Book Review: Beam of Light by John Kinsella

John Kinsella's Beam of Light is a collection of 29 short stories emphasising his unique voice and writing style. Little vignettes of life, a snapshot in time.

Beam of Light has a subtle theme of fitting in and belonging. Most of the stories are set in country areas where poverty, isolation and drugs are at the forefront. Kinsella highlights pivotal moments in his characters' lives, a turning point or awakening.

 

I feel it can be very hard to achieve any character development in such few pages, however Kinsella has managed to accomplish a reader to character connection in many of his stories. I felt a real empathy for them as most were unsettled, nuanced characters facing dysfunctional relationships, environmental issues and feeling of disconnect.

 

Some stories went over my head, others made me laugh and some were heart-wrenching. I found there to be a great mix for any reader and if I didn't connect with one story it was only a few pages until the next one. That's the joy of short stories!

 

John Kinsella has written stories that will move, fascinate and delight you. Beam of Light is a great introduction to newcomers to his work.

 

My rating 4.2 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (averaged over 29 stories)

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st September 2024

Genre: Short Stories / Literary Fiction

Pages: 272

RRP: AU$32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

 

Book Review: The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

 The Youngest Son

by

John Byrnes

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Youngest Son

The Youngest Son is an epic tale that follows the lives of three siblings growing up during the great depression and spans the years 1929 to 1943 encompassing events of WWII in Tobruk and New Guinea.

 

John Byrnes has brought the streets of 1930's Sydney to life. The Leach family lived in Ultimo (The Mo) where most people were poor and desperately trying to keep a roof over their head. Evictions were rife and the common man was fighting back with picketing and riots. Prostitution, street fighting, illegal gambling, drugs and crime were an everyday part of life.

 

John, the eldest Leach sibling, had visions of attending University and then joining the priesthood. He had great empathy for the underdog and felt he had his life plan in order.

Maureen wanted more out of life than what her mother had settled for. Maureen had stars in her eyes and wanted the glamorous life of the women she read about in magazines. 

Bob, the youngest Leach, learnt early on that his fists talked louder than words. Him and his friends start out as petty criminals but soon find themselves mixing with the big boys of crime in Sydney's shady underbelly.

 

The Youngest Son is rich in flawed characters. I had great empathy for the Leach siblings, they were all very naive, made bad decisions, couldn't control their emotions and when things went wrong they seemed to always react in a detrimental way. 

I loved the Australian vernacular, the language and imagery of Sydney and surrounding suburbs was spot on. I was actually thinking at one point "yes, I know exactly where that factory is."

This is a gritty story which includes murder, scenes of war, drug use, sex scenes (these are more to add humour than spice) and profanities. 

The Youngest Son is a captivating story of power, revenge, betrayal and family. A real page turner, once I started I didn't want the story to end.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plus that extra star for a character named Veronica 🌟

 

Book Review: The Girls by Chloe Higgins

 The Girls

by

Chloe Higgins

A memoir of family, grief and sexuality

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 27th August 2019

Genre: Non fiction / Memoir

Pages: 320

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Girls

When Chloe was seventeen she and her mother stayed home, so she could study for HSC exams, whilst her father took her two younger sisters on a ski trip. On the way back from the trip the car was involved in an accident and burst into flames. Both the sisters were killed.

The Girls is what followed, for Chloe, after that fatal day.

 

I find it very hard to review memoirs, especially those that involve grief and mental illness as I've never had this extreme level of grief.  

 

I appreciated that Chloe was candid in her writing. It is no use writing a memoir if you are only going to write the good stuff and gloss over the bad. It's all included; the drugs, the sex and the bouts of depression.

 

The words flow and her writing is easy to read even though the content is tough.

The story jumps around a lot in time and sometimes I found the time stamp hard to figure out.

