Book Review: The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

 The Bone Code

by

Kathy Reichs

 

A Temperance Brennan Novel

 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

 

Publication date: 21st April 2021

 

Series: Temperance Brennan #20

 

Genre: Crime / Mystery

 

Pages: 368

 

RRP: $ 32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

When a hurricane hits the Carolinas it uncovers two bodies, sharing uncanny similarities with a cold case in Quebec that has haunted Temperance Brennan for fifteen years.

 At the same time, a rare bacterium that can eat human flesh is discovered in Charleston. Panic erupts and people test themselves for a genetic mutation that leaves them vulnerable.

 

With support from her long time partner Andrew Ryan, Temperance discovers the startling connection between the victims of both murder cases - and how both the nurders and the disease outbreak have a common cause.

 

My review

 

The Bone Code is book #20 in Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series. Even though the book follows one case that Tempe is working on, and the book in theory works as a stand alone, I still felt like I was late to the party. Not knowing any of Temperance's backstory made it hard to connect with her as a person.

 

Temperance is called to do a forensic analysis of bones of two people found washed ashore in a hazardous waste container. The more she worked on the bones the more a similar case fifteen years ago came to mind. Tempe is convinced they are linked and what ensues is a details and lengthy investigation.

 

I liked Tempe's empathy for the victims, this was more than just a job to her. The story is set post Covid and people are in a panic over a new disease that is coming from family pets.

 

Reichs gives her readers a complex plot with detailed forensics and a large cast of characters. Small pieces of information are pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle to finally reveal the bigger picture.

 

Advances in DNA collection, forensics and pathology are shown between the present case the the cold case of fifteen years prior. Societies penchant for having their DNA anylised and stored is also a major factor in this mystery.

 

The Bone Code is narrated in a relaxed style and is well paced with each chapter ended on a little cliff hanger. Reichs delivers a very compelling mystery that builds as the story progresses.

I found the technical explanations of forensics and genetics and the constant use of initialism and acronyms quite confusing and caused me to lose focus.

 

The Bone Code would be a great read for those interested in forensics and science and followers of the TV series, Bones.

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author 

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Médecine Légale for the province of Quebec. She is one of only fifty forensic anthropologists certified by the American Board of Forensic Anthropology and is on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. A professor of anthropology at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Dr. Reichs is a native of Chicago, where she received her Ph.D. at Northwestern. She now divides her time between Charlotte and Montreal and is a frequent expert witness in criminal trials.

 

 

Challenges entered: Cloak and Dagger Challenge 

 

 

Book Review: The Trials of Adeline Turner by Angela Terry

The Trials of Adeline Turner

by

Angela Terry

 

Publisher: Girl Friday

Publication date: 19th October 2021

 

Genre: Romantic Comedy

 

Pages: 384

 

Format read: eBook

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

About the book

 

Thirty-three-year-old corporate attorney Adeline Turner has built her adult life around stability. Her professional life is thriving, but her personal life . . . not so much. Deep down she wants more, but finds it’s easier to brush aside her dreams and hide behind her billable hours. That is until a new client and a chance encounter with her high-school crush have her taking leaps she never planned. Suddenly unadventurous, nose-to-the-grindstone Adeline finds herself moving across the country from her predictable life in Chicago to San Francisco, falling into messy romantic situations, and trying to unravel an office-sabotage plot before it ruins her career.

Without the safety net of her old life in Chicago, Addie must become her own advocate and learn that people aren’t always who they seem. Which makes her wonder if the key to having the future she desires lies in uncovering the truth of the past.

 

My review

 

The Trials of Adeline Turner is a light and easy Rom-Com

The story follows the very likeable thirty-three year old Adeline as she navigates her life. Thinking that if she wants to find 'the one' she needs to get out and date. After joining a dating app she goes on a few not so great dates but when she does start seeing someone seriously she always seems to be the one not committing. 

 

Adeline is a career driven woman but would also like to find that special someone. Adeline goes through many ups and downs as she reconnects with her high school crush, is sabotaged at work right when she was due for a promotion, reaches out to the mother she  hasn't seen for twenty-one years and realises 'the one' might be the person right in front of you.

 

I really enjoyed reading The Trials of Adeline Turner and following Adeline's growth and reconciliation with her past. The story line was rather predictable but isn't that what you want from a romance read? Happy endings guaranteed!

