Review: The Season for Flying Saucers by Brendan Colley

A father who has been abducted by aliens; a mother who sees the spirits of dead people; a sister who communicates with angry dogs; and 29-year-old Noah Grey, whose life has gone off the rails.

When I read the back cover blurb for The Season for Flying Saucers I wasn't sure this book was for me. I'm not a big Science Fiction fan. However, this is more a contemporary story about family and how we perceive our place in the family unit. I would probably call it a Contemporary SciFi.

Tasmania was absolutely the perfect setting for The Season for Flying Saucers. We all know there have been notable sightings of UFO's in Tasmania and a possible abduction; see my review of The Vanishing.

When Noah Grey's father was taken by aliens 12 years ago, the remaining family splintered. However due to unavoidable events and economic pressures the family of three, Noah, his mother and sister, are all living under the same roof again.

It is the beginning of summer and the season for flying saucers. The whole community is sky gazing, watching each night for the lights to appear. They are also keeping a close eye on the Grey family because they believe this family will be targeted for alien abduction.

The Season for Flying Saucers is amazing; wry, funny and heart-wrenching. It is strange and whimsical. As the family hunker down for the summer away from media and prying eyes they are forced to communicate with each other, open up and express their hopes and fading dreams.

The Season for Flying Saucers  is a memorable story of community, luck and coincidence, fate and destiny. This is a story about what it is to be family.

A fabulous twist had me wanting to read the whole book again. Brendan Colley shines a light on the complexity of family. An insightful exploration of love, grief and forgiveness.

Colley's haunting poetry is disquieting and moving.

The Season for Flying Saucers is a highly recommended read. It gets all the stars and some eerie midnight lights. 

My rating 5 / 5 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st April 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Science Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

The book can be purchased here: https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/3815/

#theseasonforflyingsaucers #brendancolley #australianauthor #bookssetintasmania #ausbookbloggers #aliens #flyingsaucers #sciencefiction

Book Giveaway: Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

 My June 2026 giveaway is for a paperback copy of Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

I haven't reviewed this one yet but I can assure you it was a five star read.

My giveaways are getting a boost. Some little extras to thank my blog readers.

FINDING THE BONES BY Natalie Conyer

BLURB:

Sydney, 1980: Belle Fitzgerald, young, rich and spirited, lives in Kings Cross, the city’s bohemian heart. When she learns of plans to demolish her street and evict its residents, she commits to fighting the development, even though this brings her up against the Cross’s crime lords and their servants, the notoriously corrupt local cops. Recklessly, dangerously, against her better judgment, she embarks on a passionate affair with one of those cops, Sergeant Stanton Rose.
Then Belle goes missing. Her disappearance becomes one of the nation’s great mysteries.

Sydney, today: Stanton Rose, retired, is an Australian icon, celebrated for his undercover work in the Cross. Jackie Rose, his daughter, has followed in his footsteps. She’s a homicide detective, uncompromising and ambitious.

When Belle Fitzgerald’s bones are discovered, Jackie is given the very cold and very public case. This will be her moment to shine. But what she uncovers threatens to turn her life – and the lives of those closest to her – upside down.

As her investigation deepens, Jackie has to decide how far she will go to navigate the fine line between love and betrayal, loyalty and corruption.

GIVEAWAY

Enter via the form below to win a paperback copy of Finding the Bones. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEST on 14th June 2026. 

Review: The Last Resort by Amanda Hewitt

The Last Resort, the debut novel of Australian author Amanda Hewitt, is a heart-warming and emotional story about grasping that second chance at love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and loved that the main characters were both in their early 40s. Reading a mature-age romance with no huge age gap was refreshing as the characters had real emotional baggage and also had commitments to juggle.

Abbey was looking forward to the big trip planned, to a romantic island resort, to reconnect with her distant husband when six months prior he dropped the bombshell, he was leaving her.

Abbey decides to go anyway to drown her sorrows and wallow in self-pity. On her first night there, Nick sees her in the water and thinking she is actually drowning he rushes in to rescue her. A friendship starts aided by their allotted valet, Oliver. The chemistry is instant but both know this is just a holiday romance.

The Last Resort was simply the best story for holiday reading. The perfect beach read. Abbey and Nick were both broken-hearted. For both the holiday at the resort was meant to be cathartic. Neither were ready to commit to a relationship.

