Book Review: Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay

 Look Both Ways

by

Linwood Barclay

They think as one. They act as one. They kill as one.

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 3 August 2022

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 448

RRP: $32.99AU  (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: Look Both Ways 

I am a big fan of Linwood Barclay's novels and I love how he develops his truly evil characters with no morals. So, I was a bit sceptical about a story involving self-drive cars. I mean, how evil can a car be? Very evil apparently!

Barclay has picked the perfect setting; an island where accessibility is limited.

Everyone on Garrett Island has been given battery powered self-drive cars. For one month these voice activated cars will do all the driving. For one month there will be no road deaths and no accidents as the cars communicate and monitor everything around them. Sounds like heaven, what could possibly  go wrong?

Look Both Ways was one wild ride and I was on the edge of my seat as the AI in the cars started working together and turn against their owners.

The cliff-hanger chapter endings had me compelled to keep the pages turning. The dark humour interspersed throughout the story kept me amused and as it moved along the pace picked up and the book becomes very hard to put down.

I didn't think this was going to be in the usual Barclay style however he did come through with the murder, mayhem and jaw-dropping twists I have come to expect.

Look Both Ways will have you looking at self-drive cars in a whole new light.

 

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Linwood Barclay is an international bestselling crime and thriller author with over twenty critically acclaimed novels to his name, including the number one bestseller No Time For Goodbye. Linwood has sold more then 7 million copies globally, his books have been sold in more than 39 countries around the world. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he has lived there ever since. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.

Book Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont serial killer by Wendy Davis

 Don't Make a Fuss

It's only the Claremont serial Killer

by

Wendy Davis

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 1st June 2022

Genre: Non-Fiction (memoir)

Pages: 216

Source: own copy

 

Review: Don't Make a Fuss: It's only the Claremont Serial Killer

Don't Make a Fuss is a brave and courageous memoir highlighting the ongoing culture of women's unimportance and  suppression.

 

Wendy was attacked at her workplace by Bradley Edwards. Wendy's attack was minimised and her account ignored by both police and authorities. Edwards went on to murder two, possibly three, women in the Claremont area which sparked a police investigation spanning decades.

Wendy Davis tells her story in this important novel broken up between present-day and the current investigation, and at the time of the attack 30 years ago and how it affected her.

I was appalled how the initial attack on Wendy had little consequence for the perpetrator, brushed under the carpet. However, it affected Wendy's life for years to come.

The story made me angry how crimes against women are being downplayed and because Wendy had a strong personality her trauma was devalued. She was expected to just get on with it.

I can't even fathom the monumental stress she has had to live with during the dragged out court case with years passing from arrest to sentence of this evil man.

I do hope that writing this book has been cathartic for Wendy. However, I am sure that the events of 1990 will be with her forever.

Thank you Wendy for this insightful memoir. We need to make a fuss and not only be heard but also actioned upon appropriately 

4 /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Four Dogs Missing by Rhys Gard

 Four Dogs Missing

by

Rhys Gard

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Crime

Pages: 324

RRP: $32.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Four Dogs Missing

Four Dogs Missing is the riveting debut crime novel by Rhys Gard.

 

Oliver is a recluse living in the small rural town of Mudgee, where everyone wants to know your business, he is viewed as unfriendly and standoffish however no-one can deny that he makes award winning wines. Oliver has a family history that he would prefer no-one knew about.

I was immediately pulled into the mystery as Theo, Oliver's identical twin brother, arrives at the vineyard after 15 years of no contact.

There are multiple mysteries running through the storyline and as the body count starts to mount with no clear motive for the murders,all clues point to Oliver.

Four Dogs Missing has an intricate and twisty plot. I was bouncing back and forward as to who I thought the murderer was.

Rhys's characters are complex and we are given a huge insight into their individual thoughts and personalities. This gave me an added connection to the characters which in turn had me eager for another book involving the same characters. Let's just say I'm not ready to let them go just yet.

Rhys Gard portrays an astute sense of the remoteness and solitude the area evokes which adds to the overall atmosphere of the story.

Four Dogs Missing is not your typical police procedural crime novel as Oliver, the winemaker, does all the detective work himself, leaving the police mostly in the dark.

If you like your crime with a splash of good wine, this is the book for you!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Rhys Gard is a writer and a chef. Between careers, he studies English and Film at the University of New South Wales. He has worked as a journalist, marketer, wine writer and restaurateur. He lives in Mudgee. Four Dogs Missing is his first novel.

Book Review: The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street by Marlish Glorie

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

by

Marlish Glorie

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty and Lace Book Club

 

My review of The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street

The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street was originally published in 2009 and has been re-released by Fremantle Press with a new, modern updated cover.

The book opens on quite a dramatic scene as Helen has  had enough of her husband's hoarding and living with dead people's belongings, she drags her bed outside and attacks it with an axe.

Helen, hoping to start a new life, eventually leaves her husband and with the help of her long-time neighbour, Astrid, she buys an old rundown bookshop. 

I quite enjoyed this quirky and poignant story about the messiness that is family. Glorie shows how serious hoarding can destroy relationships. Helen and Arnold's two sons had left home to get away from the mess and they very rarely saw them but when they heard their mother had actually left their father, both boys found their way home.

Marlish Glorie's writing is witty and candid. I felt this story was a bit of a tragi-comedy. It's a story of love, loss and grief, of second chances and doing the best you can. I loved the finely nuanced characters, all inexplicably tied to each other. The story is funny at times and at other times quite profound.

