Book Review Blog Tour: The Safe Place by L. A. Larkin

 The Safe Place

by

L. A.  Larkin

Publisher: Bookouture

 

Publication date: 9th November 2021

 

Genre: Crime Thriller

 

Pages: 394

 

Price: $1.99AUD (Kindle price @12/11/21) 

 

Format read: eBook

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Her heart pounds at the sound of footsteps outside her cabin in the woods. The snap of a twig tells her someone is close by. As she treads lightly towards the back door, she says a silent prayer—don’t let him find me…
 

Ever since Jessie Lewis reported her boyfriend, fire chief and local hero, for beating her, she’s been an outcast from the small town of Eagle Falls. And when someone sets fire to a house in the woods, killing the entire Troyer family, the locals turn on her again, taking her very public argument with Paul Troyer as proof that she lit the match.
 

Devastated that anyone could think her capable of murder, Jessie turns to Ruth. New in town, and an ex-FBI agent, Ruth could be the exact person Jessie needs to smoke out the murderer. But can she trust her with her life?
 

Days later, another house linked to Jessie is set ablaze. Combing the ashes for answers, she catches sight of an inscription she hasn’t seen since her childhood—since she lost someone very close to her. Is the killer is coming for her next?
 

As local wildfires take hold of the town and everyone is evacuated, Jessie knows she must put herself in unthinkable danger to catch the killer. And when she does, will she have the strength to take them down first?

 

My review

 

L.A. Larkin has delivered an adrenaline pumping small-town crime thriller fuelled by lies and secrets.

 

After being ostracised by the local community Jessie Lewis moves to a small cabin in the woods outside her home town of Eagle Falls. When a family of four is killed in a fire lit by an arsonist the town turns on Jessie once again.

Ex-FBI agent Ruth Sullivan has moved with her young family to her husband's home town of Eagle Falls. She is struggling with the damaging effects of a bomb blast plus PTSD induced nightmares. Ruth is finding it hard to fit into this tight knit community.

 

Ruth and Jessie, almost a generation apart in age, were alike in many ways. Both were strong determined women trying to escape their past. The two women immediately clicked and when Jessie found herself in trouble she turned to Ruth for help. Jessie is determined to clear her name and uncover a corrupt sheriff, long held secrets, a murderer and an arsonist.

 

Larkin has created a small-town community filled with domineering, manipulative and misogynistic men. The story includes themes of domestic abuse, victim blaming and gaslighting.  

 

The scenes of the house fires were horrifyingly real and as the story progresses the number of likely suspects mounts.

The suspense was rife, I was on the edge of my seat, it took all of my reserve not to read ahead to see what happened next.

 

The Safe Place is fast paced, action packed and suspense filled making it a novel not to be missed. 

 

I really enjoyed Larkin's previous novels Devour and Prey but she has outdone herself with The Safe Place! 

 

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

L.A. Larkin’s crime-thrillers have won her fans all over the world. Described as a superb ‘chiller thriller’ writer by Marie Claire magazine and praised by Lee Child, Louisa likes to write stories with lots of plot twists and characters that surprise. She feels very privileged to be able to brainstorm her story ideas with friends in the police and the FBI.

 

 

Website: https://lalarkin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LALarkinAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lalarkinauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/la_larkin_author/ 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Snotlings by Tarryn Mallick

 Snotlings

by

Tarryn Mallick

Illustrated by Nahum Ziersch

 

 Can you survive the snotpocalpyse?

 

Publisher: Self published

Publication date: 25th October 2021

 

Genre: Middle Grade / Fiction

 

Pages: 298

 

RRP: $21.50AUD (Amazon)

 

Format read: Paperback 

 

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

Jackson Hart loves picking his nose. But when he finds a tiny warrior in his booger, everything turns WEIRD and DANGEROUS! Not only does he have a civilisation of snotlings up his nose . . . one wants revenge.

Mucuszar and his awful germ army have conquered both nostrils and Jackson’s world is next!

Can Jackson and his friends stop the snotpocalypse? Or will Mucuszar’s deadly creation destroy the planet?  

