Book Review: Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Dirt Town

by

Hayley Scrivenor

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st May 2022

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: Dirt Town

I wasn't sure how I was going to go with this book with its unusual narrative style but I found I was totally hooked.

 

The bulk of Dirt Town is narrated over a four day period during the search for missing twelve-year-old Esther Bianchi.

Written through the alternating points of view of Esther's school friends Ronnie and Lewis, D.S. Sarah Michaels who is heading the case and Constance, Esther's mother. There is also the unusual and unique narration of the town's collective of children, past and present.

Hayley Scrivenor delves into small town nuances. A place where everyone touches everyone else in some way. Many have grown up together as have their parents before them. A case of domestic violence is met with the statement "everyone knew". A blind-eye is turned to any unpleasantness.

I had picked the perp right from the start however Scrivenor's excellent plotting had me second guessing myself all the way through.

Dirt Town is a propulsive debut mystery novel that had me glued to the book until the heartfelt ending.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Plus an extra⭐ for a character named Veronica 💖

About the author

Hayley Scrivenor is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales. Dirt Town is her first novel and has been shortlisted and won many awards.

WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
WINNER OF THE 2023 CWA ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER AWARD
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ MYSTERY 2023
WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT CRIME BOOK 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023 FOR DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARDS ADULT CRIME NOVEL 2023
FINALIST FOR THE 2023 ITW THRILLER AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

 

Book Review: Jillaroo from Jacaranda by Mandy Magro

 Jillaroo from Jacaranda

by

Mandy Magro

Falling in love was never part of her plan....

Publisher: Harlequin Australia 

Imprint: HQ

Publication date: 5th October 2022

Genre: Romance / Contemporary

Pages: 320

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback) 

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Jillaroo from Jacaranda 

Jillaroo from Jacaranda is a delightful slow-burn romance read.

Whilst trying to come to terms with her beloved great-grandmother's death Rose's fiance breaks up with her. Rose is heartbroken but could see they had different ideas of what their future would be.

Moving back home to Jacaranda Farm Rose decides to concentrate on her writing and her riding school business to give herself time to heal. A chance meeting with bull-rider Ty Parker gives her the opportunity to stay on his cattle station to write and reflect.

I loved Ty and Rose's banter, it was fun and flirty. Their slow-burn romance came across as natural. Ty had demons of his own and an ex-wife to deal with so neither of them were after a relationship.

I did feel like I had missed something whilst I was reading as there was no backstory and I had a lot of unanswered questions as I hadn't read Jacaranda, which was the first story about the Jones family.

I did find Rose flighty, saying one thing and doing another. This story was a bit too mushy for me and I would have preferred the prologue to be left off because it contradicted everything Rose believed in.

Overall I enjoyed the story and Magro's descriptions of bull-riding and life in rural Australia. I am planning to read the first book, Jacaranda, and have some of my questions answered. I think then I will find Jillaroo from Jacaranda will be a lot more enjoyable.

my rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her daughter, Chloe Rose, and their adorable toy poodle, Sophie. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman and a romantic at heart, Mandy loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian rural way of life, and the wonderful characters who call the country home.

Book Review: The Summer Place by Janette Paul

 The Summer Place

by

Janette Paul

Three women, lives adrift, and a life-changing beach

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26th April 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Summer Place

The Summer Place is a thoroughly enjoyable, heartwarming story about love, healing and friendship.

 

Told through the perspective of three women, each broken in different ways. I like that Janette Paul portrayed each woman's obstacle with equal importance because for each of them their hurt was equally debilitating.

 

Erin is recovering from a near-fatal accident, holding tight to all her grief and anger. She is constrained by her PTSD and the scars that riddle her body.

Cassie, recently widowed, cannot seem to move on from her grief and regrets. 

Jenna has been secretly in love with Blake for years, and now she has been invited to his wedding.

 

All three women have been invited to a wedding at Hope Head, a place that holds memories, in much happier times, for each of them.

