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: Stay Buried by Jane R. Miles

As Cyclone Tracy tears through Darwin, Christmas Eve 1974, four girls disappear into the heart of the outback. No tracks. No bodies. No answers.

Decades later, one returns. 

Inspired by true events Jane R. Miles' debut novel Stay Buried is a hauntingly powerful read.

2004 - The parents of four missing girls gather together in front of the Police Commissioner awaiting the latest development in the case of the girls disappearance on the night cyclone Tracey hit Darwin in December 1975.

1975 - One of the missing girls, eight-year-old Lisa-Marie narrates events as they happen.

The 2004 timeline is narrated by Von (Evelyn) who is positive her mother Sally's disappearance, only weeks before the girls, is linked. However, no-one is interested in down-and-out Sally or the daughter she left behind.

Lisa-Marie is one peculiar little girl and reading her narration of the story is spine-tingling. She's outspoken and a manipulator. Her character retains believability as she often reverts back to how you would expect an 8 year old to act.

While the reader knows what happened to the girls, the final outcome remains a mystery until the end of the book.

Miles delivers the story with a tense, creepy atmosphere and a continual foreboding feeling hangs in the air. There are plenty of chapter ending cliff-hangers that keep those pages turning and jaw-dropping reveals making Stay Buried a book you'll find hard to put down.

I was pulled into the mystery and amazed at the girls' sheer will to survive that overcame social and ethical norms. Stay Buried is a chilling and thought provoking read.

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th July 2026

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 322

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#stayburied #crimethriller #lockeddoorthriller #hqinsiders #ausbookbloggers

Review: Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

I have quite enjoyed Natalie Conyer's previous books and Finding the Bones was no exception. 

Inspired by the unresolved case of missing heiress Juanita Nielson, in Finding the Bones, Conyer imagines a scenario where the bones of a missing person are found decades after their disappearance.

In 1987 we meet Belle Fitzgerald, a conservation activist living in Kings Cross.

Current day - workmen on a dig uncover an open grave. Acting Inspector Jackie Rose is called in to lead the investigation. It appears to be the bones of missing heiress Belle Fitzgerald.

We first met Jackie Rose in Shadow City where she works on a case with police officer Schalk Lourens, before he returned to South Africa.

Jackie's father is retired detective Stanton Rose, revered hero of the 80's and Jackie feels she is forever working in her father's shadow.

Finding the Bones is an immersive police procedural. As we get Jackie's investigation unfolding we also get real events in a separate timeline decades earlier. This gives the reader insight into information and events that Jackie isn't aware of yet.

Natalie Conyer gives her protagonist a personal moral dilemma that she must work through. A professional conflict of interest.

Finding the Bones is a compelling story that kept me turning the pages. We also get to know Jackie on a more personal level and find this case has life changing consequences for her. Jackie and her work partner Kinsella are both extremely likeable characters and it was good to learn more about both of them as well as getting a gritty police investigation.

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd March 2026

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 309

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

Other books by Natalie Conyer

Shadow City

Present Tense

The Bookclub and other stories

#findingthebones #crimefiction #ausbookbloggers #natalieconyer #australianauthor

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: The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson

 This story needs to be on the screen!!

The Maskeys is an outrageously entertaining story of an outlaw family. The ferals of a small country town and family of the local drug lord. 

Set in the fictitious town of Naples which, I think, could be in the Northern Rivers hinterland. The story doesn't specifically state its location.

Naples is a town on the verge of collapse, gripped by drugs and feuding neighbours. A town where everyone is on drugs, trying to get off drugs or growing drugs, or selling drugs. George Maskey is the town's drug lord. He controls the sellers and his grower, Rodney, an orphan, who attends the marijuana crop growing in the hills. Rodney has learnt to survive on his own and never loses sight of his dream for a better future.

Stuart Everly-Wilson has drawn a very real town with real people, maybe not people I'd want to associate with but very real all the same. We get to meet the framework of the Maskey family and their neighbour, service station owner, Gayle Reynolds. There is an ongoing feud between the two as Gayle thinks the Maskeys have something to do with her son's disappearance.