I am glad writing this book has helped Chloe work through her own grief and by the end of the book I was pleased she was starting to heal.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenges: TBR challenge

                    Non-fiction challenge

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: Rising Dust by Fleur McDonald

Rising Dust

by

Fleur McDonald 

 

Detective Dave Burrows returns in another breathtaking tale of rural suspense

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 29th March 2022

 

Series: Detective Dave Burrows 

Genre: Crime

 

Pages: 376

 

RRP: $29.99 AUD 

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review

 

I simply devour Fleur McDonald's Dave Burrows books and eagerly await each new novel.

 

Following on from Something to Hide, Dave's marriage to Mel is in tatters and he is battling lawyers to see his two daughters.

 

Dave is sent with, partner and mentor, Detective Bob Holden to investigate a possible case of stolen sheep north of Carnarvon. However when a body is uncovered on the beach, then a large drug haul is found buried nearby, the sheep investigation is temporarily on hold.

 

Rising Dust is another suspense filled story where the action never lets up. McDonald highlights the unpredictability of the weather and how the outback can quickly change from peaceful, restful and healing to wild and dangerous as a flash storm rips through the area causing flooding.

I loved the vivid descriptions of the landscape and how McDonald captures the flora and fauna of the area with discerning accuracy showcasing her knowledge of the outback.

 

I really enjoy the partnership of Bob and Dave. Bob uses his age and experience to mentor Dave and dampens down some of Dave's impulsiveness, showing Dave to use a steady head and calm his quick temper.

Rising Dust is a wonderful blend of police procedural, crime, suspense and character development. 

Fleur McDonald delivers Australian outback crime at it's breath-holding best.

My rating  5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo credit: Goodreads

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 experiences in rural Australia. She has two children, an energetic kelpie and a Jack Russell terrier.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The Devils You Know by Ben Sanders

The Devils You Know

by

Ben Sanders 

 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 

Publication date: 2nd February 2021

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 328

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Vincent needs a change. He's spent the last fifteen years in covert operations for the US government, but after a botched and fatal mission, he decides he's done with pulling triggers.

He lucks into a dream job in Santa Barbara as head of security for supermarket mogul Eugene Lamar: nothing more than driving the boss to and from golf, with ample downtime for surfing, or sitting by the pool contemplating life-and how to live it with a zero body count.

There he meets and is intrigued by Lamar's daughter, the journalist Erin Jones, who's on tour in California to promote her book about the benefits of war. Vincent's seen his share of conflict and is sure he can change her mind - and he'd really like to make his case over drinks.

But there's a problem: if Lamar's business is confined to supermarkets, why does he need a panic room full of assault rifles, and a .357 revolver in his car? It doesn't take long for Vincent to find out that Lamar owes a debt to bad people - and that's only the start of it. He's ensnared in a criminal enterprise, which soon brings costs in lives as well as money.

Erin wants answers, and needs Vincent's help to get them. But how much does she already know? Is his growing attraction to her a liability? And can he keep her safe from the brutal killers who are after her father?

It seems that Santa Barbara is a sunny town full of dark talent, and Vincent will have to revert to dark talents of his own if he's going to survive . . .

 

My review

 

The Devils You Know is my first read by best-selling author Ben Sanders and I can easily see why he has such a huge following. He writes with prose that are sharp and biting. His characters are wonderfully drawn with a protagonist that is rugged and heroic combating antagonists that are dark and ruthless. The perfect mix for a compelling crime mystery.

 

Vincent applies for a position as body guard to supermarket mogul Eugene Lamar. He is expecting an easy ride, a bit of a holiday, a ride around the golf course and then some time for a surf. However, he soon learns there is more to Lamar than meets the eye. Lamar owes somebody some big money and they are out to make him pay.

As the stakes rise so does the body count and Vincent teams up with Lamar's daughter, Erin Jones, to find out who is behind the extortion.

 

I really enjoyed the character of Vincent. He was calm and cool, battle scarred but still competitive.  he wouldn't carry a gun but didn't baulk at busting a few noses.

