Book Review: Six Minutes by Petronella McGovern

Six Minutes

by

Petronella McGovern

Publisher: Allen & Unwin 
Publication date: 1st July 2019
Genre: Msytery / Thriller
Pages: 432
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Paperback 
Source: Won

One Thursday morning, Lexie Parker dashes to the shop for biscuits, leaving Bella in the safe care of the other mums in the playgroup.

Six minutes later, Bella is gone.

Police and media descend on the tiny village of Merrigang on the edge of Canberra. Locals unite to search the dense bushland. But as the investigation continues, relationships start to fracture, online hate messages target Lexie, and the community is engulfed by fear.

Is Bella's disappearance connected to the angry protests at Parliament House? What secrets are the parents hiding? And why does a local teacher keep a photo of Bella in his lounge-room?

Petronella McGovern’s debut novel Six Minutes is a cleverly plotted mystery. On the cover of my ARC it says “impossible to put down” and how true that was!

Lexie has separation anxiety, she won’t let three year old Bella out of her sight. Knowing that she needs to relax and let go a little she leaves Bella with the other playgroup mums and ducks to the shop to buy morning tea. When she returns, only six minutes later, Bella is gone and nobody saw her leave.

Petronella McGovern’s description of a playgroup’s atmosphere is well depicted. A group of mothers supporting each other, telling each other everything but still holding back their inner fears, their true selves.

Told through multiple points of view the main mystery is of Bella’s disappearance but as more people are questioned it looks like everyone has something to hide and not everyone is telling the truth.

I had a long list of suspects and as I read further, instead of crossing off names, I found myself adding more.

There is lots of finger pointing and most of it is at Lexie and her husband. McGovern shows through blog and Facebook posts that you can never escape the trolls and old hurts resurface to haunt Lexie and Marty. The strain on their relationship is realistically portrayed with both being careful not to lay blame when doubts set in.

Six Minutes is a compelling modern day domestic thriller.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Petronella McGovern grew up in a large family on a farm in New South Wales, Australia. Farmland and the bush feature strongly in her debut psychological thriller, Six Minutes. She has co-written two non-fiction books - a travelogue of the 1960s, For Love and a Beetle with Ivan Hodge; and an Olympic memoir, Trailblazers: Australia's First Olympic Equestrians with Wyatt Thompson.  

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

and Australian Women Writers challenge 

Mailbox Monday - May 18th & Life This Week

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog. Head over and check out other books received during the last week. 

Life This Week is a meme created by Denyse Whelan Blogs where bloggers share snaps of what is currently happening in their lives.


Happy Monday!

What has been happening over the last two weeks!
Isolation restrictions are lessening in Australia so we have made the most of the fine weather while we still have it.

         
We went on a bush walk down to the creek. We haven't had rain for a long time so there wasn't much water but it was tranquil and quiet down in the gully.

Mother's Day was a big event as we were only allowed two visitors, and their children, at one time. My children all visited spread over Saturday night, Sunday breakfast and Sunday lunch. We had a picnic in the backyard with the grandchildren. We were still not allowed to sit in parks at this stage.

A good side to having so much free time, locked in my house, was that I finished knitting Dot's cardigan and one for her favourite toy. I've now started a jacket for Ditto. Hopefully I can finish it before everyone goes back to work.

Books received over the last two weeks:

From the author:

Prey by L A Larkin
Olivia Wolfe is a journalist who travels the world exposing heinous crimes. She has more enemies that most.

When her anonymous source is murdered, Wolfe must unravel the terrible secret that connects a series of gruesome murders. But powerful people want her stopped.
Betrayed and isolated, Wolfe is hunted by a faceless killer. Can she stay alive long enough to expose the shocking truth?

Four murders. Four countries. One terrible secret.

Won in competitions:

The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore
Brooklyn, 1982. Oona Lockhart is about to celebrate her 19th birthday and ring in the New Year. But at the stroke of midnight, she is torn from her friends and boyfriend, finding herself in her fifty-one-year-old body, thirty-two years into the future.

Greeted by a friendly stranger, Oona learns that on every birthday she will enter a different year of her adult life at random. Still a young woman on the inside, but ever changing on the outside, who will she be next year? Wealthy philanthropist? Nineties Club Kid? World traveller? Wife to a man she's never met?

While Oona gets glimpses of the future and thinks she knows what's to come, living a normal life is challenging. As she struggles between fighting her fate and accepting it, Oona must learn to navigate a life that's out of order - but is it broken?

The Long Shadow by Anne Buist
Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital—the hub of the community—with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother–baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mothers:

The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon. 
Then a series of small harassments begins.
Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.

I would love to hear what you received in the mail lately! 

 

Book Review & Giveaway: The Coconut Rebellion by Mark Stary

The Coconut Rebellion

by

Mark Stary

BUCKLE UP ME HEARTIES.......

FOR THE COCONUT REBELLION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN! 