Stuart Everly-Wilson has included an eclectic array of characters that I'm sure were plucked off the streets of a real Australian country town. These people are the low-lifes of society, addicts and dealers, no-hopers, but I came to care about them, interested to know what would happen to them.

The Maskeys is brilliant bush noir as the story slowly unravels a tangled web of deceit, lies and mistrust is revealed. This is a family saga of epic proportions told through present day and flashbacks. Stuart Everly-Wilson's reveals are subtle but jaw-dropping, it's easy to miss them and at times I picked up on the meaning later in the book with a sudden exclamation of understanding (that's the oh my gosh everyone could hear).

The Maskeys is politically incorrect, coarse and outrageously funny. This is one book not to be missed.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content: death by drugs

               coarse language

               

              

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st October 2025

Genre: Crime / Noir

Pages: 320

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

Review: Stillwater by Tanya Scott

As soon as I read the prologue of Stillwater I was completely hooked into the mystery. 

Tania Scott asks the question in Stillwater; "Can you ever outrun your past?"

Luke Harris is working for a disability support company and gets a call for home help with the Wylie family. Here he meets Emma, sister of Phil who Luke is working with. 

Luke has a self-imposed solitude but he clicks with Emma and they start seeing each other.

Luke and Emma both have stuff  going on behind the scenes and Tanya Scott shows through their interactions that non-one really knows what's going on for you or how your past defines you.

The story goes back in time to different parts of Luke's childhood living with his gambling, lying, cheating father and how he was neglected and abused. Luke learnt from an early age to rely on no one but himself. The mob picked him up and looked after him, for a price. There was no escape.

Stillwater is a harrowing story of being brought up by the mob and trying to build a better life, but trouble always seemed to find Luke. Scott builds empathy for her main character. We get to see his upbringing and want him to succeed.

Stillwater is a gritty story of criminal bosses, paranoia , manipulation and coercion.

Fast-paced and addictive, Stillwater is a powerful debut that I couldn't put down until I'd finished the last page. I'm excited for the next Luke Harris novel coming out in April 2027.

Content: child abuse

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 12th August 2025

Series: Luke Harris Thriller #1

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 375

Source: Own copy

Review: Gunpowder Creek by Alex Dook

Alex Dook's debut novel Gunpowder Creek is a fabulously entertaining read.

Gritty and action packed there is never a dull moment in this high octane crime thriller. 

Emily receives a garbled voicemail from her son Zach about someone coming after him. She races to his flat to find it trashed but empty.

Zach has been mixed up with the wrong people but when his latest job goes terribly wrong he finds himself held captive and his mother must complete the job or Zach will die.

Emily can't believe what she is doing, driving a stolen car to make a delivery to the remote town of Gunpowder Creek. She has three days to deliver or Zach will be killed. She will do anything for her only son.

What ensues is a race across the Australian desert where Emily's every move, every word is being monitored, but there is someone else who wants that package and they will stop at nothing to find Emily.

Alex Dook takes an everyday person and puts them in dire life or death situations showing how a mother's love transcends fear and pain. Emily is like a mother bear fighting off anyone who endangers her child.

I was stunned at how far Emily was pushed however, glimpses of her backstory shows she had a harsh upbringing. She was no quitter. Even though you will need to suspend your disbelief a little I found the descriptions of the punishing outback and Emily's desperation all felt real.

I liked how Dook had Emily fighting against the worst of humankind however when it came down to it she never lost her empathy.

Lots of dark humour had me laughing at times and were a welcome relief from the blood and gore.

Gunpowder Creek is an impressive debut. I raced through it. I'm now very excited to see what Alex Dook comes up with next.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd September 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#gunpowdercreek #alexdook #debut #crime #thriller #ausbookbloggers 

Review: A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George

I really should do more research before requesting review books that are in a series.

A Slowly Dying Cause is book #22 in the Inspector Lynley series.

" The Inspector Lynley Mysteries series was developed for television by the BBC and ran for six seasons from 2001 to 2007. Britbox announced a reboot of the series to air in 2025."

When the body of Michael Lobb is discovered in his family's workshop police are called in to investigate. As the investigation continues the number of likely suspects increases.

