Book Review: Four Dogs Missing by Rhys Gard

 Four Dogs Missing

by

Rhys Gard

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Crime

Pages: 324

RRP: $32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Four Dogs Missing

Four Dogs Missing is the riveting debut crime novel by Rhys Gard.

 

Oliver is a recluse living in the small rural town of Mudgee, where everyone wants to know your business, he is viewed as unfriendly and standoffish however no-one can deny that he makes award winning wines. Oliver has a family history that he would prefer no-one knew about.

I was immediately pulled into the mystery as Theo, Oliver's identical twin brother, arrives at the vineyard after 15 years of no contact.

There are multiple mysteries running through the storyline and as the body count starts to mount with no clear motive for the murders,all clues point to Oliver.

Four Dogs Missing has an intricate and twisty plot. I was bouncing back and forward as to who I thought the murderer was.

Rhys's characters are complex and we are given a huge insight into their individual thoughts and personalities. This gave me an added connection to the characters which in turn had me eager for another book involving the same characters. Let's just say I'm not ready to let them go just yet.

Rhys Gard portrays an astute sense of the remoteness and solitude the area evokes which adds to the overall atmosphere of the story.

Four Dogs Missing is not your typical police procedural crime novel as Oliver, the winemaker, does all the detective work himself, leaving the police mostly in the dark.

If you like your crime with a splash of good wine, this is the book for you!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Rhys Gard is a writer and a chef. Between careers, he studies English and Film at the University of New South Wales. He has worked as a journalist, marketer, wine writer and restaurateur. He lives in Mudgee. Four Dogs Missing is his first novel.

Book Review: The Dry by Jane Harper

 The Dry

by

Jane Harper

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st May 2016

Series: Aaron Falk #1

Genre: Crime

Pages: 339

Source: Own book

 

Review: the Dry

My enjoyment of this book was probably ruined by seeing the movie before reading the book. And with almost 222,000 rating on Goodreads I think I may be the only person, in Australia, who hasn't read the book.

Aaron Falk arrives back in his hometown of Kiewarra to attend the funeral of his friend Luke, Luke's wife and son. It has been deemed by all as a murder-suicide. It's been hard times for farmers and many have reached breaking point.

The Dry is set during a lengthy drought and Harper never lets her readers forget how stifling hot it is and how dangerously dry the land is.

As Falk spends more time in his hometown and delves further into Luke's life he is also forced to confront his past and the reason he left town 20 years ago.

Harper shows us the darker side of a close-knit community, with lies and secrets being held for decades, victimisation and bullying by police.

With flashbacks in italics the story moves smoothly between now and then.

I would have liked there to be more people to suspect as I couldn't see anyone had a motive to murder the family. Some strategically placed red herrings would have made the story more immersive.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

#dymocksreadingchallenge

#tbrchallenge

About the author

Jane Harper is the internationally bestselling author of the The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and The Survivors. Her books are published in forty territories worldwide, and The Dry has been adapted into a major motion picture starring Eric Bana. Jane has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year. Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.

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: 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: 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 Way from Here by Jane Cockram

The Way from Here

by

Jane Cockram

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Publication date: 2nd March 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 320

 

RRP: $29.99AU (Paperback)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Way from Here

The Way from Here is a twisty family saga that had me captivated from start to finish.

 

When Susie dies suddenly from a fall from a ladder her older sister Mills is grief-stricken. Then Mills receives a bundle of letters written by Susie to be opened after her death. Each states a place she would like Mills to spread her ashes.

 

I've read a few books with posthumous letters and I like that they have all had a different style to them and different connections between the letter writer and the recipient

 

The Way from Here is narrated through a dual time-line with present day Mills on her quest to retrace Susie's holiday and sprinkle her ashes in the places that somehow changed Susie's life forever and 1998 with 19 year old Susie on her summer holiday.

 

Jane Cockram's writing flows well and the story is easy to read I enjoyed both timelines with the evocative descriptions of the French coastal town of Ile de Clair and the mystery of Mills revisiting these areas and slowly uncovering deep and heart-breaking secrets. 

There were lots of red herrings which sent me running off at tangents and never guessing the real story until the very end.

If you enjoy twisty family sagas you will love The Way from Here.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Jane Cockram studied journalism at RMIT, majoring in Literature. After completing post-graduate studies in Publishing and Communication at Melbourne University, she worked in sales for Pan Macmillan Publishers and then as fiction buyer at Borders, fulfilling a childhood dream of reading for a living. Cockram spent a year living in the West Country of England, where the House of Brides is set, and still daydreams about returning. In the meantime, she resides in Melbourne with her husband and two children.

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: The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper

Title: the Butterfly Collector

Author: Tea Cooper

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 3rd November 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: $32.99AU

Format: paperback

Source: Better Reading Preview 

My review of The Butterfly Collector

1868 – Theodora is more interested in her art than finding a husband and when her three sisters go to Sydney she stays behind on the family property in Morpeth. A chance sighting of a new species of butterfly starts Theodora on a quest to find its nesting place.

