Book Review: Sleepless in Stringybark Bay by Susan Duncan

 Sleepless in Stringybark Bay

by

Susan Duncan

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 29th August 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Cosy Mystery

Pages: 389

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Sleepless in Stringybark Bay

Sleepless in Stringybark Bay was such a pleasure to read! The characters' colloquial Australian language did take a little getting used to but once I settled into the style I could appreciate it being perfect for the narrative.

 

In Sleepless in Stringybark Bay we revisit the offshore community of Cook's basin and the eclectic group of characters that were first featured in The Briny Cafe.

 

Interest is aroused when a group  of retirees move into the bay calling their newly renovated residence GeriEcstasy. When one of the group is found dead a few days after moving in the police pass it off as an accident. However, former journalist Kate feels it's much more and is certain there is a story behind the group moving to The Bay, isolated from society.

At the heart of this endearing story is a close-knit community that is genuine, wholehearted and takes pride in taking care of its own.

I haven't read The Briny Cafe but I immediately loved every character in this engaging story full of heart and humour.

Sleepless in Stringybark Bay features a captivating mystery, a life threatening storm, a bush birth, a picturesque setting and a quirky community of lovable characters. 

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Susan Duncan took up a cadetship on the Melbourne Sun which led to a 25-year career spanning radio, newspapers and magazines. She quit journalism after her husband and brother died within three days of each other and eventually wrote the best-selling memoir Salvation Creek. Later branching into fiction, she wrote about good communities creating a sense of belonging and leading to contentment.

Susan now alternates between boats on Pittwater and raising cattle at Wherrol Flat with her second husband Bob, writing occasionally for The Australian Women's Weekly.

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi

 The Perfumist of Paris

by

Alka Joshi

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 5th April 2023

Series: The Jaipur Trilogy #3

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: $32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 Review: The Perfumist of Paris

The Perfumist of Paris is the third book in The Jaipur trilogy by Alka Joshi. Not having read the first two books I did find my connection with the main character Radha was flimsy. However I never felt like I had missed something plot wise during my reading of the book.  

 

The Perfumist of Paris is set in 1974 with Radha forging a career in the perfume industry. A career she loves and is good at.

Through Radha, Alka Joshi portrays the guilt that all working mothers have. Whether it's having to work or wanting to work, as Radha did, the guilt that their children, and husband, are being neglected is all consuming. 

I've never really contemplated how perfume is developed and I found the process and the areas of inspiration that Radha followed was fascinating.

I loved both the setting of Paris and also that of India and how different each country was. It was easy to become immersed in the sites, smell and cuisine of both countries.

 

There is the addition of a compelling mystery worked through the plot and also a long held secret from Radha's past that catches up with her. 

The Perfumist of Paris is a fast, immersive read about being true to yourself, finding your passion and accepting past mistakes. I would however recommend reading the trilogy from the beginning.

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Alka Joshi was born in India and raised in the U.S. since the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts and runs an advertising and marketing agency. She has lived in France and Italy and currently lives in Pacific Grove, California, with her husband.

Book Review: Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor

Dirt Town

by

Hayley Scrivenor

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st May 2022

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: Dirt Town

I wasn't sure how I was going to go with this book with its unusual narrative style but I found I was totally hooked.

 

The bulk of Dirt Town is narrated over a four day period during the search for missing twelve-year-old Esther Bianchi.

Written through the alternating points of view of Esther's school friends Ronnie and Lewis, D.S. Sarah Michaels who is heading the case and Constance, Esther's mother. There is also the unusual and unique narration of the town's collective of children, past and present.

Hayley Scrivenor delves into small town nuances. A place where everyone touches everyone else in some way. Many have grown up together as have their parents before them. A case of domestic violence is met with the statement "everyone knew". A blind-eye is turned to any unpleasantness.

I had picked the perp right from the start however Scrivenor's excellent plotting had me second guessing myself all the way through.

Dirt Town is a propulsive debut mystery novel that had me glued to the book until the heartfelt ending.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Plus an extra⭐ for a character named Veronica 💖

About the author

Hayley Scrivenor is a former Director of Wollongong Writers Festival. Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong on the south coast of New South Wales. Dirt Town is her first novel and has been shortlisted and won many awards.

WINNER OF THE ABIA GENERAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023
WINNER OF THE 2023 CWA ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER AWARD
WINNER OF THE LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ MYSTERY 2023
WINNER OF THE DAVITT AWARDS DEBUT CRIME BOOK 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 MARGARET AND COLIN RODERICK LITERARY AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NED KELLY AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2023 FOR DEBUT FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ABIA THE MATT RICHELL AWARD FOR NEW WRITER OF THE YEAR 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DAVITT AWARDS ADULT CRIME NOVEL 2023
FINALIST FOR THE 2023 ITW THRILLER AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

 

Book Review: Jillaroo from Jacaranda by Mandy Magro

 Jillaroo from Jacaranda

by

Mandy Magro

Falling in love was never part of her plan....

Publisher: Harlequin Australia 

Imprint: HQ

Publication date: 5th October 2022

Genre: Romance / Contemporary

Pages: 320

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback) 

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Jillaroo from Jacaranda 

Jillaroo from Jacaranda is a delightful slow-burn romance read.

Whilst trying to come to terms with her beloved great-grandmother's death Rose's fiance breaks up with her. Rose is heartbroken but could see they had different ideas of what their future would be.

Moving back home to Jacaranda Farm Rose decides to concentrate on her writing and her riding school business to give herself time to heal. A chance meeting with bull-rider Ty Parker gives her the opportunity to stay on his cattle station to write and reflect.

