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: 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 Signatory by Stuart Black

 The Signatory

by

Stuart Black

Loyalty can be a deadly virtue

 

Publisher: Glass House Books

 

Publication date: 20th April 2023

 

Genre: Crime / Thriller

 

Pages: 230

 

RRP: $33.00AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of DMCPRMedia

 

My review of The Signatory

The Signatory is a gripping crime novel centred around, what you would think to be, the very safe world of marketing. 

Successful start-up company The Bold Agency has been bought out by the large global company, YRG. The takeover is going well and owner Sam Pride is enjoying the money. When his chief finance officer, Chaz Bailey, starts digging around into some of YRG's dealings and questions arise about the takeover, Chaz is kidnapped and his life is threatened unless an incriminating document is handed over.

Sam now finds himself in a fight for survival whilst he tries to uncover the person behind the fraud and also save his friend.

The Signatory is a great story set around the corporate world of advertising. It's very clear that Stuart Black knows his subject.

The only downside for me was the constant changing point of view which hindered the flow of the story. It felt like it was jumping all over the place.

The Signatory is a compelling story with corporate crime, greed and murder taking centre stage. A story filled with twists and turns until the final chapter.

My rating 3.5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Stuart Black worked for Saatchi & Saatchi in Sydney and London, before becoming the founding partner and CEO of South-East Asia's leading healthcare communications group, Ward6.

Alongside his career in advertising, Stuart is the author of two novels. In 2003, he had a manuscript shortlisted for the NSW Writers' Centre Popular Fiction Competition and in 2009, published the psychological thriller Shallow Water.

Stuart's second novel, The Signatory, is based on his intimate knowledge of the international corporate world. Stuart is married and has two children.

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: Picture You Dead by Peter James

 Picture You Dead

by

Peter James

The ultimate find.  The ultimate price.

 

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan 

 

Publication date: 26th July 2022

 

Series: Roy Grace #18 

 

Genre: Crime / Thriller

 

Pages: 448

 

RRP: $34.99AU Trade paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Picture You Dead 

Peter James' eighteenth Roy Grace novel brings his readers right into the high stakes world of antique art.

Roy Grace and his team are working on the four year old cold case murder of an art dealer.

Harry Kipling and his wife uncover what may be a long lost Fragonard painting after picking it up from a car boot sale. If it is genuine it could be worth millions!

Roy Grace and his team soon find themselves plunged into the deadly world of fine art and the Kipling's world will be changed forever but it may not be the dream they envisioned.

Peter James has excelled in his research for this book. I was totally drawn into the world of fine art and art forgery and found myself googling the masterpieces and famous forgers.

Drawing inspiration from a real life art forger James has delivered a story that is as fascinating as it is engrossing. The deadly world of fine art involves underhanded dealings, forgery, theft, double crossing and even murder. Some collectors will stop at nothing to get the piece they want!

Whilst Picture You Dead is a compelling police procedural, James also builds on the development of his main group of characters and the reader attains a peek into their personal lives and their ups and downs.

A few things I loved about this book were; the short paragraphs, the inclusion of advances in forensics and DNA identification, the use of technology from onboard car computers, the backstory came in short bursts, the scene at Antiques Roadshow (I love that show), the inclusion of a character with type 1 diabetes, the criminals are purely evil.

 

I have no qualms about recommending this series to all crime readers. 

All Peter James' Roy Grace novels read well as standalone.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Peter James is a UK number one bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper. Peter has won over forty awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger.

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of nineteen Sunday Times number ones, and his books have sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into thirty-eight languages. 

Other books by Peter James I have reviewed

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2021/08/book-review-left-you-dead-by-peter-james.html

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-find-them-dead-by-peter.html 

Book Review: Blood & Ink by Brett Adams

 Blood & Ink

by

Brett Adams

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 2nd October 2022

 

Genre: Crime Fiction

 

Pages: 384

 

RRP: $32.99AU  (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Blood & Ink

Blood & Ink was a literary delight!

 

Protagonist Jack Griffen is so well portrayed as the academic; mild mannered  and a little muddleheaded, he is always relating everything back to literature.

 

Jack, feeling down on his luck since his wife and daughter left him to live in the US, throws everything into his job as Professor of Literature at UWA. He enjoys mentoring international student Hieronymus Beck, who is writing a crime novel. Jack sees Hieronymus as his protege.