 

1922 - Verity is from a long line of journalists and when an anonymous invitation to a socialite ball arrives she sees this as an opportunity to write an article for the local newspaper. Connections she makes at the ball lead back to her grandfather's home of Morpeth and a fifty-year-old mystery.

Tea Cooper blends fact and fiction to deliver a story that is rich in intrigue and wonderfully immersive.
The Butterfly Collector is a dual timeline Historical Fiction set in1868 Morpeth in country NSW and 1922 Sydney, NSW. I enjoyed all the mentions of Sydney landmarks that still stand to this day. As the story evolves connections are made between the characters from each timeline.
Tea keeps the pages turning with a layering of mysteries. The mysteries hold you for a few chapters then once they are revealed a new mystery is created causing a continuous aura of mystery throughout the book. There is also an underlying sense of foreboding and I always had this feeling that something terrible was going to happen.
 

Centred around the first sighting of the Wanderer butterfly in Australia, the newspaper industry and baby farms, Tea Cooper has seamlessly delivered a story that is diverse in its content and impossible to put down.
Tea Cooper’s trademark strong female characters take centre stage in this multi-layered tale of friendship and tenacity.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Tea Cooper writes Australian contemporary and historical fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling.

 

            

 

 

 

Book Review: The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford

 One challenge I entered at the beginning of the year, and really wanted to achieve, was the MountTBR challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. The plan was to read 12 books That had been on my bookshelves from 2019 or earlier. The Pocket Wife is book number 6.

Title: The Pocket Wife

Author: Susan Crawford

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Publication date: 1st April 2015

Genre: Crime / Mystery 

Pages: 304

Format: Uncorrected paperback 

Source: Won

 

My review of The Pocket Wife 

When Celia Steinhauser is found murdered in her own home it sends friend and neighbour Dana Catrell into a frenzied spiral of paranoia and hallucination. She was the last person to see Celia alive but all she can remember is the few too many drinks they had and then passing out at home...... and the blurry photo Celia showed her of her husband with another woman.

 

Jack Moss is called out on a murder case, he's due home for his and his wife's anniversary dinner but the murdered woman's name sounds familiar. He is sure it's one of his son's teachers. He can't not take the case.

 

The story is told through the dual narrative of Dana Catrell and Jack Moss and is a fast paced frenetic read. Dana's thoughts are all over the place. She has flashes here and there, some from the present and some from her past. Everything clashes and swirls around. Her turmoil is so well portrayed!

I don't know anything about mental illness but I felt that Susan Crawford got all the aspects right with Dana's flashes, paranoia, hallucinations, ups and downs. It was crazy just trying to keep up with her!

Jack Moss was an interesting character, his second wife had just left him. He came across as a bit vague and muddled but he could read people well and had an instinct for liars. His thoughts kept wandering off to his wife and his first marriage.

I couldn't get enough of this story as the number of prospective perpetrators rose and Dana's mind reeled out of control. I had no idea if she or even one of the other suspects murdered Celia. Everyone had something to hide and all  were lying or lying by omission.

The mystery component of the story was compelling. I wouldn't say it was a thriller but it was definitely a page-turning mystery.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stay tuned, I have a big book giveaway coming soon!!!

Book Review: The Castaways of Harewood Hall by Karen Herbert

The Castaways of Harewood Hall

by

Karen Herbert

 

a devilish dog, a curious cat and skulduggery in the basement...

 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 1st September 2022

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 216

RRP: $32.99AU

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of The Castaways of Harewood Hall

Harewood Hall is a retirement village home to an eclectic group of residents who believe retirement from paid work doesn't mean retirement from life.

The narrative switches between some of the residents of the village, the manager, staff member Josh and even the resident cat, Harley, gets his point of view in this humorous and quirky tale.

Kind-hearted Josh rescues some research mice and hides them in Harewood Hall basement. Manager Fiona diligently deals with residents concerns about tree trimming, a spike in water usage and an unsafe retaining wall. Drama abounds when some residents decide to fix things themselves. Paul is the mediator, Martin the fixer and Joyce the organiser.

The Castaways of Harewood Hall is a delightful, light read bursting with a whole cast of likeable characters all with their own quirks and pet projects.

The mystery tends to take second stage to the goings on of the characters, human and non human.

I loved Harley's (the cat) point of view as he wandered from resident to resident, aloof but also a huge part of the village.

Missing money, mysterious deliveries  and a couple of red herrings make this novel an entertaining read. In Harewood Hall nothing goes unnoticed.

I've read a couple of retirement village novels that were hugely entertaining but unbelievable with the over-the-top high-jinks. Harewood Hall is tremendously engaging and believable.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Karen Herbert has worked in age care, disability services, higher education, Indigenous land management, social housing and the public sector, and is a board member of The Intelife Group, Advocare Inc., and President of the fellowship of Australian Writers WA. Born in Geraldton, Karen now lives in Perth with her husband.

 
 

Book Review: The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

 The 6:20 Man

by

David Baldacci

 

IT'S TIME TO CATCH A KILLER..... 