 

My rating 3.5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐½

 

About the author

 

photo credit Goodreads

Angela Terry is an attorney who formerly practiced intellectual property law at large firms in Chicago and San Francisco. She resides in San Francisco with her husband and two cats, and enjoys throwing novel-themed dinner parties for her women's fiction book club. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: The French Gift by Kirsty Manning

The French Gift

by

Kirsty Manning

 

A story of female friendship, longing and sacrifice.

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 30th March 2021

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 328

 

RRP: $32.99

 

Format read: Paperback (uncorrected proof)

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

A forgotten manuscript that threatens to unravel the past…

Fresne Prison, 1940: A former maid at a luxury villa on the Riviera, Margot Bisset finds herself in a prison cell with writer and French Resistance fighter Joséphine Murant. Together, they are transferred to a work camp in Germany for four years, where the secrets they share will bind them for generations to come.
 

Contemporary Paris: Evie Black lives in Paris with her teenage son, Hugo, above her botanical bookshop, La Maison Rustique. Life would be so sweet if only Evie were not mourning the great love of her life.

When a letter arrives regarding the legacy of her husband’s great-aunt, Joséphine Murant, Evie clutches at an opportunity to spend one last magical summer with her son. They travel together to Joséphine’s house, now theirs, on the Côte d’Azur. Here, Evie unravels the official story of this famous novelist, and the truth of a murder a lifetime ago.

 

My review

 

The French Gift is an interesting historical fiction narrated over multiple time lines.

1940's Paris: a friendship is formed when Margot Bisset, a maid, accused of murder and Josephine Murant, trialed as a Resistance fighter, share a cell in a French prison.

When Paris falls to the Germans the women are sent to a German work camp and are forced to work endless hours in a factory with horrific conditions. Josephine is charming, witty and defiant and she infuses Margot with her fire and determination.

 

Present day Paris: Evie Black and her teenaged son Hugo, mourning the death of their beloved husband and father, agree to assist in the collection of information and artifacts to go into an exhibition to honour the legacy of Josephine Murant, her husband's great aunt, who had become an accomplished crime writer. There are also rumours of an unpublished manuscript which has Evie searching the villa.

 

Kirsty Manning has written a compelling story of friendship, perseverance and acts of kindness. The chapters on the German rayon factory were heartbreaking and were written with great reverence for the women that endured these horrific conditions.

I enjoyed the added mysteries of the false murder charge, the search for the manuscript and the added information and secrets that were unearthed during the assembly of the exhibition.

 

The multiple time line format didn't quite work for me with the dates continually jumping around. I would have preferred two straight time lines.

I did like that Kirsty Manning has come up with a fresh idea for a novel set during WWII and I was completely engrossed in the narrative. The mention of French cuisine and wines helped to give an overarching sense of place.

 

The French Gift with its clever twists is sure to please historical fiction fans.

 

My rating   4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Kirsty Manning grew up in northern New South Wales 

A country girl with wanderlust, her travels and studies have taken her through most of Europe, the east and west coasts of the United States and pockets of Asia. Kirsty's first novel was the enchanting Midsummer Garden, published in 2017. Her second book, The Jade Lily, was published in 2018, and her third The Lost Jewels, in 2020. Kirsty is a partner in the award winning Melbourne wine bar Bellota, and the Prince Wine Store in Sydney and Melbourne. She lives in Melbourne, Victoria.

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

                                  

                                   Historical Fiction Challenge 

 

 

Book Review: The Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens

The Last of the Apple Blossom

by

Mary-Lou Stephens 

 

Deep in the Huon Valley - two orchards, two women and the secret that binds them.

 

 

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 28th July 2021

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Pages: 464

 

Format read: Uncorrected Paperback 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

February, 1967. Walls of flame reduce much of Tasmania to ash.

 

Young schoolteacher Catherine Turner rushes to the Huon Valley to find her family's apple orchard destroyed, her childhood home in ruins  and her brother dead. Despite her father's declaration that a woman will never run the orchard, Catherine resolves to rebuild the family business.

 

After five sons, Catherine's friend and neighbour, Annie Pearson, is overjoyed by the birth of a much longed-for daughter. As Annie and her husband Dave work to repair the damage to their orchard, Dave's friend Mark pitches in, despite the fact that Annie wants him gone. Mark has moved his family to the valley to escape his life in Melbourne, but his wife has disappeared leaving chaos in her wake and their young son Charlie in Mark's care.