I loved how Elizabeth George delved deeply into each character's life, making the story more about the characters and their nuances than the mystery itself. There seemed to be a theme around men's sexual fantasies and older men lusting after much younger women.

I found A Slowly Dying Cause to be a complex and satisfying read. It's a large book at over 600 pages and the intriguing mystery kept me entertained throughout.

A Slowly Dying Cause is a story about manipulation and deceit , infidelity and desire, and the family ties that bind us.

If you are already a Lynley fan you will not be disappointed with this new mystery however this book is not a good place to start even though the murder case is solved during the novel the focus on the characters' lives and their shared histories left me lost at times.

I enjoyed this enough to find some previous novels in the series to catch up on the characters.

My rating reflects on the fact I didn't know Lynley's and Haver's backstories and I found it hard to connect.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 16th September 2025

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Series: Inspector Lynley #22

Pages: 643

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#inspectorlynley #aslowlydyingcause #elizabethgeorge #murdermystery #crime

Review: Twisted River by James Dunbar

 I really enjoyed Mole Creek by James Dunbar and Twisted River is even more compelling!

With Twisted River James Dunbar had me riveted to my seat until I'd finished the book.

I love a book that can grab me from the prologue and hold my attention all the way through.

When charity worker Cate and website designer Rory, a married couple in their thirties, return from their European holiday, they make a nightmare discovery. Their credit cards have been cancelled, their bank account has been emptied, and their phones and internet have been cut off. They finally arrive home to find their house-sitter has disappeared along with their dog. But this is only the beginning, their lives are about to get much messier and they have no idea why someone is targeting them.

James Dunbar does a superb job of getting the reader to like his main characters before dropping some revealing information about them.

There are twists galore in this edge of your seat thriller.

While I found myself holding my breath at times there are also some laugh-out-loud moments rich in dark humour. I also loved getting the dog Iris's point of view. Such fun!

The setting of Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales has its own starring role with Dunbar's evocative descriptions of the town and its surrounds.

I love a good revenge story and Twisted River is plotted to perfection. I couldn't put the book down as I was pulled deeper and deeper into this gut wrenching mystery.

Twisted River is a tense, edge of your seat thriller that will have you second guessing having a stranger house-sit for you.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th September 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 310

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Nemesis by Patricia Wolf

 Nemesis is another tension-filled DS Walker thriller from Aussie expat Patricia Wolf. I thoroughly enjoyed the first three books and Nemesis did not disappoint.

Right from the opening pages Nemesis delivers a foreboding atmosphere.

The story moves from Canberra, Australia to Berlin and the fictional town of Mildersee , Germany. I loved all the visually descriptive scenes of Germany told through DS Walker's eyes.

Det Barbara Guerra features heavily in this book and it's good to be back with her and see how she and her sister Rita are coping after their ordeal in book 1, Outback.

The DS Walker series is much more immersive if read in order. Each book has a separate crime that is investigated and solved; however they also have a common plot concerning an outlaw bikie gang running through the four books.

I enjoy Wolf's style of writing with short, sharp sentences. It makes for a fast read.

Barbara is working on a case where a dead body is found adrift in a rowboat in an exclusive lakeside holiday area. The murder plot kept me intrigued and the more Barbara investigated the death the suspect list kept getting longer. A few well-placed red herrings made sure I was kept guessing all the way through.

DS Walker is in Berlin on an investigation of his own which also gives him time to meet up with Barbara and give them both the chance to work out their feelings for each other.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 29th July 2025

Series: DS Walker Thriller #4

Genre: crime / Thriller

Pages: 406

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Reviews of other books in the series:

OUTBACK

PARADISE

OPAL

Review: Rumour Has It by Karly Lane

Make sure to check back tomorrow as I will be posting a giveaway for a paperback copy of Rumour Has It by Karly Lane.

Karly Lane is a must-read author for me. I've never read a mediocre Karly Lane book and Rumour Has It, Karly's twenty-sixth novel, is no exception.

This truly engaging second chance romance mystery read had me invested right from the opening pages.

I loved that Rumour Has It featured characters that were a little older than most romance novels. It was nice to move away from the all consuming, heady and often angsty romances of characters in their 20's and early 30's. Aubree and Beau's relationship was based on communication and each had something to teach the other about compromise and balance.

