Review: The Cross Thieves by Alan Fyfe

The Cross Thieves is a sharply observed literary fiction set in a small town on the outskirts of Mandurah, Western Australia. 

Alan Fyfe highlights the plight of the homeless, food insecurity and the difficulties faced by the impoverished in our digital world.

The Cross Thieves is set over one night where brothers Gark and Pell, two teenage boys who have found themselves homeless after a series of unfortunate events, go on a quest for revenge after the murder of a friend. The brothers' hunger and desperation is vividly described.

Fyfe keenly depicts the boys' passion for what is right. In a spontaneous act of revenge, and not really thinking through the consequences, they steal a cross with their nemesis' name engraved on it, a member of the town's biggest criminal family.

The Cross Thieves, although set over one night, has backstory told through letters from their mother to her sister and conversations between characters. The author often breaks the fourth wall and speaks to the reader directly.

Fyfe adds plenty of dark humour as the boys race through the night, cross in tow, coming across other characters in their covert operation. I loved that the boys spent the whole night running and fearful, not knowing what to do next only to end up right back where they started. This really appealed to my sense of humour.

There is a side story about a religious zealot, Pastor Joshua Chord, who twists religious texts to suit his own agenda. His involvement in the boys' mother and aunt's lives is told through letters between the two women. Crossing paths with the boys on this fateful night will have dire consequences for the pastor.

The Cross Thieves is the second book in a trilogy and I can honestly say I didn't feel like I had missed anything by not reading the first book. There is plenty of backstory interspersed throughout to let the reader know what preceded. I'm not generally good with literary fiction but I found The Cross Thieves grew on me more after I finished the book. I kept thinking about the characters and how true to life they felt.

Fyfe portrays Gark and Pell's circumstances with compassion and highlights the fierce bond the brothers have.

The Cross Thieves is coarse, violent and darkly funny with real characters, straight from struggle street.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st March 2026

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 208

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

#thecrossthieves #alanfyfe #literaryfiction #bookssetinwesternaustralia #australianauthor #ausbookbloggers #aussieaugust26

Review: The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller

 I enjoy books set in isolated, freezing places which is why I requested The Land in Winter through Netgalley.

See my review of A Cold Season which was also a rich portrayal of character and a story I loved.

The Land in Winter is Literary fiction. It was shortlisted for the 2025 Book Prize, winner of the

2025 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction and the 2025 Winston Graham Historical Prize for Fiction.

I did enjoy the story however I found it slow going and quite weird. I really struggled with it at times. I think Andrew Miller was going for weird and he succeeded on that level.

The Land in Winter is a character driven story about loneliness, depression and past trauma.

"December 1962: In a village deep in the English countryside, two neighboring couples begin the day. Local doctor Eric Parry commences his rounds in the village while his pregnant wife, Irene, wanders the rooms of their old house, mulling over the space that has grown between the two of them.


On the farm nearby lives Irene’s mirror witty but troubled Rita Simmons is also expecting. She spends her days trying on the idea of being a farmer’s wife, but her head still swims with images of a raucous past that her husband, Bill, prefers to forget."

I do find literary fiction hard going and this book was grave and depressing.

I am sure many other readers will love it. The Land in Winter currently has 2,334 5 star reviews and 4,537 4 star reviews on Goodreads.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Europa Editions

Publication date: 11th November 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction

Pages: 268

Source: eCopy from the publisher via Netgalley

Review: Crimson Light, Polished Wood by Monica Raszewski

Crimson Light, Polished Wood is a poignant, literary fiction novel about love, acceptance, inheritance and the things we leave behind.

It explores all areas of inheritance, not only property, but the handing down of stories, culture, knowledge and the unintended inheritance of pain.

Leonora, a British teacher, has relocated to Melbourne and falls in love with Margaret, a fellow female teacher who three years later dies of cancer. While still grieving for Margaret, Leonora meets and befriends Anna, the Polish woman who lives next door.

Crimson Light, Polished Wood is narrated through various timelines, before and after Leonora's death.

Before: we are introduced to Leonora's story as she migrates from England and falls in love with Margaret, her pain over Margaret's death and the burgeoning friendship with Anna and her daughter Lydia.

Leonora's character was perfectly portrayed as the dour English woman who found it hard to open up to people. She was abrupt and withdrawn. I found her hard to like.