The multiple points of view narration and short chapters kept the story moving along at a steady pace and held my interest throughout. 

 

Sanders shows through Vincent and Erin you can be on opposite side of a political agenda and still have level headed conversations  about it without getting heated and offensive or offended.

 

The subtle romance thread was well executed and the element of mystery had me guessing and second guessing until it came to a well wrapped up and satisfactory conclusion. 

 

4/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Photo Goodreads

Ben Sanders is the author of American Blood, Marshall's Law, The Stakes, The Fallen, By Any Means and Only the Dead. Sanders' first three novels were written while he was studying a Bachelor of Engineering at university, he graduated in 2012 and now writes full-time. To date Sanders has sold over 30,000 copies of his novels collectively across Australia and New Zealand alone and has been praised by the New York Times, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Toronto Star. His work id published in eight languages, and he lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Sony has optioned the rights to The Devils You Know for a Ray Donovan television series.

 

 

Challenges entered: Cloak and Dagger Challenge

 

 

If you enjoyed this review you might also like:

 

  

 

 

Book Review: Blood Will Have Blood by Thomas H Carry

 Blood Will Have Blood

by

Thomas H. Carry

Publisher: Bad Alley Books

Publication date:  19th January 2021

Genre: Crime

Pages: 223

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity Services

 

About the book

 

Seven years in New York, and that big break has yet to materialize for struggling actor and inveterate pothead Scott Russo. Performing in terrible, barely attended Off-Off Broadway productions, hopping from one soul-crushing job to the next, Scott slacks away in a pot-fueled haze and contemplates throwing in the towel on his anemic career. The only thing that keeps him going is the humiliation of returning home to Baltimore. That and his current theatrical gig: an idiotically bad production of Macbeth.

Broke and out of a job, Scott jumps at his friend’s offer to work for a pot delivery service, only to get caught in a web of brutal Irish gangsters, a charismatic psychopath, ruthless prosecutors, and clueless actors. As his theatrical and criminal worlds collide in mayhem, murder, and betrayal, Scott finds himself morphing into a bumbling and blood-stained Macbeth, on stage and off.

If he can just make it to opening night…  

My review

I really enjoyed this gritty crime novel. My first book by Thomas H Carry.

Scott is a down and out actor, doped up on pot, wondering where his life is going but not having the motivation to really care. Scott has a disdain for the scrabble for big money. Basically he was lazy! However when friend and pot delivery guy Freddie suggests he join the postmen, a pot delivery service, Scott’s disdain for big money soon diminishes as he sees this as an easy way to make himself some big money.
 

Carry’s writing style is edgy with plenty of dark humour and the setting of New York City with its seedy underworld of territorial crime bosses and the grab for power was easily imagined.
 

What at first looks like easy money soon sees Scott complicit to murder and by the time he realises he needs to get out of this, everything conspires against him to wedge him deeper and deeper into the deadly game.
 

The story had me on the edge of my seat and had me eagerly reading with no idea where the plot would go or how Scott could possibly get out of this situation.

There is plenty of violence and it’s a bit gruesome but I feel it wasn’t overdone.
 

I enjoyed the connection between Scott’s real life dramas and his acting part as Macbeth and how the more his life unravelled the better his acting became.
 

Blood Will Have Blood is a cleverly plotted, gritty noir crime which will appeal to fans of Elmore Leonard, Lawrence Block and Lou Berney.

 

5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Meet the author

 

Thomas H. Carry's debut novel, Privilege (Koehler Books, 2020), was an Amazon bestseller in satire fiction and named one of the best 100 indie novels of 2020 by Kirkus Review. Carry holds a doctorate in literature and has worked as a professional actor, educator, consultant, and bouncer. He lives in Manhattan with his wife.