I'm a bit of a hoarder myself, not to the extent that Arnold hoards, but I love teacups and teapots. And of course books!

This quote in the book had me in stitches, because this is exactly what I tell my children. 🤣🤣

"One day, all this will be yours. And Vivian's. It's your inheritance. I've been thinking about your future."

 The Bookshop on Jacaranda Street may not be to everyone's liking, but I loved it!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Marlish Glorie is a novelist, short story writer, mentor and teacher of creative writing. Her short stories have been published in national anthologies. Marlish lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband. She is currently working on another novel, and also volunteers at Trillion Trees.

 

Book Review: The Willow Tree Wharf by Léonie Kelsall

 The Willow Tree Wharf

by

Léonie Kelsall

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 4th July 2023

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 420

RRP: $29.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Willow Tree Wharf

With The Willow Tree Wharf Léonie Kelsall has written a slow-burn romance with depth and compassion. 

All Léonie's books read well on their own however if you read them in order you get that extra level of character connection.

I absolutely loved being back in Settlers Bridge with old friends from Léonie's previous books; Roni, Jack, Lucie, Gabrielle, Tracey and Christine. This is one fabulous community and I love feeling a part of it whilst I read.

Samantha is in an abusive relationship and her husband has gaslighted her so much she is afraid to open her mouth. She had no self worth and was very insecure.

"After so many years she should have known better than to provoke him."

These are the thoughts of someone who has been spoken down to all their married life. 

Kelsall brings the whole community together as they close ranks around Samantha. Small towns are known for their gossipers but they also know how to protect their own. 

 

Pierce is a city boy, he has spent his life appeasing his parents and working in their restaurant with their rules. He would love to branch out and live his own dream but feels trapped by obligation.

 

I enjoyed the parallels between Sam's and Pierce's lives. Even though their circumstances were poles apart they were both forfeiting their dreams and happiness for someone else.

Lots of road bumps and misunderstandings made for an immersive read that had me eagerly reading knowing that all will come good in the end. That's what I love about romance!

Léonie's novels are extra special because they have layers of depth as well as the happy endings I expect.

 

 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Raised initially in a tiny, no-horse town on South Australia's Fleurieu coast, then in the slightly more populated wheat and sheep farming land at Pallamana, Léonie Kelsall is a country girl through and through. Growing up without a television, she developed a love of reading before she reached primary school, swiftly followed by a desire to write.

Léonie entertained a brief fantasy of moving to the big city (well, Adelaide), but within months the lure of the open spaces and big sky country summoned her home. Now she splits her time between the stark, arid beauty of the family farm at Pallamana and her home and counselling practice in the lush Adelaide Hills.  

 

Reviews of Léonie's other books:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2020/10/book-club-book-review-farm-at.html 

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-wattle-seed-inn-by-leonie.html 

 

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-review-river-gum-cottage-by-leonie.html 

Book Review: The Unbreakables by Lisa Barr

The Unbreakables

by

Lisa Barr

When your life falls apart.......  create a new one 

 

Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group

Publication date: 2nd May 2023

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 352

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Review: The Unbreakables 

Who could ever forget the big Ashley Madison blow-up! Author Lisa Barr has used this as the inspiration behind her latest novel, The Unbreakables.

Three couples, best friends, all happily married until one couple finds the husband's infidelity splashed  all over the internet.

Sophie is shattered, her perfect life and perfect friendships all collapse in one devastating night. Sophie flees to Paris to be with her teenage daughter and to ponder what she really wants from life.

The Unbreakables is a wonderful story about finding yourself and rebuilding your life. Sophie had spent the last twenty years looking after her husband and daughter, neglecting herself and her own needs. She thought she was happy but when it all fell apart she could see that they were willing to take all of her and give nothing in return.

I loved the backdrop of Paris! If you are going to nurse a broken heart, Paris is the place to do it.

The "finding yourself threesome" may be a bit cliched but there are lots of gems of wisdom dispensed throughout the novel.

Barr highlights how easy it is for women to get lost in wifedom and motherhood, leaving their career, and often their true self is squashed, hidden under their duty to others.

The Unbreakables has all the ingredients of an on screen drama; conflict, setting, pace, drama, gas-lighting and eclectic characters.

I liked that the book was set in parts and each part focused on a portion of Sophie's journey from the betrayal, running away, the release, the awakening to acceptance and closure. 

4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Lisa Barr is the New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire, The Unbreakables and the award-winning historical thriller Fugitive Colours, which won the IPPY gold medal for Best Literary Fiction 2014 and first prize at The Hollywood Film Festival (Opus Magnum Discovery Award).

Lisa served as an editor for The Jerusalem Post, managing editor of Today's Chicago Woman, managing editor of Moment magazine, and as an editor/reporter for Chicago Sun-Times.

In breaking book news: Actress Sharon Stone is set to produce and star in the film adaptation of Woman on Fire.

Winners of my July 2023 Giveaway announced!

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my latest giveaway.  The giveaway closed on the 14th July 2023 and all names were entered into a randomized generator using Random org and the first five names won books of their choice.

 

Congratulations to   

 

Janet R 

who won copies of Undara & Exiles

 

 Pam S 

who won copies of The Ghost of Gracie Flynn & After the Smoke Clears

 

 Penny W 

who won copies of A Man of Honour and Headcase

 

 Richard H 

who won Into the Night & Shelter from the Storm

                        

Warrick W 

who won copies of Cautionary Tales for Excitable Girls & Inkflower

 

The winners have been notified and have seven days to provide a mailing address. I hope you enjoy your books.

 

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways!