Book Review: Murder in the Scottish Highlands by Dee MacDonald

Murder in the Scottish Highlands

by

Dee MacDonald

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 2nd September 2024

Series: An Ally McKinley Mystery #1

Genre: Cosy Mystery

Pages: 282

Source: eBook courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Murder in the Scottish Highlands

Murder in the Scottish Highlands is the first in a new cosy mystery series by Dee MacDonald.

 

Ally McKinley has opened the guesthouse of her dreams in the tiny village of Locharran in the Scottish Highlands. Just when she feels she is settling into the village and making friends, one of her guests, an American tourist, is found murdered in the courtyard.

Not having much faith in the local police, Ally can't resist launching her own investigation to find the murderer. The list of suspects mounts and has Ally even questioning her new friends.

 

Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a fun read. Ally is a likeable main character and the imagery of the delightful Scottish village is superb.

As this is the first in a series there is lots about getting to know the supporting characters as Dee MacDonald introduces each of the residents of the village and how they interact with each other.

There are a mixed lot of characters who all had a good reason for wanting the tourist dead.

 

I did feel like the murder investigation slowed through the middle of the book until the end when it was all wrapped up very quickly.

 

Lots of humour, cups of tea, local gossip and the introduction of a love interest for Ally make this a fun and entertaining read. I finished this eager for the next book.

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

 

Book Review: A Single Lifeline by Heidi Coupland

A Single Lifeline

by

Heidi Coupland

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd July 2024

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 256

RRP: AU$34.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: A Single Lifeline

I'm not a big memoir reader but I really should broaden my reading and seeing as I was sent A Single Lifeline by the publisher I thought I would give it a go. Well, I read A Single Lifeline in one sitting. I very rarely do this, even with crime thrillers.

 

Heidi Coupland's memoir is filled with heart and love. Written whilst her husband was undergoing cancer treatment some years ago and although published now it is narrated in real time.

 

From her husband's diagnosis with Leukaemia through to the treatments, the ups and many downs Heidi shows a strength that comes from the deep love she and her husband have for each other.

Pete's journey through chemo, bone marrow transplant and setback after setback is harrowing and the human will to survive against insurmountable odds is amazing.

Heidi Coupland doesn't try to wring the emotion, preferring to focus on her and Pete's strength through love. It was the generosity of friends and strangers that brought tears to my eyes. Everyone pitching in to help out with their children.

Heidi also covers their early life together, meeting, having children and how their different personalities complement each other.

A Single Lifeline is a raw and honest read as Heidi recounts the emotional as well as the physical journey after a cancer diagnosis.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Book Review: Liars by James O'Loghlin

 Liars

by

James O'Loghlin

Everyone is guilty of something

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 464

RRP: AU$32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Liars

Barbara Young, a bored middle aged woman whose husband recently left her, and Seb Baxter, a young country cop who isn't taken seriously by his superiors, take it upon themselves to investigate the murder of a newcomer to Bullford Point when Barb's employee, Joe, becomes the prime suspect.

The story starts with a unique style of narration with texts, emails, a letter and report notices. This was an interesting way to get to know  some of the characters and their background.

 

The plot centres around a group of friends all having grown up in Bullford Point and have since returned there as adults. One of the group was murdered seven years ago. The case was never solved. Joe decides to start a true crime podcast, his first one focusing on Sal's murder.

Liars is a highly engaging police procedural with a twist; this is an off- the-books investigation. I loved the way Barb sifted through information finding little anomalies and dug deeper doing her own research and questioning people. I was totally invested in this story. O'Loghlin's characterisation is superb, everyone had something to hide and as the story progressed the mystery mounted which kept me guessing until the very end.

Liars is a cleverly plotted murder mystery and I enjoyed O'Loghlin's use of a lay person as the investigator (a modern day Miss Marple). I would love to see more of the Barb and Seb duo.

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Plus an extra 🌟for a character named Veronica. (I hope she didn't get cut from the final copy)

 

Book Review: Murder in Punch Lane by Jane Sullivan

 Murder in Punch Lane

by

Jane Sullivan

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd July 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$32.99 (paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Murder in Punch Lane

Set in 19th Century Melbourne Murder in Punch Lane is a haunting murder mystery.

Inspired by the death in 1868 of actress Marie St Denis from a laudanum overdose Jane Sullivan writes a fictional 'what if' story; what if she was actually murdered?

 

Sullivan's writing is poetic and lyrical which justly suits the backdrop of the story being rehearsals of a Shakespearean play.

Thinking it is much more than the recorded cause of suicide, actress Lola Sanchez takes it upon herself  to investigate the death of her friend Marie. She enlists the help of journalist and magazine editor Magnus Scott.

 

I did enjoy the setting of a bohemian Melbourne with dark alleys and opium dens and also the melodramatics of the theatre rehearsals.

 

What I did struggle with was the characters, not one likeable one among them! Our female main character was a fatalist where I wanted a fighter and her offsider, like every man in this book, was a misogynist.