 

Publisher: Rushcutter Press
Publication date: 3rd April 2018
Genre: Middle Grade
Pages: 229
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the author

The lagoon at Sea Devil Island is an idealistic place for a colony of fish to live and raise a family … peaceful and quiet. A little too quiet for young Jack Herron, who yearns to explore the world beyond his lagoon. But it is forbidden for junior fish to venture outside the lagoon. So when Jack stumbles across a secret passage to the outside world, he sneaks out and leads his three closest friends on an adventure of discovery. Unfortunately, they discover more than they bargain for.
Cursed to live on an island for a crime they did not commit, the fish of Sea Devil Lagoon must set  forth from their island prison and find the evidence to prove their innocence.
But this will not be easy! Standing in their way is a devious squid intent on world domination and the evil Scourge Stingrays. 

The Coconut Rebellion is a wonderfully immersive Middle Grade story for lovers of animated ocean stories like Finding Nemo and Shark Tale.

We are first introduced to Marty the albatross and Hamish the seagull. Hamish takes Marty to see Sea Devil Island which is a dangerous no-go zone for birds. When Marty ignores the warnings, excited about the amount of fish he can see, he swoops down and is attacked by “warrior fish” and injured.

Hamish helps Marty to the safety of nearby Blue Island and calls on the wise old green sea turtle, Gonzo. Gonzo then proceeds to tell Marty the legend of Sea Devil Island and how the fish came to walk on land.

I loved this story! It features plenty of danger, humour, friendship, squidnapping, battles and a curse that forces the fish onto land. There is never a dull moment in this tale of four young fish who save their colony from a deadly curse. It is a story that will certainly keep a young reader entertained.

This story screams big screen adaptation!

Recommended 9+ 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit: Goodreads

 

Mark Stary lives in the beautiful Blue Mountains of NSW Australia with his wife and two children.
When he is not making up stories to enchant his kids, he can be found cursing over a Victa lawnmower that refuses to start most weekends.
A decade of story-telling to neighbourhood children has yielded many tall tales, The Coconut Rebellion being the first in print.

But by no means the last....

The author has generously offered a paperback giveaway to one of my readers. Entry is via the form below. Entry is open to Australian addresses only and close at midnight on 24th May 2020.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was ........ TRACEY.

Blog Tour Book Review: The Checklist Book by Alexandra Franzen

The Checklist Book

by

Alexandra Franzen

Set Realistic Goals, Celebrate Tiny Wins, Reduce Stress and Overwhelm, and Feel Calmer Every Day

Publisher: Mango Publishing Group
Publication date: 14th January 2020
Genre: Non-Fiction / Self Help
Pages: 160
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Simplicity at its best: The checklist is one of the world’s oldest―and most effective―productivity systems. If anything, author and entrepreneur Alexandra Franzen shares, it is just as valuable now as it was during the days of the Roman Empire. Writing out a simple checklist allows us to tangibly plan our day and set in stone what we want to accomplish.

In the life-changing Checklist Book, learn:

The history of the checklist and why it remains to be relevant and effective today
The science behind the success of checklists, such as the instant satisfaction we feel when we put a check next to a finished task
How to create a basic daily checklist―and checklists for specific situations, like moving to a new city or navigating a divorce

I’ve always been a maker of lists. There is something satisfying about making a list and checking things off, and basking in the glow of accomplishment.

My lists have never gone further than a daily list of things I want to, or must, get done. However The Checklist Book is more than an organisational help book. It’s about making realistic goals and breaking them down to daily, weekly and long term goals. It’s about making the life you wish to live into the life you are actually living.

Alexandra explains the idea of checklists in a fun and informative way. Her checklist concept is broken down step by step so it is easy to start with the basics and build on this to achieve the goals you set for yourself.

This book goes beyond the daily “must do” checklist to things to do simply for well being. Think about what matters most to you each day, simple things, and live them.

Something that was a great help for me was the inclusion of Alexandra’s example checklists that you can tweak to suit your lifestyle and what you love.

There is no hard and fast set of rules. Alexandra understands that not everyone is the same so her personal list may not suit someone else. There is great flexibility throughout the book.

        "It’s not just writing down a bunch of stuff I need to do."

Through The Checklist book I discovered so much more to list making and a way to reduce stress and feel calmer every day.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This review is part of the Non-Fiction reader challenge   #2020ReadNonFic

 

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is the author of several books, including SO THIS IS THE END: A LOVE STORY (2018), YOU'RE GOING TO SURVIVE (2017) and 50 WAYS TO SAY "YOU'RE AWESOME" (2013).

She has written articles for dozens of sites, including Time, Forbes, Newsweek, HuffPost, The Muse, and Lifehacker. She's been mentioned/quoted in The New York Times Small Business Blog, The Atlantic, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Brit+Co, and Inc.

Alexandra is best-known for writing about creativity, productivity, the power of setting tiny goals, how to develop more confidence in your writing skills, and how to stay motivated, keep working towards your personal and professional dreams, and never give up.

She also works as a copywriter, ghostwriter, writing teacher, and consultant. She helps her clients to develop podcasts, videos, websites, speeches, books, and other creative projects.

The Checklist Book is available to purchase online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or your favourite book retailer.

Please check the other posts on the WOW! Women on Writing blog tour 

Book Review: Fool Me Once by Karly Lane

Fool Me Once

by

Karly Lane

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Aust 
Publication date: 28th April 2020
Genre: Rural Romance
Pages: 318
RRP: $29.99
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Farmer, Georgie Henderson manages a cattle farm in the New England region of NSW, but her dream has always been to buy back her family property, Tamban. Her every waking hour for years, has revolved around planning to make this dream become a reality.

When an unlikely meeting with Michael Delacourt at a rowdy B&S Ball sends them on a whirlwind romance, Georgie can't believe it's possible for life to be this good and her dream of buying back Tamban has, for the first time, taken a backseat to happiness.

But her world shatters when she discovers the shocking secret Michael has been trying to keep from her.

Any book by Karly Lane is a must read for me. I was in a bit of a reading slump and I was sure Karly’s latest offering would get me out of it. I wasn’t wrong! I devoured this book in two days!

Georgie is strong, independent woman. She is currently the manager of Stoney Creek, a cattle property, but her goal is to buy back her family’s property that had been sold to a large corporation.

Georgie meets Michael at a B & S ball. They both feel totally out of place there and they hit it off immediately.

It was love at first sight and a whirlwind romance but it is not all plain sailing for Georgie and Michael.

The storyline is predicable. Boy meets girl, they fall in love then some insurmountable problem tears them apart and we read on broken heartedly hoping they will reunite. I would have been terribly disappointed if it didn’t pan out that way. It’s what rural romance readers want!

However Karly Lane’s stories aren’t simple angsty romance. They have great depth when it comes to issues faced by a rural community and in this case farmers inparticular.

This is a story that reflects on the effects of a drought, rising debts, suicide, women in farming and the need for diversification.

Karly Lane’s affinity for the land shines through in her stories.

Georgie is easy to warm to. A character full of sass and determination. Fool Me Once is a feel-good story not to be missed.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ plus an extra ⭐ because one of the characters was named Veronica. 💖

 

Karly Lane lives on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Proud mum to four children and wife to one very patient mechanic, she is luck enough to spend her day doing the two things she loves most – being a mum and writing stories set in beautiful rural Australia.

 


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

and Australian Women Writers challenge

 

  

Book Bingo - Round 5: Set in an era you would love to travel back to #BookBingo2020

Riptides by Kirsten Alexander

This week I have chosen the category 'Set in an era you would love to travel back to.'

The book I have chosen for this category is: Riptides.

Riptides is set in the 1970's. Let's travel back to the seventies! A time of lazy days on the beach, no mobile phones, no social media. The music was fun. We had disco!! Big hair and flared jeans. I was a self absorbed teenager.....life was good.

In Riptides Alexander includes a few major events of the 70's placing the book firmly in it's timeline but it is not all fun and sand for the characters. They have a death on their hands and the dead woman's name keeps coming up to haunt them time and time again. 

You can read my full review  here

_______________________________________________

Book Bingo is a reading challenge hosted by Theresa Smith Writes , Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse. The second Saturday of each month book bingo participants reveal which bingo category they have read and what book they chose.   

#BookBingo2020 


 
 

Book Review: Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Saint X

by

Alexis Schaitkin

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Aus 
Imprint: Picador
Publication date: 25th February 2020
Genre: Crime / Mystery
Pages: 320
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: paperback 
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Claire is only seven years old when her college-age sister, Alison, disappears on the last night of their family vacation at a resort on the Caribbean island of Saint X. Several days later, Alison’s body is found in a remote spot on a nearby cay, and two local men – employees at the resort - are arrested. But the evidence is slim, the timeline against it, and the men are soon released. The story turns into national tabloid news, a lurid mystery that will go unsolved. For Claire and her parents, there is only the return home to broken lives.

Years later, Claire is living and working in New York City when a brief but fateful encounter brings her together with Clive Richardson, one of the men originally suspected of murdering her sister. It is a moment that sets Claire on an obsessive pursuit of the truth - not only to find out what happened the night of Alison’s death but also to answer the elusive question: Who exactly was her sister? 

Claire is seven when her family go on holiday to the island of Saint X. On the last night of their holiday her 18 year-old sister, Alison, goes missing. Her body is found 3 days later.

The story starts with the family holiday and Alison’s attitude and flirting and her subsequent demise . The mystery is; was she murdered? No one is charged and it is all swept under the carpet by the island’s police.

Years later a grown Claire becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Alison to the point of neglecting all else around her.

There are multiple points of view in this story of privilege, recklessness and obsession.

For me the story became bogged down, it was very slow and I sometimes became confused if what I was reading really happened or it was simply conjecture.

The mystery was compelling and it was that and Schaitkin’s hypnotic writing, that pushed me through the book.

The characters were well developed and I liked the small peek at the other holiday makers that were on the island and how the tragedy had affected their lives.

Through Saint X, Alexis Schaitkin shows us how a moment in time, an incident, can have an effect on so many lives.

⭐⭐⭐

  

 

Photo credit: Goodreads

Alexis Schaitkin’s short stories and essays have appeared in many literary journals and newspapers. Her fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. She received her MFA in fiction from the University of Virginia, where she was a Henry Hoyns Fellow. She lives in Williamstown, Massachusetts with her husband and son. 
Saint X is her debut novel.