I loved every character in this uplifting story. The three main characters' problems all came across as real and the supporting characters were just that; supportive and honest, edging Erin, Jenna and Cassie to make decisions towards happiness and healing. 

 

The fictitious Australian town of Hope Head on the mid north coast of New South Wales was beautifully described and a fitting location to have an epiphany on life and moving forward.

 

The Summer Place is sentimental and sweet, with HEAs all round, it filled my heart with joy.

 

The Summer Place is the perfect beach read.

 

My rating 5 happy stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

About the author

 

Janette Paul is an internationally published author of contemporary women's fiction and romantic comedy, and is the alter ego of award-winning suspense author Jaye Ford. Her first novel won two Davitt Awards for Australian women crime writers and her books have been translated into nine languages. She is a former news and sports journalist, and ran her own public relations consultancy before turning to fiction. She now writes from her home in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Book Review: Unsolved Australia - Lost Boys, Gone Girls by Justine Ford

Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls

by

Justine Ford

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 25th June 2019

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 283

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls. 

I don't read a lot of non-fiction however I find reading about true crime can be quite intriguing and Unsolved Australia: Lost Boys, Gone Girls is filled with intrigue and mystery.

Lost Boys, Gone Girls is written by journalist and true crime writer Justine Ford.

Ford has picked thirteen cold cases where people have gone missing or found murdered and the cases are still unsolved, many from decades ago. She explains how cases are never closed, however they are reviewed over time with fresh eyes and using the latest technology hoping to find that extra clue that solves the case.

There are not only facts on the investigations into the disappearances and murders but also interviews with the people involved in trying to solve these cases; detectives, investigative journalists, private investigators, criminologists and a criminal psychologist.

Lost Boys, Gone Girls is written with compassion and understanding for the victims and their families.

To make the stories more entertaining we are not purely given known facts but the author has also added some assumptions and speculation on people's thoughts.

Justine Ford hopes that getting all the available information out to the public will spark a memory in someone's mind that may ultimately lead to solving a case.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Justine Ford is a true crime author, TV producer and journalist. Her first forays into crime were as a reporter on the top-rated Australia's most wanted.

In her long-spanning career, Justine has covered scores of chilling homicides and missing persons cases, winning the trust of families who are victims of crime and developing deep access to police all over Australia.

Challenges: Non-Fiction challenge & Mount TBR challenge

Book Review: Time After Time by Karly Lane

 Time After Time

by

Karly Lane

Two dreams. One impossible choice.

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 408

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Time After Time

It's always such a pleasure to sit down with the latest book from a well loved author and Karly Lane didn't disappoint with Time After Time.

 

Alice Croydon has a knack for fashion design, but to follow this dream she must give up her dream of becoming Finn's wife. Finn doesn't believe there is any chance in a long distance romance. 

Alice has the heartbreaking decision of following her dreams or her heart.

I loved Alice's large, noisy family. Her four siblings, parents and grandparents are all full of love and advice. However I didn't manage to get a solid connection with Alice and would have liked more detail and emotion.

The story jumps over a vast amount of time where there are a few major events in her life however we get no details, only passing mentions.

Even though part of the book is set in the London fashion industry, Karly still manages to impart her passion for the land and the struggles of farmers and small communities. It is this passion that has endeared many readers to her books.

Time After Time moves from a small country town in Australia to the red carpet of London and Karly Lane has woven a story of dreams, fashion, fame and second chances.

Rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Karly Lane lives on the beautiful mid-North Coast of New South Wales, and she is the proud mum of four children and an assortment of four-legged animals.

Before becoming an author, Karly worked as a pathology collector. Now, after surviving three teenage children and with one more to go, she's confident she can add referee, hostage negotiator, law enforcer, peacekeeper, ruiner-of-social-lives, driving instructor and expert-at-silently-counting-to-ten to her resume.

She has published over twenty books with Allen & Unwin.

Book Review: Reaching Through Time by Shauna Bostock

 Reaching Through Time

by

Shauna Bostock

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 352

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Reaching Through Time

With Reaching Through Time Shauna Bostock has delivered an extensively researched family history going back generations, with interesting facts on Indigenous and Australian history included.