I loved Ty and Rose's banter, it was fun and flirty. Their slow-burn romance came across as natural. Ty had demons of his own and an ex-wife to deal with so neither of them were after a relationship.

I did feel like I had missed something whilst I was reading as there was no backstory and I had a lot of unanswered questions as I hadn't read Jacaranda, which was the first story about the Jones family.

I did find Rose flighty, saying one thing and doing another. This story was a bit too mushy for me and I would have preferred the prologue to be left off because it contradicted everything Rose believed in.

Overall I enjoyed the story and Magro's descriptions of bull-riding and life in rural Australia. I am planning to read the first book, Jacaranda, and have some of my questions answered. I think then I will find Jillaroo from Jacaranda will be a lot more enjoyable.

my rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her daughter, Chloe Rose, and their adorable toy poodle, Sophie. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman and a romantic at heart, Mandy loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian rural way of life, and the wonderful characters who call the country home.

Book Review: The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

 The Doll Factory

by

Elizabeth Macneal

Freedom is a precious thing

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Imprint: Picador

Publication date: 30th April 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction / Gothic / Thriller

Pages: 336

RRP: $29.99 (Trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Doll Factory

The Doll Factory is a gripping and bone-chilling gothic thriller. A tale of love and obsession set mid 19th Century London.

 

Macneal thrusts her readers into the streets of 1850's London detailing the filth, poverty, pick pockets and prostitution. The story is very confronting however Macneal delivers it all without judgement.

Women were expected to marry and have children but for those without marriage options life was an endless slog of backbreaking work. When Iris is asked to model for an artist her family disowns her however she is now open to a whole new world of art and freedom. A world where one man's obsession and delusion will put her in grave danger.

 

Macneal's characters are beautifully rendered and come to life slowly on the pages as their descriptions are layered throughout the narrative.

 

The Doll Factory would have to be one of the creepiest books I have read. An ominous feeling hangs in the air and even though I knew what was coming, when the scenes unfolded they were disturbingly unsettling. 

About the author

Elizabeth Macneal was born in Scotland and now lives in East London. She is a writer and potter and works from a small studio at the bottom of her garden. She read English Literature at Oxford University, before working in the City for several years. In 2017, she completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury scholarship. The Doll Factory, Elizabeth's debut novel, won the Caledonia Novel Award 2018.

Challenges: Mount TBR challenge.

Book Review: The Summer Place by Janette Paul

 The Summer Place

by

Janette Paul

Three women, lives adrift, and a life-changing beach

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26th April 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Summer Place

The Summer Place is a thoroughly enjoyable, heartwarming story about love, healing and friendship.

 

Told through the perspective of three women, each broken in different ways. I like that Janette Paul portrayed each woman's obstacle with equal importance because for each of them their hurt was equally debilitating.

 

Erin is recovering from a near-fatal accident, holding tight to all her grief and anger. She is constrained by her PTSD and the scars that riddle her body.

Cassie, recently widowed, cannot seem to move on from her grief and regrets. 

Jenna has been secretly in love with Blake for years, and now she has been invited to his wedding.

 

All three women have been invited to a wedding at Hope Head, a place that holds memories, in much happier times, for each of them.

I loved every character in this uplifting story. The three main characters' problems all came across as real and the supporting characters were just that; supportive and honest, edging Erin, Jenna and Cassie to make decisions towards happiness and healing. 

 

The fictitious Australian town of Hope Head on the mid north coast of New South Wales was beautifully described and a fitting location to have an epiphany on life and moving forward.

 

The Summer Place is sentimental and sweet, with HEAs all round, it filled my heart with joy.

 

The Summer Place is the perfect beach read.

 

My rating 5 happy stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

About the author

 

Janette Paul is an internationally published author of contemporary women's fiction and romantic comedy, and is the alter ego of award-winning suspense author Jaye Ford. Her first novel won two Davitt Awards for Australian women crime writers and her books have been translated into nine languages. She is a former news and sports journalist, and ran her own public relations consultancy before turning to fiction. She now writes from her home in Newcastle, New South Wales.

Book Review: Mole Creek by James Dunbar

Mole Creek 

by

James Dunbar

A hellish war. A deadly secret. 

Fifty years on, in a small Tasmanian town, 

the truth unfolds and the killing begins again....

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 1st August 2023

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 352

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Mole Creek

Mole Creek is an edgy murder mystery. The story alternates between present day Tasmania and Vietnam 50 years ago, during the Vietnam war.

 

Journalist and crime writer Xander McAuslan hears that his grandfather, a retired cop and Vietnam Veteran, has taken his own life in the small town of Mole Creek in Tasmania. A place he and his grandfather had spent many holidays together.

Feeling as though he failed his grandfather, Xander travels to Tasmania to ease his own mind and to find out what happened.

 

Mole Creek is a fast paced read. Xander has a few enemies of his own and they seem to have followed him across the Strait. It's only his cunning and skill that get him out of a few deadly situations and his dry humour and wisecracks that get him into those situations.

 

I couldn't connect with the scenes in Vietnam, feeling they were unnecessarily taking me away from the present-day action.

Mole Creek is a complex mystery with a few red herrings thrown in. I was shocked at the unexpected ending and I certainly didn't see it coming. 

The richly described Tasmanian landscape is a treat within itself; evocative, dangerous and remote.

James Dunbar has written a compelling crime novel with Mole Creek, which has me looking forward to his next offering.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

James Dunbar is a journalist, television scriptwriter, travel writer, university lecturer and website editor. Mole Creek is his first venture into the serious crime thriller and espionage genre.