Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Crime fiction relies heavily on the plot. It must be gripping in the clichéd page-turning manner. Character adds to the attraction. Setting may play a significant role too. Sherlock Holmes’ exploits would be a greatly reduced in their ability to entertain us if he did not live in Victorian London, but
Reviewed by Ian Lipke A cracking story about a largely forgotten Irish lady who commanded the seas in the late seventeenth century. Grace O’Malley was a folk heroine who risked everything to protect her people against the harshness of a powerful Elizabethan regime. No battle was too much for her, not even a battle of
Reviewed by Ian Lipke This story is set in post-collapse America. It is reputed to be in the years after 2031 following the collapse of the republic, the formation of a new style California and individual States attempting to function in the face of gangs of brigands. It begins immediately after a Second Civil War.
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Maggie Byrd lives a life that many thirty-year-olds might envy. She works with fossils and gems at the Natural History Museum in London. The story is made up of several clearly defined sections. Most noteworthy among these is called Replacement, which is linked to a stage of opalization where “what was
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Having her first book accepted in 1984, Australian author, Jennifer Rowe, is an accomplished writer. Her crime fiction for adults is presented under her own name, while her children’s fiction is published under the pseudonyms Emily Rodda and Mary-Anne Dickinson. She has gone on to write over 100 books for children.
Reviewed by Rod McLary In a recent interview [The Australian Weekend Magazine 29-30 August 2026], Sebastian Barry spoke about ‘the extreme whiteness of his country [Ireland] and his sadness at how racist it has become’. His sadness about Ireland’s racism goes directly to his latest novel The Newer World which is written in the first
Reviewed by Rod McLary John A Scott is one of Australia’s leading writers having won the Victorian Premier’s Prizes for both fiction and poetry; and been shortlisted twice for the Miles Franklin Award. Writing skills at such a high level are well and truly evident in this contemporary gothic horror story. As a genre, contemporary
Reviewed by Rod McLary William Drax-Du Pont was murdered on Sunday 13 October. That much we know for certain as the chapter heading on page one of this captivating novel tells us so. What we are yet to find out is – by whom and why? William is one of five friends who work together
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The author of The Courage to Be Yourself is Japanese award-winning professional writer, Fumitake Koga. He has released numerous bestselling works of business-related and general non-fiction. His encounter with Adlerian psychology in his late twenties has influenced his writing, whether it be as sole author or in collaboration with others. The
Reviewed by Gayle Williams The Whitechapel Full Moon Society by Elizabeth Delozier, set in London in 1888, is a “ripper of a read” that I simply couldn’t put down. The novel follows Caroline Foster, recently orphaned and penniless, as she travels to London in search of her missing brother, Charlie. Though his gravestone claims he
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders This is a book that I have been waiting to read for decades. As a young teenager, I encountered Captain Reg Saunders at the Royal Military College Golf Club. I knew plenty of Captains and Colonels, but none commanded the room like Reg. His popularity, modesty and open warmth were immediately
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Tim Ayliffe’s Web of Spies represents a compelling generic crossover in which we witness the intricate machinery of the espionage thriller adapted to the landscape of adolescent fiction. The novel is essentially the story of Ollie, a young lad who is investigating a local murder, whose task opens out to uncover
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Zoe Copeland is a single mum who has had a very dysfunctional upbringing, in and out of foster homes because of her addict mother. She is trying desperately to ensure her own daughter, Florence, has a more stable upbringing. When her landlord wants to increase the rent on their one-bedroom flat
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This beautiful hard covered children’s picture book contains the true story of a little baby platypus who was rescued and cared for until he was ready to return to his home in the wild at Christmas Creek. He was rehabilitated at Healesville Sanctuary which opened stage 1 of the Australian Platypus
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This square hard-covered children’s picture book is ready for the end of the year celebrations with its Christmas colours, gift tag, Christmas paper, decorations and candy canes. Yet the first five pages introduce two tiny insects – a Christmas bug and a humbug, each with different personalities. While the Christmas bug