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

 

 

Book Review: The Reunion by Simone Van der Vlugt

The Reunion is a compelling mystery with an unreliable narrator at its centre.

 

I couldn't find my edition of this book, borrowed from a friend, anywhere on the internet. However, if you are interested enough to want to read it there are many options to buy other editions on eBay. 

 

The story is narrated by Sabine whose best friend Isabel went missing when they were 15 years old. Sabine has memory loss and can't remember anything about the day Isabel disappeared.
 

Nine years later the announcement of a high school reunion and a visit back to her old hometown triggers flashes of memory but Sabine can't make sense of them.

 

The Reunion is the classic unreliable narrator, think The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. She has psychotic episodes, alcohol dependence, PTSD and repressed memory.

 

The story goes back and forward between the present, where Sabine is trying to unravel her memory flashes, and nine years ago, when Sabine was relentlessly bullied at school.

 

The Reunion is a compelling mystery. I could feel the tension mounting as the story unfolded. I kept jumping back and forward with who I thought was involved in Isabel's disappearance. Plenty of red herrings kept me guessing right until the end. 

 

You may have to suspend your disbelief, around the police investigation, however this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the novel.

 

Exquisitely translated from Dutch by Michele Hutchison.

 

Content: underage drinking, alcohol dependence, bullying

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

 

Publisher: Text Publishing

Publication date: this edition 2008

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 295

Source: Borrowed copy 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: A Shipwreck in Fiji by Nilima Rao

Sgt Akal Singh is back again in Nilima Rao's second novel, A Shipwreck in Fiji. I thoroughly enjoyed A Disappearance in Fiji and her latest novel is just as enjoyable. 

 

 A Shipwreck in Fiji set in 1915 during WWI sees Nilima Rao draw on real life events surrounding German Naval officer Count Felix von Luckner and expand on this using fictional outcomes.

 

Akal is still finding it hard to fit-in in Fiji as Indians are perceived as second class citizens. However, he has good friends in Const Taviti Tukana and Dr Holmes.

His superior is still not on board and sends him away to babysit two Australian visitors and also follow a wild goose chase about sightings of Germans on Levuka.

 

I love how Nilima Rao takes a true event and expands on this to make a fictional story that is entertaining and compelling.

This installment has Akal unexpectedly investigating two murders. He is very guarded as he is still haunted by his mistake of letting vital information get into the wrong hands.

 

 

There is quite a bit of backstory which for me slowed the story down. However, if you haven't read A Disappearance in Fiji this backstory is quite beneficial as it explains why Akal is stationed in Fiji and his reticence.

 

I enjoyed the addition of indigenous Fijian culture and traditions and the way Rao portrayed the clash between traditional Fijian and British laws and also how Taviti struggled with being caught between these two cultures. 

 

Beautifully described scenes of Suva and some of the villages made it easy to visualise how Fiji was in the early 20th century.

I've really warmed to Sgt Akal Singh over the last two books. He is calm, passive and a little naive but always believes in doing things the right way not the easy way. 

 

A Shipwreck in Fiji is an astounding historical mystery read which reads well as a standalone.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 29th April 2025

Series: Akal Singh #2 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

Pages: 272

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of the first book:

A Disappearance in Fiji 

Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

I enjoyed We Solve Murders more for the fabulous mix of characters than the mystery. The short chapters kept the plot moving along at a good steady pace.

 

Amy works for a private security company and is currently protecting world renown author Rosie D'Antonio after she has received a death threat. When it starts to look like Amy is being set up for a number of murders, she calls on her father-in-law, retired police officer Steve Wheeler, to help her find out who is behind the murders.

Not being able to leave Rosie unprotected, she takes her along as they investigate the murders. 

The vast number of characters introduced at the start of the book made it hard to keep up with and remember who was who.  However it soon settled into a rhythm and the connections became easier to keep track of.

 

We Solve Murders is an easy read. The plot is uncomplicated, there is plenty of humour and you don't have to think too deeply about the mystery.

 

You may have to suspend your disbelief at times but it is its absurdness that makes it so funny.

 

We Solve Murders is perfect for those who like their murder mysteries with a dose of humour and heart. 

With over 129,000 ratings on Goodreads already, and 78% being 4 & 5 stars, it looks like Richard Osman is on another winner with this series.

 

My rating 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Imprint: Viking

Publication date: 17th September 2024

Series: We Solve Murders #1

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 444

Source: Own Copy