When Hiero leaves behind his manuscript outline for Jack to read over he soon realises that Hiero is acting out the murders in real life. Knowing the police would never believe him he races across the globe to try and prevent the next murder. Each pending murder is coded as a puzzle that Jack must first decipher. What ensues is a fast paced, adrenaline fuelled cat-and-mouse game as Jack is always one step behind Hiero at every turn.

Once the police become involved Jack becomes the prime suspect and whilst trying to outwit the murderer he must also outmanoeuver the police.

Brett Adams has given his readers a sharply plotted and gripping crime thriller with many literary tie-ins throughout.

A writer who would know more than me about the makeup of a successful novel will recognise

the clever addition of these structural characteristics.

I loved the addition of exFBI, now Scotland Yard criminal profiler, DCI Marten Lacroix, tough and witty. This woman needs her own series!

Blood & Ink is an adrenaline fuelled read. It reads like a hard-boiled detective story, only with a literature professor as the lead character.

I can seriously see this on the big screen.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Brett Adams was raised in country Western Australia and lives in Perth. He has a PhD in Computer Science that taught him to love puzzles, and a family who taught him to love stories (or vice versa). He writes fiction across a range of genres, and has been known to plant an easter egg or two. 

 

 

Book Review: The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale

 The Next Girl

by

Pip Drysdale

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

 

Publication date: 30th November 2022

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery Thriller

 

Pages: 368

 

RRP: $32.99AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

This review first appeared on the Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

My review of The Next Girl

With her release of The Next Girl, Pip Drysdale has delivered an adrenaline fueled story with themes of toxic masculinity, online bullying and revenge versus justice.

 

Billie had always wanted to work in the justice system working her way to become a lawyer. She relished her job as a paralegal, helping attain justice for victims of crime. When her latest case goes terribly wrong, her client's abuser is acquitted and Billie loses her job.

Billie decides to avenge the victim by exposing the man for what he really is and to do this she must become, his next girl. The main character was so stressy and hyper I found it hard to settle into the story as she was racing from one thing to the next.

The Next Girl is a vigilante style story with lots of mysteries running through it and I found the not knowing, rather than drawing me in, was confusing at times.

The Next Girl is timely and compelling. I did enjoy the story, it just isn't my favourite by Pip Drysdale.

My rating 3 /5 ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Pip Drysdale is the bestselling author of The Sunday Girl, The Strangers We Know and The Paris Affair. She grew up between Africa and Australia, became an adult between New York and London. Before becoming a novelist she spent time as a musician and an actress. Pip presently lives in Sydney.

 

My reviews of Pip's other books:

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2021/03/book-review-paris-affair-by-pip-drysdale.html

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2019/12/book-review-strangers-we-know-by-pip.html 

Book Review: The Death of John Lacey by Ben Hobson

 The Death of John Lacey

by

Ben Hobson

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 31st January 2023

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $32.99 (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPR Media 

 

My review of The Death of John Lacey

The Death of John Lacey is not only a story about John Lacey, it's a story about the harsh Australian countryside.

Hobson delivers an authentic Australian historical drama set during the mid to late 1800's. Told through the dual narrative of Ernst Montague, the son of a convict sentenced to life in Australia, and that of John Lacey, a smooth talking entrepreneur.  Ernst and John's lives cross at different times as the reader is taken to the gold fields and surrounding areas where men and women work hard to survive.

 

Hobson builds an ominous feel around John Lacey as he lurks around the gold fields doing favours and building alliances. He is a man that lusts for power and rules the town with an iron fist. Hobson also cleverly builds empathy for Ernst even though he is on the wrong side of the law and when Ernst and John confront each other the town will become divided.

I loved the conversations between the male characters, they were slow and sparse, coming across as very authentic. I also enjoyed reading about Australia and it's early years. It was a harsh country with some cruel men but there were also those that were willing to help others at their own expense.

If you are after a story that shows the struggle of early Australians coupled with the good and bad in men themselves, this will be a book you will thoroughly enjoy.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Ben Hobson is a teacher, and an author, based in Brisbane. To Become a Whale, his debut novel was released in 2017. His second novel, Snake Island, a literary thriller, was released in 2019.

Book Review: The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon

 The House of Now and Then

by

Jo Dixon

A lonely house. A missing boy. A long-held secret.

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 4th January 2023

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 432

 

RRP: $29.99AU (Paperback) 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The House of Now and Then

The House of Now and Then is a compelling mystery read, with plot twists that had me reeling.

 

Narrated in dual time-lines; the now being 2017 with Olivia living in Eloise's secluded house in the Tasmanian bush; then, is 30 years earlier in 1985 with friends Jeremy, Pippa and Rebecca house-sitting for Eloise in the same house.