Nick guarded his heart fiercely. His back-story was heart-breaking.

The Last Resort is rich in wonderful support characters with Abbey's fiery sister Kate and her wise and cheeky grandmother Iris, plus Nick's brother and sister all playing an important role in the main characters' lives.

The Last Resort is filled with humour and I loved Abbey's openness finding her voice where love was concerned. She was a little awkward and very real.

Lots of surprising twists and reveals kept the story interesting although I did find the romance dragged out a bit.

It's a long bumpy road to that much welcomed HEA.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd February 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#thelastresort #amandahewitt #australianauthor #contemporaryromance #ausbookbloggers #beachread #newrelease #bookreview #debutnovel

Review: Lavender Hill by Alissa Callen

 Lavender Hill is the first book in a new series set in the fictional town of Windamere in rural Tasmania. I absolutely loved Alissa Callen's Snowy Mountains series and whilst it is sad to leave those much loved characters behind I'm excited to get into a new series, set in a new location, with new characters.

After nine years in France, horticulturist Rylea Laurent is back in rural Tasmania, due to her father's ailing health, to help on the family's lavender farm.

She left the country after her brother's death on a camping trip with his best friend. She is now ready to face her loss and find out what really happened on that fateful night.

Kane Ashford is also freshly returned to Windamere. Kane is there to repair his family's old farmhouse. He is also determined to unravel the mystery of his brother's death on the same camping trip as Rylea's brother.

Rylea and Kane had a connection before he took his surviving brother and mother and fled the town. Now the two must put aside their feelings and work together to uncover the mystery of that deadly camping trip.

I loved getting both Rylea and Kane's thoughts via the dual narrative. The tension and unspoken feelings between them pulsed from the page.

Although there is a compelling mystery running through the story, Rylea and Kane's denied attraction to each other is equally captivating. The tension between the two is so well portrayed.

The banter between Kane and his brother Denevan is light, fun and typical male talk. Rylea and her sister Darcy also have a close and endearing relationship. Alissa Callen knows how to get to the heart of real people.

I already love all these new characters. Windamere's older residents are filled with love and gossip, they are well meaning and quite funny. And what is a small rural town without a group of matchmakers; enter Viola Gilbert and The Windamere Gardening Girls. Try as the boys might to avoid them, they know your every move and will get you in the end.

The addition of working dogs and even a pet lamb who thinks he's a dog, the devastation of storms and introduced plants brought the country atmosphere right into my home.

In Lavender Hill, Alissa Callen combines mystery, country life and romance to deliver a heartwarming story about healing your past and allowing yourself a second chance at love.

I've noted a whole list of characters who need their chance at love. I'm looking forward to returning to Windamere and seeing who is next to find their HEA. I'm already pairing up characters for future books. 😂

Lavender Hill is a captivating story brimming with heart and a dash of mystery and drama. Another compelling novel from the queen of small-town fiction!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th January 2026

Series: A Windamere Novel #1

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural Romance

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#lavenderhill #alissacallen #australianauthor #bookssetintasmania #ruralromance #smalltownfiction #ausbookbloggers #newrelease #publishedin2026

Other books I've read by Alissa Callen

SNOWY MOUNTAINS DAUGHTER

SNOWY MOUNTAINS CATTLEMAN

SNOWY MOUNTAINS PROMISE

SNOWY MOUNTAINS DAWN

THE BOUNDARY FENCE

A COUNTRY VET CHRISTMAS

Review: The Duke's Secret by Sue Williams

 The Duke's Secret is a fictional tale inspired by Sue William's own family mystery that they are related to the Duke of Wellington. An ancestor is said to be the illegitimate child born from a passionate affair between The Duke and a maid.

The Duke's Secret is narrated through the dual timelines of the maid Mary Ann in 1793 and Ava in 2025.

Ava has recently connected with an absent father and he mentions a family mystery that they are descendants of The Duke of Wellington. Ava decides to take up the investigation and find some proof.

Mary Ann is indentured at 13 to work in the stately home of a dashing British Army officer. Mary Ann is intelligent and outspoken and as the years pass she forms a bond with The Duke.