My review

 

Snotlings is an adventure filled story about a tiny civilisation that lived in Jackson's nostril. They ate dust and battled germs. When one of the snotlings, Mucuszar, goes rogue and enlists the germs to take over Jackson's Immune system he spends a  lot of time home sick.

Mucuszar is not happy only making Jackson sick, he wants to take over the world starting with Sydney.

Snotlings is the highly imaginative and extremely descriptive debut novel by Tarryn Mallick. This science fiction tale brings the snotlings and their world into the world of Jackson and his friends.

Snot and boogers feature highly in Snotlings with names like Crust, Goober, Igunk, Vomitor, Razorthroat and Fluefector eliciting many giggles from my young reading  buddy. It may not be for those with a sensitive stomach. I was personally grossed out but Dot thought it was hilarious.

Tarryn Mallick has included themes of bullying and empathy and mentions of the healing power of Chinese herbal medicines.

Written in alternating chapters between Jackson and the snotlings. There is plenty of action and danger in both narratives to keep the reader entertained.

A fun addition to the story is finding the tiny illustrated snotling hidden in each chapter.

Will Jackson and his friends save themselves and the planet before they are all covered in snot?

My review copy came with germ collector cards with pictures and stats of the germs, a giant magnifying glass and a jar of slime. You can order this magnificent gift box from Tarryn's website.

 

 

Recommended age 7 - 12 years

Dot's rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

  

Tarryn became a writer because she had a story to tell. A story about snot! It may seem strange to write a book about boogers, but growing up, her little brother tormented her with his snot every… single… day!

She obtained a degree in Creative and Professional Writing and studied numerous courses and books, applying everything she had learnt to her first book. It took a short six years and now Snotlings is ready to be shared with everyone.

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

Book Review & Giveaway: The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton

The Curlew's Eye

by

Karen Manton 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 14th September 2021

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Mystery

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Uncorrected Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Greta's partner Joel grew up with five brothers and a sister in a feisty household on an isolated NT property. But he doesn't talk about those days-not the deaths of his sister and mother, nor the origin of the scars that snake around his body.

Now, many years later, he returns with Greta and their three young boys to prepare the place for sale. The boys are quick to settle in, and Joel seems preoccupied with work, but Greta has a growing sense of unease, struggling in the build-up's oppressive heat and living in the shadow of the old, burned-out family home. She knows she's a stranger in this uncanny place, with its eerie and alluring landscape, hostile neighbour, and a toxic dam whose clear waters belie its poison. And then there's the mysterious girl living rough whom Greta tries to befriend.

Determined to make sense of it all, Greta is drawn into Joel's unspoken past and confronted by her own. Before long the curlew's haunting cry will call her to face the secrets she and Joel can no longer outrun.  

My review

Greta, Joel and their three sons lead a nomadic life moving from town to town wherever Joel finds work. When he gets a job repairing the shack on his childhood property Greta is looking forward to learning more about Joel and his family.

As they settle into the area and meet other residents Greta can feel the pull of the place. It calls to her and the history of the area seeps into her being.

 

Karen Manton's prose are eerie and haunting. She uses short, sharp sentences that hold within themselves a hint of impending menace.

Single page chapters from the past are dotted throughout revealing a malevolent presence that once lurked.

 

I liked how Karen Manton set the novel in the modern day however there was only brief mentions of mobile phones and email. The three young boys ran around the bush collecting things, fishing and amusing themselves. They were happy, outgoing, friendly boys despite living a nomadic life.

Greta and Joel are slowly being destroyed by secrets held within them and secrets held from them.

Everything is brought to life in this gothic style tale of secrets kept hidden. The vegetation, trees, bird-life are all watching, judging.

Water and its alluring beauty and danger is a large presence running through the novel. The poison lake at the property holds secrets within its depths and the ocean of Greta's childhood holds memories of despair and loss.

Karen Manton has expressed this foreboding style of narration with an expertise that makes it look effortless. The gloom, despair and horror as it built to the climax did however overwhelm me. The Curlew's Eye is a highly emotional read.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Karen Manton lives in Darwin and Batchelor in the Northern Territory, with her husband, two sons, and their two dogs and a turtle. She has short stories published in various anthologies. The Curlew's Eye is her first novel.

