Review: Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe

 I'm so far behind with reviews, I read Dark Desert Road in September!

Dark Desert Road is a gripping crime fiction set amongst the backdrop of the fading towns of rural New South Wales.

There is so much to unpack in the novel I hardly know where to start. It was a rollercoaster ride of adrenaline and action with an ending that left me speechless.

The plot follows two sisters, Billie and Kit. 

Billie is married and lives with a group of sovereign citizens and religious extremists led by her husband, a former US marine.

Kit is with the NSW police force working in child protection.

The sisters are estranged and haven't seen each other for over a decade but when Billie and her son's lives are in danger she turns to Kit for help. But can Kit find her before it's too late?

I did find the start of Dark Desert Road a bit slow but once I got into the story the action and suspense never let up. 

Organised fundamentalists waging a violent war against the system, bikie gangs out for revenge, towns living in fear and sisters divided combine to make for a story rich in explosive action and edge-of-your-seat suspense.

Dark Desert Road is a wild ride. If you like your crime novels, dark, gritty and volatile, this one's for you.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 6th January 2026

Genre: Crime

Pages: 400

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

#darkdesertroad #timayliffe #australianauthor #ausbookblogger #crimefiction #thriller 

Book Giveaway: Set of 5 Crime Novels by Rachel Amphlett

My giveaway for October is a fabulous set of 5 crime novels from British author Rachel Amphlett.

I became friends with Rachel when she was an indie, self published author living in Australia.  Back then self promotion was a hard slog. There was no Instagram or TikTok only Twitter, Goodreads and book blogs.

I found Rachel's books were fabulous reads and I devoured them.

It's time for this lot to be appreciated by another reader. I still have 12 more of her books on my Kindle.

Book covers and my reviews pre blogging. 😊

Take a thrilling ride with FBI agent Kyle Roberts and (I never should have returned to Mistake Creek) Nina O’Brien as they fight to prevent a biological terrorist attack on the citizens of San Francisco all during the worst storm Mistake Creek, California has seen in years.

This is a fast paced read. It was easy to get swept up in the adrenaline pumping action. I read it in two days. The storyline is straightforward, although it does have its unexpected twists, and it’s not so far fetched that it becomes unbelievable.
Kyle is a likeable protagonist, tough but not too tough. Nina is strong and capable and proves she can hold her own when the going gets rough.

Mistake Creek will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially those that like a thrilling read filled with danger and action but will also appeal to those that like a little romance with their thrillers.

 

After the murder of an old friend Dan, plagued by nightmares from an Iraq mission gone wrong, pulls himself out of a drunken stupor to help Sarah, his friend’s wife, investigate the reason for his assassination.
Murder and mayhem ensue as Dan and Sarah travel around the globe moving ever closer to the truth behind Peter’s murder.

Rachel Amphlett’s debut novel, White Gold, is an edge of your seat environmental thriller. In this first Dan Taylor novel we are introduced to the main protagonist, Dan, and his supporting characters. The characters are well drawn and believable.
The plot is well researched and the action is non stop with a few twists to keep the reader guessing.
Recommended to anyone that enjoys a good political thriller.

Look Closer veers away from typical political thrillers where the protagonist is a kick-ass ex military, CIA or similar. Will Fletcher is an ordinary person just like anyone you might work with or be friends with. He doesn’t have specialist training or an arsenal of weapons. He finds himself caught up in politics and murder with no where to turn. He must rely on his intelligence, instincts, the clues that Amy has left him and a little bit of luck.

The story had enough mystery to keep drawing you along with Will finding snippets of information and piecing them together like a jigsaw, trying to determine the complete picture before time runs out.
I quickly became enthralled in the plot. The character development and portrayal is very good. The mystery is compelling with real danger and suspense. This is a fast paced novel of political crime and the twists will have you reeling.
It all comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

Under fire is the second Dan Taylor novel by Rachel Amphlett. However not having read the first book I found this novel stood on its own quite well.
I think the story started off a bit slow and I understand the author was trying to set the scene but I found some of the lengthy descriptions were irrelevant. I love how the story evolved and changed without giving away too much. Sometimes I found little questions popping up in my head only to find if you keep reading the author has anticipated these thoughts and answered them further in the book. The twist towards the end was a little expected and then there was the twist on the twist. That was unexpected and I love that. It left me finishing the book and thinking "wow, that was good".

The suspense is rife in Amphlett’s Before Nightfall and it has more of those great twists we’ve come to look forward to.
Amplett is a master at the twist and it’s always something totally unexpected.
All the characters had a vulnerability about them which made them real and likeable.
I liked Finn and Steve’s relationship. Boss and employee, but more like best friends. The banter between the two was very natural.
Impeccably researched, breath holding, hand sweating suspense, romance and a hunky protagonist makes Before Nightfall a book that is very hard to put down. As soon as I finished it I wanted to read it all over again.
Readers are in for a real treat. Amphlett’s writing just gets better and better!