I love family research and genealogy and it doesn't just have to be my own. I can pore over anyone's family tree for hours. Births, deaths, marriages and connections between families fascinates me.

Shauna includes a family tree at the front of the book and I kept turning back to it to see where each relative came in.

You never know what you will find when you start researching your ancestry and Shauna did discover that one ancestor was a slave trader in England. I liked that this book was an honest account of her ancestry and the bad wasn't covered up or omitted.

I enjoyed every aspect of Shauna's book. Her writing is very personable and open. I was astounded by how much research, travel and time went into uncovering all the details and there are pages and pages of sources listed in the back which is a testament to this fact.

Pages of photo inserts are included which give an added connection whilst reading. Thank you Shauna for sharing your precious family photos. They are a beautiful addition to the book.

Reaching Through Time is perfect for readers who enjoy Aboriginal history, Australian history and exploring the past.

4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

A formaer primary school teacher, Shauna Bostock's curiosity about her ancestors took her all the way to a PhD in Aboriginal history.

Book Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont serial killer by Wendy Davis

 Don't Make a Fuss

It's only the Claremont serial Killer

by

Wendy Davis

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 1st June 2022

Genre: Non-Fiction (memoir)

Pages: 216

Source: own copy

 

Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont Serial Killer

Don't Make a Fuss is a brave and courageous memoir highlighting the ongoing culture of women's unimportance and  suppression.

 

Wendy was attacked at her workplace by Bradley Edwards. Wendy's attack was minimised and her account ignored by both police and authorities. Edwards went on to murder two, possibly three, women in the Claremont area which sparked a police investigation spanning decades.

Wendy Davis tells her story in this important novel broken up between present-day and the current investigation, and at the time of the attack 30 years ago and how it affected her.

I was appalled how the initial attack on Wendy had little consequence for the perpetrator, brushed under the carpet. However, it affected Wendy's life for years to come.

The story made me angry how crimes against women are being downplayed and because Wendy had a strong personality her trauma was devalued. She was expected to just get on with it.

I can't even fathom the monumental stress she has had to live with during the dragged out court case with years passing from arrest to sentence of this evil man.

I do hope that writing this book has been cathartic for Wendy. However, I am sure that the events of 1990 will be with her forever.

Thank you Wendy for this insightful memoir. We need to make a fuss and not only be heard but also actioned upon appropriately 

4 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street by Marlish Glorie

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

by

Marlish Glorie

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty and Lace Book Club

 

My review of The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street was originally published in 2009 and has been re-released by Fremantle Press with a new, modern updated cover.

The book opens on quite a dramatic scene as Helen has  had enough of her husband's hoarding and living with dead people's belongings, she drags her bed outside and attacks it with an axe.

Helen, hoping to start a new life, eventually leaves her husband and with the help of her long-time neighbour, Astrid, she buys an old rundown bookshop. 

I quite enjoyed this quirky and poignant story about the messiness that is family. Glorie shows how serious hoarding can destroy relationships. Helen and Arnold's two sons had left home to get away from the mess and they very rarely saw them but when they heard their mother had actually left their father, both boys found their way home.

Marlish Glorie's writing is witty and candid. I felt this story was a bit of a tragi-comedy. It's a story of love, loss and grief, of second chances and doing the best you can. I loved the finely nuanced characters, all inexplicably tied to each other. The story is funny at times and at other times quite profound.

I'm a bit of a hoarder myself, not to the extent that Arnold hoards, but I love teacups and teapots. And of course books!

This quote in the book had me in stitches, because this is exactly what I tell my children. 🤣🤣

"One day, all this will be yours. And Vivian's. It's your inheritance. I've been thinking about your future."

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street may not be to everyone's liking, but I loved it!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Marlish Glorie is a novelist, short story writer, mentor and teacher of creative writing. Her short stories have been published in national anthologies. Marlish lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband. She is currently working on another novel, and also volunteers at Trillion Trees.