After: this takes place after Leonora's death and we follow Lydia as she cleans out Leonora's house. Lydia is eager to learn more about this enigmatic woman and as she sorts her belongings a picture of love, loss and a yearning for acceptance and understanding starts to evolve.

Monica Raszewski's sensitive and lyrical prose perfectly portray the mood of the book. However, as with most literary fiction, I found myself lost at times. Also I never do well with shifting timelines. The characters are complex and nuanced and I never quite got a hold on them. 

Even though I found Crimson Light, Polished Wood a hard read I still quite enjoyed it.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st August 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 224

RRP: $32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

Review: Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo

The inspiration for Life, and Death, and Giants came from the remarkable life of Robert Pershing Wadlow, the tallest man who ever lived. Ron Rindo wondered how the twenty-first century would react to such a giant of a man.

Gabriel Fisher is born weighing a remarkable eighteen pounds and an accelerated growth rate sees him at almost eight feet tall by age seventeen.

Life, and Death, and Giants follows the life of Gabriel, a gentle giant loved by everyone who met him. As Gabriel grows it is clear he has a special connection to animals and often works beside local vet and friend Thomas Kennedy. 

Raised by his Amish grandparents Gabriel is somewhat protected from society until he is discovered by a local football coach and he is soon acclaimed across the nation.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a sombre read, an unforgettable story about family, fame and community. I was immediately invested in Gabriel's life and the ups and downs of his family.

Gabriel's story is told through multiple narrators and the love each of these people had for Gabriel is very clear. Gabriel changed lives for the better.

I liked the inclusion of the Amish community and their strong belief in following the rules of the Amish and how anyone straying outside the rules is excommunicated.

I wasn't so invested in all the football talk however I'm sure many readers will enjoy this.

I found Life, and Death, and Giants to be a profoundly moving story about life, love and the strength to keep going against all odds.

The reveal at the end literally broke me.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a story that will stay with you long after you turn that last page.

Content: Suicide

My rating: 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 26th August 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 325

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Bearcat by Georgia Rose Phillips

I requested a review copy of The Bearcat thinking it was a story based on the infamous Australian cult The Family. I am fascinated by the premise of a cult. How do they draw people in, brainwash them? However The Bearcat wasn't about The Family per se but about the life of Anne Hamilton-Byrne, the yoga teacher who became the leader of The Family.

 

Inspired by real events however the author has used creative license and prioritised narrative over history to enhance the story.

"The cult started with Anne's women, her chosen ones; them finding each other between the crevices of their private worlds. It started with a loose constellation of bodies scattered across a modest community hall."

 

Georgia Ros Phillips prose are lyrical painting a distinct picture of the setting and atmosphere throughout the book.

 

The story opens in 1987 with ex-members of the cult talking to a detective. The narrative then goes back to 1921 when Evelyn/Anne is born. She cried a lot and her mother, Florence, found it hard to connect with this demanding, screaming baby.

 

The Bearcat explores the idea of nurture versus nature. Was Anne's actions the result of her upbringing or was she predestined to be the charismatic and manipulative leader of women?

We get a picture of a difficult child brought up by a mother with mental health issues and an indifferent father. Anne wasn't so much neglected, as forgotten. 

I did think it strange that there is only a brief mention of Anne's six younger siblings. Having them taken away may have triggered her desire to collect children. 

 

The book jumps around a lot in time, back and forward over a seventy year period. I found it very hard to connect with the story as it kept moving back and forward in time with no real sense of connection.

 

The story delves deep into the characters' feelings. How they feel about each other, how they feel about their current situation in life and their hopes and dreams.

 

Georgia Rose Phillips takes the reader behind everyday activities to relish in the lights, sounds  and movements that surround us.  

 

Whilst I found The Bearcat intriguing it didn't really hit the mark. I would recommend it to readers of literary fiction, anyone interested in the psychology of man and those who like to immerse themselves in lyrical prose.

 

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Picador

Publication date: 29th April 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

 

Book Review: Saturation by William Lane

Saturation is the latest novel by acclaimed author William Lane.

I don't know where to start with this near future dystopian novel. The reader gets a small view of this future world as the story is mainly about the characters and how they negotiate this new normal. 