I found the story quite slow and it bogged down about a third through. Ava's research and trips to battle scenes could have been evocative however they came across as reading straight from history books. I never felt like I was with Ava trying to unravel the mystery.

Mary Ann's story was interesting however I felt it was unbelievable taking into account her standing.

There is also a side story of Ava's gas-lighting and controlling boyfriend Darren, and this really had my blood boiling. I was eager to see if Ava would eventually see that he was undermining her confidence. The addition of Ava's journalistic investigation into housing and development seemed out of place and only resulted in another avenue for Darren to undermine her.

The Duke's Secret is food for thought on family stories handed down through generations. We all have them!

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd February 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 433

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

spoiler ahead

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The inconclusive ending left me feeling a little let down.

Review: The Devil's Daughter by Danielle Steel

I always have the same problem when reading a Danielle Steel novel. It takes me a few chapters to fall into her "telling" style of narration.

The Devil's Daughter is a story about two sisters with very different personalities and the narrator - the older boring sister - will mention this fact over and over again.

Billie whined about her life throughout the entire book and this really got my goat. The younger sister Mickie, an actress and model, was the cause, in Billie's mind, of all her problems.

However when Billie can't find a job after graduation Mickie offers to have Billie stay with her and also gets her a job in a cafe. But still Billie complains.

Mickie is dating a high-profile plastic surgeon when a major scandal threatens to blow her world apart. Will the sisters reconnect over this catastrophe?

Billie was totally annoying and the second point-of-view from the plastic surgeon Dr Addison was equally annoying.

What I loved; Mickie!! She knew what she wanted in life and was determined to get it. When things went sour she threw everyone under the proverbial bus. I loved it!

I was a bit conflicted with The Devil's Daughter whilst I couldn't wait to see what was in store for Mickie, I felt the ending was quite unrealistic and all wrapped up too conveniently.

Whilst Steel may be after a younger audience with the added sex scenes I think she may be pushing away her tried and true older long-time readers.

My rating 2.5 / 5 ⭐⭐½

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 13th January 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#thedevilsdaughter #daniellesteel #contemporaryfiction #ausbookbloggers 

Review: The Adventuress of Albany by Darry Fraser

I always devour Darry Fraser's historical fiction novels and The Adventuress of Albany was no exception. The colonial Australian setting is always evocative and I love learning more about life in the early days of settlement.

The beauty of the land, strong female characters and swoon-worthy men make her novels a must read for me.

The Adventuress of Albany opens in 1881 and Molly Bentley is eager to start her life of adventure. Her father sends her and her chaperone Mrs Caldicott to Albany in Western Australia. It doesn't start well when Molly is knocked down on the street and rescued by the enigmatic Leo McRae.

The action and danger didn't let up from the very start of the book. I was totally immersed in Molly's story and there was reveal after startling reveal. Some of which took me totally by surprise.

Molly and Leo's story is never without complications. In a world where reputation matters and sinister sources are out for the take, Molly and Leo come face to face with criminals, murderers and blackmail.

I loved that Molly was such a strong woman. She lived an affluent life in England but she wasn't adverse to roughing it and even shooting a gun if it was necessary.

This riveting story was wrapped around the true events of Princes Albert and George's visit to Australia and extracts from the princes' journal add a level of authenticity to the otherwise fictional tale. Life in the 1880's isn't romanticised in The Adventuress of Albany and I liked that Fraser added the filth and hardship.

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 25th November 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 429

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher

#theadventuressofalbany #australianauthor #historicalfiction #ausbookbloggers #darryfraser #hqfiction #newrelease 

Review: My Wonderful Disgrace by Kate & Angourie Rice

My Wonderful Disgrace is the second novel by mother and daughter team Kate & Angourie Rice. A laugh-out-loud, bold and highly entertaining tale of how even the best laid plans can go terribly wrong.

The story is narrated through Amy Middleton's journal entries, statements made to police, the school newsletter and group chat rooms. 

Amy Middleton is the year 12 cohort rep. The school ball is her big event and she has it all planned. The dress, the speech, the presentation are all organised and when Leo suggests he and Amy go to the ball together, she is on top of the world.

Angourie and Kate Rice have delivered an hilarious and believable tale that involves a comedy of errors that gain momentum until the entire night ends in mayhem.