 GIVEAWAY

Enter via the form below to win a paperback copies of Loving Lizzie March & Victoria. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEDT on 25th October 2026. 

Review: Wish You Were Here by Bernadette Eden

 Wish You Were Here is a touching and emotional story of love, loss and forgiveness.

Sally is struggling to keep the caravan park she opened with her late husband going. The park had been their dream and now she had lost Mark she held on tightly to that dream.

A new resort is opening nearby that will surely take away business and her eleven-year-old son needs to attend a more accommodating high school, which will cost more money she doesn't have. And now her husband's best friend Jagger is back in town. Everyone, including her two children, adores him, which makes Sally even more annoyed.

"I found his personality irritating and arrogant and could never understand how he and Mark had stayed such good friends even if they had grown up together."

"When had I become this snipping and snarling person? Someone who always had their guard up?" 

Wish You Were Here is not only a story of the struggles of single parenthood and hardships of life in the country but also of loss, mental health and not being afraid to ask for help.

The story has an underlying sadness however Bernadette Eden has added plenty of humour and the knowledge that the family do come out the other end okay help to overcome the sombre themes.

This is a story about holding on to that dream even when it's crumbling around you and knowing when it's time to let go and move forward.

Hidden secrets are revealed, confessions voiced and hope triumphs in this poignant and witty story about a family at breaking point.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 1st December 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher

#wishyouwerehere #bernadetteeden #australianauthor #ausbookbloggers #bookreview #arcreview #mentalhealth 

Review: Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin

 It's no secret I love Rebecca Raisin's sweet, clean romance reads. Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express was yet another great read, and lots of fun too.

Aubrey has been left at the altar and even though she is heart-broken she decides to go on the Honeymoon. They were to take The Winter Wonderland Express to Lapland. Now it's a Honeymoon for one.

Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express is a light, easy read and Aubrey is a fun character. She doesn't take herself too seriously.

Embarrassed by the fact she is a bride left at the altar, Aubrey says her husband died. Now it's said she can't unsay it.

The singles all get together on the train and form the Unlucky in Love Club. Can the Winter Wonderland Express turn unlucky in love into lucky in love?

I had the most wonderful trip travelling on the Winter Wonderland Express through Paris, Belgium, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Stopping off and seeing all the sights on the way. Then spending Christmas day in Lapland.

Rebecca Raisin is the queen of destination fiction.

Filled with wonderful characters, loads of fun and a sweet ending. Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express is a must for romance readers.

I'm not particularly keen on eBooks but Rebecca Raisin's books are my exception.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication date: 13th August 2025

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 282

Source: eCopy via Netgalley

#laststoponthewinterwonderlandexpress #rebeccaraisin #romance #ireadromance #australianauthor  

Winner of a copy of Loving Lizzie March Announced!!

 I will be posting new giveaways in the first week of every month. (Well, I'll try).

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 paperback copies of Loving Lizzie March & Victoria.  The giveaway closed on the 30th September 2026 and the winner was randomly selected (using Wheelofnames) from all entries.

Congratulations to........ 

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

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab (which is in the drop down menu top right on a mobile device) for more great giveaways!

Review: The Chill Panda by Joseph Rodrick Law

8 LESSONS FOR DEALING WITH CHANGE IN WORK AND LIFE

I have never been one for self-help books; however I quite enjoyed the way The Chill Panda is presented as a story based on a mythological narrative of a mystical mountain. The mountain is said to hold the treasures of wisdom and power and is guarded by The Wise Panda.

Tom was trekking in the forest and having misplaced his phone on the way has now lost track of time. He is on his way to the mystical mountain and after becoming completely lost he comes across Elvis, the wise panda. Elvis agrees to help but first he must listen to a story.

Elvis has Tom looking at his own life and what makes him happy and fulfills him. The story involves the 8 lessons of life.

Finding inner peace and happiness

How to find your purpose in life

Attaining balance and equilibrium

Mastering emotions and overcoming fear

Making peace with stress and change

The dichotomy of action vs nonaction

Leadership lessons from nature

The art of being mindful

The Chill Panda is a guide for all who wish to live with integrity, compassion, peace and acceptance of change.

This is a book of timeless wisdom guiding readers to relieve stress and find inner peace.

The Chill Panda is the perfect read for busy professionals; it's compact and short however packs a powerful message.

Joseph Rodrick Law is an entrepreneur, investor, best-selling author, visiting professor, philanthropist, and Guinness World Record holder.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: New Holland Publishing

Publication date: 15th March 2026

Genre: Non Fiction / Self Help

Pages: 108

RRP: AU$19.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Banyard PR

#thechillpanda #lessonsforlife #selfhelpbooks #josephrodricklaw #mindfullness #dealingwithchange #ausbookbloggers