 

Giveaway 

I  have one copy of The Curlew's Eye to give away to one lucky reader. Entries close at Midnight on 14th November 2021. (Australian addresses only)

 

This giveaway is closed - The winner was announced here

Book Review & Giveaway: Deception Creek by Fleur McDonald

 Deception Creek

by

Fleur McDonald

 

When secrets from the past threaten, loyalties are questioned

 

 Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 2nd November 2021

 

Series: Detective Dave Burrows 

 

Genre: Rural crime

 

Pages: 376

 

RRP: $ 29.99AU

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Emma Cameron, a recently divorced farmer and a local in Barker, runs Deception Creek, the farm that three generations of her family have owned before her. Every day Emma pushes herself hard on the land, hoping to make ten-year-old memories of a terrible car accident disappear. And now there are more recent nightmares of an ex-husband who refuses to understand how much the farm means to Emma.

When criminal Joel Hammond is released from jail and heads home to Barker, Detective Dave Burrows and his officer Senior Sergeant Jack Higgins are on high alert. Joel has a long and sorry history with many of the townsfolk and they are not keen to see him home to stay.

Not all of the Barker locals want to see Joel run out of town though. Some even harbour doubts about Joel's conviction. The town finds itself split down the middle, families pitted against each other with devastating outcomes.

 

My review

 

I simply can't get enough of Detective Dave Burrows! This series is one I will definitely keep on my shelf to read again.

 

Joel Hammond is back in town after nine years in prison. His parents have passed away and Barker is the only home he knows. Joel wants a quiet  life but the residents of barker have long memories and a penchant for bearing grudges.

 

Emma having recently celebrated her divorce thinks it may be time to start dating again when an old friend, she shared a tragedy with in the past, comes to visit and clearly shows his interest in her and the farm.

 

Deception Creek is another suspense filled rural crime novel. Characters I have come to know and love reappear in this story and I gained a little more insight into their personalities.

 

Zara the investigative journalist and girlfriend of police officer Jack Higgins again has a major roll in this novel as she works along side Dave and Jack.

Fleur McDonald again features PTSD and the importance of counseling. Through Joel, who is still professing his innocence, we see the difficulty to adjust to everyday lofe after being in prison.

Dave Burrows is always cool and calm, keeping his feelers out for any trouble but never taking sides or judging anyone.

The mysteries start to build as an accidental death 29 years ago is questioned.

McDonald includes themes of white collar crime, online blackmail and long held secrets, mixing these with everyday farming techniques to give her books a true Australian flavour.

Fleur McDonald knows how to add mystery into every element of the story leaving her readers eagerly turning the pages.

 

My rating  5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

After growing up on a farm near Orroroo in South Australia, Fleur McDonald’s first job was jillarooing in the outback. She has been involved in agriculture all her life, including helping manage a 8000-acre station for twenty years. Today she and her two children, along with a Jack Russell and her energetic kelpie, Jack, live in Esperance, Western Australia, 

 

Giveaway

 

Thanks to Allen & Unwin I have one paperback copy of Deception Creek to giveaway to one lucky entrant. Australian addresses only.

 

This giveaway is closed - the winner was announced here

 

 

Book Review: The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

The Cat Who Saved Books 

by

Sosuke Natsukawa

translated by Louise Heal Kawai 

 

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Imprint: Picador 

 

Publication date:  14th September 2021

 

Genre: Fantasy / Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 224

 

RRP: $19.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about ewto close the secondhand bookshop he inherited from his beloved grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The cat needs Rintaro’s help to save books that have been imprisoned, destroyed and unloved.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different labyrinths to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who locks up his books, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publisher who only wants to sell books like disposable products. Then, finally, there is a mission that Rintaro must complete alone . . .

 

My review

 

I really thought I would love this book about a boy and a talking cat and how together they were going to save book, however it fell flat for me.

 

After his grandfather's passing, introvert Rintaro skips school and hides away in his grandfather's secondhand bookstore immersing himself in his favourite books. A talking tabby cat appears and asks for his help to save all books by completing three quests.

On each quest Rintaro must stop someone from doing what is perceived as mistreating books, by debating his views. He draws on ideals taught by his grandfather to complete these quests of words and principles.

 

I found the quests quite boring and the problems encountered not really that monumental. Maybe I'm missing the big picture but for me it was marred by airs of superiority. If we don't read classics, over and over, we don't love books?

 

There were some wonderful quotes about books teaching us compassion and empathy and how through books we can learn about other people and other places.

I enjoyed Rintaro's growth, through the quests he gained confidence and started to think about his own life differently and believe in himself.

 

Faultlessly translated by Louise Heal Kawai the words flowed effortlessly.

 

I am certain this philosophical Japanese fantasy will be loved by many. Just not me!

 

My rating 2 / 5   ⭐⭐ 

 

About the author

 

Sosuke Natsukawa is a Japanese physician and novelist, born in Osaka Prefecture in 1978. He graduated from the Shinshu University Medical School and practices medicine at a hospital in the largely rural prefecture of Nagano. His multivolume debut novel, Kamisama no Karute, published in 2009, won several prizes and sold over three million copies in Japan. The Cat Who Saved Books is set to be translated into over twenty languages around the world. 

 

 

Mailbox Monday: October 25th

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week (or month). It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday Blog.

 

 Happy Monday

 

It was so good to finally celebrate Freedom Day for New South Wales Australia.  We were allowed to have 10 visitors to our house which was just enough have our children and their partners visit to celebrate our youngest son's 30th Birthday.

 

 I've also been enjoying trips to the local shops and actually sitting down and having a coffee. The simple pleasures. 😀

The Prevention Australia virtual walk was held yesterday. It is a 10km walk to raise money for breast cancer trials. It has been lots of fun over the last 6 weeks training for our 10km walk.

 

 Jay found the perfect place to wait out the small shower of rain during our play at the park.

 I found this gorgeous Christmas decoration at Myer.

Book Fairies all over the world hid copies of Pony by R J Palacio on publication date. This is one of my books waiting to be found.

 

Books I've received and purchased over the last month.

 

 

 

 

Do any of the above peak your interest? What has arrived in your mailbox lately? 

 

 

Book Review: At the End of the Day by Liz Bryski

 At the End of the Day

by

Liz Bryski

 

It is never too late to make friends....

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th September 2021

 

Genre: Contemporary fiction

 

Pages: 336

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback 

 

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

 When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter.

But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity.

At the end of the day, can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change?

 

My review

 

Miriam Squires is on her return to Perth after visiting her sister in England. She is starting to feel the effects of post polio and wonders if she will have the strength to make this trip again.

Mathias Vander is stopping over in Perth , to visit his daughter, on his return from Brussels where he was visiting his childhood friend Luc. Luc is dying and Mathias knows that was the last time he would see his old friend.

 

Miriam and Mathias meet while on an unplanned extended stopover and  find they have a lot in common. Their ensuing friendship enriches and changes not only their lives but also the lives of the people they hold most dear.

 

This was my first Liz Bryski novel and I love how her characters are real people with real flaws; they get annoyed with people, say the wrong thing at times and are often overwhelmed with life.

 

Miriam and Mathias had both migrated to Australia many years ago leaving behind family and friends and Liz Bryski highlights the dilemma caused by advancing age as they each find the trips back home harder and harder

As we watch Miriam and Mathias'  friendship grow the couple find they can open up about events they suffered as children and have kept locked away.

 

I enjoyed Liz Bryski's engaging writing style and even though many of the characters had faced adverse circumstances during their lives, which were quite emotional to read, the story on a whole was heartfelt and touching.

The book concludes on the cusp of the Covid19 pandemic. And we all know how that pans out!

 

Liz Bryski delivers engaging women's fiction through likeable characters and relatable life events. I am looking forward to reading some of her back list. 

 

my rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Photo: Goodreads

 Liz Bryski is a novelist, non-fiction writer, former journalist and ABC broadcaster, with more than fifty years experience in the British and Australian media. She is the author of eleven bestselling novels, including Gang of Four and A Month of Sundays, as well as more than a dozen non-fiction books. She lives close to Freemantle in Western Australia, with Gazza, her three-year-old rescue dog who is in charge of exercise, household security and chasing cats. She has two sons and twin grandsons.

  

 

 

 
 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21