Seventeen-year-olds do silly things. They don't always think with their brains and the word consequences doesn't seem to be in their vocabulary. Rice delivers the "unfortunate series of events" with just the right amount of sensationalism, and the responses from other students felt true to life.

The book starts with a mystery feel. Police interviews are being recorded however the reader has no idea what happened. As the story evolves it gets more and more bizarre. I loved it!

This isn't a preachy story however there is a lesson about inappropriate photo sharing and if you are the victim of this heinous crime hold your head high because it's the sharers who have done something shameful and embarrassing, not you.

My Wonderful Disgrace is a brilliant story of resilience and mettle.

Having put six children through high school I could honestly believe all the silly, ridiculous and outrageous things that happened in this book.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended age 14+

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Publication date: 1st May 2026

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$21.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#mywonderfuldisgrace #youngadult #australianauthor #newrelease 

Winner of a copy of At cafe 64 Announced!!

 I will be posting new giveaways in the first week of every month.

Bookmark my page and check back often so you don't miss a giveaway.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a paperback copy of At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry.  The giveaway closed on the 14th May 2026 and the winner was randomly selected (using Wheelofnames) from all correct entries.

Congratulations to........ 

The winner has been notified and has seven days to provide a mailing address.

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways!

Review: Where There's Smoke by Karly Lane

 Where There's Smoke by Karly Lane is everything I expected it to be; heartwarming, moving and intelligent.

We first meet Kenzie Knight in Once Burnt Twice Shy. She is the daughter of the main character Samantha Murphy, and in that book we find out Kenzie is pregnant. Five years on and Kenzie has four-year-old Poppy and is running a highly successful event management company.

Kenzie is planning the high profile wedding of socialite Sasha Delsanto. On meeting Sasha's fiancé Ewan she realises they have history and what she has to tell him will change both their lives forever.

I loved that the chemistry was still there between Kenzie and Ewan and with the dual narrative of both characters I was never left to how each of them felt.

Karly Lane always writes rich and vibrant farming scenes that reveal the beauty as well as the harshness of the land. The reader is made aware there can be hard times but there is also an element of humour involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed the slow-burn romance and the anticipated road-bump was huge and believable.

Ewan Campbell was a great character, easy to like, he was straightforward and upfront, especially about how he felt.

Where There's Smoke is a heartwarming story of two people who deserve a second chance. A story of long held secrets and new beginnings with memorable characters and a fun plot. It definitely left me wanting more of Kenzie, Ewan and Poppy.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 28th April 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

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Book Giveaway: At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

My May 2026 giveaway is for a paperback copy of At Cafe 64.

Click on the link below to read my review. 

At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

BLURB:

Without any warning, Justin Kowalski drives his vehicle across a line of traffic and through the front wall of Cafe 64, killing himself and three other people—and taking the reasons for this shocking act to the grave. Unable to locate any evidence of criminal behaviour or mental illness in Justin's past, and with no one left to prosecute, the police have no choice but to label it "an isolated incident."

Almost two years later, three women walk into a meeting being held by the "Victims of the Cafe 64 Tragedy" support group.

A fiancée left behind. Maddie, consumed with an all-encompassing rage, on a desperate hunt for the truth.

A sister hiding in the shadows. Emily, wracked by guilt, being eaten from the inside out by the secrets she keeps.

A bystander who refuses to look back. Flo, with her mask of optimism firmly in place, who insists to anyone who will listen that she is fine.

When these three come together, the fallout will rock the foundations of their shaky, precarious lives, forcing them to confront the truths, lies and questions that surround that deadly day at Cafe 64. Can any horrific event truly exist in isolation? How do we cope when the nature of our loss is not so cut and dried? In the aftermath of a tragic event, how do we define a victim—who do we allow to grieve, what are we allowed to grieve, and where do we place blame?

GIVEAWAY

Enter here to win a paperback copy of At Cafe 64. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEDT on 14th May 2026.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2026/05/winner-of-copy-of-at-cafe-64-announced.html

Review: Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird

I don't usually read a lot of historical fiction set during the 16th and 17th centuries, however I'm starting to come around to it; first with The War Within Me by Tracy Ryan, which was a fascinating read, and now Crimson Velvet Heart equally fascinating and intriguing in equal measures. 

