Agent is set in John's hometown of Uckfield in Sussex. The townsfolk are preparing for, what they see as, an imminent German invasion.

Ronson's writing is visually descriptive and his almost poetic prose bring the story to life on the page.

The small country town is riddled with war propaganda, air raids, enemy infiltrations, Nazi sympathisers and covert operations.

The War Ag Dept is reviewing farm outputs and has complete control over every aspect of food production, taking over farms that don't comply.

John is a wonderful protagonist. He cares for the people of his village and feels he needs to help everyone. Protecting his small village whilst also working for his country against the Germans.

The Berlin Agent had more of a political lean than The Last Line which was more of a murder mystery with the war as a backdrop. Although there were a few mysteries at play which kept me engaged with the story.

The Berlin Agent is a work of fiction, however Stephen Ronson states that many aspects of the book are based on fact and I found the whole concept of the plot very believable.

The Berlin Agent is suspense filled, fast-paced and rich in political intrigue.

Highly recommended for any readers who enjoy books on WWII.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication date: 7th November 2024

Series: John Cook #2

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 345

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

My review of THE LAST LINE

#theberlinagent #stephenronson #netgalley #WWII #bookreview #johncookseries #historicalfiction 

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

#bloodandgold #michaeltrant #penguinrandomhouseau #crimethriller #outbackaustralia #australianauthor #ausbookbloggers #2025release 
 

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

#thewarwithinme #tracyryan #historicalfiction #queensofnavarre #ausbookbloggers #newrelease #transitloungepublishing #bookreview

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 

 

 

Review: Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes

Sins of the Fathers is an epic saga that follows the sons of two men forever at odds with each other.

After reading and loving The Youngest Son I was excited to read John Byrnes' next offering and I wasn't disappointed. 

 

Edwyn Smith is gaoled after a botched robbery. The story starts twelve years later when Edwyn is released from prison and goes home to the slums of Millers Point, to his wife and sons, Tommy now 14 and Billy now 12. But not before he lets it known to all around that he is back on the streets.

Arthur Davies - business owner and underworld figure - lives in the more upmarket Eastern Suburbs. His fourteen year old son Charles attends Scots College. Like his father Charles is a vicious bully.

 

Smith and Davies have history, sworn enemies, and this hatred projects onto their sons. After the death of his father Charles' only aim in life is to wreak bitter revenge on the Smith brothers and a feud fuelled by revenge is born.

 

The story also follows fourteen year old Angeline Dubois who helps her mother run a boarding house across the road from the Smiths. Angeline is determined and hard working. She has a plan to make something of herself. 

 

I simply devoured Sins of the Fathers. It has everything I love about Historical Fiction. Set in my hometown of Sydney all the places, although much changed, were all familiar to me.

 

Sins of the Fathers spans nine tumultuous years from 1910 - 1919 which includes WWI and sees the three boys join up and fight in Gallipoli and Somme. The WWI battlefields come to life on the page. Brynes' battle scenes  are vivid and authentic.

 

Narrated through multiple points of view the characters' lives veer in different directions and reconnect throughout the novel.

 

I cannot stress how much I loved this book! If you like to read stories about the wars, or historical fiction or even family sagas, this book is for you.

 

Sins of the Fathers is a story rich in revenge, bribery, threats, double crossing and blackmail. It is a story about survival from the slums of 1910 Sydney to the battlefields of 1915 Gallipoli. There is never a dull moment in Sins of the Fathers! 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 

Publication date: 1st July 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 416

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Youngest Son:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/08/book-review-youngest-son-by-john-byrnes.html 

 

  

Review: Best Left Buried by Neil A White

Best Left Buried is the second book in the Matt Latham series by Australian author Neil A White. 

 

Matt Latham is an Australian journalist living in London. He is also a part-time spy for Australia's Secret Intelligence Service.

When strapped for cash Matt takes on the task of writing the biography for an old acquaintance, Bryant Callahan. Bryant is on track to become Texas' next US Senator.

 

Best Left Buried starts at a slow, steady pace however quickly ramps up in tension and danger as Matt, once again trying to help someone out, lands himself in all sorts of trouble when Bryant's Cuban born wife asks him if he could help her find her biological parents. 

 

Neil A White has written a cleverly plotted and intriguing political thriller. The prologue, set in 1986, features a freedom fighters attack on a small village in Nicaragua and I was interested to how this attack would have relevance to a Texan running for Senate in 2022.

 

This plot driven mystery all seemed cut and dried to me until the pace ramped up and the twists started coming which had me racing through the last half of the book. 

Best Left Buried reads well as a standalone. There are a few mentions of events in Shadow Lives but nothing that will make you feel like you missed something crucial but enough to make you want to read it. 

 

In Shadow Lives Matt Latham was a broken man, taking drugs, drinking too much and I enjoyed the character development as the book progressed. However in Best Left Buried I felt he was too in control.

 

Best Left Buried is a riveting tale of revenge, greed and corruption.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd June 2025

Series: Matt Latham #2

Genre: Political Thriller

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Shadow Lives: 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/10/book-review-shadow-lives-by-neil-white.html