 

I found Saturation to be mesmerizing. I was fascinated with the concept and couldn't get enough of Ursula and Ambrose's world and how they fit themselves into that world.

Lane builds a world gripped by rising waters, relentless  rain, plagues and apathy. It was the apathy that got to me the most.

 

People's lives are ruled by an AI named Yoremind. It interacts by text message and points are awarded, for ever increasing acts of violence, to earn days off work and holidays. The world is deemed as being so bad no one is having children. The past has been forgotten and with no need to think or learn people have forgotten how to do the simplest things. 

 

I came across so many wonderful quotes but I'll just add a couple. One highlighting the acceptance of circumstances and the other the loss of memory.

 

'Simply do what it says, or suggests - at least sometimes'.                                                               'And if I dislike what it suggests?' 'This is life!' she cried. 'This is how things are and always have been, in case you haven't noticed.' 

 "I'm struggling to remember my password or user name. For some reason I can remember my old password and phone number, but not the latest one." Ambrose - Saturation

How true is that statement! I can clearly remember my childhood phone number and all my friends' home numbers but I don't know my husband's or children's mobiles. Everything is remembered for us. We even drive with GPS without having to remember a route.
 

Ambrose is the one to strike out and rebel. He is determined to save the books knowing that history and information is the only way to move forward and build a better world.
 

Lane's world is not so unbelievable! Country residents blame city dwellers as the bearers of all diseases. When a dictator, Bottrel, takes over Yoremind he thrives on fear and terror. Step out of line and you will be killed. Education is banned, libraries burned. Bottrel vilifies country people causing more unrest. People doing as they're told and losing the ability to think, reason and remember. Anyone trying to better society is hunted down. Saturation feels eerily presentiment. A unique narrative perfect for readers of 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge Press

Publication date: 1st May 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction / Dystopian

Pages: 288

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Southsightedness by Gregory Day

I read Southsightedness straight through, however that's not the idea of a poetry anthology. It is meant to be read slowly, picked up and put down. Words to stop and ponder over.

 

Day's poems are a powerful mix of soothing, haunting and provocative themes set in the world of a 21st century small country town where family, sport and tourism mix with the area's local history.

 

Loss, grief and pain feature heavily in Southsightedness however so does beauty, love and belonging.

 

Southsightedness celebrates the wonder of the earth and sea; the animals, the environment, the weather and the seasons.

 

Many of Day's poems are about nature and being one with nature. He wants his readers to not only see, but feel, the world around them.

 

Southsightedness is a book that will be enjoyed by poetry lovers and those who want something to open their eyes to the wonder all around us.

 

Being a reader of poetry that is more of the story-telling type I would have liked a short explanation on some of the poems. Or does that defeat the purpose? 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st April 2025

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 160

RRP: AU$32.99 (hardcover)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

 

 

Book Review: The Buried Life by Andrea Goldsmith

I'm finding The Buried Life hard to review. I'm trying to do this outstanding novel justice. But where to start? I haven't stopped thinking about the characters since I finished the book a few days ago.

 

Three people of vastly different age groups form an unlikely friendship.

Kezi 28, rejected by her parents is living a life of regret, caught between her strict religious upbringing and living a life as her true self. 

 "..knowing that between God and the church and your family everything was taken care of, she would never experience any of that again. And the comfort, the belonging, the protection, the certainty, the love, the sanctuary: she missed it and she resented missing it, and she fought its enduring claims." - page 23

 

Adrian 43, is a scholar, an expert on death. His studies have stalled and his long-term relationship has ended. Adrian feels adrift, it's only his friendship with the vibrant and energetic Kezi that keeps him afloat. 

 

"Weary of Irene, weary of the journey, and most especially weary of himself...... The surrounding countryside wore that tousled appearance of autumn, an in-between fatigue that lacked the energy to tidy itself up, and entirely in keeping with his own mood." - page 39

 

Laura 57, a successful town planner meets Adrian by chance in a cheese shop. Their easy banter and long conversations have Laura questioning where she stands in her marriage but can't imagine a life without her husband.