 

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th June 2022

Genre: Crime / Mystery 

Pages: 432

RRP: $34.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

My review of The 6:20 Man

 

I'm a late comer to David Baldacci's novels. My first reads being the Atlee Pine series. This series was full of hard hitting action and compelling plots. A hard act to follow!

Subsequently I was a little disappointed in The 6:20 Man.

 

Travis Devine is an ex-Army Ranger now working a dead-end finance job at a top investment bank; a self imposed punishment for past sins. 

When a close friend and fellow employee dies mysteriously Devine starts to investigate and becomes embroiled in a world of greed, power and murder.

 

I found none of the finance and technical talk interested me but I really enjoyed the descriptions of Manhattan and the diverse characters, especially German born white-hat hacker Will Valentine, these were probably the highlights of the book for me.

The plot starts off slow but does escalate in pace as the murders increase, the mystery intensifies and the twists keep coming.

 

You will need to suspend your disbelief to truly appreciate this action packed thriller set in the high finance world of Manhattan.

 

Now that Travis Devine has found a new calling I am keen to see where this will take him.

 

Going by other reviews, dedicated fans of Baldacci are loving The 6:20 Man. Are you a Baldacci fan? Did you love this book? Let me know what you thought? Maybe I was just expecting too much. 🤷

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

 

David Baldacci is one of the world's bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the Us political system and intelligence service, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring, most recently, Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US. 

 

 

        

 

       

Book Review: Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney

Buried Deception

by

Amanda McKinney

 

Publisher: Montlake

 

Publication date: 20th September 2022

 

Series: On the Edge #1

 

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 

Pages: 344

 

Format read: eBook

 

Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity

 

My review of Buried Deception

 

I found the content matter of this story quite disturbing. Cue, graphic sexual assault scenes.

 

Narrated through the first person dual narrative of Mia, a psychologist, and Easton, owner of LYNX a tactical response company that trains soldiers in combat tracking and search & rescue.

 

Easton and his team are called in when a teenage girl goes missing on the infamous Black Cat Trail, a trail where women have previously been attacked by a person labelled as the Black Cat Stalker. He crosses paths with Mia Frost when she is called in to help police with criminal profiling.

 

There is a lot to unpack in this story. I was intrigued with the process of criminal profiling and also the search and rescue headed by Easton was interesting and seemed to be well researched.

What I couldn't come to grips with was the graphic sexual assault scenes and Easton's creepy stalking of Mia. (That's not love, that's just disturbing).

 

McKinney's themes of mental illness, PTSD and disassociate amnesia were interesting and well delivered.  

I loved that I couldn't figure out who the Black Cat Stalker was. I changed my suspect three times during the book but never guessing right.

 

I didn't get into the story until abut the 60% mark but I feel it was wrapped up well with a satisfying ending.

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

  About the author

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

Amanda McKinney is the author of more than twenty romantic-suspense, mystery, and action-and-adventure novels. Her books have received over fifteen literary awards and nominations. She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs and enjoys hiking, daydreaming, and very dirty martinis ( on occasion, all three at the same time).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review & Giveaway: The Accident by Katie McMahon

 The Accident 

by

Katie McMahon

 

Can we really let go of the past?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th August 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 360

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPRMedia

 

My review of The Accident

 

I loved Katie McMahon's debut novel The Mistake so I was eager to read her next offering and I wasn't disappointed. Katie's second book is even better than her first.

 

The book opens with an unidentified accident not far from the local high school. This mystery immediately hooked me in as the story then goes back to the nine months leading up to the accident and the question of what happened was always in the back of my mind.

 

Grace is the mother of teenaged Emma who is struggling with an eating disorder and is also being bullied by the girls in her class at school.

Zoe is a teacher at the local high school.

Imogen is an intern in the local hospital's A & E department. 

The three women are linked by friends, family and lovers. I found the connection to Zoe and Imogen stronger with their first person narration rather than the third person narrative of Grace.

 

There is a very strong theme of rejection as each of the women feel they have lost their soulmate to someone else and deal with this lose in different ways.

There are a few emotive themes running through the novel, such as; overworked emergency doctors, eating disorders, stalking, infidelity, mental illness, bullying, infertility and moral dilemmas. McMahon explores how life experiences shape us and have far reaching affects on those around us.

 

I enjoyed the mixed media style with coronial inquest notes and emails adding to the story and building the suspense.

 

Katie McMahon's writing is rich in suspense, mystery and humour. Her characters are funny, flawed and real. I loved them all!

 

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Katie McMahon is a medical doctor and writer. Her first novel, The Mistake, was written after attending a masterclass run by the internationally bestselling author Fiona McIntosh and was published internationally in 2021. Katie has also written articles for The Age and The Quarry. She has lived in London and Melbourne and is now based with her family in Hobart, Tasmania. She works as a doctor and teaches communication skills to medical students. The Accident is her second novel. 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

With thanks to Echo Publishing and DMCPRMedia I have one paperback copy of The Accident to give away.

 Enter via the form below. (Open to Australian addresses only). Entries close at 6pm (AEST) on Tuesday 13th September 2022.

 

 This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE