Book Bingo - Round 9: Themes of Crime and Justice

 Reasonable Doubt: lost lives, justice delayed, criminals walking free. by Xanthe Mallett

This week I have chosen the category 'themes of crime and justice'

The book I have chosen for this category is: Reasonable Doubt.

Up until this year I rarely read a non fiction book but here I am now entering my second non fiction read for the book bingo challenge.

Exposing false confessions, police biases, misplaced evidence and dodgy science, Reasonable Doubt is an expert's account of the murky underbelly of our justice system - and the way it affects us all.

You can read my full review HERE

 

Book Review: The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern

The Good Teacher

by

Petronella McGovern

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st September 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 416

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Every evening, Allison watches her husband's new house, desperate to find some answers. Every morning, she puts on a brave face to teach kindergarten. She's a good teacher, everyone says so - this stalking is just a tiny crack in her usual self-control.

A late enrolment into her class brings little Gracie - sick and grieving. Allison takes the girl and her father, Luke, under her wing. She smothers Gracie with the love she can't give her own son. As others question her judgement and the police arrive at her door, Allison starts to wonder if she can trust herself.

When Gracie has a chance to go to America for treatment, Allison leads the school in a fundraising drive. But has she crossed a line?

How far will the good teacher go to save a life? And whose life will that be?

An intriguing tale of our times about kindness and betrayal, and the danger of good deeds.

 

My Review

 

Petronella McGovern has delivered again in her second offering in the domestic fiction genre.

Allison Walsh is The Good Teacher always going above and beyond for her students and their families, but now her husband has left her, and her 15 year old son Felix with him, for another woman and she is reduced to stalking his house to get a glimpse of the woman who stole her family.

It's a new school year and Luke and his 5 year old daughter Gracie have moved to Sydney to be treated at the children's hospital for Gracie's rare form of cancer. Allison invites Luke and Gracie to stay with her while they save for a life saving trip to America. Allison's invitation isn't wholly selfless as she pours all her energy into raising money for Gracie's trip is she using Luke and Gracie to replace the family she lost?

"Allison had realised that family didn't have to be narrowed down to Tony and Felix, it could be expanded to include whomever she wanted."

McGovern has highlighted the wonderful giving nature of people who will go out of their way to help others. Luke and Gracie are welcomed into the community with open arms.

Told in multiple points of view, each character has their own agenda around helping Gracie.

I like the short chapters on Felix's point of view and how the themes of Felix's school text, Othello, tie into events happening in his real life.

As with McGovern's previous novel, there is so much happening and it's all pertinent so I can't say too much without spoilers. There are plenty of red herrings and twists along the way. The Good Teacher induced a roller coaster of emotions; empathy, pride, sorrow, anger, satisfaction and joy.

Following on from  her success with Six Minutes Petronella McGovern has now, with her release of The Good Teacher placed herself firmly as the Queen of Australian domestic fiction.

About the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

Petronella McGovern is a writer and editor who grew up on a farm outside Bathurst, New South Wales. After working in Canberra for a number of years, she now lives on Sydney's northern beaches with her husband and two children. Her best-selling novel, Six Minutes, was published in 2019 and long-listed for the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards.

The Good Teacher is her second novel.

 

  

 

Click on cover to see review

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

Winner of a copy of The Women's Pages announced

Once again I would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway for a copy of The Women's Pages. The giveaway closed on the 9th September and the winner was randomly selected (using Random org) from all correct entries. 

Congratulations to........   Jodie K

 To celebrate my biggest giveaway ever I am also giving away my lightly read copy and the winner of this second draw is...

                                     Kelly

The winners have been notified and have seven days to to provide a mailing address.

Please see my Giveaway tab for more chances to win great books. 

 

 

Book Review: The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman

The Women's Pages

by

Victoria Purman

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 2nd September 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages:416

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book 

 

Sydney 1945 The war is over, the fight begins.

The war is over and so are the jobs (and freedoms) of tens of thousands of Australian women. The armaments factories are making washing machines instead of bullets and war correspondent Tilly Galloway has hung up her uniform and been forced to work on the women's pages of her newspaper - the only job available to her -- where she struggles to write advice on fashion and make up.

As Sydney swells with returning servicemen and the city bustles back to post-war life, Tilly finds her world is anything but normal. As she desperately waits for word of her prisoner-of-war husband, she begins to research stories about the lives of the underpaid and overworked women who live in her own city. Those whose war service has been overlooked; the freedom and independence of their war lives lost to them.
Tilly realises that for her the war may have ended, but the fight is just beginning...

 

My Review

 

The Women’s Pages is a heartfelt, emotional and inspiring look at women, and their role in society, during and after WWII.

Set in Sydney in 1946 immediately post WWII with events during the war told in backstory The Women’s Pages is narrated via Tilly Galloway, working at the Daily Herald whilst her husband is away fighting.

Through Tilly, her family and close friends Purman has shown the different impact the war had on women, with some husbands returning but forever damaged, whilst others for a variety of reasons not returning at all. Women who had been earning a wage, and for the first time having money of their own, were suddenly unemployed whilst older men were also losing their jobs to young, returning soldiers. It was a time of adjustment for all and for some it wasn’t the dream they had envisioned.

The scenes around Sydney city and The Rocks, the war-time hardships and post-war celebrations on the city streets, were brought to life by Purman’s wonderful descriptions. 

With many mentions of the political climate and newsworthy events of the time the story is solidly set in it’s time frame.

Tilly comes from the wrong side of town but through perseverance and intelligence she rises from secretary to journalist however she is still never treated the same as the male journalists. She befriends fellow journalist George Cooper a forward thinking man, and there were few of them back then, who is happy to teach her the ropes of writing a good story.

Tilly and best friend Mary are waiting for their husbands to return from the war. They live on hopes and dreams and their anguish is heartfelt and real. 

Tilly’s sister Martha, with three boys to bring up is barely surviving on her meagre pay. She is helped often by her mother Elsie, who also offers meals and a helping hand to all local families, ill or down on their luck. 

Purman introduces the ongoing battle of the waterside workers through Tilly’s father, Stan, a staunch union man who worked hard and fought hard for these men to receive a fair days pay for a fair days work.

Purman has delivered a heartfelt story. The characters are likeable, their emotions and dreams are genuine and relatable. Through these characters we get a rounded view of the struggle for many during and after the war.

The Women’s Pages is a thoroughly researched novel that had me spellbound from cover to cover.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author  

 

Photo: Goodreads

Victoria Purman is an award-nominated, bestselling Australian author. She is a regular guest at writers' festivals, has been nominated for a number of readers choice awards and was a judge in the fiction category for the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature. Her most recent novels are The Three Miss Allens (2016), The Last of the Bonegilla Girls (2018) and Australian bestseller The Land Girls (2019).

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

                                 Historical Fiction Challenge  #2020HistFicReadingChallenge

 

Friday Freebie Book Giveaway: The Women's Pages by Victoria Purman

 I was hoping to have my copy finished so I could post a review with this giveaway but alas that isn't to be the case although I am enjoying Tilly's Story immensely.

 

The Women's Pages

by

Victoria Purman

 

 Sydney 1945 The war is over, the fight begins.

The war is over and so are the jobs (and freedoms) of tens of thousands of Australian women. The armaments factories are making washing machines instead of bullets and war correspondent Tilly Galloway has hung up her uniform and been forced to work on the women's pages of her newspaper - the only job available to her - where she struggles to write advice on fashion and make-up.

As Sydney swells with returning servicemen and the city bustles back to post-war life, Tilly finds her world is anything but normal. As she desperately waits for word of her prisoner-of-war husband, she begins to research stories about the lives of the underpaid and overworked women who live in her own city. Those whose war service has been overlooked; the freedom and independence of their war lives lost to them.

Meanwhile Tilly's waterside worker father is on strike, and her best friend Mary is struggling to cope with the stranger her own husband has become since being liberated from Changi a broken man. As strikes rip the country apart and the news from abroad causes despair, matters build to a heart-rending crescendo. Tilly realises that for her the war may have ended, but the fight is just beginning...

 

I have one paperback copy to give away. Entry is to Australian addresses only and closes at midnight on Wednesday 9th September.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was ...... Jodie K

 

Mailbox Monday & Life This Week - August 31st

 

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.

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!

🎕 🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕

I'm so excited that it is officially the last day of winter today. We have been having some beautiful days but the nights have still been a little cold. I am not a lover of the cold weather and I'm happy to be looking forward to warm, even hot, days ahead.

🏥🏥🏥🏥🏥🏥🏥

Ditto was again rushed to emergency last week with severe asthma and a double chest infection. His mother stayed with him and had to carry the burden of worry alone as due to covid-19 restrictions no one was allowed to visit, not even his father and sister. The doctors were amazing, so I've been told, and Ditto was a little trooper through-out the whole ordeal. He is home again now and running riot.

 

Our garden is beginning to bloom and we spent the last weekend gardening and planting new plants in the garden beds. We are also having a go at beans and tomatoes. We have had a little success with them before. 

We saw a very cute family of ducks on our walk during the week.

Books received over the last two weeks:

The mail has finally come through. Books received this week.

 

 

I am looking forward to bringing you my reviews of the children's picture books from Empowering Resources. They are a publisher of high-quality children's picture books and junior novels that nurture, educate and empower children. Their aim is to encourage meaningful conversations in homes and in classrooms.

 

Book Review: The Night Whistler by Greg Woodland

The Night Whistler

by

Greg Woodland

 

 

Publisher: Text Publishing

Publication date: 4th August 2020

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 400

Format read: uncorrected eBook

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

About the book

 

It’s 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog.

Not just dead, but recently killed.
 

Not just killed, but mutilated.
 

Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town—and one of his dogs has gone missing. He’s experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they’re practising. So when Hal’s mother starts getting anonymous calls—a man whistling, then hanging up—Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously.


The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?
 

Nostalgic yet clear-eyed, simmering with small-town menace, Greg Woodland’s wildly impressive debut populates the rural Australia of the 1960s with memorable characters and almost unbearable tension. 

My review

  

Greg Woodland has delivered a gritty, dark and nostalgic, small-town crime thriller in his debut, The Night Whistler.

Set in country Australia during the summer of 1966. Twelve year old Hal and his family have recently moved to Moorabool for his father's job as Sales Rep for Prime Foods. 

At a time when kids jumped on their bikes and spent their days looking for adventure, Hal and his brother come across the body of a mutilated dog. 

Mick Goodenough has also recently arrived in Moorabool. Mick is on probabtion, demoted and sent to this small backwater town as punishment. After finding his pet dog mutilated and then being brushed off by his superior Mick decides to do some investigating of his own. He knows animal mutilation is a predecessor to murdering people. As Mick tries to investigate the killing he is stopped at every turn by his superior.

 Hal's mother starts to receive anonymous phone calls from a man whistling a tune. As Hal's father is away with work Hal assumes the role of head of the family and to protect his mother and brother he is determined to expose The Whistler.

The Night Whistler is filled with police cover-ups, bullying, racism, shonky council dealings, lazy policing and red-herrings making this small-town crime thriller a compelling read that is at times nostalgic and at other times spine-chilling.

NOTE: I do believe there is a much anticipated sequel in the offing.  

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author 

Photo: Goodreads

Greg Woodland is a writer, director, script developer and consultant working in Australian film and TV. He fronts an alt-country band called The Cheating Hearts and lives in Sydney with his wife and son. The Night Whistler is his debut novel.

  

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered: Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20