 

Book Review: The Willow Tree Wharf by Léonie Kelsall

 The Willow Tree Wharf

by

Léonie Kelsall

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 420

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Willow Tree Wharf

With The Willow Tree Wharf Léonie Kelsall has written a slow-burn romance with depth and compassion. 

All Léonie's books read well on their own however if you read them in order you get that extra level of character connection.

I absolutely loved being back in Settlers Bridge with old friends from Léonie's previous books; Roni, Jack, Lucie, Gabrielle, Tracey and Christine. This is one fabulous community and I love feeling a part of it whilst I read.

Samantha is in an abusive relationship and her husband has gaslighted her so much she is afraid to open her mouth. She had no self worth and was very insecure.

"After so many years she should have known better than to provoke him."

These are the thoughts of someone who has been spoken down to all their married life. 

Kelsall brings the whole community together as they close ranks around Samantha. Small towns are known for their gossipers but they also know how to protect their own. 

 

Pierce is a city boy, he has spent his life appeasing his parents and working in their restaurant with their rules. He would love to branch out and live his own dream but feels trapped by obligation.

 

I enjoyed the parallels between Sam's and Pierce's lives. Even though their circumstances were poles apart they were both forfeiting their dreams and happiness for someone else.

Lots of road bumps and misunderstandings made for an immersive read that had me eagerly reading knowing that all will come good in the end. That's what I love about romance!

Léonie's novels are extra special because they have layers of depth as well as the happy endings I expect.

 

 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Raised initially in a tiny, no-horse town on South Australia's Fleurieu coast, then in the slightly more populated wheat and sheep farming land at Pallamana, Léonie Kelsall is a country girl through and through. Growing up without a television, she developed a love of reading before she reached primary school, swiftly followed by a desire to write.

Léonie entertained a brief fantasy of moving to the big city (well, Adelaide), but within months the lure of the open spaces and big sky country summoned her home. Now she splits her time between the stark, arid beauty of the family farm at Pallamana and her home and counselling practice in the lush Adelaide Hills.  

 

Reviews of Léonie's other books:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-club-book-review-farm-at.html 

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-wattle-seed-inn-by-leonie.html 

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-review-river-gum-cottage-by-leonie.html 

Book Review: The Dry by Jane Harper

 The Dry

by

Jane Harper

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st May 2016

Series: Aaron Falk #1

Genre: Crime

Pages: 339

Source: Own book

 

Review: the Dry

My enjoyment of this book was probably ruined by seeing the movie before reading the book. And with almost 222,000 rating on Goodreads I think I may be the only person, in Australia, who hasn't read the book.

Aaron Falk arrives back in his hometown of Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his friend Luke, Luke's wife and son. It has been deemed by all as a murder-suicide. It's been hard times for farmers and many have reached breaking point.

The Dry is set during a lengthy drought and Harper never lets her readers forget how stifling hot it is and how dangerously dry the land is.

As Falk spends more time in his hometown and delves further into Luke's life he is also forced to confront his past and the reason he left town 20 years ago.

Harper shows us the darker side of a close-knit community, with lies and secrets being held for decades, victimisation and bullying by police.

With flashbacks in italics the story moves smoothly between now and then.

I would have liked there to be more people to suspect as I couldn't see anyone had a motive to murder the family. Some strategically placed red herrings would have made the story more immersive.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#dymocksreadingchallenge

#tbrchallenge

About the author

Jane Harper is the internationally bestselling author of the The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and The Survivors. Her books are published in forty territories worldwide, and The Dry has been adapted into a major motion picture starring Eric Bana. Jane has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.

Book Review: One More Time by Mandy Magro

One More Time

by

Mandy Magro

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 7th June 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: One More Time

Mandy Magro has written a heart-wrenching and meaningful story about life, love and second chances.

Charlie Wilson is attending his ex-wife's 70th birthday party. His life has not been easy, he has many regrets and the 'what ifs' play heavily on his mind. fate steps in and magically gives Charlie a second chance at life.

One More Time is not your normal love story. There are lots of I love yous and sweet endearments however Mandy Magro has thrown everything at her characters to test the bounds of their love and sometimes they break.