Crooked police and judges, allusions to actresses willingly sleeping with men to get parts and a gentleman's dinner where the women attend naked, it was more ick than gothic. 

 

I did love the writing, I had no clue who the murderer was, and there were plenty of suspects, plus the unexpected twist that really knocked me all contributed to my rating.

 

My rating 3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Book Review: Buckham's Bombers by Mark Baker

 Buckham's Bombers

by

Mark Baker

THE AUSTRALIAN AIRMEN WHO HUNTED HITLER'S DEADLIEST BATTLESHIP

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Non Fiction / War Stories

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Buckham's Bombers

In Buckham's Bombers Mark Baker brings to life a unique part of airforce history with the story of one of the finest Australian air crews of WWII.

 

Baker recounts the events that led up to the destruction of Germany's most powerful battleship, the Tirpitz.

 

Buckham's Bombers is an extraordinary story of courage, perseverance and outstanding bravery. 

Baker has recounted the story from extensive interviews and contributors' recollections, both recorded and written.

 

I have read many fictional WWII stories but I found Buckham's recollections to be far more harrowing than any fictional story.

 

Buckham's Bombers follows Bruce Buckham, and his crew, from enlistment to training, the different aircraft used, and the bringing together of his crew. This is not only about Bruce Buckham and his crew but also the working of the RAF and RAAF, and the aircraft used during the war. 

 

Interspersed throughout Baker's narration are notes by Bruce Buckham in his own words and I loved his turn of phrase. Many times he played down his own role in an operation praising his crew for getting them through.

I learnt so much from this book: How the RAF & RAAF worked together. How the top echelons saw the men as numbers and not fathers,sons,uncles. How men who developed a mental illness, now known as PTSD, were labelled as having LMF (lack of moral fibre). This shocked and angered me!  

 

Buckham's Bombers is a confronting read. I laughed at their hijinks and deeply felt their losses. I also felt great pride for these men who fought, and died, for my freedom.

 

The book concludes with pages of acknowledgements, endnotes, bibliography, index and photographic inserts, showing just how much work went into this extraordinary story of Buckham and his crew.

 

I could go on and on about the extensive research Baker did before writing this book, years in the making, but it would be much better to read it and see for yourself. It is a truly fascinating read!   

 

 

My rating  5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Ghost Cities by Siang Lu

 Ghost Cities

by

Siang Lu

Publisher: University of Queensland Press

Publication date: 30th April 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Ghost Cities

Ghost Cities is narrated through a dual timeline.
Present Day: Xiang Lu is sacked from his translator job with the Chinese Consulate in Sydney when they find out he can’t actually speak Chinese. When the hashtag badchinese goes viral Xiang is picked up by producer Baby Bao who sees the perfect opportunity to exploit Xiang in his new movie set in China’s ghost city.

Imperial China: Emperor Lu Huang Do rules with an iron fist, forever paranoid that everyone is out to kill him.

I totally enjoyed both timelines however I think the story of Lu Huang Do and His loyal subjects drew me in more. It was totally absurd and I loved how it went round and round in circles.

I loved the parallels drawn between the ancient and the modern timelines.

Ghost Cities is an imaginative story about myths, superstitions, power, desire, fear and corruption, wrapped around lashings of humour and pathos.

Perfect for fans of Haruki Murakami

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

 The Youngest Son

by

John Byrnes

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 30th July 2024

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Youngest Son

The Youngest Son is an epic tale that follows the lives of three siblings growing up during the great depression and spans the years 1929 to 1943 encompassing events of WWII in Tobruk and New Guinea.

 

John Byrnes has brought the streets of 1930's Sydney to life. The Leach family lived in Ultimo (The Mo) where most people were poor and desperately trying to keep a roof over their head. Evictions were rife and the common man was fighting back with picketing and riots. Prostitution, street fighting, illegal gambling, drugs and crime were an everyday part of life.

 

John, the eldest Leach sibling, had visions of attending University and then joining the priesthood. He had great empathy for the underdog and felt he had his life plan in order.

Maureen wanted more out of life than what her mother had settled for. Maureen had stars in her eyes and wanted the glamorous life of the women she read about in magazines. 

Bob, the youngest Leach, learnt early on that his fists talked louder than words. Him and his friends start out as petty criminals but soon find themselves mixing with the big boys of crime in Sydney's shady underbelly.

 

The Youngest Son is rich in flawed characters. I had great empathy for the Leach siblings, they were all very naive, made bad decisions, couldn't control their emotions and when things went wrong they seemed to always react in a detrimental way. 

I loved the Australian vernacular, the language and imagery of Sydney and surrounding suburbs was spot on. I was actually thinking at one point "yes, I know exactly where that factory is."

This is a gritty story which includes murder, scenes of war, drug use, sex scenes (these are more to add humour than spice) and profanities. 

The Youngest Son is a captivating story of power, revenge, betrayal and family. A real page turner, once I started I didn't want the story to end.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plus that extra star for a character named Veronica 🌟