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Cloak and Dagger challenge

 

 

Book Review: Daylight by David Baldacci

Daylight

by

David Baldacci 

 

 
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 11th November 2020

Series: Atlee Pine #3

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 404

RRP: $ 32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book 

 

FBI Agent Atlee Pine's search for her twin sister, Mercy, coincides with military investigator John Puller's high-stakes case, leading them both into a global conspiracy from which neither of them will escape unscathed.

Ever since Mercy was abducted after a brutal incident when the girls were just six years old, Atlee has been relentless in her search for the truth. Now, just as time is running out on her investigation, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet—the identity of her sister's kidnapper: Ito Vincenzo. Last known location: New Jersey.

As Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum, race to track down Vincenzo, the run into Pine's old friend John Puller, who is investigating Vincenzo's family for another crime involving a military installation.

Working together, Pine and Puller pull back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups that strike at the very heart of global democracy.  And the truth about what happened to Mercy is finally revealed.

And that truth will shock Atlee Pine to her very core.

 

My review

 

Daylight is book three in the Atlee Pine series. In previous books Atlee has relentlessly dug into her past to reveal startling revelations about her parents. Her main agenda is to find out what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, who was kidnapped when they were six.

 

Currently on leave until she can sort out her personal demons, Atlee is joined by colleague and close friend, Carol Blum. Carol gives a calming presence to Atlee's, at times, bluntness and impulsiveness. Atlee stumbles across a police bust and in true Pine form becomes involved in the case.

 

Baldacci includes plenty of backstory making Daylight fine as a stand alone. However, to get the full experience I would recommend reading Long Road to Mercy and A Minute to Midnight.

In this latest novel Atlee shows that she is not immune to bad decisions as I found she made plenty during this investigation and I found myself shaking my head over some of the situations she found herself in.

 

Working together with CID Special Agent John Puller the pair investigate a suspected drug ring and how this connects to a teenager shot by police. Stopped at every turn, shutdown and shutout by higher powers they work to expose a cover-up of epic proportions.

 

Daylight is fast paced, action packed and suspense filled. Making this a must read for all crime fans.  

 

4/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Meet the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

David Baldacci is one of the world's bestselling and favourite writers. With over 150 million worldwide sales, his books are published in over 80 territories and 45 languages, and have been adapted for both feature-film and television.

David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US. He is still a resident of his native Virginia.

 

 

 

 

 

Read my review of A Long Road to Mercy 

and A Minute to Midnight  

 

 

 

Book Review: The Shearer's Wife by Fleur McDonald

The Shearer's Wife

by

Fleur McDonald

 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd November 2020

Genre: Rural Fiction / Crime

Series: Detective Dave Burrows

Pages: 384

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

1980: Rose and Ian Kelly arrive in Barker for supplies before they begin shearing at Jacksonville Station, a couple of hundred kilometres out of town. Rose, heavily pregnant with their first babies, worries that despite Ian's impending fatherhood he remains a drifter who dreams of the open road.

 

2020: When the Australian Federal Police swoop unheralded into Barker and make a shocking arrest for possession of narcotics, Detective Dave Burrows is certain there is more to the story than meets the eye. 

 

2020: After many months of grief over her brother's illness and death, journalist Zara Ellison is finally ready to begin a new chapter of her life and make a commitment to her boyfriend, Senior Constable Jack Higgins. But when she's assigned to investigating the Barker arrest, Jack begins to believe that Zara is working against him.

It takes a series of unconnected incidents in Zara's digging to reveal an almost forgotten thread of mystery as to how these two events, forty years apart, could be connected

 

My review

 

The Shearer's Wife is a dual time line narration. The first is in 1980 when a heavily pregnant Rose Kelly arrives in Barker with her husband, Ian. They lead a nomadic life moving from one shearing job to the next.

In 2020 the AFP arrive in Barker and arrest a local. Dave is warned off the case but when it's one of his own town's people he knows he must help.

 

Through this story Fleur McDonald brings country South Australia straight into my home. I loved how welcoming, helpful and accepting the country people are, willing to help out perfect strangers. This is a feel good story.   