I love that one of the main characters is a Vietnam veteran, there aren't enough stories about these brave and underrated soldiers.

With themes of PTSD, survivors guilt and alcoholism and the effect this has on relationships. PTSD and survivors guilt not only destroys the sufferer's life but also the lives of those who love them and Magro shows this with candour and compassion. There are also strong themes of love, forgiveness and not giving up on each other.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her fiance, Des, their daughter, Chloe Rose, and their two adorable pooches, Sophie and Sherlock. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman and a romantic at heart, Mandy loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian way of life, and the wonderful characters who call the country home.

 

Book Review: After the Smoke Clears by Kylie Kaden

 After the Smoke Clears

by

Kylie Kaden

A family. A small town. A lifetime of secrets.

 

Publisher: Pantera Press

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Crime / Rural

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: courtesy of Beauty & Lace Book Club

This review first appeared on Beauty and Lace Book Club

 

Review: After the Smoke Clears

School teacher Lotti finds herself falling for August Nash and his 6 year old son Otto. Auggie has a bad boy outer shell but a mushy and gentle heart although he refuses to open up about his past. When August heads back to his hometown after receiving an urgent call for help from a friend, Lotti along with Otto decides to follow him.

As she asks around in Auggie’s hometown she starts to wonder if she really knows the man at all. What dark secrets is he hiding?

After the Smoke Clears, narrated by both Auggie and Lotti in present day 2009 and also by Auggie in 1989, is a compelling mystery read that slowly unfolds over both timelines.

Kylie Kaden has written a small country town mystery with themes of institutionalised abuse, mental illness, feeling of shame and victimisation.

I loved all the 80’s nostalgia throughout the story and Kaden’s depiction of small town policing and bullying were well portrayed. I did however find the story a bit too angst ridden for my liking and I felt the plot kept running round in circles and not moving forward fast enough for me. Still, a compelling read.

 

My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½ 

About the author

Kylie Kaden has an honours degree in psychology, was a columnist at My Child Magazine, and now works in the disability sector.

She knew writing was in her blood from a young age when she snuck onto her brother's Commodore 64 to invent stories as a child. Raised in Queensland, she spent holidays camping with her family on the Sunshine Coast.

With a surfer-lawyer for a husband and three spirited sons, Kylie can typically be found venting the day's thoughts on her laptop, sometimes in the laundry so she can't be found.

After the Smoke Clears is her fifth novel.

You can read my review of One of Us by Kylie Kaden at this link: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/07/spotlight-on-other-books-ive-read-this.html

 

Book Review: Inkflower by Suzy Zail

 Inkflower

by

Suzy Zail

I think there is no better day than Global MND Day to post my review of Inkflower

 

Publisher: Walker Books

 

Publication date: 5th July 2023

 

Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 384

 

RRP: $22.99AU (paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Inkflower

Fifteen year old Lisa's father has Motor Neurone Disease and only six months to live. He gathers the family together to tell them the story of his childhood. A story of a young boy who fought against all odds to survive.

 

Lisa battles with the idea of this new version of her father; a dying man with a devastating childhood. His stories bring to life the grandparents, aunts and uncles she never had the chance to meet.

 

Inkflower unfolds in a dual time-line narration. The now, set in the 1980's, is narrated by Lisa as she navigates school and friendships whilst coming to grips with her father's illness and also who she is. The then, is narrated by Lisa's father Emil as he tells his family the harrowing story of a young boy bullied at school for being Jewish, taken from his home in Czechoslovakia and the horrors of his years in Auschwitz.

 

The balance and parallels between Emil's years of fighting for survival in Auschwitz and his battle against the debilitating effects of MND were astutely portrayed.

 

Inkflower is a deeply moving story of survival inspired by the true events of the author and her family.

Suzy Zail has written an honest and candid story of love, courage, family and resilience.