Crimson Velvet Heart follows the life of Princess Marie Adelaide of Savoy. The daughter of the Duke of Savoy and mother to the future King Louis XV.

The story is told through the journal of the fictitious Sr Clare, a close childhood friend and later lady-in-waiting to Adelaide.

Extensively researched, Carmel Bird uses real historical figures and some fictitious characters plus some real events and imagined dialogue to spin a tale that is rich in political intrigue. The opulence of the French royals and the rampant illness and disease rings true to the era.

This was a time when marriages were made to advance political standing and wealth, and land was fought over in endless wars. Religious persecution was rife.

Bird captures Adelaide's wild rebellious side and puts into question the relationship between Adelaide and King Louis XIV. Adelaide is flirtatious, manipulative and observant. A young girl trained for her role.

I wondered as I read if in a few hundred years time someone will write a story about Diana, the mother of the future king of England, who also had an untimely death.

Carmel Bird's visceral prose paints a vivid picture of life for the royals during the late 1600's.

The title comes into the story as velvet heart-shaped pin cushions that were made by the nuns to sell to support the convent.

My only grievance I have with the story is that it isn't written in chronological order, but through Clare's memories that jump back and forward in time, which was very confusing for me. 

Crimson Velvet Heart is sure to be a hit with historical fiction readers.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st November 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

#crimsonvelvetheart #carmelbird #historicalfiction #aussieauthor

Review: At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

In At Cafe 64 Shaeden Berry explores the definition of victim and the different ways people define who the victims of a tragedy are. 

This will be my giveaway book for May so stay posted!

Without any warning, Justin Kowalski drives his vehicle into the front of Cafe 64, killing himself and three other people.

At cafe 64 is narrated through the experiences of three women. 

Maddie's fiancee was killed in the 'tragedy' and two years on she is still consumed by rage, determined to make someone responsible for her loss.

Emily is still trying to understand the whole incident and questions everything about her own life.

Flo says she is fine. She was outside the cafe and insists she didn't see anything. Then, why is her life falling apart?

"It's sort of ... weird, you know, existing on the edge of this big event. Like, you're a part of it but not." 

"I'm a victim as well, as much as anyone else ...... You think victimhood ends with the people who died?"

At Cafe 64 is a real page-turner, sombre and compelling, with cliff-hanger chapter endings that keep the story moving along at a fast pace. It is a thought-provoking look at victims, grief and the need for revenge.

Shaeden Berry explores how different people grieve differently and who is to say what is right and wrong. How is a victim defined? If you weren't on the scene can you still be a victim of a tragedy of this extent? The need to account blame; who led the perpetrator to perform this act and why are we not safe on the streets. Maddie, driven by truth and justice, wants revenge and relentlessly looks at all avenues to lay blame.

Berry writes with pathos and even though there are some jaw-dropping reveals the story is never sensationalised.

At Cafe 64 is an intriguing story that had me thinking about the whole concept of victims, survivors and impostor syndrome.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 336

RRP: $34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#atcafe64 #shaedenberry #aussieauthor #ausbookbloggers #contemporaryfiction

Review: Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie

 I loved Sarah Barrie's Lexi Winter series, five star reads for me. (Links to those reviews below.) Barrie takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary situations and pushes them to their limits.

Dark Sanctuary starts with what seems to be three completely separate plots and it did take me a few chapters to get a feel for all the different characters and story lines. 

Beth Thompson is working through problems with her ex husband. She loves her job working at a nursing home caring for the residents.

Detective Sergeant Hex Rexford is staring down retirement. He is passionate about the case of a serial killer named the Witch Doctor whose victims have never been found.

Eve Harrington is a podcaster, her current investigative story is about mental healthcare and she is particularly interested in a local institute, Coast Sanctuary, and its practices.

Barrie's characters are passionate about what they do which makes them likeable. She pushes them all to their limits.

Dark Sanctuary is one dark, creepy story. As the three main characters' lives began to merge and the death count rose I was totally gripped by the story.

Dark Sanctuary is not only a gritty police procedural it also highlights domestic abuse, stalking and mental health care. Barrie raises pertinent questions such as, are serial killers born or raised and when is a mental health patient deemed fit enough to re-enter society.