Rose and Ian are happy together living the nomadic life of a shearer but we learn how difficult this life would be with a family. McDonald also includes topical subjects of the time, such as the wide-comb dispute that had shearers  up in arms.

 

Through Dave and Kim Burrows we see the problems faced by country police and the fine line between policing an area and being friends with the locals. This also puts a strain on a marriage.   

 

McDonald includes the trauma of PTSD and how it's a difficult diagnosis, usually picked up by friends rather than the person suffering. PTSD can affect the sufferers relationships and everyday life if not treated. 

Both stories were interesting and I was equally invested, wondering how the two stories would tie in.

As the story evolved the tension ramped up. The plot was realistic with heart-stopping suspense and just when you think it's all over the tension mounts again.

The Shearer's Wife is a rivetting rural crime story, easy to read yet full of heart, mystery and suspense. Although part of a series it reads as a stand-alone!

Fleur McDonald writes two series featuring Det Dave Burrows. One is set in 1999-2000 with a younger Dave Burrows and the other is present day.

 

5/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

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 experiences in rural Australia. She has two children, an energetic kelpie and a Jack Russell terrier.

 

 

 

Want to know more about Dave? This 32 page eBook available on Amazon is a great little introduction to this character!

 

The Farmer's Choice by Fleur McDonald

 

This short story features some background on a young Dave Burrows fresh out of Ag college and explains the situation behind him leaving his family and the farming life he loved so much.
We get to know Dave’s personality and what motivates him.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

Book Club Book Review: Death in the Ladies' Goddess Club by Julian Leatherdale

Death in the Ladies' Goddess Club

by

Julian Leatherdale

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 
Publication date: 3rd March 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery
Pages: 400
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace Book Club 

 

 In the murky world of Kings Cross in 1932, aspiring crime writer Joan Linderman and her friend and flatmate Bernice Becker live the wild bohemian life, a carnival of parties and fancy-dress artists' balls.

One Saturday night, Joan is thrown headfirst into a real crime when she finds Ellie, her neighbour, murdered. To prove her worth as a crime writer and bring Ellie's killer to justice, Joan secretly investigates the case in the footsteps of Sergeant Lillian Armfield.

But as Joan digs deeper, her list of suspects grows from the luxury apartment blocks of Sydney's rich to the brothels and nightclubs of the Cross's underclass.
Death in the Ladies' Goddess Club is a riveting noir crime thriller with more surprises than even novelist Joan bargained for: blackmail, kidnapping, drug-peddling, a pagan sex cult, undercover cops, and a shocking confession.

After reading the blurb I really thought I would love this story of 1930’s Kings Cross. The Cross had such an eclectic mix of people in its community in the 30’s. Living as neighbours were showgirls, prostitutes, the well to do, those down on their luck, artists, gays, transvestites and the bohemian set. This mix gives for some great story telling.

Julian Leatherdale centres his story on the ideals and philosophies of the bohemian artist groups of the time. Although a purely fictional tale there are mentions of some of the greats of the era and a few historical events of note at that time.

Joan Linderman, a journalist and wannabe crime writer, falls in with the bohemians and their drugs, sex and alcohol parties via flamboyant flatmate Bernice, a successful novelist and poet.

When a tenant at their boarding house is found murdered, Joan decides to start her own investigation and at the same time collect ideas for her crime novel.

Death in the Ladies’ Goddess Club is largely a character driven story and I felt the murder mystery played second fiddle to the politics of the time and the sex, drugs, partying and dark underbelly of the cross.

I felt the end wrapped up too neatly and the twist was so left field it left me dazed.

Death in the Ladies’ Goddess Club will appeal to Historical Fiction readers who enjoy the true historical side of the genre.

⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit: Goodreads

 Julian Leatherdale’s first love was the theatre. On graduation from a theatre studies degree at the University of NSW, he wrote lyrics for four satirical cabarets and a two-act musical. He discovered a passion for popular history as a staff writer, researcher and photo editor for Time-Life’s Australians At War series. He later researched and co-wrote two Film Australia-ABC documentaries Return to Sandakan and The Forgotten Force shown on the ABC and overseas. He was an image researcher at the State Library of NSW before joining the NSW Cabinet Office writing policy briefs for the Premier. For some years he was the public relations manager for an international hotel school in the Blue Mountain. 
Julian sadly passed away on 22nd April 2020 after a short illness.

This review is from the Beauty & Lace Book Club 

@beautyandlacemag #beautyandlacebookclub 

and part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

#AussieAuthor20

 

Book Review: Heart of the Cross by Emily Madden

Heart of the Cross

by

Emily Madden

From Ireland to Kings Cross, a legacy of loss and hope echoes across the generations ...

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Australia

Imprint: Mira-AU

Publication date: 19th August 2019 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: $29.99AUD  

Format read: Trade paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

  

Tinahely, Ireland, 1959 Rosie Hart is content leaving her home behind to follow her new husband to Australia. But she soon discovers there is no room for her or their young son in the life he has built in vibrant Kings Cross. As their marriage crumbles, Rosie will need to fight for the golden future her son deserves ... until the day her world is shattered and all hope turns to dust.

Eighteen years later, haunted by her past, Rosie is determined her daughter Maggie will follow the path she has set out for her. But when Maggie rejects her plans and moves out of home, all Rosie can hope is that she has also left behind the grief that plagues the Hart name.

Sydney, 2017 When her grandmother dies and leaves Brianna Hart a secret apartment in Kings Cross, Brie wonders what else Rosie was keeping from her. As Brie chases the truth of Rosie's past she uncovers an incredible story of passion, violence, love and tragedy.

 

Heart of the Cross is a heartfelt story of love, tragedy and loss told across three generations of Hart women. This multiple time line novel will have you cheering for these three strong women.

Rosie falls head over heels for Tom Fuller. When she falls pregnant Tom marries her and moves to Australia to set up a new life for them. When Rosie and their son move from Ireland to Australia to join him, Tom is a changed man and Rosie knows no-one.

The story follows Rosie as she makes a life for herself in Sydney’s Kings Cross whilst her husband spends his nights drinking and gambling. She has a hard loveless marriage however Rosie is vibrant and kind making friends with everyone around her. She is loved by this close community.

Maggie feels smothered by her over-controlling mother who monitors every aspect of her life. She moves out of home with best friend Sharon and they soon become embroiled in the bright lights of the Kings Cross night life.

Brianna is back in Sydney for her Grandma’s funeral only to find out her grandmother has sold the house. The more people she talks to the more she wonders if she really knew her grandmother at all. Secrets are uncovered and many more questions are left unanswered.

“Are you saying that secrets are a good thing? Secrets are just like telling lies.”

“All I’m saying is that if you dig, be prepared for the sting.”

Brought up by her grandmother Brie knew nothing of her mother and even who her father was. She now feels betrayed and hurt that Rosie kept all these secrets from her. She is determined to dig and reveal the truth and find out where she belongs.

Madden has written a heartbreakingly real story of Sydney in the early 1960’s and the struggle for married women with no rights. She includes themes of love, family, belonging, friendship and the kindness of strangers. The three women prove to be strong and resilient with Rosie becoming a legend in her time.

 

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

My rating    5/5

This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

book #32 in the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

I am a book nerd, coffee lover and love anything 80’s (except the fashion, okay, I admit – I like some of it).

My love of books started at a young age when I would often go shopping with my mum just so I could score yet another novel. Nothing has changed – I rarely leave a bookstore without a book.

I read anything and everything, but stories that touch the heart and uplift the soul are what I love the most.

I have an unnatural obsession with needing to be close to the ocean, but am terrified of deep water.