There can never be too many stories detailing the horrors of Auschwitz and they need to be recorded now because soon there won't be any survivors left.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Publisher's recommended age: 14+

About the author

Suzy Zail has worked as a litigation lawyer, specialising in family law, but now writes full time. Among other titles, she has written The Tattooed Flower, a memoir about her father's time as a child survivor of the holocaust, the story which inspired this novel. Her first novel for young adults, the Wrong Boy, was short listed for the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, the WAYRBA, USBBY and YABBA awards. 

You can visit Suzy online at suzyzail.com.au and on Instagram @authorsuzyzail

 

Book Review: The Ghost of Gracie Flynn by Joanna Morrison

 The Ghost of Gracie Flynn

by

Joanna Morrison

Publisher: Fremantle Press

 

Publication date: 5th October 2022

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 288

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Ghost of Gracie Flynn

I raced through this book! It is such a great read!

Don't let the title deter you, The Ghost of Gracie Flynn is not a paranormal story.

 

 Narrated in second person by Gracie's ghost as she is telling the story to baby Isla, the daughter of her onetime friend Sam.

Gracie's second person omniscient point of view did take me a couple of chapters to get used to but I quickly became immersed in the story.

The novel opens with a death, but it's not Gracie, so I was immediately thrown into a double mystery.

A chance meeting of old college friends Sam, Cohen and Robyn brings up old memories and reopens old wounds. They haven't seen each other since Gracie died and they each went their own separate ways almost two decades ago. The four friends were inseparable at Uni.

Through the dual timeline narration we get a sense of how the three are now and how close they all were when younger.

The plot is easy to follow, even though it jumps between then and now, it is easy to read and flows well. The mystery of Gracie's death kept me invested and gives an extra layer of connection when narrated by Gracie herself.

Each of the three friends went on to be quite successful in life, but not in love, and the chance meeting comes at a time when their lives seem to be falling apart.

With themes of love, happiness, loss, unrequited love and obsession The Ghost of Gracie Flynn is a story full of simmering menace. Compulsive reading!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Joanna Morrison has a background in journalism and a PhD in Creative Writing. Her short fiction has appeared in Australian literary journals and anthologies. In 2020, The Ghost of Gracie Flynn was shortlisted for the City of Fremantle Hungerford Award. Joanna lives in Perth with her husband, two sons and a miniature schnauzer, Scout.

 

 

 

Book Review: The Money Club by Fiona Lowe

 The Money Club

by

Fiona Lowe

Wealth. Trust. Betrayal. 

Publisher: Harlequin Australian

 

Publication date: 3rd May 2023 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 528

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of The Money Club

With The Money Club Fiona Lowe brings her readers right into a small country town devastated when a well respected member of their community goes missing, along with the money they invested with him.

Brad Quinn is charismatic and affable. He and his fiancée, Izzy, live a life of luxury and Brad is happy to share the secret to his success with his close friends and family. As the money rolls in everyone in Brad's Elite Club is able to buy luxury cars and overseas holidays, until Brad and their money disappear.

Fiona explores how easy it is for people to be caught up in these schemes when they are advised by a close friend, preying on the bonds between them.

I found it very hard to like any of the characters or find any sympathy for them. Many of the characters blamed everyone but themselves for their loss. I did however like the growth of the three main characters. Izzy, Lucy and Birdie showed great strength and fortitude by the closing of the book.

I enjoyed the mystery part of the plot and this had me hooked as the tension hung in the air and there was an unexpected turn of events that truly shocked me.

Fiona Lowe explores themes of community, family, home ownership, trust, friendship, financial stress and starting over.

Does the small town of Glingilly survive this devastating financial blow? You will have to read the book to find out!

My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Fiona Lowe has been a midwife, a sexual health counsellor and a family support worker; an ideal career for an author who writes novels about family and relationships. She spent her early years in Papua New Guinea where, without television, reading was the entertainment and it set up a lifelong love of books. Although she often re-wrote the endings of books in her head, it was the birth of her  first child that prompted her to write her first novel. A recipient of the prestigious USA RITA award and the Australian RuBY award. Fiona writes books that are set in small country towns. They feature real people facing difficult choices and explore how family ties and relationships impact on their decisions.