 

Catherine becomes fond of Charlie, whose strange upbringing has left him shy and withdrawn. However, the growing friendship between Mark and Catherine not only scanadlises the small community but threatens a secret Annie is desperate to keep hidden.

 

My review

 

The Last of the Apple Blossom opens with the devastating fires of 1967 in Tasmania's Houn Valley.

Mary-Lou Stephens immediately plunges her reader into the fear, heat and danger that surrounds a bush fire.

 

Catherine returns home to find the family apple orchard burnt to the ground and her brother dead. Catherine is a girl before her time. She has no interest in marriage and children, her big dream has always been to run the family orchard. But the sixties were still a time of subjugation for women and there was no way her father was going to let her run the orchard. Women worked in the packing shed.

I loved Catherine's  passion for the orchard and I could see that it caused a great rift between her and her father and bitter words were flung around. Catherine showed a real maturity and mostly let the hurtful comments bounce off her.

 

Catherine's neighbours Annie and Dave are busy with their six young children and their orchard. Dave has good friend Mark helping out on the orchard. Mark is enjoying the quite country atmosphere in contrast to his usual busy life.

 

I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the apple orchards and the day to day lives of the owners. The hustle and bustle of the children and the hectic picking and packing season was well portrayed. It came across as grueling work but you could also see how satisfying it was to finish a good crop. A successful apple season is totally reliant on so many outside influences such as fire, drought, farmyard accidents, transportation and waterside strikes. The story spans a large time period and over time we see the need to diversify and evolve to keep up with changing markets

 

There are a couple of love interests introduced for Catherine. The fun loving Tim and the dark and broody Mark add a light romance element to the story.

 

The Last of the Apple Blossom is a story of passion for the land, heartbreak, perseverance, secrets, lies, family, love and longing. The characters travel a rocky road to forgiveness and healing. 

 

My rating  5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

Mary-Lou Stephens was born in Tasmania, studied acting at The Victorian College of the Arts and played in bands in Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney. Eventually she got a proper job - in radio, where she was a presenter and music director, first with commercial radio and then with the ABC.

She received rave reviews for her memoir Sex, Drugs and Meditation (2013), the true story of how meditation changed her life, saved her job and helped her find a husband.

Mary-Lou has worked and played all over Australia and now lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and a hive of native bees.  

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

                                  

                                   Historical Fiction Challenge 

 

 

Book Review: Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master

Exit Through the Gift Shop

by

Maryam Master

Illustrated by Astred Hicks

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Pan Australia

Publication date: 27th July 2021

Genre: Children's / Teen

Pages: 216

RRP: $16.99AUD

Format read: paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

About the book

 

Anahita Rosalind Ghorban-Galaszczuk (yes, that really is her name but you can call her Ana) is discovering that life is absurd. As if dying of cancer at the age of 12.5 isn't bad enough, she still has to endure daily insults from her nemesis, Alyssa (Queen Mean) Anderson.

 

Ana's on a wild roller-coaster of life and death, kindness and cruelty, ordinary and extraordinary.

 

And she's got a few things to do before she exits.....

 

My review

 

Exit Through the Gift Shop is Ana’s story. Ana is a 12.5 year old girl with cancer. She writes the book as an English assignment about the last year of her life.

Can I say this is a fun book! Cancer and dying are tough topics but at no time does Maryam Master try to wring the emotion out of her readers.
We follow Ana through what she is told will be her final year of life as she contemplates her own mortality, succumbs to cancer treatments, takes a last hope trip to the USA and faces a ruthless bully.

Ana is very down to earth and philosophical. She has accepted her fate and is ready to make the most of the time that she has. She has quite a sense of humour and her story is written in a dramatic (comedic) way with lots of big bold words and sketches on the pages.

There is a best friend, Al, by her side to support and cheer her up. He is also a little bit silly and not worried about what people think of him. And what’s a teen novel without a nemesis! Here, Alyssa takes the cake with relentless bullying which Ana expects to stop when Alyssa finds out she has cancer. Ana has already graciously decided to forgive her. Alyssa would have to be the embodiment of bullying. I think Alyssa's character is over dramatic but isn't that what a teen novel is all about, the drama!