 

"..she had absorbed his beliefs, she had willingly embraced all that comprised Tony Sheldrick's world, and she was wanting, still, to excuse him, wanting the man and the only life she knew not to collapse. What was wrong with her? What flaws in her could allow this to happen?" - page 232

I loved how Goldsmith gives each character their own distinct voice. Adrian and Kezi, neighbours, have a lighthearted and supportive friendship. Kezi was Adrian's closest friend despite their age gap. He loved her authenticity.

Laura and Adrian's friendship starts when they are both at a low point. Laura is realising her perfect marriage is riddled with cracks.

 

Goldsmith's prose are lyrical and mesmerizing, rich in poetry and music. The Buried Life is a story of life and death, how life's circumstances affect us deeply and true friendships help to awaken and heal buried hurts. 

 

Viscerally described scenes, polished prose and the power of music to both heighten and soothe emotions play an important role in this powerful novel of awakening.  

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st March 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 328

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell

Nesting is the heartrending literary debut by Irish author Roisin O'Donnell. 

I've read a few books featuring down-trodden women with overbearing, gaslighting husbands and I feel that Roisin O'Donnell has the emotion and uncertainty just right.

 

Ciara is contemplating leaving her husband. He has made her leave her job, cut off all her friendships and criticizes her family to the extent she rarely sees them. 

Some readers may feel Ciara is pathetic. Why doesn't she just leave Ryan? Why does she keep returning to him? This is where O'Donnell adeptly shows the hold these men have on their partners. Ciara loves him, he promises to do better, he loves her and can't live without her, he's wonderful with the children and they love him. 

These are the thoughts, and manipulations by Ryan, that possess Ciara when she keeps returning to her marriage.

 

There is a continuous foreboding feel all through the novel which kept me glued to the pages.

O'Donnell's writing is beautiful and evocative. I could feel Ciara's fear, indecision and hopelessness. I was rooting for her to stay strong and survive through even the worst times of homelessness and hunger.

 

O'Donnell shows how a controlling male can slowly take over your life until you don't know who you are anymore, there is no beyond being his wife.

 

Nesting highlights the need for more social housing and refuges for women. It's not all gloom though there are unexpected friendships made and women banding together and helping each other.

 

Nesting is a beautiful story of motherhood and resilience. It's a hard read but so rewarding in its depth of characters and emotion.

 

Content: Coercive control 

               Emotional abuse

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Imprint: Scribner Australia

Publication date: 29th January 2025

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

 

Book Review: Mural by Stephen Downes

Mural is a taut and haunting work of literary fiction. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it won awards one day. 

 

Most of the story went over my head. Literary fiction is not one of my strong points but I could still see the underlying genius of it.

In Mural Stephen Downes explores the mind of a criminal. D, all the reader knows him by, is imprisoned for an unknown crime. He is asked by his psychiatrist Dr Reynolds to write a journal of his thoughts, his life's reflections. 

 

Mural will appeal to readers working in the mental health industry and, with black & white images of artwork throughout, readers interested in the arts. 

 

I will leave you with this review by Nick Haslam as it sums the book up perfectly.

 

"A gripping interior account of an unhinged and violent mind. The narrator, D, institutionalised and guilty of unnamed atrocities, directs an extended monologue to his psychiatrist that is in turn reflective, cultured and misanthropic. D is a memorable character, vividly painted; a sharp-edged combination of erudition and paranoia. Downes skillfully creates a growing sense of menace as D's thoughts twist and turn around his varied tics and fixations. This is a viscerally compelling portrait of derangement that will appeal to readers of quality fiction."  Nick Haslam, Professor of Psychology, University of Melbourne and co-author of Troubled Minds.

 

My rating 3/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st September 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 208

RRP: AU$32.99 (hardback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media 

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 Leaves by Jacqueline Rule

The Leaves

by

Jacqueline Rule

Publisher: Spinifex Press

Publication date: 1st May 2024

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 176

RRP: AU$26.95 (paperback0

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Leaves

Thank you to Spinifex Press for sending me this unforgettable debut novel; The Leaves by Jacqueline Rule.

 

Faith and Evelyn are close friends, neighbours, and single mothers of Luke and Mitch - and both bear the scars of trauma of the stolen generations. When Faith dies unexpectedly, a chain of events unfolds that will forever alter the lives of those left behind.