As with previous books, Rumour Has It combines small-town romance with a compelling mystery, a cold case murder investigation and a missing person puzzle. The twists honestly shocked me and Karly Lane shows she is a truly versatile writer to combine these two genres and pull it off, once again.

There is also lots of fun and humour with best friend Ronnie cheering Aubree on and the small-town rumour mill running in overtime.

If you haven't read a Karly Lane book before this is a great book to start with. Like me, you'll be hooked.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

⭐Plus an extra star for a character named Ronnie 💖

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 2nd December 2025

Genre: Rural Romance / Mystery

Pages: 341

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

Other books I've read by Karly Lane.

TAKE ME HOME

THE WRONG CALLAHAN

MR RIGHT NOW 

A STONE'S THROW AWAY 

SOMETHING LIKE THIS

FOOL ME ONCE

ONCE BURNT, TWICE SHY 

TIME AFTER TIME 

FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE 

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK

#rumourhasit #karlylane #australianauthor #ruralromance  #blogtour  #newrelease #ausbookbloggers #mystery

Review: The Private Island by Ali Lowe

The Private Island was Global Girls Online Book Club book of the month for September 2025.

I thought I had read previous books by Ali Lowe but apparently, after looking through Goodreads, I haven't read any of her books. So now I have a wonderful backlist to explore and she also has a new thriller coming out in March 2026.

Ali Lowe really pulled me into a twisty mystery with The Private Island. The resort lifestyle was perfectly rendered however for these holidaymakers it wasn't the idyllic break they were expecting.

Told through multiple narratives the reader gets a broad picture of what each character sees and as the story evolves we realise there is a lot going on behind the scenes.

The prologue opens with a body washed up on the shore but it is not revealed exactly who it is.

Nuanced characters are perfectly written, almost all have secrets and plenty are after revenge.... but would they kill for it?

I loved the way Ali Lowe tells the story right up to the discovery of the body and then goes back four months to fill in details that haven't previously been revealed. Each character's point of view sheds a little more light on the mystery.

The Private Island is a compelling mystery that exposes the complexity of greed and the need for closure via revenge. I was constantly surprised as the connections between the characters were slowly disclosed throughout the story. Cliff hanger chapter endings keep the pages turning. There is never a dull moment in The Private Island.

I also loved the addition of a cocktail recipe at the start of each chapter because what's an island holiday without cocktails!

The Private Island is a twisty tale of love, betrayal, family and secrets powered by money.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication date: 25th February 2025

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 398

Source: Own Copy

#theprivateisland #alilowe #bookreview #australianauthor #ggobcbookofthemonth

#crimeread #mysteryread #ausbookbloggers 

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: 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: The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith

I loved The Wedding Vow by Dandy Smith. It was addictive and fast paced full of red herrings and jaw dropping twists. The Wrong Daughter is every bit as addictive. I read it in one cold, wet, rainy day.

 

Smith pulls her readers straight into the mystery with a prologue showing how 13 year old Olivia is taken from her bedroom.

 

One plot line follows Caitlin sixteen years after Olivia's kidnapping. Caitlin is now twenty-six and she still isn't coping with the loss.

 

A second plot-line follows Elinor and Heath living on a secluded country estate. This plot has an overriding foreboding feeling that something isn't quite right. I was intrigued to see how these two very different plots would connect.

 

When Olivia suddenly shows up at their parents door Caitlin is ecstatic but as the weeks pass she is more and more convinced this woman is not Olivia.    

 

The Wrong Daughter is an addictive story of manipulation. Filled with adrenaline inducing suspense, a compelling mystery, and a few red-herrings to sift through. I thought I had it all worked out but, of course, I was wrong, and I love that!

 

The Wrong Daughter is definitely a roller coaster ride. It had me gripped right until the thrilling ending.

 

my rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

The Wrong Daughter by Dandy Smith 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd June 2025

Genre: Crime / Psychological Thriller 

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$22.99 ( B format paperback) 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Wedding Vow: 

 https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2025/05/book-review-wedding-vow-by-dandy-smith.html