Maryam Master has written an entertaining novel that will be ideal as a school study novel with the inclusion of metaphors, alliteration and exaggeration. Alyssa, the bully, would be a good case study and excellent discussion point.

Recommended for ages 12 – 16 years

 

My rating  4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

About the author

 

Maryam Master was born in Iran and moved to Australia when she was nine. She is a screenwriter and playwright who loves creating shows for young audiences.
She began her career in TV, writing for shows like Home and Away, Blinky Bill and the Jim Henson Company's Bambaloo, in 2011 she was selected by Sesame Workshop as the writer for Elmo's tour of Australia.
Exit Through the Gift Shop is her first novel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21 

 

Winner of a copy of Luna Finds Love Everywhere announced

 

Once again I would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway for a copy of Luna Finds Love Everywhere. The giveaway closed on the 3rd September and the winner was randomly selected (using Random org) from all correct entries. 

Congratulations to........   Angela

 The winner has been notified and has seven days to provide a mailing address.

I would like to thank Pacific & Court PR for sponsoring this US & Canada giveaway. 

Please look under the giveaway tab for more chances to win great books.

 

Book Review: Driving Stevie Fracasso by Barry Divola

Driving Stevie Fracasso 

by

Barry Divola

 

He's about to find everything he didn't know he was missing

 

 

 

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

 

Publication date: 3rd March 2021

 

Genre: General Fiction

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Source: My purchase 

 

 

About the book

 

Jaded music journalist Rick McLennan knows his life is going south when he loses his job, his apartment and his long-term girlfriend all on the same day. But then he is thrown a lifeline - a commission to write the story of his ex-rock-star brother, Stevie, and drive him from Austin, Texas, to New York to play one final gig. One small problem: the brothers haven't spoken in thirty years.

Rick knows it's a bad idea. But he's out of choices. So he gets behind the wheel of a beaten-up 1985 Nissan Stanza and drives towards his destiny. He's about to find everything he didn't know he was missing. It's September 2001.

 

My review

 

I have to say I've never been interested in music or bands. The only records I've brought are a couple of Slade albums in my early teens. What I'm saying here is you don't have to be a music buff to love this novel. Though if you are, you will!

 

Driving Stevie Fracasso is a story about finding yourself, reconciling your past and growing up and learning what's important in life.

Music journalist Rick loses his girlfriend, his accommodation and his job on the same day. However when he is offered the job of writing a book on washed-up musician Stevie Fracasso, on the proviso he picks him up in Austin and drives him back to New York, Rick decides it solves his immediate problems so accepts. The only problem is, Stevie is his brother and he hasn't seen him in 29 years.

After stealing borrowing his ex-girlfriends car, what ensues is a road trip filled with colourful characters, a busted nose, acquisition of a three legged dog and words of wisdom that come from the most unlikeliest people as Rick and Stevie visit Stevie's top attraction list on their trip.

 

I had a blast reading Driving Stevie Fracasso, it was witty and heartfelt. Rick was quite annoying at the start of the book. He was forty years old and still acted like a twenty year old. I felt embarrassed for him. He has a big chip on his shoulder about his life, his parents and his brother. Rick's character was well drawn and I enjoyed following his road to enlightenment. 

 

I love stories about road trips and Barry Divola didn't disappoint. The road trip through New Orleans, Memphis and Nashville was eventful and funny - usually at Rick's expense.

 

"Don't you know anything about road trips? They're not about the destination, they're about the journey."

 

Driving Stevie Fracasso was a roller coaster journey for Rick and he did finally reach his destination, reassessing his hopes and dreams.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Barry Divola is a journalist and author born and bred in Sydney, currently living in Perth. He writes regularly for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and Qantas Magazine. He was a senior writer for Rolling Stone (Australia), the long-time music critic for Who, and his work has appeared internationally in Rolling Stone, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Monocle and other magazines. Driving Stevie Fracasso is his first novel, but he has published eight other books – four non-fiction books, three children's books and a book of short fiction (Nineteen Seventysomething). He has won the Margaret River Short Story Prize, the FAW Jennifer Burbidge Award, the Cowley Literary Award and the Banjo Paterson Award for Short Fiction (three times). Although he plays in three bands in two cities, he has been informed not to give up his day job.  

 

Challenges entered:   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21