Eloise's architecturally designed house is a central part of the story. For Olivia it is a secluded place to hide from a scandal that has destroyed her life. The three young friends are there to enjoy time together before Jeremy moves to England.

Jo Dixon builds empathy in her readers before disclosing Olivia's scandalous past so you can't help but be on her side. Jeremy, Pippa and Rebecca are fun loving and easy to like but tensions start to build between the three as the story progresses and Pippa meets Leo and brings him into the group.

The two plot-lines play out separately and I was intrigued as to how they would connect.

As Olivia is pulled into the mystery of Leo's disappearance she starts to open up to the people of the small rural town finding friendship and acceptance.

I love it when you open a book that is impossible to put down! The House of Now and Then has a mystery that is so thick there isn't a hint of what's going on. I felt a real compulsion to get to the end and find out the truth behind the disappearance and if Olivia could move on from her past mistakes and reclaim her life.

The House of Now and Then is an intriguing read with decades old secrets, compelling twists and a host of flawed, but real, characters.

This is a powerful debut by Jo Dixon and I'm looking forward to seeing what she delivers next!

My rating 5/5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Over ten years ago, Jo moved from suburban Brisbane to rural Tasmania. Since then, she's been wrangling an ever-growing collection of animals, bringing up two sons, and attempting to transform blackberry-infested paddocks into beautiful gardens. Now, she also writes full-time, creating twisty, suspenseful stories. The House of Now and Then is her debut novel. She is now working on her second book.

Book Review: Taken by Dinuka McKenzie

 Taken 

by

Dinuka McKenzie

Detective Kate Miles #2

Publisher: Harper Collins Aus

 

Publication date: 1st February 2023

 

Series: Det. Kate Miles #2 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 327

Source: Netgalley

My review of Taken

Just what I needed, I finished it in two days! Taken is a fabulous read that kept me glued to the pages. 

A young baby goes missing a Det Kate Miles leads the case. This is the second book in the series but I didn't feel like I had missed out on anything.

Kate has a lot going on in her life and she seems to be struggling but she always finds time to help others, often to the detriment of her own family time.

Kate brushes of racist remarks and battles misogynists while her personal life is threatening to derail her career as she worries that her father may be implicated in a corruption scandal.

Through Kate, Dinuka McKenzie highlights the struggle for all mothers returning to the paid workforce and the guilt this entails as they juggle being a wife, mother, daughter and employee.

Detective Kate Miles is a skillfully developed character; she makes bad decisions, thinks with her heart and struggles with the challenges life throws at her.

Taken is a well-rounded crime, mystery with themes of domestic abuse and the overwhelming expectations of motherhood.

 

Taken, book two in the Kate Miles series, is a fast paced and deftly plotted police procedural that reads well as a stand-alone.

I am pleased to have found a new series to follow with a relatable protagonist at its heart.

My rating 4/5       ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Dinuka McKenzie is an Australian writer. Her debut crime novel, The Torrent, won the HarperCollins Australia 2020 Banjo Prize. Her then-unpublished manuscript Taken was longlisted for the 2020 Richell Prize. When not writing, Dinuka works in the environmental sector and volunteers as part of the team behind the Writers Unleashed Festival. She lives in southern Sydney with her husband, two kids and their pet chicken.

 

Book Review: Retribution by Sarah Barrie

 Retribution

by

Sarah Barrie

Once a vigilante, she's now a cop....who doesn't play by the rules

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Publication date: 30th November 2022

 

Series: Lexie Winter #2

 

Genre: Crime / Thriller

 

Pages: 347

 

RRP: $32.99 Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Retribution

Retribution is book two in the Lexi Winter series and opens with Lexi newly graduated from the Police Academy. Even though Retribution can be read as a stand-alone I would recommend reading Unforgiven as it will give you a good grasp of who Lexi is and where she has come from.

 

Currently assigned to Wyong Police Station, Lexi is hell bent on bringing down a notorious drug family, single-handedly if need be.

 

Retribution isn't quite as disturbing and hard-hitting as Unforgiven and starts off as a bit of a slow burn. I was wondering if it was going to match up to Unforgiven. I needn't have worried. As the story progresses the pace quickens and the tension rises, along with the body count.

Lexi plays by her own rules and everyone else has to fall in line. She gets results!

 

I really enjoyed the setting of Wyong, Woy Woy and Wondabyne, on the New South Wales central coast, as I know these areas and could picture them.

There are two cases under investigation; one is the murder of a building company owner and the other is bringing down the drug empire.

 

I thought it would be hard for Barrie to follow with another crime thriller that's as gritty and suspenseful as Unforgiven but when the tension in Retribution hits out of nowhere and the twists start coming all I could think was, Sarah Barrie has done it again!  

 

My rating 4.5/5       ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

About the author

 

Photo credit:Goodreads

Sarah Barrie is the author of nine novels, including her bestselling print debut Secrets of Whitewater Creek, the Hunters Ridge and Calico Mountain trilogies, and a new crime series starring Constable Lexi Winter. In a past life, while gaining degrees in arts, science and education, Sarah worked as a teacher, a vet nurse, a horse trainer and a magazine editor, before deciding she wanted to write novels. About the only thing that has remained constant is her love of all things crime.

Her favourite place in the world is the family property, where she writes her stories overlooking mountains crisscrossed with farmland, bordered by the beauty of the Australian bush, and where, at the end of the day, she can spend time with family, friends, a good Irish whiskey and a copy of her next favourite book. 

 

 
 

 

Book Review & Giveaway: Crows Nest by Nikki Mottram

Crows Nest

by

Nikki Mottram

A Dana Gibson Mystery 

 

Publisher: University of Queensland Press

Publication date: 31st January 2023

 

Genre: Crime / Rural

 

Pages: 320

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPR 

 

My review of Crows Nest

Crows Nest is a compelling rural crime debut from Nikki Mottram placing her firmly on the list of notable Australian crime writers.

  

I was pulled into the story right from the start. Dana Gibson is a relatable, flawed character. She has had a few life altering dramas and instead of facing her demons she decides to flee from Sydney to Toowoomba. 

 

Dana is a community services worker, well respected in Sydney, but she has to prove herself before she is trusted in this small country town.

I really connected with Dana. She acts on impulse, often regretting her actions later. She is quick to snap and slow to open-up which makes people wary of her.

 

Crows Nest is a police procedural with a different twist. Not happy with the way the police are handling the murder investigation Dana starts her own investigation, evidence board and all. I loved Dana’s little side-kick and mini sleuth Angus, her 11 year-old neighbour. He was a clever little thing and had a sad story of his own.

Crows Nest has themes of dysfunctional families, small town secrets and lack of resources for community workers

Nikki Mottram has written a clever mystery deeply rooted in its small town setting.

 

I am looking forward to the second book, Killarney.

 

My rating  5/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author 

Nikki Mottram writes crime fiction and has a background in child protection. She has a psychology degree from University of Queensland and has worked in London and Australia in positions protecting and promoting the welfare of children at risk of harm. She has been published in the Boroondara Literary Awards anthology and shortlisted for the Fish Short Story Prize and the Hal Porter Short Story Competition. In 2018, she was the recipient of a Katharine Susannah Pritchard Writers' Centre Fellowship. She grew up and resides in Toowoomba, and brings to her work an understanding of rural communities.

Giveaway

Thanks to DMCPR and University of Queensland Press I have one paperback copy to give away. Entry is via the form below. Entries close at 6pm AEDT on 18th February 2023.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE

Book Review: Broad River Station by Fleur McDonald

 Broad River Station

by

Fleur McDonald

Broad River Station is Fleur McDonald's 20th Novel and a ripper of a read! 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st November 2022

Genre: Contemporary/Rural/Crime

Pages: 368 

RRP: $29.99 Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of Broad River Station

Broad River Station is another engrossing, rural set, police procedural from Fleur McDonald.

 

Wanting to be near her elderly grandmother, newly graduated police officer Mia Worth has moved to Broad River and is about to start at her first station as the only female with five male police officers.

Mia is treated as a liability, not only because she is a female but also a rookie.

I love how Fleur writes strong female characters in male dominated roles and we see them push ahead through prejudice and adversity.

 

A few different plot lines are introduced in Broad River Station, all relevant to rural communities; Mia's grandmother has dementia but in moments of lucidity she alludes to a mystery surrounding Mia's father, an organic farmer's crop is sabotaged and a young child goes missing.

 

I enjoyed getting to know Mia and how she fits into Broad River and nearby Burra. Det Dave Burrows is a secondary character but it was nice to have some familiar faces pop in with Dave and Kim, Jack and Zara. I love how Dave gives advice to both Jack and Mia and encourages them in their jobs, just like Bob did with Dave when he was younger.

 

Broad River Station is another fantastic read from Fleur McDonald. If you haven't yet gotten into Fleur's books, what are you waiting for!!!