Dark Sanctuary is filled with suspense and jaw-dropping twists. If you like your crime dark, verging on horror, Dark Sanctuary is a must read.

My four star rating reflects the fact that this was just a little too gory, freaky, scary for me. 😨

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th April 2026

Genre: Crime

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Other books I've read by Sarah Barrie

Unforgiven

Retribution

Vendetta

Devils Lair

Endgame

#darksanctuary #sarahbarrie #hqinsiders #aussieauthor #ausbookbloggers #crimefiction #aussiecrime

Review: Murder at the Highland Games by Dee MacDonald

Murder at the Highland Games is book 4 in the Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald.

It is not necessary to read the series in order as there is ample backstory to keep new readers up to date and each murder/ mystery is solved by the end of the book.

The town is abuzz as the local highland games begin and competitors have come from far and wide. Amateur sleuth Ally McKinley is thrust into the thick of it again when the top competitor, who also happens to be one of her guests, is murdered. There are plenty of suspects and some of them are men from her own little village.

I've really enjoyed this light, murder mystery series so far. It's always fun to revisit the small country town and the close-knit community who reside there. The stories are just as much about the community as they are about the murders.

Dee MacDonald has hit on a winning formula and doesn't stray far with each new book. The books are easy reads, with likeable local characters and the odd twist thrown in, making them perfect reads for a quiet weekend in.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 16th April 2026

Series: Ally McKinley Mystery #4

Genre: Cosy Crime

Pages: 252

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

Other books in the series:

Murder in the Scottish Highland

Murder at the Loch 

A Very Bookish Murder

Follow along on the book tour below

#murderatthehighlandgames #deemacdonald #bookouture #cosymystery #scottishmurdermystery

Winner of When the Party's Over & The Maskeys announced!!

 I will be posting new giveaways in the first week of every month.

Bookmark my page and check back often so you don't miss a giveaway. 

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a paperback copies of When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins & The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson.  The giveaway closed on the 12th April 2026 and the winner was randomly selected (using Wheelofnames) from all correct entries.

Congratulations to........ 

The winner has been notified and has seven days to provide a mailing address.

 

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways!

Book Giveaway: When the Party's Over + The Maskeys

 For my April 2026 giveaway I have two fabulous books! It costs me the same to send one book or two. So why not give away two.

Both books were five star reads for me and although vastly different, both centred on family and drugs. When the Party's Over is a domestic centred drama with a few mysteries throughout and The Maskey's is also family centric but champions dark humour and revenge in a small country town.

Click on the titles below to read my reviews.

When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins

Blurb

Natalie knows her life looks perfect from the Three young children, a loving husband, the tastefully renovated Eastern Suburbs cottage. So why does she feel so suffocated?

On her 36th birthday, all Natalie wants is to gather her two best friends and leave their responsibilities behind just for one night. But when the party's over, she finds eighteen-month-old Toby clutching an unmistakable colourful tablet - with a quarter missing.

What kind of mother could let this happen?

But even as Toby recovers and returns home safely, the fallout is only just beginning. Each of these three women has their own truth about that night - and when it all comes to light, will any of their friendships survive?

The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson

Blurb

Locals see George Maskey as a hollow braggard who is at least partly responsible for the crime and drug related death Naples has seen over the years. His wife blames him for the death of their teenage twins. His gay stepson regards him as a racist homophobe. And Serenade Theadora – the town’s famed mystic – sees him in equal parts as good and bad. But George, the family patriarch, is not the star of this story.

When Rodney, the loyal Maskey right-hand man, is kidnapped by service-station proprietor Gayle Reynolds – in a bungled revenge against his boss – events are set in train that will see the Maskey family changed forever.

Love-starved reader of romance novels, physical runt, dreamer; Rodney has lived in a forest on the Knuckle, tending the Maskey’s marijuana plantation since the death of his mother. Gayle regards his capture as an opportunity to learn the whereabouts of her missing son, Rodney’s childhood best friend. For Rodney, captivity turns his life upside down. He meets Leanne. She is the girl who brings him his meals. And in her the unattractive young man, who has despaired of ever finding love, sees a person he could risk everything for.

GIVEAWAY

Enter here to win paperback copies of When the Party's Over and The Maskeys. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AST on 12th April 2026.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2026/04/winner-of-when-partys-over-maskeys.html