When she is not writing stories, she's a distracted wife, mother of two 'ginger' sons, a volunteer in her community, guardian of eighty rose bushes, a slave to a cat, and is often found collapsed on the couch with wine.

 

Book Review: Into the Night by Fleur McDonald

 Into the Night

by

Fleur McDonald

Arson, suicide or worse? Detective Dave Burrows investigates his most mystifying case.

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th April 2023 

 

Genre: Crime / Rural

 

Pages:  352

 

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Into the Night

Fleur McDonald has delivered another compelling crime novel with Into the Night.

 

Det. Dave Burrows is called in to assist with investigations into the disappearance of a farmer after his farm goes up in flames.

 

I'm always excited when I hear another Dave Burrows novel is coming out. It's not by chance that Dave is loved by readers all over Australia. Fleur McDonald writes authentic characters with relatable problems and Dave may be tough but he wears his heart on his sleeve.

 

I was quickly pulled into the mystery of Leo's disappearance and with chapters ending on little cliffhangers I was urged to read that 'one more chapter', as the mystery deepens and the story becomes all the more engrossing.

 

Running through the police investigation Fleur includes many themes relating to farming and small rural communities. Such as; small towns dying off when there is no work, the risk of fires, marriage problems due to the relentless work hours of farmers, sibling rivalry and cash flow problems.

 

I loved the way Dave and his mentor, Bob Holden, bounce off each other and the clear affection that they have for each other.

Dave Burrows is the quintessential Aussie hero. Into the Night is a must read for rural crime fans!

 

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Fleur McDonald has lived and worked on farms for much of her life. After growing up in the  small town of Orroroo in South Australia, she went jillarooing, eventually co-owning an 8000-acre property in regional Western Australia.

Fleur likes to write about strong women over-coming adversity, drawing on inspiration from her own experiences in rural Australia. She has two children and an energetic kelpie.

 

www.fleurmcdonald.com 

Book Review: A Woman's Work by Victoria Purman

 A Woman's Work

by

Victoria Purman

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 5th April 2023

 

Genre: Women's Fiction / Historical

 

Pages:  358 

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback) 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of A Woman's Work

A Woman's Work is a poignant look at the expected role of married women post WWII Australia.

 

Set in 1950's Australia when the chance of winning a cash prize in a cooking competition could open up a wealth of opportunity.

Told through the dual narrative of two Australian mothers; Ivy Quinn, war widow and single mum to 12yo Raymond, and wife and mother of five, Kathleen O'Grady.

Victoria Purman knows how to immerse her readers into the lives of others. We get a very personal view of both Ivy and Kathleen's lives; their dreams, internal conflicts and despair.

Ivy is a single working mum, she constantly worries if she is doing enough for Raymond, he has no father figure and she is concerned this may have a negative effect on him.

Kathleen, a SAHM of five, finds her days overwhelmed with washing, cleaning and cooking. Her and her husband have grown apart and she feels lost.

 

Both women find a new purpose and confidence when they decide to enter the Australian Women's Weekly recipe competition with a  cash prize of £600.

I immediately connected with Ivy and her son Raymond. Kathleen took me longer to work out. I didn't like her at all until the penny dropped and I realised she had severe depression (sometimes I need these things spelled out to me).

I loved all the cooking and recipes and whilst reading I had so many things I would have liked to ask my grandmother about. I also enjoyed all the nostalgia Purman invokes with the inclusion of rationing, movies of the time, fantales, the Melbourne Olympics and Bex powders.

A Woman's Work is a truly engaging read, and even though set in the past is perfect for contemporary fiction readers.

My rating 4 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Victoria Purman is an Australian top ten and USA Today bestselling fiction author. Her most recent book, The Nurses' War, was an Australian bestseller, as were her novels The Land Girls and The Last of the Bonegilla Girls. Her earlier novel The Three Miss Allens was a USA Today bestseller. She is a regular guest at writers festivals, a mentor and workshop presenter and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature and the 2022 ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript.

I'm off to make some cheese and gherkin scones! 😀