 

Rural crime at its best. Fleur knows farming and the rural setting and it's evident in her stories.  

 

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 overcoming adversity, drawing inspiration from her own experience in rural Australia. She has two children and an energetic kelpie.

 

 Other books I've reviewed by Fleur McDonald

Without a Doubt 

Something to Hide 

The Shearer's Wife 

Rising Dust 

Red Dust 

Red Dirt Country 

Deception Creek 

 

Book Review: Dark Deeds Down Under - A Crime & Thriller Anthology

Title: Dark Deeds Down Under

Author: Various 

Editor: Craig Sisterson

Publisher: Clan Destine Press 

Publication date: 1st July 2022

Genre: Crime / Anthology

Pages: 340

RRP: $11.99AU (eBook)

Format: eBook

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Dark Deeds Down Under

 

Dark Deeds Down Under is an anthology of fictional titles of mystery, murder and mayhem. Twenty-one short stories from some of the top names in Australian and New Zealand crime fiction.

"a stunning smorgasbord of stories, styles and settings" - Craig Sisterson editor

 

Many of the authors I had read before and I enjoyed their familiar writing style and the use of characters from well known series.

I love that anthologies have something for everyone and Dark Deeds Down Under is no exception, there is mystery, suspense, edge of your seat drama, humour and unexpected twists. Twenty-one short stories that can be enjoyed at your leisure - perfect holiday reading.

I was amazed how, even in these short stories, some authors managed remarkable characterisation. I had a few favourites and among them were Fiona Sussman's Hiding Something; where a grieving dad picks up a hitchhiker, a chance meeting that will change both their lives and Mr Pig by Stephen Ross; narrated by a friendless thirteen-year-old girl left with her curmudgeon father after her mother goes missing. The twists in these two stories really appealed to my sense of humour.

Dark Deeds Down Under is a superb showcase of Australian & New Zealand crime fiction with something for every taste.

 

My rating 4.3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⅓ (averaged over 21 stories) 

Authors included in this anthology

Alan Carter ~ Nikki Crutchley ~ Aoife Clifford ~ Garry Disher ~ Helen Vivienne Fletcher ~ 
Lisa Fuller ~ Sulari Gentil ~ Kerry Greenwood ~ Narrelle M Harris ~ Katherine Kovacic ~ 
Shane Maloney ~ RWR McDonald ~ Dinuka McKenzie ~ Lee Murray & Dan Rabarts ~ 
Renee ~ Stephen Ross ~ Fiona Sussman ~ Vanda Symon ~ David Whish-Wilson

 
 

Book Review: Upriver by Martin Roy HIll

 

Title: Upriver

Author: Martin Roy Hill

Series: Linus Schag NCIS Thriller #3

Publisher: 32-32 North

Publication date: 1st October 2022 

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 240

Format: eBook

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

My review of Upriver

 

Upriver is book 3 in the Linus Schag, NCIS thriller series.

I think Linus was a little out of his depth in Upriver. He tended to take a back seat and wasn't in charge of the situation as he usually is. In fact he left his rifle unattended on the deck, not once but twice! Scag is sent to bring in two Navy SEALs suspected of murder but when the apprehension goes wrong and the prisoners escape Schag embarks on a long and dangerous pursuit along the Tigris River and straight into ISIS territory.

Upriver is as action packed as all Martin Roy Hill's novels whilst also rich in Hill's trademark humour. Told through the dual narrative of Sikes & Rankin (the escapees) and Linus Schag's team, we get to see the action and circumstances from both perspectives.

Hill includes a brief history of the Tigris River, the pressure on defence personnel due to relentless hours worked on tours of duty, mental  breakdown and the dilemma of friendly fire.

 

"His anger grew from the myriad of lies and deceits he discovered this war bred. Corrupt contractors, war-weary service members, innocent victims."

The trip up the river following the escapees and surrounded by enemy fire in ISIS controlled areas was tension filled and action packed. And it wouldn't be a Schag thriller if there wasn't an explosion or two! 

Hill once again showcases his extensive knowledge with all things afloat and his detailed descriptions were informative whilst still being suitable for a layperson.

If you are after a thriller that is timely, believable and rich in action Upriver is the book for you!!

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Martin Roy Hill is the author of two national awarding winning series - the Linus Schag, NCIS, thrillers and the Peter Brandt mysteries, the USCG DSF-Papa sci-fi thrillers, and a collection of short stories. He is a former journalist and national award-winning investagative reporter for newspapers and magazines.

He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, son and their three feline overlords.

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