 

The Leaves follows the life of Luke and the events that pull this, much loved, little boy away from his heritage and into a spiral of cruelty in the broken social welfare system as he goes from foster care to being homeless then to a youth detention centre. By the age of 15 Luke has been in 18 different foster homes whilst all this time his mother's best friend Evelyn has been denied care. Evelyn never gives up the fight until Luke is completely lost to her in the system.

 

Jacqueline Rule's writing is evocative and poetic. Beautiful in its execution, devastating in its content. Much of the novel is written in poetry.

 

Luke is not just one boy but an embodiment of hundreds of boys and girls being failed by the system. 

Even though The Leaves is small at 176 pages it had a massive impact on me. Luke's story is one that will stay with me forever.

My rating 5 / 5  💔💔💔💔💔

Whilst working at a legal organisation Jacqueline Rule became aware of the frequent interrelation between the foster system, homelessness and imprisonment. She hopes The Leaves might play a small role in advocating for a more empathetic and humane approach to how our society reforms young offenders.

The Leaves can be purchased from Spinifex Press: https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781922964021

 

Book Review: Ghost Cities by Siang Lu

 Ghost Cities

by

Siang Lu

Publisher: University of Queensland Press

Publication date: 30th April 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Ghost Cities

Ghost Cities is narrated through a dual timeline.
Present Day: Xiang Lu is sacked from his translator job with the Chinese Consulate in Sydney when they find out he can’t actually speak Chinese. When the hashtag badchinese goes viral Xiang is picked up by producer Baby Bao who sees the perfect opportunity to exploit Xiang in his new movie set in China’s ghost city.

Imperial China: Emperor Lu Huang Do rules with an iron fist, forever paranoid that everyone is out to kill him.

I totally enjoyed both timelines however I think the story of Lu Huang Do and His loyal subjects drew me in more. It was totally absurd and I loved how it went round and round in circles.

I loved the parallels drawn between the ancient and the modern timelines.

Ghost Cities is an imaginative story about myths, superstitions, power, desire, fear and corruption, wrapped around lashings of humour and pathos.

Perfect for fans of Haruki Murakami

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Oblivion by Patrick Holland

 Oblivion 

by

Patrick Holland

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st July 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 256

RRP: AU$32.99 (hardback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media 

 

Review: Oblivion

 Patrick Holland's writing is poetic, poignant and visceral.

Holland's delivery of short, sharp sentences paint a beautiful picture of the setting whilst at the same time rendering an acute portrayal of the unnamed narrator's dismal life.

 

Our multi-lingual narrator works for a trade council however spends his days doing dodgy real estate deals and his nights with expensive whiskey and call girls.

He moves between airports and chance liaisons. each one much like the last. Each deal brings him closer to his dream of a penthouse in Saigon where he will spend his days with elite call girls, whiskey, opium and oblivion. Our narrator is a broken man, despondent and cynical, making money by insider deals, yet quotes from the bible.

I found him complex and nuanced, one action and thought quite often contradicting a previous one, yet he had a certain charisma about him.

 

Oblivion is a story of the transformative power of love.

 

This is a novel where the narrator's journey becomes the story. The only reason I'm holding back that fifth star is because sometimes I needed a little more explanation to understand what the author wanted me to see. 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

Patrick Holland is a novelist and short story writer. He is the author of seven books, most notably The Mary Smokes Boys (2010), which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and is currently being made into a feature film.

 

 

Book Review: The Roadmap of Loss by Liam Murphy

 The Roadmap of Loss

by

Liam Murphy

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd January 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction  

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: The Roadmap of Loss

The Roadmap of Loss is an affecting story about loss and grieving. Liam Murphy's writing is lyrical and evokes a sense of melancholy.

 

Mark Ward has always struggled with his sense of self carrying the burden of guilt over his father leaving him and his mother when he was five years old.

 

After his mother's sudden death, Mark finds a bundle of letters from his father to his mother. Letters filled with love set against the landscape of his travels across the United States. Mark decides to take his father's letters, pack up his life in Melbourne and retrace his father's journey, 20 years on, hoping to find closure.

 

I loved that The Roadmap of Loss was set in the 1990's, no mobile phones and no GPS made road travel exciting, dangerous and often spontaneous.

Mark is a young man with an enormous chip on his shoulder; angry, abusive and sullen. Perfect characterization made me neither like or dislike him. He brought problems onto himself so there was no sympathy, which was something he didn't want anyway.

 

Mark reads each of his father's letters as he arrives at the next destination and in a unique writing style the chapters start again from number one after each letter.

The Roadmap of Loss is a sombre read however there are also unexpected snippets of humour that actually had me laughing.

 

Liam Murphy's plethora of memorable characters that come in and out of Mark's life make for entertaining reading as he travels ten thousand hard and lonely miles across America.

I never knew how the story would evolve as Mark had a low regard for his own life and often danced with the idea of ending it.

 

The Roadmap of Loss is an insightful exploration of grief and the restorative power of forgiveness. A great read for those that enjoy lyrical prose and literary fiction.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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 Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane

 The Sun Walks Down

by

Fiona McFarlane

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 5th October 2022

 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 

Pages: 416 (Paperback)

 

RRP: $32.99AU

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Sun Walks Down

The Sun Walks Down is an evocative story of unsettledness, dispossession and survival in a harsh, arid land, all centred around the search for a six-year-old boy lost in the desert.

 

McFarlane is a skilled writer who has penned a powerful period story set over one week during September 1883. The author keenly depicts the impact the ruthlessness the desert region of Australia has on individuals and families. 

A wide and varying cast of nuanced characters are introduced in this predominantly character driven novel. The reader is given a thorough insight into their feelings for the land and each other. I found it hard to develop a connection to any of the characters, even the lost boy, as the story flits back and forth with no real focus on any one family or character. I did however feel a connection to the land through McFarlane's descriptions of the remoteness and bleakness of the setting. I liked the inclusion of the strange blood red sunsets and how the characters frequently mentioned its ominous feel which is such a comparison to today where catastrophic events of nature are immediately communicated around the world through electronic means. We no longer have that awe or confusion over unusual solar activity.

The story was a touch slow for me but if you are a lover of beautiful writing and literary fiction I am sure The Sun Walks Down will be a book you will enjoy.

My rating 3 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Fiona McFarlane is the author of the novel The Night Guest, which was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and a collection of short stories, The High Places, which won the International Dylan Thomas Prize. Her short fiction has been published in the New Yorker, Best Australian Stories and Zoetrope: All-Story. Born in Sydney, Fiona teaches creative writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

 

 

Book Review: The Tower by Carol Lefevre

 The Tower

by

Carol Lefevre

Publisher: Spinifex Press

Publication date: 4th October 2022

Genre: Women's Fiction

Pages: 256 (Paperback)

RRP: $32.95AU

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via RM Marketing 

My review of The Tower

I had previously enjoyed Carol Lefevre's novella Murmurations so was looking forward to reading her latest offering.

 

The Tower is an eclectic collection of short stories that are connected and bound together by themes of grief, betrayal, ageing and a need to belong. Carol Lefevre writes heartfelt stories about strong women who battle through adversity.

 

Widowed after a long marriage, Dorelia sells the family home and buys a house with a tower; a place to unwind, find peace and rewrite the stories of older women treated poorly by literature. Her three grown children, although busy with their own lives, feel the need to advise Dorelia on how to live her life.

 

This collection has stories of love, loss and the highs and lows of motherhood, all wrapped around themes of ageing and finding inner peace.

Every alternate story features Dorelia, her move to the tower, her battles with her well-meaning daughters and reminiscences of her younger years.

 

When I first started the book I didn't feel the connection between the stories, other than the theme of motherhood and loss, but as I read on and names from one story appeared in another the connections between the characters became clearer and the stories became more cohesive.

 

The Tower, although a collection of short stories, reads a lot like a novel and even has a few twisty surprises throughout.

 

Deeply imagined and vividly portrayed The Tower is a book that will speak to your heart.

 

My rating 4 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐  

 

About the author

 

Carol Lefevre holds a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide, where she is a Visiting Research Fellow. Her novel Nights in the Asylum, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, won the Nita B. Kibble Award for Women Writers, and the People’s Choice Award. If You Were Mine (2008) was published by Vintage. She has published short fiction, essays, and journalism, and a non-fiction book, Quiet City: walking in West Terrace Cemetery (Wakefield Press, 2016). She has written two books with Spinifex Press - The Happiness Glass and Murmurations.

My review of Murmurations can be found here: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2020/04/book-review-murmurations-by-carol.html